Ok...so I want something to toss around during the summer that gets diecent gas mileage. Trick is, I want to spend less than $3500.
I think I've found the bike that I really like,
It's a 1991 Suzuki Bandit S 400
I know it's just a little 400cc bike, but I think that's just right for not having much experience driving a bike (just dirt bikes), and the price is just right (around $2000, but I'm gonna talk him down I think)
It's either that or a 1997 Bandit 600.
The 400 has aftermarket handlebars and really gives it a nice feel, but the 600 is newer...but the 600 has a partial faring...and the 400 is totaly naked...and I really like the naked look.
Just curious as to which one you guys would pick...I'm really leaning toward the 400 though.
you can take off all the fairing if you want to be naked lol
either one would be a good starter bike. you have a TON of choices in that pricerange tho.
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You can get a 2005 or maybe 2006 Ninja 250 in that range easy. And probably an '04 Ninja 500, if you wanted something bigger. Definitely no need to go back to something that old.
Yeah...I just got an email from him back saying he wants, like, $2975 for the bike, and that's the lowest he'll go.
I don't think I want to spend that much on a bike that's only worth about $1,800 or less acording to KBB...I'd really like a newer 600 but I dunno if I could find one for that much and still watching insurance.
Go to CraigsList.
Go to Motorcycles.
Put "2000" as the min and "3500" as the max. (Or whatever you feel like)
Look at all the
good bikes available. I'm pretty sure a newer Ninja 250 will outperform a '91 Bandit 400 in every way. For the same price that guy was asking. Plus way more aftermarket, etc. Just check out what deals you see though. You'd be surprised. The bike market is way different than the car market.
Yeah, I checked craigslist and I checked out a 97 CBR 600 and I just reciently found a dealership type place near where I am right now that's selling a lot of good bikes for right around my price range.
Clicky!
i dont care what you do really and hope you enjoy what you get. but stop saying you DRIVE a motorcycle.. you ride them.. sorry i had to say somthing about that.
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member 1244or55
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http://www22.ocn.ne.jp/~cavalier
Some people pilot them... and others donate organs because of them...
Keep your head up and eyes open, Smus.
I'd go with the 600 Bandit, but I'm a bit biased, as thats what I ride. Insurance is cheaper than a similar year and size sportbike (I pay $220 a year for full coverage). Plus side to the bandit is the 600 engine is pretty much the same as the late 80's-early 90's GSX-R engines, before they went watercooled. As for the half fairing, I took mine off, and put an Acerbis Cyclops headlight on. much better looking.
Lifes too short to drink cheap beer.
Suzuki SV650, i just bought one and i love it, i got a '01 with about 15k miles on it for $3000 canadian, and i'm only playing $460 a year (canadian) for $1 million liability, theft and fire. Plus, the naked version of the bike looks great.
Yeah, I've been looking around at some places a little closer to where I'm at now (granted, its only about 45 miles from home, but whatever) and I found a few good bikes for a little more than I wanted to spend, but I think their worth it.
Gonna go to the bank today and drop off my loan app and see what happens...if no loan, then I'll just wait till fall and pray for a sale
Click here!
I'm lookin at the Ducati I think...
You went from "under $3500" and "good milage" to a Ducati? LOL
Both Ducs on that list are great bikes. Both are pricey and both have high maint. costs. The 750 is a bit too much bike for a beginner and the 998 is a superbike. Not for a novice and certainly does not get good milage.
Supersport and superbikes both get roughly the same milage as a compact sports car. 35MPG on a good day with a tail wind and not too much excitment. Don't kid yourself, just because it's a bike does not mean it's good on gas. I can drain my 18L tank in about 15 minutes if I ride "spirited" enough. Riding very conservatively I get less than 200km from abut 15L of fuel. Certainly nothing to brag about.
The SV650 is very popular as a starter bike and I think you should consider it. Cheap to buy, cheap to fix and cheap to insure. Still fun to ride and can keep up fairly well. No, it's not going to win a race, but it won't be embarassed for trying either. Unfortunatel the "indestructable" myth surrounding the SV has been shattered as a fellow club member put a connecting rod through his block on Saturday.. 2 hours from home...
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
Hahahaha wrote:The SV650 is very popular as a starter bike and I think you should consider it. Cheap to buy, cheap to fix and cheap to insure. Still fun to ride and can keep up fairly well. No, it's not going to win a race, but it won't be embarassed for trying either.
It's not going to win a race, unless you're at a track. A friend of mine has an 06 R6 that he does track days on and tells me that he gets his ass beat by SV's all the time.
The best description I've ever heard for the SV was this - it's like the Mazda Miata of the motorcycle world. It's light weight, handling and braking are decent right off the showroom floor, and it's got just enough power to get you in trouble and keep things interesting. Plus, there's so much stuff you can do to these bikes it's unreal. I don't think I could ever get rid if mine, I just really love it when people ask me if my sport bike has got a Harley engine or something
Brown Eye wrote:Hahahaha wrote:The SV650 is very popular as a starter bike and I think you should consider it. Cheap to buy, cheap to fix and cheap to insure. Still fun to ride and can keep up fairly well. No, it's not going to win a race, but it won't be embarassed for trying either.
It's not going to win a race, unless you're at a track. A friend of mine has an 06 R6 that he does track days on and tells me that he gets his ass beat by SV's all the time.
A couple things come into play there. Rememeber that racing motorcycles is 80% skill 20% bike. You buddy needs practice, training and more comfort. He likely is not fully comfy with his bike and therefore not going into corners as fast as he could. The SV is a confidence inspiring bike and will put the rider at ease with it's lower power, taller geraring, less agressive rake and wider, higher bars. Next time your buddy is a the track, have him switch bikes with an SV rider that has passed him. He'll likely get ity handed to him by his own bike after the swap. The R6 is a MUCH faster race bike, as are any of the Race replica bikes. The problem is that it takes a much higher skill level to exploit it. You have to not care about a little head-shake, the rear sliding around, and braking so hard your wrists feel like they might snap. If your buddy's tires are not scrubbed edge to edge, he's not riding the bike to potential.
That's OK, niether do I. I have bee smoked at the track by lesser bikes.. But never by a lesser pilot. A bad pilot on a superbike would be beaten by a great rider on a RS250 every time. I saw a 15 year old on a Motard bike simply cream a guy on a GSXR1000, he did half a lap on one wheel and still smoked him. It's mostly about skill, and a bit about crazy.
It's also possible that he's sitting on factory suspension settings, they suck for most people. It took me quite a while on my current bike to get them right, but it's a much better ride now. I had my high speed corner on one track go from 180 to about 230 by only adjusting suspension. I did not put on aftermarket parts, just adjusted the factory parts to suit my size, weight and riding style.
In case you're wonder, GPS and lap timers, no speedo on the track.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
Smus... if you are looking for cheap remember with a Ducati it will cost more to fix most problems. Something to remember, amazing bikes though.
Hahahaha wrote:
Supersport and superbikes both get roughly the same milage as a compact sports car. 35MPG on a good day with a tail wind and not too much excitment. Don't kid yourself, just because it's a bike does not mean it's good on gas. I can drain my 18L tank in about 15 minutes if I ride "spirited" enough. Riding very conservatively I get less than 200km from abut 15L of fuel. Certainly nothing to brag about.
PAX
Really?? On my GSX-R I can get around 200 miles with less then 4 gallons. Hell I have had the same tank of gas since late February. I ride to and from school almost everyday. What am I doing right???
Maybe you should not generalize. If you take it easy on the bike you can get good gas mileage.
On a side note pilots are in aviation, riders are motorcycles...unless of course the bike can fly.
Gary wrote:Hahahaha wrote:
Supersport and superbikes both get roughly the same milage as a compact sports car. 35MPG on a good day with a tail wind and not too much excitment. Don't kid yourself, just because it's a bike does not mean it's good on gas. I can drain my 18L tank in about 15 minutes if I ride "spirited" enough. Riding very conservatively I get less than 200km from abut 15L of fuel. Certainly nothing to brag about.
PAX
Really?? On my GSX-R I can get around 200 miles with less then 4 gallons. Hell I have had the same tank of gas since late February. I ride to and from school almost everyday. What am I doing right???
Maybe you should not generalize. If you take it easy on the bike you can get good gas mileage.
On a side note pilots are in aviation, riders are motorcycles...unless of course the bike can fly.
Then you are the exception, not the rule. I ride with tons of other bikes and while mine is a bit more of a fuel pig than some others, we all need fuel at about the same time on group rides. About every 150 to 180km per tank (not including reserve, so about 15L). My buddies ZX10R needs fuel when I do (his tank holds one less litre). My buddy with the GSXR600 (2001, Allstaire), about the same. My buddy with the Triumph Datana 600, about the same. F4i, about the same. etc etc.. Like I said, mine is abit of a pig, but not by a huge amount.
You must be riding extremely conservatively in close to ideal conditions. Or maybe you are really light.. Or I dunno, because 200 Miles to a tank (320) km, is possible on some bikes (obviously) but not without making an effort to save fuel. The best I have ever gotten is about 230km to a tank (143miles). Still nothing to brag about for a bike.. Heck, many bikes get over 50MPG, but not a typical superbike or supersport in the hands of the avererage rider.
Do you get the EPA estimated milage on your 4 wheeled vehicles too? That's something I have never achieved.
Many riders are refered to as pilots. To pilot something means to guide it.. Just like a ship's pilot. The term is perfectly correct. To pilot is to guide or steer, go ahead, look it up. Besides, it's been a psudo-slang term is the racing word for many many years.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
