looking to buy a starter bike 2

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nabonline · #1 Unread post by **nabonline** » Sat Dec 03, 2005 3:09 pm

hi all -

i'm new to the site. maybe i can get some feedback, i'll lay out my situation -

have always wanted to learn to ride so i took the msf course about a month and a half ago. now i'm anxious to get a bike. problems - i know little to nothing about repair/maintenance and don't think i have any friends who do either, and i live in a townhouse with only one entrace through the front door (backyard but can only get there through the house) so i'd have to keep the bike in the street - nice, quiet town.

i've been looking on ebay for bikes with my limit at about $800. care little about bike appearance, want something reliable. was looking mostly at honda, kaw, suz, and yamahas. any mechanical problems, situations, anything else i should avoid? would want something i could ride almost immediatly. most i've looked at say they're in good riding but have a problem - ex: bad carbs, weak battery, clutch...
any advice, thoughts - open to any. also curious about how/where to just learn about bike maintenace.

thanks -

#2 Unread post by **Jamers!** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 11:47 am

800 buks eh? hmmmmm well id say honda may be your best option the older weaker hondas will be pretty cheap, but i donno not a whole lot out ther for that much, early 90s EX250s and EX500s can be found around 1000 but i donno good luck dude.

JWF

#3 Unread post by **dr_bar** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:28 pm

Otkazim wrote:Äîáðûé äåíü. Åñëè âû õîòèòå îòêàçàòüñÿ îò äàííîé ðàññûëêè, ïîæàëóéñòà...

#4 Unread post by **Sev** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 1:01 pm

Language set that you do not have. It's a binary thing, and I'm sure a mod will get around to deleting it shortly.

Buyinga bike off e-bay that you cannot inspect is a bad idae. Look for soemthing close so you can at least see if it runs.

While it is possible to buy an bike for $800, you probably won't get one that runs very well. Be prepared to either spend a lot of time working on it, or a lot of time working on it.

Sun Dec 04, 2005 2:50 pm

dr_bar wrote:
Otkazim wrote:Äîáðûé äåíü. Åñëè âû õîòèòå îòêàçàòüñÿ îò äàííîé ðàññûëêè, ïîæàëóéñòà...

Yup, that was in russian and yummy russian spam as well!

haha.

Mike.

#6 Unread post by **Kal** » Mon Dec 05, 2005 11:53 am

Haynes do a very good range of Bike manuals, once I 'taught' myself to read Haynes mine became invaluble. I usually have a Haynes handy even if its a job I know how to do, just for the confidence of knowing everything can be fixed.

Cheap, reliable & easy to work on? Early to mid eighties Honda's are usually pretty indestructable, single cylanders are about as simple as it gets mechanically.

Thu Dec 08, 2005 2:17 am

My Xz550 cost me about $500 to get running (bike and parts).

I just got a XS 400 special for $200 that I doubt needs more than $200 in work.

If you have someone knowledgeable who goes with you, you can get a good bike that's nonrunning for cheap. It could be something as simple as a bad battery ($20 replacement) or bad carbs ($10 chemicals and maybe a $30 rebuild kit if you're unlucky) and then just a bit of rust (not too much mind!). Since you're going to POR your tank anyway, a minor amount of rust around the bike is nothing. Clean up what you can on a wire wheel, clean up the rest with a drill or dremel.

Then when you're done sell it for more than you put into it.

Itzamna · #8 Unread post by **Itzamna** » Thu Dec 08, 2005 6:16 am

I got my first bike for $1000. A '82 Honda Nighthawk 750. The bike ran great, and gave me 15,000 miles out of it in the year I rode it. There are nice bikes out there for cheap, you just have to find them. Best thing to do is find one that is maybe a little higher, maybe about $1,200-1,400 and talk them down. Taking cash in $100 bills only helps out a lot. When they see you wave that in front of them, it's hard for them to say no, even when you are lowballing them hard.