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I am looking at getting a bigger bike. Right now I have a 2003 Honda Shadow 600 with 8k miles. I like the bike, but it only has a 4 speed. A friend of my father's is selling a 1999 Honda Shadow 1100 because his son is overseas in the military. The bike has 15k miles but is a shaft drive and I believe has a 5 speed. Condition is pretty good, never been dropped, sat in the garage for a while and comes with a windshield, sissy bar, and luggage rack over the back fender. The reason I'm looking at getting a bigger bike is because my old bike isn't keen on doing much over 65 in 4th gear. The owner of the Shadow I'm looking at is asking $2750 and I'm hoping I can get $2300 or so for my bike if I hold onto it until next March or April. My fiancee will kill me if I spend more than $3000 out of pocket on a newer bike, which is why this one is looking tempting. Even if I can get $2000 cash I'm out less than $1000 for this bike. So, my questions are: for a 1999 Honda Shadow 1100 with 15k miles, is this a fair price? My concern is that I'm going back 4 years and doubling the miles from what I have now. I also haven't worked at all with a shaft drive bike. Are these a headache to work with? And finally, is $2300 a fair price for my bike? I did some quick ebay/Craigslist looking and it doesn't seem that out of line, especially with how low mile it is and I put on a pair of saddlebags and brand new tires (less than 1000 miles on the tires).
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Sep 7, 2011 15:17
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americanzero4128 posted:The reason I'm looking at getting a bigger bike is because my old bike isn't keen on doing much over 65 in 4th gear. EDIT: Holy poo poo, they only have four gears?
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Sep 7, 2011 16:42
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Endless Mike posted:Have you considered upshifting to 5th gear? Yeah, the 600 only has 4 gears. The 600 was my first bike, and I got a really good deal on it, so I didn't think too much of it at the time.
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Sep 7, 2011 17:07
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Endless Mike posted:Have you considered upshifting to 5th gear? My Vulcan 1500 was a 4 speed. And it had straight pipes. That was a little frustrating sometimes... well, every time I got on the freeway.
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Sep 7, 2011 18:07
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I'm taking the basic rider training course this weekend. I have never sat on a motorcycle before. I'm not totally useless though, I've ridden a number of scooters and I've driven manual transmission cars all my life, so I know the feeling of a motor + two wheels and I'm very familiar with clutch/gears/shifting. The 650cc Suzuki Boulevard S40 has been recommended to me by a friend and long-time rider. Looking for 2nd opinions. Is $3,700 a reasonable price for a 2007 with 12,000 km? What else... Getting to work involves a fair stretch of highway. Any other cruisers I should be looking into? My budget is $4,000. I'm 5'10", 150 lbs. Thank you, motorcycle fanatics! Edit 1: Dollar amounts are in CAD! Edit 2: Thanks to your post-apocalyptic economy, is it reasonable to think there might be big savings in hopping the border and buying in the US? epswing fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Sep 8, 2011 |
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Sep 8, 2011 19:29
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I wouldn't get a single cylinder cruiser for my first bike. It's gonna be underpowered, vibrate like hell, and be a bitch on the freeway. I'd consider a standard instead of a cruiser. Cruisers have a tendency to absolutely annihilate your back because hitting bumps is like having someone slam a hammer into the bottom of your chair while you sit bolt upright, unable to move to more than one position. I'd consider something like a GS500 instead. And try to only spend around 2k, you don't know what you want out of riding yet, and there's no sense in paying depreciation if you drop the bike at a stop.
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Sep 8, 2011 19:56
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I will go opposite from Z3n and say that the S40/Savage is a good learners bike. I may be biased because we have a 2001 ls650 'savage' in the garage as my wife's bike (Same bike as the S40) Its got about 30hp I think which is close to a ninja 250. It can do freeway speeds without issue. Its also very small and light, and the weight is low to the ground which makes it easy to maneuver around. The engine is torquey and works well at lower - mid range RPM. I have to admit, I really like riding the bike, it feel super nimble and agile and its really easy to throw it around. I think also the whole 'ride a slow bike fast' thing applies here. We can ride 2 up around town (we haven't done any long freeway trips yet) as well without any problems and we're actually going to ride it out to dinner with some friends tonight. The savage/s40 has a small but dedicated following. Its also really popular for modifications such as bobbing it out or even turning into a cafe racer (google Ryca). Its super simple to work on and you can find the service manual floating around the internet. The bad stuff: - Cruisers hurting your back - This one is true. I weigh 200lbs or so and the stock shocks cannot cope with that whatsoever. Getting up on the pegs means essentially pulling yourself up on the bars and that's not a good idea in general. My wife weighs ~80lbs so it's much better for her. - It DOES vibrate, and my wife's tends to vibrate from the speedometer (set into the tank, I've taken it out and made sure everything was tight etc it to no avail). THAT SAID, I'm not sure how your Canadian pricing for bikes goes, but I agree with Z3n that I wouldn't buy that one. 3700 is pretty high I think and that money can get you a lot of good bikes.. if you like the S40 you could look at older Suzuki Savage (LS650) and you can save a chunk of change for the same bike minus the badging. The bike is kinda like the Honda Rebel - it has been essentially the same since it was introduced in the 80's. GanjamonII fucked around with this message at 20:48 on Sep 8, 2011 |
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Sep 8, 2011 20:45
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FWIW, I'll also have to say the Savage is a decent enough bike. I rode one for about a month many years ago. Nothing is coming to mind that I really disliked. It didn't have tons of power by any stretch but it was competent in town and should be OK at most sane highway speeds. IIRC it was very tame to handle so you could certainly do worse for a first bike. Price does seem a bit high even for Canada, but I can't say I've ever really tried to buy one. I think the bike market back east is generally a little higher than out west. Might be worthwhile offering $3000-ish if you really like it and see if he bites. That might be fair.
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Sep 8, 2011 21:57
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Thanks for the responses. I'll look into the GS500. Any other beginner-ish bikes that can easily handle highway driving that I should look into? Part of the reason I'm looking at cruisers is because it looks to me like sport bikes force you to hunch forward, with less/no weight on your feet, whereas when I see people riding cruisers they're sitting up mostly straight, with feet flat on the pedals/pegs. Again, I don't know anything, this is just me eyeballing riders, so I encourage you to call me crazy. (Also, on a sport bike where you're leaning forward, where do your balls go? Seriously.  )
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Sep 8, 2011 22:13
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epswing posted:Thanks for the responses. I'll look into the GS500. You may want to look at standards - GS500 as mentioned, Ninja 250/500, SV650, FZ6 etc. Not sure how old you want to go since you listed an 07, but also things like yamaha seca, honda hawk or any of the 'UJM' bikes. Other cruisers wou'd be any of the 500-750 cc ones eg honda shadow, yamaha vstar. or the 883 harleys... Or get a super motard... epswing posted:(Also, on a sport bike where you're leaning forward, where do your balls go? Seriously. Sometimes they get smushed against the tank. We try not to do that often though or our babies may come out funny lookin'.
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Sep 8, 2011 22:22
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epswing posted:
Mine are usually sucked into my chest cavity in fear. Whee!
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Sep 8, 2011 22:27
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epswing posted:Thanks for the responses. I'll look into the GS500. With some previous riding experience on scoots, I'd say the SV650 wouldn't be too much of a reach. GS500, Ninja 500, Ninja 250. You could also look into any of the smaller displacement cruisers (under 1000ccs), as cruisers generally don't make as much power per cc by design. Standards or any relatively upright bike is my ideal for comfort, in my opinion. A slight forward lean is good for reducing the effect of windblast at highway speeds. Cruisers are uncomfortable because it's nearly impossible to lift your weight off the seat when your feet are in front of you. Sportbikes are pretty easy to stand up on because your legs are folded up and back like you're a sprinter on the blocks, but that gets uncomfortable if your legs are too long. Standards put your feet basically directly below your hips, so you have a mild bend to your legs, and it's really easy to stand up to take the weight off your seat or scoot around. The lazy boy seating position is good when you're just sitting in a chair, but not the greatest when you're on the road. As to where your balls go...when you lean forward do you sit on your balls? No? That's how it works.
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Sep 8, 2011 23:14
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epswing posted:(Also, on a sport bike where you're leaning forward, where do your balls go? Seriously. Mine kind of work themselves between my body and the tank, always make sure to leave a little breathing room for the boys. But a brakecheck or a big bump always sends them right into the tank. I've come to the conclusion that tank pads are more for ball -> tank dampening than grip at this point.
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Sep 8, 2011 23:26
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I know I'm not the only one that's seen a dent in the tank right where the balls would hit in an accident. My current bike has one, and I shudder to think of what actually happened.
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Sep 8, 2011 23:33
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SaNChEzZ posted:Mine kind of work themselves between my body and the tank, always make sure to leave a little breathing room for the boys. But a brakecheck or a big bump always sends them right into the tank. I've come to the conclusion that tank pads are more for ball -> tank dampening than grip at this point. Grip tank with knees (because you already have stompgrips/techspecs). Problem solved! 
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Sep 8, 2011 23:43
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AncientTV posted:I know I'm not the only one that's seen a dent in the tank right where the balls would hit in an accident. My current bike has one, and I shudder to think of what actually happened. Balls of steel
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Sep 8, 2011 23:43
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GanjamonII posted:Balls of steel My friend caused one of these on his SV in an accident. Z3n posted:Grip tank with knees (because you already have stompgrips/techspecs). Problem solved! It only happens when I'm being lazy etc.
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Sep 9, 2011 00:13
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AncientTV posted:I know I'm not the only one that's seen a dent in the tank right where the balls would hit in an accident. My current bike has one, and I shudder to think of what actually happened. When I rear-ended a car, my tank was sloped such that my testicles and pelvis gradually went up and over until my thighs hit the bars. I don't recall any testicular pain, but a CT scan (for unrelated reasons) of the area a few months later revealed a small pelvic bone injury which was healing itself.
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Sep 9, 2011 00:20
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epswing posted:Thanks for the responses. I'll look into the GS500. Cruiser riding position - back bent like a pretzel because your feet are forward, your arms are reaching up and forward and the position gives no support for your back from your legs or core muscles. On the highway/motorway/freeway whateva, your body traps wind (no not that wind) like a sail and you have to hang on by the bars because you have nothing to brace against. If you have ape hangers or semi ape hanger bars on your cruiser, you are also holding your arms at shoulder level or above the entire time. A modern naked, half-faired, faired or sportsbike riding position has your legs underneath you with heels at worst slightly behind you, with your upper body braced forward and supported by the tank. With the tank and your abdominal muscles controlling your body, you should have minimal weight on your wrists and little or none on your coccyx. Moving around the bike should be very easy. Insanely high rearset footpegs and a really long reach to the bars went out in the the mid 1990s as chassis(s) got shorter, swingarms longer and engines lighter and more compact.
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Sep 9, 2011 13:41
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I want this thing: http://cgi.ebay.com.au/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200651004373&category=102680
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Sep 9, 2011 13:43
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Saga posted:I appreciate you. Saga posted:Insanely high rearset footpegs and a really long reach to the bars went out in the the mid 1990s as chassis(s) got shorter, swingarms longer and engines lighter and more compact. Yes...YES, this is what I wanted to avoid. Note to self, don't buy a mid-90s bike with insanely high rearset footpegs. Along that line of thinking, if I was buying a car, I'd probably be looking for something just coming off a 3 or 4 year lease. Sure it's past the honeymoon phase, but it's also gone through the major depreciation period, and assuming the owner treated it with some care, I can also assume that the wheels won't fall off anytime soon. When it comes to motorcycles, do the same principles apply? Is it generally ok to look at 10 year old bikes, or would it be prudent to look for something younger than X years and/or Y kilometers? I'm a little weary of going too old, because it seems like the wheels falling off (or other mechanical failure) a motorcycle means death. epswing fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Sep 9, 2011 |
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Sep 9, 2011 14:44
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epswing posted:When it comes to motorcycles, do the same principles apply? Is it generally ok to look at 10 year old bikes, or would it be prudent to look for something younger than X years and/or Y kilometers? I'm a little weary of going too old, seems like the wheels falling off (or other mechanical failure) in the motorcycle world means death. I bought a 15 year old Suzuki as my first (and current) bike. The only things I've had to do so far are the brakes, front tire, chain and a couple of rubber bushings that were worn in the footpegs. Basic maintenance stuff, in other words. Find a bike that's been treated well and maintained and age doesn't matter much.
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Sep 9, 2011 16:59
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epswing posted:Along that line of thinking, if I was buying a car, I'd probably be looking for something just coming off a 3 or 4 year lease. Sure it's past the honeymoon phase, but it's also gone through the major depreciation period, and assuming the owner treated it with some care, I can also assume that the wheels won't fall off anytime soon. To me, it's more a question of being able to get new parts and used stuff (including tuning and accessory poo poo). Partly because people tend to use them less but also because they're simpler machines with less acreage of metal and meters of wiring loom, a decent bike will last longer than a decent car before becoming a nightmarish confection of rust, strange electrical problems and interminable running repairs. Unlike a 90s car, you can buy the aforesaid 90s sportsbike and it will have nothing wrong with it and go on for another 10 or 20 years. But if something DOES go wrong, you may struggle to get the exact parts you need to fix it, even occasionally from a main dealer. Even the popular machines get crashed or broken for spares once their value declines sufficiently, so eventually the supply of stuff available from the web dries up. In fact, if your bike was never particularly popular, you'll find the aftermarket stops supporting it after 4 or 5 years, except for basic consumables like brake pads. If you're in the US, you have to look at your local bike market to find out what stuff is worth and when bikes hit the sweet spot of still being in decent condition but having done most of their depreciation. As far as I can tell, regional markets are really different in the US and prices can be all over the place. Over here in the UK, it's probably about 4-5 years for most bikes, after which they will depreciate slowly until they reach £1,000 - £1,500. At that point people start buying even good, running bikes for their parts value, and eventually values can rise - at least for good or popular bikes - as nostalgia and sheer scarcity comes into the equation. As far as getting you killed, if any of the brakes work, the chain (or sprockets) is not visibly about to come off the bike, the forks are clamped firmly in the yokes, the tyres are not visibly rotting and there is evidence of oil in the sump, getting killed or injured would be very difficult. The usual cause of that is someone else running you over with a Mack truck, or rider error.
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Sep 9, 2011 17:28
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epswing posted:I appreciate you. This isn't true of all 90s bikes. The ZX6E, YZF600, and CBR F2/F3/F4 all have pretty non-aggressive seating positions. Check out this site for more information on ergos: http://cycle-ergo.com/ Run by a goon, even 
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Sep 9, 2011 18:56
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When I bought my first bike I wanted something in good condition, low miles and and relatively recent. I also wanted fuel injection rather than carbs. I was pretty stringent about the 'quality' of the bike. .. Then I dropped it at the track and my next bike I won't be so anal about. As long as everything is straight and its in good mechanical condition I'll be good.
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Sep 9, 2011 19:07
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Day 1 of basic rider training completed. We used Yamaha Virago 250s. My back/neck is killing me, maybe because of the aforementioned cruiser reasons, maybe because I'm a new rider who just went through 8 hours of off/on riding. Can't wait to do it again tomorrow!
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Sep 11, 2011 02:01
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AncientTV posted:I know I'm not the only one that's seen a dent in the tank right where the balls would hit in an accident. My current bike has one, and I shudder to think of what actually happened.  Yes, it was as painful as you would expect.
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Sep 11, 2011 20:30
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-Inu- posted:
 I've been thinking about picking up a bike for the daily commute again. I used to ride a 2000 833cc(?) harley sportster, about four years ago, and really miss it. Thing is, the poor thing could barely do 75 on the highway on even grade, on account of I'm a spectacular fatass. And that's with the thing cranked all the way out, mind you. Anyway, I need a bike that can carry a bit of stuff (not a lot--Goldwing would be overkill, as much as I would love having all those toys) and a lot of fatass on the highway, 'bout 20 miles a day, where folks average 70-75 (in a 65 zone of course ). So much the better if it's comfortable enough for an interstate haul (say, 300 miles), but not really a priority. Any thoughts?(Speaking of the Goldwing, did I read right and see that they have air conditioner vents? How the gently caress is that supposed to work 
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Sep 12, 2011 01:53
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R1? But seriously, most bikes do what you want. Get some type of soft bags and you've got enough space for a weekend romp, and there are so many different bikes that have no problem with extra weight and highway hauls that it would literally be impossible to name them all. What you need to think about is what kinds of bike do you like the look of, what kind of ergonomics fit you (straight up, cruiser style, slight lean, slightly more lean, woah that is a lot of lean, seriously my wrists are beginning to hurt, etc.), what you are going to do with the bike outside of commuting, how much money you want to spend and more stuff like that.
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Sep 12, 2011 02:35
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Ledneh posted:Anyway, I need a bike that can carry a bit of stuff BMW R1100 RT.  If you can afford to buy newer, http://powersports.honda.com/2011/nt700v.aspx  Glacial acceleration by bike standards, but it will do much more than barely 75mph. Saga fucked around with this message at 09:44 on Sep 12, 2011 |
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Sep 12, 2011 09:41
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OK so I've had a craigslist notification on for a while for Tuonos and one just popped up. I can afford it, its in good shape and the guy agreed to doing a pre-purchase inspection. Insurance is higher than my SV but not unmanageable. Is there any reasons I shouldn't buy this bike??
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Sep 12, 2011 19:55
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GanjamonII posted:OK so I've had a craigslist notification on for a while for Tuonos and one just popped up. I can afford it, its in good shape and the guy agreed to doing a pre-purchase inspection. Insurance is higher than my SV but not unmanageable. You don't want a Tuono?
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Sep 12, 2011 19:59
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Z3n posted:You don't want a Tuono? You hate explaining that it's a bike most people have never heard of?
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Sep 12, 2011 20:05
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Originally I did want the RSV.. But then the more I thought it (and looked at insurance) the Tuono makes more sense. I sat on it yesterday its like a big dirt bike. Also I'm 6' and can't flatfoot it.. haven't had that on any other bike I've sat on yet except the DRZ I got on at the dealer... Oh and I don't care about having to explain it to others. I'll just say 'oh its Italian, you wouldn't understand' and strut away in my dainese jacket..
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Sep 12, 2011 20:24
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More than you can afford, pal.
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Sep 12, 2011 21:08
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Mcqueen posted:More than you can afford, pal. Even better.. Will have to sip latte while doing it. I think I just bought it, contingent on the inspection. Yay! Here's to wheelies!
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Sep 12, 2011 21:24
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Hope you enjoy explaining to people what an Aprilia is. Literally nobody knows what they are around here.
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Sep 12, 2011 21:38
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n8r posted:Hope you enjoy explaining to people what an Aprilia is. Literally nobody knows what they are around here. "Its like ducati but .." I just need to work out the rest of that sentence.
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Sep 12, 2011 22:02
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GanjamonII posted:"Its like ducati but .." "It's like a Ducati, but instead of stripes they plaster lions and poo poo all over it!"
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Sep 12, 2011 22:07
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It's like a Ducati but it starts up more often.
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Sep 12, 2011 23:39
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