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But.. I want that ktm. :-(AkrisD posted:What kind of UJM should I be looking for as a beginning rider? I really want an old Honda CB 550 or something, but it's really hard to find anything that's not a new superbike or dirtbike around here. There's a '79 CB750 not too far from me, but that seems like a little too much power. What kind of ujm is ... a weird question. UJM is already very generic. You'll need to poke around your local craigslist and see what's available. Check out the horsepower of each. I would push you towards a kawasaki or suzuki. Through the early 80's yamaha's have very flakey electrical systems. And the XS400's tend to drop timing chain guides.... If you can find a GOOD, running, pretty, honda, I can recomend those whole heartedly. Do not buy a honda as a project, you will hate life.
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Oct 2, 2008 17:10
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Don't focus on displacement. Displacement lies. That old BMW clone, other than questionable brakes, is a good first bike. I don't care what the displacement is. A Sporster 883 is a good first bike, and that's nearly a literbike. On the other side of the same token, a RD or RZ350 isn't a great first bike. Small motor, but they have a wild powerband.
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Oct 3, 2008 03:50
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AkrisD posted:I did see an 82 gs450 that doesn't run(idle) today on CL, maybe I'll check that out.
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Oct 7, 2008 04:25
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Bugdrvr posted:What do you guys think of this bike? http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/mcy/870760871.html
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Oct 8, 2008 06:04
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FluffGrenade posted:Grab a bigger UJM. The 650-750 range of KZ/GS/CB bikes should be large enough to fit you without getting you in too much trouble. You're aiming high. The GS650 makes 70+ hp. 400's are maybes. The GS400-450's make around 40hp. Which is plenty for two up, even highway work. I don't know about the KZ, but the XS400's are very questionable two up. I'd say anything 425 on up is a good bet. Being whatever height, and whatever weight doesn't matter in the least until we're talking people 400lbs plus.
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Oct 13, 2008 03:05
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shaitan posted:I'm in NYS, I am pretty sure you don't need to pay for back registration on it (states really make you do that? that's some B.S.) Do not remove the plastic. It just makes it more vulnrable, and ugly. If the plastic is in decent shape, keep it, repaint it.
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Oct 24, 2008 23:42
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the letter b posted:I've come across a 1981 Suzuki GSX 250
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Oct 27, 2008 06:50
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the letter b posted:Just to clarify, by learn on I mean learn about working on bikes.. I'd like something that I can gently caress up that won't cause me to lose my primary mode of transport while I fix it. I figure cheap and Japanese is the way to go based on parts being cheaper and more plentiful here.
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Oct 27, 2008 08:26
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Simkin posted:If you doubt that last part, just check through the classifieds, and see how many sport bikes are being sold with barely used gear.
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Oct 28, 2008 21:11
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It's got more than 100hp, that's to much for a first bike. If you need an example of what that sort of bike can do, that's the same model bike that abunchofnumbers lost his arm riding. I'll bet it's sold already.
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Nov 7, 2008 17:01
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Stoic Commie posted:http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcy/911419528.html CB160. Good bike, slow, but good. New battery, new tires, new chain. Probally needs a condensor, and a carb clean. http://detroit.craigslist.org/mcy/910876232.html Yeah, its $1200, but drat it's a good bike. What's your budget? And detoit is barren of good bikes right now.
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Nov 9, 2008 05:19
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There is no "bad" gs. That's why they have such a following. Now, what's bad is that that bike has been chopped to hell. take a close look at it, if you think you can manage to work around the PO's choppery, have at it.
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Nov 10, 2008 18:21
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Just to dampen it a bit more. It will cost you at least $140 more to make it street legal. (title, plate, etc...) Also keep in mind that the tanks aren't common. And it's got that nasty yamaha emissions pump BS. Which it really seems to need to run right. They also have the "bust-o-matic" 80's yamaha fuse holders. That said, it makes 60 some horsepower. And they're narrow, and easy to manage. I'd buy it, but only to fix and resell... But I wouldn't recommend you buy it.
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Nov 30, 2008 18:26
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I like the 16" front wheel on my GS550ES. Reviewers liked them at the time. They also liked it on the XN85. Versus the 19 on my '80 it's pretty magical. Sadly, finding rubber for them sucks. :-(
Nerobro fucked around with this message at 04:56 on Dec 8, 2008 |
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Dec 8, 2008 04:53
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fixing second gear is MAJOR work. Though it sounds like it's just a bent shift fork, it's still a "pull the engine, split the cases" type fix. The bike is worth $400 at most. You're talking a grand in shop time and parts to fix it.
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Dec 8, 2008 22:36
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I'd bargain him down, and fix it myself. But that's just me ;-) I would NOT recommend you do that.
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Dec 9, 2008 05:17
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Other than buying a bad first bike, (breaking the 70hp rule by a LOT) that GSXR isn't far off from my typical motorcycle purchase. You probally overpaid a bit. Nothing there is serious work. If I were working alone, that's maybe four evenings worh of work, including the usual snags and broken bits. It looks like you brought it to a good shop. And they gave you a complete, GOOD list of what's wrong. That's not common. I'd continue using that shop. :-) Time to learn to do an oil change, and clean the carbs. There's a CV carb thread. Use it. :-) Clean the carbs. Take a picture of the rear rim so we can see it. MOST of my wheels have dents, and it's really not a big problem. If it's severe, new rims aren't that expensive.
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Jan 6, 2009 13:38
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WHOOOPS. Yeah, GSX = ok. Though as mentioned either earlier in this thread, or a previous thread. This suzuki fanboy thinks katanas suck. Not that they break. Just they aren't good on any level.
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Jan 6, 2009 16:50
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Lots more power. Like.. almost double the power. Much more engine breaking. The seating position is more aggressive. the suspension is better, forks are stiffer, the rear shock isn't quite as cheap. It's water cooled so it's power is less effected by outside temperature. It's just a plain better bike. :-) And I love me some GS's.
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Jan 15, 2009 17:07
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Hah, yeah. Starting out on a GS500 is just about perfect. I was describing the SV650. The GS500 has enough fun to get you in trouble, but not so much you'll get there on accident. While I don't own a GS500, I do have a few GS550's, a GS425, and have owned a GS450.
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Jan 15, 2009 17:30
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TapTheForwardAssist posted:More maintenance because it's 2-stroke, yes? "More maintenance" as in "you have to disassemble and blow out the carb every other month, and bake the gunk out of the exhaust system"? Or as in "the engine will beat itself to death and need to be replaced every year"? More maintenance as in, filling the oil injector tank, and replacing the rings whenever you start fouling plugs and the bike gets hard to start. Replacing the rings is an every 10-15,000 miles thing on the RD/RZ bikes. (I think that's the right number..) It's a job that shouldn't take more than two hours. The carbs will never clog so long as you keep riding it. If you use good 2 stroke oil you can avoid having to clean the exahusts. You don't need to worry about maintenance being excessive on any bike past say.. 1970. 1980 is ideal though, as everything went to electronic ignition then. Points DO need some maintenance. Royal Enfields are spotty because they're a 1920's british design. The people on that little island didn't really figure out how to make a good engine untill sometime in the 60's. And that's just "in general". They didn't make really good motorcycle engines untill the third incarnation of Triumph. Before that, british bike motors are not far from 2 strokes in that they have a finite lifespan between rebuilds. The enfields have been upgraded a little over the years. They're using a modern carb. They have electronic ignition now. And they're running a 12 volt electrical system.
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Jan 17, 2009 16:12
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^^^^^^^^^^^ That's a 5'5" girl. She very easily handles moving around a 480lb GS550E and a 430lb GS550. Tsaven Nava posted:I'm just going to chime in and throw this question out there; quote:So I decided to finally bite the bullet and get a real motorcycle. I live in deerfield. I have ridden a bike at least once every two weeks. Then again, some people think I'm a little crazy. I bought a bike specfically to ride in snow. Right now, it's not snowing, and main roads are clear. It's just fine to ride. There will be good riding days coming up. This IS chicago, we had 60's in december. The bike itself, is good for long trips. Your weight has no bearing on that. If you're comfy, you're comfy. That's the end of that story. The only sin with a motorcycle is getting trapped under it. If it's falling, let it go. You'll damage yourself less that way. Bike parts are cheap in comparison even to medical deductibles. Given you were scared on the goped, and you've had time on scooters, it may well be a fine bike for you to ride. The fact you're questioning the decision means you probably have the proper respect for it. Just take it easy. Now, there are three events that you should make it to each year. The slimy crud run happens both in the spring, and fall. And the toys for tots ride. You missed the TFT ride. I'll keep the forum posted on the slimy crud run. It's worth it for the people and bike watching.
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Jan 22, 2009 07:08
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First, you can reply to more than one person in a single post. ;-) The Buell is a very small bike. Smaller than any bike you've ever imagined. My moped is bigger. The bikes used in other MSF courses are "full size" bikes. Typically Nighthawk and Rebel 250cc bikes, and a few TW200's. The rebel 250 and GZ250 are the closest bikes you'll find to your cruiser that's used at the MSF. Truthfully, the lessons learned on whatever bike will translate well. You're going to be processing so much about riding, that the bike just doesn't matter.
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Jan 22, 2009 17:02
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Oakey posted:but the ice makes me nervous. How is that working for you? Don't worry, I will post about the crud runs. Tsaven Nava posted:I actually looked at the Rebel quote:What I'm most worried about is the basics of moving the bike around, like idling around in parking lots, or pulling out into traffic, etc. Or running over something that I didn't see/anticipate, like an unforeseen pothole/branch/loose debris/whatever.
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Jan 22, 2009 21:31
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IAMKOREA posted:How would the vtwin 250 in the interceptor compare to a 250 inline twin in terms of power and delivery? Other than state of tune? There won't be a whole lot of difference. The V twin will likely have a smaller crankshaft, and the motor will be narrower. And.. you're getting honda build quality. Honda motors have indefinite lifespans. The EX250 really is only good for 40-60k miles. I'm also fairly sure the honda will have come with, or is currently fitted with better suspension and a better frame. Gr3y posted:I thought that the difference in power deliver between say... a 600cc I4 and a 650cc v-twin was due to the number of cylinders and therefore the displacement of each cylinder. If you're comparing a 250cc v-twin with a 250cc parallel twin I wouldn't think there would be a whole lot of difference in power development or delivery. But I may be completely wrong. There's a lot more to it than that. I've explained it before though. The difference in power is due to state of tune and displacement. Not size of piston, or configuration.
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Jan 25, 2009 08:46
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MrKatharsis posted:You can extend your upper CC limit to 900, if you're only looking at cruisers. Kawasaki and Suzuki both make excellent 900cc and 800cc cruisers, respectively, and they should fit someone of your height/weight quite well. Just ignore displacement. You can't place any sort of rule like that, and if you try, you're going to end up with a complex, multi headed hydra of a rule that nobody can remember. The 1200cc sportster is not suicidal for a noob. It's got the same power as a SV. On the other end of the scale, 500cc's of royal enfield won't get you 15hp.
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Jan 26, 2009 15:31
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I have no real quams with the sportster. They're just a heavy standard, with a lawnmower engine in them. I really can't fault anyone for having one as a first bike. Or an only bike.
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Jan 26, 2009 21:24
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I wonder how many times we'll need to say "your weight doesn't matter" Almost any bike you look at is going to be 400lbs or more. 40-60lbs of rider weight isn't going to make or break the bike.
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Feb 2, 2009 15:54
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Gnomad posted:If you have to ask.....yes.
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Feb 5, 2009 16:33
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MrZig posted:He says he wants so much because it's a collectors bike. I told him it might be worth $1500 if everything was fixed, but this is rediculous. What a ripoff. ... Collectors bike? For who? What makes something collector worthy? That bike is not a first. That bike is not a last. It's not the fastest. It's not the best handling. It's not the best looking. Anything that's collectible, has to fit at least one of those criteria. Ideally several of them. It fits NONE. My advice? Offer him $750, write it in a letter. And tell him the offer stands. In three to nine weeks he'll call you back and say yes. And if he doesn't? whatever.
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Feb 9, 2009 02:38
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MrZig posted:Well on my jeep, the rear turn signals wont work if the front's are disconnected. Could be the same thing with the Yamaha. I'm not really afraid of electrical work so that doesn't bother me. I should have said that the only special thing about that bike is the bad electrics... Oh yeah, it may have the nasty YICS system that yamaha was using to help emissions. To make him NOT look like an idiot, and still push the "it's not collectable" point. You could potentially ask him "So what makes this bike special, why would someone collect it?" You could ask leading questions.. "was it the fastest XXX displacement bike?" or "What makes this model bike special versus say.. a GS750"
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Feb 9, 2009 04:31
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xREED LORD 420x posted:I've been looking at standard and cruiser frames and have had the Honda CB series recommended but I was wondering if there were any other models of bike that I should look for. As usual. Take the MSF. You want anything with less than 70hp, and ideally more than say, 30. CB bikes are a royal bitch to work on. But if you buy a clean, working example.. and work to keep it that way, you won't have to worry about that. The Suzuki GS series, and Kawasaki's KZ bikes are good too. The Yamaha XS650 seems to be popular too. I have a particular fondness for GS bikes. There's seven of them in my garage..... You can get GREAT examples of any of the listed bikes for less than $2k. Budget the rest for gear, chain, sprockets, fluids, and tires. Where are you from? We can help you find something.
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Feb 10, 2009 09:33
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A GS450 top end, will provide roughly 45hp. Just decorking the head (I'm betting there's restrictions in the intake boots...) could get you 35hp. If you tuck, you should be able to see 100mph. The bike has lots of ways to make it lighter. Being a larger displacement bike for the amount of power it makes, they have torque. The GS450L i had would loft the front tire without a lot of effort. Oh yeah, even better, the same bike was built from 1977-1982. That gives you a wide range of years to find replacement parts from. The same engine has been in production from 1977 through today. The GS500 motor is, for all intents and purposes, the same motor. And then it's also a Suzuki, which means you can typically look for "suzuki" or "GS parts", versus "GS twin parts" or worse yet "1982 CB650SC parts" Seriously, running, $300.. BUY IT. Oh, and so long as you keep on top of it, and look for cheap cosmetic bits. You will be able to sell it for $5-800 in the riding season. Nerobro fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Feb 12, 2009 |
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Feb 12, 2009 02:37
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That bike doesn't have sidecovers. I happen to have a very pretty set of GS400 sidecovers. I don't intend on using them, as they're fairly fragile. However, I do have several yards of fiberglass cloth. And I'm not so shabby at taking molds. Where are you from? If you're in the US, I'll happily pop a set of covers for you. Arrgh, that reminds me, I still owe phat albert an o2 sensor.
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Feb 14, 2009 01:02
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a very slightly breathed on RG500 will put 100hp down at the wheel. The bike is also frighteningly light. That would make it as fast as a modern 600cc bike, except that instead of having a torque curve, it's got a torque spike. The only thing slowing down a RG500 is it's supsension parts are the beter part of three decades old now. Suspension tech has come a long way. On a smooth track. A RG500 would give even modern 600's a run for their money.
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Feb 15, 2009 18:24
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The 675 is frighteningly light. And it's tuned for midrange power. The sound it makes when the exhaust valves open... well it's noises that only a british machine can make. I had no trouble when I test rode one. The steering is wonderfully sharp. It never caught me off guard, or was surprising. The brakes felt very good, and I was able to control them easily. I'd heartily recommend one. That said, only YOU can say when you're really ready to move to a more powerful bike. There are some questions you should be asking yourself. Do you feel like you're getting everything you can out of your current bike? Have you felt the back end slide around under power? Were you in control of it? Are you prepared to crash $13k or bike? When was your last accidental wheelie? Were you in control of your last wheelie? How about your last stoppie?
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Feb 17, 2009 03:12
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Trintintin posted:I locked the rear and got bucked slightly out of then back into the saddle, scaring myself straight. I know I still need some work on it though, hence the dirtbike
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Feb 17, 2009 20:58
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Stoic Commie posted:So are there any big problems with KZs that I should watch out for?
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Feb 21, 2009 06:54
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Hughmoris posted:I am looking at purchasing a 1996 Suzuki RF600R w/ 10,000 miles for $1800. They have a problem with the coilpacks getting wet. if your bike runs fine, seal the coils with silicone and consider your rear end saved. The price isn't unreasonable. Ask when the last time he had the valves done was, and if he had a jet kit installed at the same time as the can. Get him to knock $100 off.
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Feb 22, 2009 09:04
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Stoic Commie posted:"mechanically all i know is that the starter will crank but i get no spark. i cleaned and gapped the plugs and still no spark." It's not the coils. If one cylinder lost spark, it might have been a coil. GS coils rarely fail hard, they typically are intermittent failures, or weather/heat related trouble. And in this case, unless there was some kind of miracle, and both coils failed at the same time, it's not the coils. No spark AT ALL, makes me think it's wiring. When my ignition unit died on the '80 I still has weak, weak spark. I've never seen the hall effect sensors fail. If you buy the bike, you need to budget a new battery, time to clean the carbs, registration fees, and figure two or three weekends, and $250 for the ignition trouble.
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Feb 28, 2009 19:09
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