Topic: Getting A Bike (Read 169 times)

lostboyz · « **on:** June 19, 2006, 07:04:00 AM »

Well parents are dis-owning me financially and a car payment would be about the same as my house so Im not going to put up with that. So for minimal transportation (walmart and back) and just to get my fix of driving, Im looking towards getting a bike. A couple of my friends have them and are telling me to look at used 500 or 600cc bikes. These are sport bikes. So I am not going to get one for at least 3-4 months and take the Motorcycle safety class.

Just trying to pull a lot of information before making a final decision so if you have any opinion let me know.

and if your opinion is crotch rockets are gay or anything like that I dont need to hear it.

Wolves · « **Reply #1 on:** June 19, 2006, 12:12:00 PM »

Call up the Teutels and get them to make you a Wal-Mart themed bike?

But on a more serious note, look for a bike not by looks, but by feel. Every motorcycle has it's own 'feel' to ride it. When you go to buy one, make sure you test drive it so you can tell if the feel of it suits your driving style. That's the best advice I can give.

Rylinkus · « **Reply #2 on:** June 19, 2006, 02:04:00 PM »

QUOTE(Wolves @ Jun 19 2006, 07:19 PM)

Call up the Teutels and get them to make you a Wal-Mart themed bike?

But on a more serious note, look for a bike not by looks, but by feel. Every motorcycle has it's own 'feel' to ride it. When you go to buy one, make sure you test drive it so you can tell if the feel of it suits your driving style. That's the best advice I can give.

And make sure you budget for proper protective gear. Remember, on a bike all that's between you and the pavement is whatever you're wearing. So make sure you have money for a decent helmet, jacket and gloves. A helmets 100 bucks and up. Gloves can run from maybe 40-way too much. And a decent armored jacket probably starts @ 160 or better assuming you look for last years models and such. My Icon jacket cost 400 bucks new. But should I ever go down itll be worth every penny. Just want to give you the heads up that a 3000 dollar bike may require another 500 or 600. And for the love of god make sure a qualified mechanic looks it over. A slightly worn tire or warped rotor may not be a big deal on a car, but then again you dont need to balance a car. So again, you could find yourself needing a few hundred bucks in tires, brakes, chain, etc. Keeping it in tip top shape is the only way to ride safely.

lostboyz · « **Reply #3 on:** June 19, 2006, 03:01:00 PM »

yea my friend from owning one for a year knows this kawasaki and honda certified mechanic in our area at school that Ive met and trust pretty well, that and he goes to my college as well.

right now im between mid to late 90's ninja 600cc, as I have riden my friend kawasaki 600 that is basically a 2001 ninja but sport/touring version. forget the exact model he has

same years of CBR, or GSX-R. All can be acquired for about $2,500-$3k. I got a budget right now for protective gear so I set that aside.

Rylinkus · « **Reply #4 on:** June 19, 2006, 05:19:00 PM »

Ill throw out 2 other bikes to consider. Honda VFR. Sport Touring so its a bit more upright but still a very cool bike. May also find a Yamaha YZF like mine in that price range. I personally am not a fan of the older Ninjas. I'd rather have a GSX-R or CBR.

lostboyz · « **Reply #5 on:** June 19, 2006, 05:24:00 PM »

yea I was looking at the YZF R6 as well, I rode on my buddies kawasaki and he said its more less the same model as the late 90s ninja's so I just assumed Id like them. But Im going to do a thorough check on anything before I buy.

Rylinkus · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2006, 09:01:00 PM »

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 20 2006, 12:31 AM)

yea I was looking at the YZF R6 as well, I rode on my buddies kawasaki and he said its more less the same model as the late 90s ninja's so I just assumed Id like them. But Im going to do a thorough check on anything before I buy.

Yeah, at least do a little research and ride a few things. A GSXR and Ninja will be a bit more hunched over and may be harder on your body for a ride of more then an hour. And frankly Kawasakis feel cheesy to me. Honestly, there's a reason there's so many GSXRs on the roads. There REALLY nice bikes.

Bare in mind for 2500 you could also get a car. Which would allow passengers and be drivable in any weather.

GearGuy2001 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 23, 2006, 10:06:00 PM »

I would get a cheap car, I know a bike may sound great and Im a big fan of motorcycles as both my mom and dad ride but if you live where it rains/snows it wont be any fun to have one as your sole mode of transportation.

Prior to my dads current Harley he had a Honda CB 500. You don't sit hunched over and it had a nice seat, plus the clutch wasnt hard to pull in like on harleys.

What you could do is see if your city has a public auction and pick up a used police cruiser or public works vehicle. Just an idea.

yaazz · « **Reply #8 on:** June 25, 2006, 06:21:00 AM »

I have an old kawasaki bike and my advice to you is make sure your riding gear is A+++++

I got a brand new helmet and armored jacket for 250 bucks, so I got lucky, but you definitley need it. Once you wear the jacket you will feel naked without it

but like the other guy, id just look into a cheap car like a geo or a toyota or something. My little brother just got a 4 cyl ranger in almost immaculate condition (needed brake lines for the back wheels) for 200 bucks, no joke. Cheap cars are out there if you look, i would set your max at 500 bucks and see what you find

Oh and I saw a 400 dollar jeep the other day

lostboyz · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2006, 12:36:00 PM »

nope car is out of the question, its not the price of buying it its insurance. my friends brand new kawasaki is $800 a year.

My dad just bought an '03 or '04 rav4, nice little SUV nice safety cheap parts. Insurance for him as primary is $700 a year. Me as secondary is $2100 a year and me as primary is $2400 a year. I have no points on my license its simply because I am 20 years old. So cars arent worth it in my mind. I simply want some form of transportation that is cheap because Id think Id go bonkers without some means of leaving somewhere, that and I love to drive.

Rylinkus · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2006, 05:15:00 PM »

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 25 2006, 07:43 PM)

nope car is out of the question, its not the price of buying it its insurance. my friends brand new kawasaki is $800 a year.

My dad just bought an '03 or '04 rav4, nice little SUV nice safety cheap parts. Insurance for him as primary is $700 a year. Me as secondary is $2100 a year and me as primary is $2400 a year. I have no points on my license its simply because I am 20 years old. So cars arent worth it in my mind. I simply want some form of transportation that is cheap because Id think Id go bonkers without some means of leaving somewhere, that and I love to drive.

So buy a cheap car and put only liability on it and it wont be expensive. If you can only have one vehicle, which based on money you cant afford more, youd be far better off to buy something more practical. IE, can drive in the rain, snow, have a passenger, use to go buy groceries. Honestly I love my Camaro and Bike, but certainly wouldnt be able to own either if I didnt have my van.

And remember, the bikes arent made to take the milage a car will. They require a decent amount of upkeep if you constantly ride them to keep everything in perfect working order and safe.

lostboyz · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2006, 07:51:00 PM »

yea Thanks again for all the input, A lot is going into my decisions (which are a good 6 months off at best) a lot of things I havent thought about

Rylinkus · « **Reply #12 on:** June 26, 2006, 09:05:00 AM »

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 26 2006, 02:58 AM)

yea Thanks again for all the input, A lot is going into my decisions (which are a good 6 months off at best) a lot of things I havent thought about

Verify insurance costs of liability only vs liability only on other vehicles. Most people don't put full coverage on a bike. And if they do, bikes are generally cheaper so it still may be cheaper full coverage vs. full coverage. To compare insurace prices on your dad's 2 year old SUV which is probably still valued @ 15k or so vs a motorcycle which probably isn't 15k BRAND NEW is a bad comparison @ best. Plus most insurances are expecting you to put more miles on a car then a bike and are basing rates in that manner as well. If I drive my car twice as much as my bike I've got twice the oppurtunity to wreck it. So if you claim a bike as the only mode of transport you have it may be a bit more costly than someone like me who has a van listed as his primary mode of conveyance.

So I guess, just make sure you know the prices both ways before you assume one's more expesive then the other. My bud just bought a year old GSX-R 750 for 7K. He's got full coverage on it, is older than me, has a better driving record than me, and is not using it as a primary ride. I can promise you he's paying more to insure that then I am my van. So if costs an issue, make sure to examine all your options. Upkeep on a bike is FAR more crucial then on a normal ride as a warped rotor may make my van or camaro pull to one side but I wont go down. Meaning I can put off a van rotor a week if I dont have cash and still feel ok driving it. The bike..... not so much.

lostboyz · « **Reply #13 on:** June 26, 2006, 09:56:00 AM »

yea I see your point and theres obviously more I need to look into

my only issue with buying a beater is that Ive had one, im sure its not like most but my 94 explorer was just a huge pain. The first year I owned it, it didnt cost me a dime, but that last year and a half I put the cost of the car into fixing it and traded it in for half of what I paid. It only had 86k miles on it too. So in my mind Im not sure if its completely worth it, yet I do realize that it isnt always the case.

This is exactly what I wanted when i posted this so thanks, now I have a much better idea of what I have to look at before making my decision

Rylinkus · « **Reply #14 on:** June 26, 2006, 03:46:00 PM »

QUOTE(lostboyz @ Jun 26 2006, 05:03 PM)

yea I see your point and theres obviously more I need to look into

my only issue with buying a beater is that Ive had one, im sure its not like most but my 94 explorer was just a huge pain. The first year I owned it, it didnt cost me a dime, but that last year and a half I put the cost of the car into fixing it and traded it in for half of what I paid. It only had 86k miles on it too. So in my mind Im not sure if its completely worth it, yet I do realize that it isnt always the case.

This is exactly what I wanted when i posted this so thanks, now I have a much better idea of what I have to look at before making my decision

Well bare in mind bikes require maintenance too. Chains, brakes, and tires all need to be replaced often. And none of this is overly cheap. Add to that tuneups, oil changes, etc and a bike can be costly to keep on the road too. I'm sure you may know someone or have heard of someone that hasn't put a cent into their bike in 3 years. But thats the same guy riding a bike with leaking fork seals, warped rotors, and worn tires. All of which can help contribute to an accident.

With a 3K budget anything you buy is going to have mileage on it. You're either gonna end up with a car with 100k+ on it, a mid 90s bike with 13k, or a newer smaller engined bike with 5K. None of these are exactly low mileage scenarios. And none will be guarenteed reliable. The best you can do is make SURE to have a reliable mechanic look over anything before you buy it. Yeah, maybe youll pay 50-80 bucks for an hour worth of labor. But better then dropping 3k on something that had an obvious problem that you missed.

Author Topic: Getting A Bike (Read 169 times)