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Im looking around at sport bikes in the $1500 - $2500 range cause im not exactly loaded. Im wondering if a late 80's-early 90's model is a good idea, in terms of longevity (is that how you spell it?) and power. im definitly no expert but not completely clueless. also i was wondering if it sucks having bikes around 450lbs. any thoughts from someone with experience would be nice. thanks:)
yes, and no
as a new rider the wieght will probably be a factor for you, but once you gain experience, you learn to manage it and it becomes second nature.
my first "supersport" was a 98 CBR, a heavy bike compared to the new SS's. I already had lots of experience with dirt and EX500's, lighter bikes.
Either way, you're learn, sure it will be easier with a lighter bike, but you'll still manage to learn on a heavier bike, so don't worry
Remember, bikes are easy to manage when you go fast (relatively), it's when you go slow that the weight kicks in. The Ninja 250 is 350lb I think and it gets thrown around in the wind quite a bit...but a heavier bike is much easier to drop if you don't know what you're doing...Quote:
Originally Posted by ninja600
Heavy is a relative term. I bought my second bike last year, which is a '92 gixxer 750 and it definitely qualifies as heavy....but then again I'm a fairly heavy rider. The only time the weight becomes an issue is in traffic...and in Toronto traffic is the norm.
Regarding longevity, a lot of it depends on luck. You can look an old bike over and be as thorough as you can be on the spot (without tearing the bike apart), but there are still a number of internal problems that you won't be able to account for. So far I haven't encounter any major problems with my bike...electrical or mechanical...but at the same time, I wouldn't be surprised if my transmission blew up tomorrow. Any day now...:D
If this is your first bike, I'd recommend looking for a Ninja 250 or a 500....or a GS500 or whatever. I'm pretty sure you can dig one of those up and still be well within your budget. If you're looking for a cheap upgrade like I was...well...go for it. I hope you're handy with a wrench, though.
It sounds to me that a 250 ninja is the answer. alot of people recommend it. it looks nice and is probably reliable, but im wondering if the power would soon be too little or what. that deffinitly wouldnt be an issue right away if its got the horsepower and capability of a 250 f dirtbike. so power wise, once u got used to it, is the machine capable of wheelies and alot of acceleration? again, this would be a future consideration as i am somewhat of a beginner.Quote:
Originally Posted by Flashmonkey
Wheelies in Ontario are a quick way to lose your license (and create unaffordable motorcycle insurance premiums for yourself).
My first bike was a 450 Nighthawk. When I got it it was tired and would only do 120 km/h, when I sold it 2 years later with ~40000km added to it, it was capable of ~170 km/h and I got my money back. Old bikes can be fun, but make sure you have at least some mechanical inclination and save enough money for proper gear (buy leather gear and proper riding boots).
A 250 is easily entertaining for a year or two, some people keep riding them after that. They are light, cheap to run, look good and are really easy to resell with minimal loss on your investment. A $1500 250 will either be old or have been down a few times. A bike that fell over moving slowly is a great place to start. The PO already took the hit for it looking beat up, it is less likely to get stolen and when you drop it, it won't make much difference in the value or appearance of the bike.
Despite all of the naysayers...the ninja 250 is a fun little bike. It's obviously going to lack the power of a true sportbike, but something about bouncing off the rev limiter in every gear and going WOT while staying relatively close to the speed limit is intoxicating. My general issues with the bike itself was more related to its physical size than its "lack" of power. I needed more seat, and more wind protection on the highway, which is why I got a larger sports bike. Other than that, I had absolutely no issues about accelerating up to speed on or off the highways or streets....and I weigh in at 240lbs.