Recently I sold my jetski for $2500 and saved up about another $1000 and it should be enough to get me started on either my dream car or a sport bike. Since I was 14 I looooved Third Gen Iroc Camaros (1982-1992's), and I've been looking for an Iroc with a 350 and T-Tops. I can probably get into a decent one that will need fixing up for about $2500. I don't necessarily have the money to get it to be what I want, but I could work on it for a couple years. The second choice would be a sport bike. I recently got interested in riding motorcycles and want to start with possibly a Suzuki GS500F, not too big, but not too small like a 250. The bike, msf course, and gear would likely cost $4000 if I get a used one. I know its totally up to me, but what do you guys think? Right now I have a stock cavalier and I'm bored!
Thirdgen camaros are getting harder and harder to find a clean one. When you do they are getting more and more expensive. I miss mine though. I loved it, it was great. A sport bike could also be a lot of fun though. I've been really wanting one a lot to. I say in the long haul you'll have more fun with the camaro though. Not only because you can drive it but you'll be happy out in the garage putting that new part on you've waited a long time for. I say go for the Iroc, but i'm a bit partial to them.
Car. Bike is only good 4-5 months tops a year and you wouldn't be able to slowly mod it as much as you would the car.
It's a GS500, there is no need/want to slowly mod it... but, in a year, trade that sucker in for something else.
I would hold off on a fixer-upper car until you can afford to get it done quickly. I know too many people that bought resto cars, started on them, couldn't afford to fix them up the way they wanted, and then sold them after wasting two years doing nothing with it. Wait until you can afford to get the car finished in two years, and then buy the one that you really want and not one that's "OK" or "kinda" what you want. Better yet, find one that's in perfect shape, pay a little more money for it, and enjoy the hell out of it. But in the mean time, get out there and get some bugs in your teeth!
Go kill yourself on a bike !
. Had a local get swiped by a transport 6 days ago.... They picked the whole mess up in peices. Restore an Iroc while its still decently cheap, come 10 years from now or 15, it will be worth a large $$
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
foxbody mustang but im biased
Short of aircraft there is nothing more fun in the world to drive than a bike, period. I have had many cars, including a first gen F-body and a AWD turbo Talon, the bike is way more fun that either of them and they are/were great cars.
As far as 5 or 6 months goes, that's hooey. I'm in Canada and I ride from March to December, inclusive. Granted the end moths have limited days of riding weather, but that's 10 months, 8 of which are great for riding. The further south you are, the more riding you get, unless you're in Argentina
Getting killed?? Not if you are smart. A smart rider has the same odds as a person in a car of being in an accident and with full gear, most accidents are survivable. People get killed in cars too. If the risk of death stopped you from doing things then you would have to live in a buble with 24 hour care and even then, you'd still die. We all die someday, just try not to accelerate the process by being dumb and you should be fine.
Enjoy the bike... And who says you can't mod it if you want to, of course you can.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
There should be a sticky made for all these bike questions popping up now...
First off, for 4-5k you will never find a car that is as fast as the bike, PERIOD, no IF's AND's or BUTS. Bikes do have their drawbacks, weather and crash survivability when compared with cars, but there is a fun factor to them that can't be had for the same $$.
For a starter bike, 250cc-500cc is the perfect range. If you go with a Ninja 250, you'd be surprised when you are ready to upgrade you can trade it in for near the same amount you payed for it. There are always new riders looking for a small used starter bike out there. If you're very large and feel cramped on the 250 then the 500 range is a possibility for you. People who say "oh you'll be fine with a 600, I was" are idiots, especially when making recommendations to someone who has no prior motorcycle/dirt-bike experience. 600cc sport bikes now are capable of speeds that the top of the line sport bike class years ago was not capable of. There is a level of throttle control and coordination that is not easily learned when first starting out and can lead to some very bad consequences and habits that need to be unlearned.
The GS500 is also good starter, great for commuting, and has a bit more 'go' than the 250. Dad has one of these and its overall not a bad bike for the price he picked it up at ($3500 @ 5k miles). Put the Ninja 500cc in the same class as this bike. Trade in value isn't near as good as a 250, but if you find the right person you may make back near what you shelled out.
Before anyone posts the now obligatory gear thread, here is a run down. Gear will cost you between 500-1000 depending upon your budget, and none of these should be skimped on:
- Helmets can be found for as little as 120-140 for a cheap plain HJC that is still DOT and SNELL approved, or up to 600-700 for a Shoei Arai or BMW.
- Jackets can either be leather or textile, plan on spending 200-500 for a decent one. Should not be loose fitting, you don't want to be a kite on wheels. Some can even be purchased with spinal protection and extra protective padding in areas like elbows and shoulders.
- Riding pants are always a good idea, regular jeans will not protect you in case of a crash, they tend to burn up and be worn away just as fast as any other casual pair of pants. There are kevlar riding jeans out there which provide much better protection than regular jeans, but depending upon comfort you may chose leather riding pants as well.
- Gloves are not something to be skimped on either, good knuckle protection and extra palm padding can make longer rides much more bearable. ALWAYS full finger, otherwise there isn't much point in getting gloves now is there? Keep in mind riders feel a wind chill that car drivers do not, perforated feels great in the summer but plan on having a different pair for fall and winter.
- Boots, some prefer work boots or full calf covering riding boots. Work boots or ankle high will not protect the ankle/foot joint in case of a crash, I went with the latter because I like my feet attached where they are.
Eventually when you want to upgrade, for around$ 4500-$5500+ you can pick up a bike that completely overshadows your rider skill and is capable of speeds you really don't need to be doing on a daily basis. The 500 and 250 are fully capable of going along at highway speeds(50-80mph) without any issues. There is no reason legally (under the speed limit) to need to get a faster bike, but riders will agree with me the technology and handling is far superior on faster bikes. Lower end models don't even come with a gas tank level, hitting reserve or watching the trip odometer is your only key when you need to fill up.
Keep in mind, when you get to this level of riding it is often not "getting a faster bike will make you faster"..."increased rider skill will make you faster and safer".
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Car. Bike is only good 4-5 months tops a year and you wouldn't be able to slowly mod it as much as you would the car.
And that statement is completely false. My neighbor and i commute (50mi + a day) year round, winter (aside from snow) just means wearing extra layers and getting a collar piece for your helmet to keep the chill out(personally I don't ride below 20deg F outside). Rain just means you need to ride a bit under the speed limit which is what you should be doing anyway. Everything you can modify on the car (aside from interior seats and trunks
) can be done on a bike as well.
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foxbody mustang but im biased
I've never found a fox body mustang that wasn't rusting the undercarriage or didn't have a 4 cylinder priced anywhere near 3-4k which is his range for now.
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But in the mean time, get out there and get some bugs in your teeth!
Bugs in teeth are bad around here!! Far too many june bugs
Crash survivability and fatality numbers for motorcycles include squids that don't wear any protective gear. If everyone did then the statistics wouldn't lean so far to one side.
Welp, I'm the proud new owner of an 84' Z28!! t-tops, power everything, only 2k!
Hope you like it.. My least liked F-body... Oh well..
You shoulda goit the bike, but its your money.. Enjoy.
PAX
PS: This is what part of the alphabet would look like if Q and R were eliminated
- Mitch Hedberg (RIP)
