my first bike -- honda cbr f4i | GTAMotorcycle.com

my first bike -- honda cbr f4i

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sniff15

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hello i am new to this forum and my insurance agent actually sent me to this site.




i am looking into purchasing my first bike, and while i have read and heard all the positives and negatives about sport bikes i have decided to get a honda f4i. i believe i have found one and it is a 2003 model year; however the person selling the bike forgot to include in the description on the for sale add that the bike has a allot of scratches and such from what appears to be a fall to the kickstand side of the bike.

there are lots of scratches along the side and the rear swing arm, also there is some on the front of the bike including the headlight cover. along with this is the windscreen the is what appears to be shattered at the top.

i will be asking the person to have the bike certified before purchasing, but I'm wondering what would be a fair price for a a bike like this in its current condition?
 
sniff15 said:
hello i am new to this forum and my insurance agent actually sent me to this site.




i am looking into purchasing my first bike, and while i have read and heard all the positives and negatives about sport bikes i have decided to get a honda f4i. i believe i have found one and it is a 2003 model year; however the person selling the bike forgot to include in the description on the for sale add that the bike has a allot of scratches and such from what appears to be a fall to the kickstand side of the bike.

there are lots of scratches along the side and the rear swing arm, also there is some on the front of the bike including the headlight cover. along with this is the windscreen the is what appears to be shattered at the top.

i will be asking the person to have the bike certified before purchasing, but I'm wondering what would be a fair price for a a bike like this in its current condition?
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F4i's are tanks,
You really have to put pics of the damage and Km's to get a real judgement though.
 
is 3000$+ too much, i don't have much pics...and I'm new on the site so i don't know how to upload yet.

but i will take some of the pictures he has on the add and zoom in and isolate later on.

question: will the bike be able to get safety/certified and southern in the gta with the windscreen cracked up like it is?
 
from what you are describing it sound like he might have had an accident with the bike. and price wise I would say 2000-2500.
 
$3000 for all the scratches and broken windscreen? forget it... even $2000 is too much of a hassle... unless you want to make it as a project bike... but in that case, i would only pay $1500 for that
 
I paid $4,200 for mine last year in mint condition with 16,000km.

Although if it is just fairings I have ordered a set online and should be here in about 3-4 weeks so I can let you know how decent they are.
 
I paid $3900 for mine last year with 16,000km and it was mint.
 
dc519 said:
I paid $3900 for mine last year with 16,000km and it was mint.
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Damn you! lol oh well I just got a cheque for $3700 for less then $2000 in repairs
 
did i forget to mention the bike has 35000km on it? what would be a fair price cause i don't think 3+ is right for something with scratches all over. the windscreen seems like a cheap replacement so that's no real problem. but when you walk up to it you can tell it's been dropped.



well i chose this bike after talking to a number of people that i work with about bikes and what kind to get and such and i am pretty set on getting a sport bike over a cruiser (everyone has there taste); but i did ask questions about sport bikes what to start on and such and after about 6 mounts reading and asking i decided that a 250 was too small for as i will be doing alot of long distance riding 200 each way on the highway and i was informed a 250 would not be ideal. i went with the 600 after being told repeatedly not to get anything bigger for my first bike and since i don't really intend to sell and buy another in the next few years ( another reason not to get the 250) i went with the 600.

after reseaching kawa, suzu, yama, honda, duca i decided on the honda after being informed when it comes to sport bikes Honda's have a more comfortable ride, more upright and less stress on the hands and backs.
i did not go with the RR as the riding possition is too aggressive and since the performance is similar the f4i would do.
 
It doesn't take much to get a safety if you know the right place to go. Does that make it a good bike? Is it a good price? It doesn't sound like the bike just fell over, it sounds like it slid for a bit. Looking for your first bike, I'd look for a cleaner example. Keep the $3k budget, also, budget for good gear and insurance. Keep your eyes open and widen your prospects a bit.
 
Has a 500 crossed your mind? Suzuki GS500 or Kawasaki Ninja 500 =D
 
yes those two did cross my mind, in fact when i was first looking around i checked out this nice place in Hamilton where sat on the ninja 500 it was ok but the 7k price wasn't.

gear i have, and i'm taking a course at sheridan
 
Dayao12 said:
Has a 500 crossed your mind? Suzuki GS500 or Kawasaki Ninja 500 =D
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Sound advice, IMHO. The OP would also save on insurance.

OP, I wouldn't worry too much about cosmetic damages. Being your first bike, expect to drop it yourself anyway. I'd like to see pics of this bike, though.
 
sniff15 said:
yes those two did cross my mind, in fact when i was first looking around i checked out this nice place in Hamilton where sat on the ninja 500 it was ok but the 7k price wasn't.

gear i have, and i'm taking a course at sheridan
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I got a brand new 2009 500 for less than that from a dealer in April, you can find them for around 3000 in pretty good shape. They are a lot more forgiving than a 600 especially for a first bike and I have done 10 hour rides no problem on mine.
 
I just upgraded from GS500 to F4i, and it was a hell of an upgrade. I am really glad I started on 500 and not on this beast.
 
Be patient and look around, there are better deals out there. I'd stay away from that bike as it seems like it's been down. Right now there isn't too much on the market. I'd wait another month and a bit as some people will start selling their bikes so that they don't have to deal with storage, etc.
 
Eh, if this is your first bike, I'd be hesitant to jump on an f4i. While it's the most user-friendly of the supersports, it's still a supersport. Not beginner friendly.

If you're concerned about ride comfort and long distance riding, consider something like an SV650 or an FZ6R (not the FZ6, that's not beginner friendly either). Those are both fantastic bikes which will provide you tons of fun as you grow as a rider.

That said, I wouldn't discount a new-gen Ninja 250. I'm on my second season with mine, and it's served me extremely well. Honestly, I love this bike and the only gripe I have with it is that it revs high while cruising on the highway. But that didn't stop me from riding all the way to Deal's Gap in Tennessee and back with it. On the way back, I did 1300+ km of interstate highways in 15 hours. Stopped only for gas, using the washroom and getting food at the same time. I was very sore by the time I got home. But the guys on the SV650 and FZ6 weren't doing much better.

I commute daily with mine, doing 45+ km each way on the 410/401/404. It's a great all-around bike.

I'd recommend the SV650 in your case. Oodles of fun, and won't break the bank. Don't reject the 250, but realize that people tend to overprice them for what they are, making the SV650 a better buy. But the 250 is a great bike that does fine on the highways.
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