Any of these bikes a good deal? | GTAMotorcycle.com

Any of these bikes a good deal?

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Catman

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Thanks all for the replies , appreciate them all. Probably going in a different direction , and/or waiting till the season winds down for something newer.


I’m looking for my first motorcycle and a few caught my eye. Are they reasonably priced?
Im going to look at them , just need to find someone to come with me to inspect and do a proper test ride.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-cruisers-choppers/oshawa-durham-region/yamaha-550/1365180303

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-street-crui...le/1364984058?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true
 
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Not an expert on old bikes so couldn't tell ya about condition, but ideally your first bike should be something that wont break down on you often, or need wrenching
 
I wouldn't go for the 650 because it's too old, mileage is too high and he want's too much dough. The 400 looks better, has lower mileage and you could likely beat the guy down to $900-1000. Those are the funky looking cruisers built in the early 80s that a lot of people are turning into scramblers. Not sure what you really want in a motorcycle, but like bigpoppa says, something reliable is a the best start for a new rider. Best to have someone who knows bikes come with you before you buy.
 
So just because of their age , they should be more prone to problems? The 550 looks like it was taken care of . Wouldn’t an older bike that was loved for a long time be better then a newer one that changes hands every few years ?
 
Another vote for a much newer bike unless you like wrenching more than riding. I started with a 20 year old bike and it was a good choice for me, but most would be much better served by something made in the last decade (and they won't cost much more). For your second bike buy the style and age of bike that really gets you excited.
 
Yes , definitely need someone with me who knows what to look for.
I like the ergonomics of these types , more upright position then cruisers.
 
Catman said:
So just because of their age , they should be more prone to problems? The 550 looks like it was taken care of . Wouldn’t an older bike that was loved for a long time be better then a newer one that changes hands every few years ?
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Things like rubber degrade over time. Constantly chasing leaks is no fun. No matter how well it was maintained, unless everything was replaced in the rebuild expect it to require continual attention. We aren't talking just a little old here, we are talking 35 years old. Also expect problems with head bearings as in most old bikes lives they have been parked for a few years at some point and get a notch in the bearings.

That 550 has averaged less than 2000 km/yr. Not loved as much as the seller believes.
 
Plenty of old-timers like myself learned to ride on bikes like that.

... 30 years ago.

If it has been maintained, it could very well still be a decently functional bike. My 1989 Yamaha FZR400 is. There are plenty of other vintage bikes like this, out there running around.

At best, it will still function like a 1980s bike worked back in the 1980s ... but it probably won't be that good. Who knows. It won't be like a bike built in this millennium. By modern standards ... Suspension will be garbage. Brakes will suck. It will need fiddling with the choke to get started when cold. Frame and swingarm are only slightly sturdier than a wet noodle. That's the way these bikes were back then.

Watch out for anything rubber. Carburetor boots, carburetor diaphragms, seals, gaskets, tires, brake caliper and master cylinder seals. Sitting around hurts these more than being ridden.

It has "carburetors" - not "fuel injection" - along with the occasional finickiness that goes along with that. You have to fiddle with the choke or it won't start when cold. You have to religiously use the fuel shutoff valve - "fuel tap" - to avoid gumming up the carburetors when the bike is sitting. They may still gum up anyhow.

Check availability of tires in the correct sizes. A lot of the old stuff used sizes that are now hard to get modern equivalents for.

You will need to understand how your bike works. You will need to be able to fix things yourself.

And DON'T crash it or break it. Odds are, if you walk into your Yamaha dealer hoping to buy parts, they'll laugh at you.

If you want something like this, if you know the old bikes and you don't mind turning wrenches, by all means look at something of this sort.

If you just want to ride the thing ... if you just want to LEARN to ride ... get something newer that you can get parts for and which is more likely to be fuss-free ...
 
I get what you guys are saying. Still looking and searching thru ads. Used motorcycle dealers price theirs so expensive that I probably will be buying from a private seller .
 
I’m trying to stay away from sport looking ones. If I’m going that way , might as well get a cbr250 with abs. Tested on Honda 300 something with abs. Nice bike , didn’t hate it riding wise.
 
400 is a better buy than the 550

the comment on the 550 about frame powder coated
it was 11 years ago, that adds a total of zero $ to the value

400 has half the km, but the list of repairs is just what it needed to get going
new tires are a plus

being air cooled for both is an advantage, less to go wrong
but like GG days, expect to have issues with rubber parts:fuel lines, brake lines, throttle boots
and issues with gas tank and carbs

they are both at best $1000 bikes
 
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Definitely don’t want to have to deal with a bike braking down all the time. So will look for newer ones.
Appreciate all the replies !
 
Before considering either, talk to your insurance agent. Sometimes they won't be interested in older machinery.
 
Thanks for the tip about talking to my insurance agent. Already did , and they gave me good enough quotes on the older ones.
 
I rode a cbr250r and thought it was great fun!
Was a little hard to get wind slippery on 401, mirrors sucked, foot pegs and bars are a little too standard position for me, power was adequate for one-up lightweight rider ymmv.
 
Yep, my CBX250 maxed out at 120km/h. Wasn't an issue for me going on the DVP/404, but any long distance wasn't much fun.
 
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