I want to buy a motorcycle but don't know what I should buy. I like the style of the Honda nighthawks and the kawasaki ninja's look good also. Any recommendaitons on good reliable bikes? -- "Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." -Spike Milligan "My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met." -Rodney Dangerfield. Free ipod? http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=8081838
What are your objectives? You want it for transportation? Racing? Cruising for chicks? How mechanically inclined are you? How much time you wanna spend polishing chrome? Whatever you decide, take a friend (who's been a long-time rider) with you when you contemplate purchase. It's extremely easy to overlook major flaws, incompatibilities with your objectives, etc. When you see something you like a lot, walk away and see how close you can get for half the price. You'll be surprised how much stuff you don't really need...especially on your first bike. All those expensive shiny accessories get scratched or break off every time it falls over. Not IF it falls over...WHEN it falls over. Duct tape is your friend... mike -- Return address is VALID. Wanted, 12.1" LCD for Gateway Solo 5300. Samsung LT121SU-121 Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below. Compaq Aero floppy,ram,battery. MINT HP-41CV, 2-METER AMPS, 200CH SCANNER http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/
Just for transportation. I dont want to spend a lot of time polishing it or fixing it up. Just something cheap and simple that would have a good resale value if I chose to sell it in a year or two. -- "Money can't buy you happiness but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery." -Spike Milligan "My wife and I were happy for twenty years. Then we met." -Rodney Dangerfield. Free ipod? http://www.freeiPods.com/default.aspx?referer=8081838
If you happen to buy a new Kawasaki, note the 3.99% APR isn't really 3.99%. It's much more. -- Later, Charlie '04 Concours rider
My first and only bike is a BMW. Their newer 650 line is less expensive than the 1150 R or the K series, and they are wonderful bikes for curb appeal, endurance, and maintenance. My dream bike is the R1200GS This is Cycle World's 2004 winner of the Best All Around Bike. They've added wild technologies to drop the weight, increase the power, and it's wonderful for street riding to camping the high mountains. Perhaps not a great ski vehicle, but otherwise a nice ride. MSRP R 1200GS $15,100 R 1150GS Adventure $15,260 F 650 GS Dakar $8,810 F 650 GS $8,310 R 1150R $10,550 No I don't sell motorcycles... I just love these machines. The resell is great. I've been offered $6k for my bike I bought new for $8k in 1997. (an R850 R)
You could have been a little more descriptive. Transportation to the store at 25mph on city streets in the sunshine requires a lot less bike than a 40 mile daily commute in the rain on the freeway. I suggest the opposite strategy. Buy a bike that's already depreciated. I put a couple of hundred miles of garage sales a week on a Honda 125 that cost me $20. I can drive it off a cliff into the ocean and still get my $20 back. Most people get emotional and buy WAY more bike than they need. 500cc will get you anywhere most people ever need to go. I propose that the risk of hurting yourself is inversely proportional to the 0-100MPH time for your bike...for your first bike that is. Save the big bux for your second bike. mike -- Return address is VALID. Wanted, 12.1" LCD for Gateway Solo 5300. Samsung LT121SU-121 Bunch of stuff For Sale and Wanted at the link below. Compaq Aero floppy,ram,battery. MINT HP-41CV, 2-METER AMPS, 200CH SCANNER http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Monitor/4710/
Sounds to me like any used dualsport would do what you want. An air-cooled 200 is useful up to about 45 mph (top is 50-55), a liquid-cooled 400 will keep up with freeway traffic easily. Yamaha XT series, Suzuki DR series, Honda XL series or Kawaski KLR series. The 650 cc versions of any of these will generate tickets on demand , the 350 cc versions would make good utility bikes. Not quite so common as the squidbikes but much friendlier and more fun on the best riding roads. bob prohaska
