gonathan85

Once again, wise thinking there. Many younger riders such as you and I will spend TOP dollar on a bike, and end up getting a cheap helmet. That's it. I still feel sick every time I see a young rider (or old) riding around in a tshirt and shorts....ESPECIALLY when they have a young lady on the back who is wearing shorts and flip flops. DUUUUUUUH. Idiots!

samburger

^

Yeah well my stepdad used to ride a lot & this was his advice to me: Which would you rather do--take a power sander to your arms, legs, back, & torso..or be hot? Because wrecking without the proper gear is essentially that. Another good one is: Riding motorcycles & sex are the exact same in the sense that they feel better without protection, but if you screw up it's just not worth the consequences.

thirdgenbird

i put a cowl over my rear seat (no passangers) always wore shoes, pants, hemet, gloves, and a padded leather jacket.

slow hand

Do yourself a favor and save up for an SV-650.

This is a motorcycle that is entertaining for beginners and experts alike.

You can literally ride this one bike for years.

When you get faster and more competent, the good news is that you can upgrade suspension, brake, and engine components very easily, because this motorcycle has a TON of support in the aftermarket, since a lot of people race them.

I'd recommend the 'S' model, since it has fairings.

gonathan85

See...another recommendation for the SV...this bike rocks! I loved it when I rode it. When he talks about upgrading parts, you can actually use some GSXR parts like the forks...etc...to end up with better suspension. I know you were thinking cruiser route...but this bike is just too sweet....find an older used one with the big round headlight...comes close to what you want.

samburger

There is a '99 SV650 for sale for $2300 in my area that I've been considering. The only problem is that what I like about certain trims of the SV650 is that they're standard commuter-type bikes. This one has the foot peg position of a standard (upright seating position) but the guy switched the handlebars to what I think are referred to as drag handlebars? Basically he gave is a sportier, forward leaning position, which I don't especially care for. There's also a '96 GS500E for sale in my area for $1600. It has the upright seating position that I like with handlebars to match, it's in excellent cosmetic condition & the guy claims its mechanically sound (though I'd have someone with me to confirm this). Anyone have thoughts on the GS500? I'm beginning to lean away from the Savage because of the size & power. Granted I've never sat on or rode on, so I'm by NO means putting it out of the picture. But as a sole mode of transportation I want something that can be comfortable for hours on end, which would make the fit very important. I'm 5'11 so from what I'm seen & read, I think I would be pushing it for the Savage/Boulevard. I would also like something with a little more power to keep me happy for a long time, even after I surpass the 'newb' stage I'm at right now. 30hp seems a little low for a 650cc bike.

samburger

^How would maintenance be for the SV650? Someone said earlier that maintenance goes up a lot with sport bikes. Is that because of the way people usually drive them, or is there something physically different about them that burns through tires, oil, tranny fluid, etc. faster?

dminor 

That does. My old 125 put out 21. Granted, it didn't start making any of that until about 7,000 RPM . . . .

samburger

I haven't seen the dyno charts for it so I don't know exactly when it starts putting out most of its power, but I know that the GS500E's make about 51hp & they're 150cc's smaller. I also know that depending on the year, the Savage has a top speed varying from 80-95mph. Now I don't need to go incredibly fast on a bike by any means, but I do need a bike that can cruise at 70-80mph without putting a major strain on the engine. The interstate speed limits around here are about 70mph & you can get away with going up to 9mph over in GA without having to worry about being pulled over by local enforcement (with the exception of this month..cops are allowed to pull over for going as little as 5 over & are supposed to give one ticket every 15-20 minutes to raise an estimated $9 million in revenue). The Savage has been described as a bike specifically intended for women & new riders, but it seems like they could have made a better choice on engines; either more power in the 650, or saving some weight with a 500 or even 250.

gonathan85

https://www.motorsports-network.com/s...650/sv6502.htm

=)

samburger

If I could find an SV650 in my price range that wasn't one of those sportier trims with the shorter fork & handlebars, I'd buy it in a heartbeat (if I can get my damn truck sold, that is). But there are three GS500E's in my area (a '92, '96, & '02) that look really nice & from what I've read about them, they're pretty high performers for a 500cc bike (52hp). Here they are in order from oldest to newest (not posting ads because I don't want any potential lurkers to see & snatch them up):

The '02 is obviously sportier than the rest with fairings & a windshield, but from what I've been told & can tell from the pictures it still has a fairly upright position. And it's classified as a standard bike so the insurance would be the same. I like the '96 best out of those three, but the '02 is the clear winner as the newest & with <7k miles to the other two's ~20k. This is, of course, assuming they're all mechanically sound. What do y'all think?

Oh & there is one SV650 in my area for a reasonable price, but they've replaced the fork & handlebars with that of a GSXR which kind of defeats the purpose of a standard bike. I don't want to hug my bike the entire time I'm riding it.

Moozh

Maintenance goes up on sportbikes generally because they use the higher spec components and maintenance items. I gave the example of the cost of the rear Pirelli supercorsa tires on my sportbike, of course I could go for a less sticky, touring type tire (harder compound, that doesnt have the performance envelope of a sticky-wear fast(er) race tire, or a second tier branded tire that claims the same performance .

I know a top end bike like a Yamaha R1 seems to have found a much longer solution to the valve check schedule but both my triumphs maintenance schedules specify valve check every 12k miles, my kawi is @ 15k miles, the last one I had cost me $740, I did get a rear tire mounted and the hourly mechanics labor rate was $73 per/hr, its a somewhat time consuming service to perform and all the same my valves were in spec so none needed to be shimmed.

You can "cheap" it out if you wish but my bike specific synthetic oil cost $113 for 5 quarts. (Mobile 1 motorcycle specific synthetic...not the same spec as those at the walmart for your car). As with a place like this, there are bike forums I frequented and we have discovered some alternatives that meet the spec but they were not so much different. The best deal I found on oil was infact oil for my Kawasaki zx-14 which we found shell rotella oil met the spec and worked well..that oil was $48 for 5-quarts I believe. You really cant be casual with the products you use to maintain/repair your high performance motorcycles, or at least I couldnt. They are high revving, high output, heat generating power units with very high performance envelops and truth be told not the best choices for street riding no matter what any sportbike rider might tell you there are better economical, utilitarian, ergonomic choices out there (like the bikes you are considering) if you are going to spend your time riding on the streets. Sportbikes are racebikes with DOT lights and reflectors (which are the first items yanked off once we get the bike home), thats why they are called repli-racers. Owning a sportbike truly is like buying a corvette just to go to walmart to buy your household nick-nacks, sure you can do it but c'mon, there are more practical options, but the getting there was a great drive.

Alas my bike was purchased new with an extended warranty so there are maintenance that needs to be performed and recorded so that I will have no issues if I were to have some major mechanical issue and expected to be covered. I have proof that I fully maintenained the bike. For example, my sator (alternator) died prematurely on my speed triple but I was covered, the cost for a new relplacement sator, rotor, regulator-rectifier, battery and the labor in total was somewhere about $1200...I paid nothing. Of course if it wasnt covered theres always ebay and the wrecking yards for spares that work well enough.

Maintenance on the SV wont be like that of a Ducati by any means, The SV as mentioned is the kind of bike that beginners and veterans can own and ride and be pleased with. It's one of those bikes that have earned a special reputation as a great all round bike that few feel like they outgrow.

Handlebars on bikes can be changed so if sitting more upright is what you wish it should be easy enough to do but check and verify.

A lot of folks that ride cruisers (please forgive the stereotype) dont seem to put a lot of miles on their bikes, and you somewhat sounded like you were looking at your motorcycle to be your "daily-driver" weather permitting so the potential of putting a lot of good honest road miles on it is definitely on the cards. With that the probablity of more frequent replacement of wear items might be something you are looking at, tires (the purchase and mounting of them if you dont have a tire mounter yourself), brake pads (easy enough to do yourself if you know how), oil and filter changes (could do yourself but not subject to the specific products like a high compression, high-performance race bike engine calls for, so much more sensible cost), many utilitarian/lower end motorcycles go thru their entire long lives never having a major service performed on them by a mechanic. The lower compression, lower power, built for simplicity/utility rather than performance (weight/power/strength balance), they often just keep going and going.

The easiest on your pocket will be the 250cc bikes (rebel, ninja). A great choice and one with a broader appeal as one to grow into and never grow out of will be the SV-650. It doesnt have the maintenance demands a repli-racer has but it also isnt a bike you can knock about and neglect like a rebel, you do have to pay attention and take care of it. My nephew out in Oregon actually has an SV-650 and loves it, the guys I knew that had them tended to race them tho so they were all modified with GSXR bits and pieces (suspension mainly). I've actually seen few bone stock SV's outside of the dealer but my circle was the sportbike crowd.

A guy I know some years back had a ninja250 and really never took care of it at all. The best he did was have it hooked up to a battery tender (trickle charger) and every now and then he would take it for spins about the area, he dropped it a couple of times so there were a few minor scratches on the body and engine lowers..trivial stuff tho, he had the bike in his garage for 5-6 years or so, I cant say I ever think he put oil in the darn thing. He bough it used off some guy prior to ownng it so I think by the time he sold it it was 8 or 9 yrs old, he nearly sold it for what he paid for it..something like $2100 or so. It's was for a long time a long saught after beginner motorcycle that sold on the used market for not so much less than you could pay for a new one..if you cold find one. The ninja 250's been a mainstay since the mid 80's and up until recently still looked near the same as it had since the early 90's.

Those GS500's look good tho. I believe they are air-cooled parallel twins, they are pretty good bikes also. If you plan to do much riding on the interstate at interstate speeds tho I would suggest going for a bike with a faring. As with my experience, being perched atop a middle-weight bike droning along on the super-slab at highway speeds for hours on end can get on your nerves really fast. In the beginning it's great but after some saddle time when the "new license smell" wears off and you are just trying to go from A-to-B having a way to manage the endless windblast would be welcome, after a while it just gets old..

Rebel and Ninja 250 are not the ideal choices for interstate riding...you will be revving the balls off of them (which they can tolerate quite nicely thanks very much) and likely hard pressed to be at 80mph. it can do it tho, just plainly not the bikes of first choice if that is a major piece of the riding you plan to do. In their defense, these are the bikes you can own if you are broke and they will still leave you with coin in your pocket for pizza and beer on a friday.

now I have to work on not writing all these long ass rambling posts...

samburger

^Well your long ass rambling post has been the most informative so far, so thank you. It's encouraging to hear that the SV650 & GS500 type bikes are a good 'middle-weight' option as far as performance & (most importantly) maintenance. I will likely be doing a lot of interstate riding which is why I ultimately decided to stay away from the Rebel & Ninja 250. Sadly, the only SV650 in my area has already been modified with a GSXR front end & the guy doesn't have the original anymore. Swapping out the entire front end isn't something I want to have to worry about, even if it's easier & less expensive than it looks. There are 2 other GS500's that popped up in my area so I'll definitely be looking into those when it comes time to buy a bike (which will hopefully be in the next 2 weeks). As for windshield & fairings, how much of a difference do they make? If the bike I get doesn't come with one, I'll definitely get a windshield because I can see how that would make a big difference, but what about fairings? Is it really that noticeable? The GS500 I posted above with the fairings & winshield is a little above my budget at $2200 but if they would make a noticeable difference then I might try & talk that guy down instead of going with one of the others (listed at $1600 & $1200, but also with 13k more miles). Either that or take one of the less expensive bikes & add a windshield & possibly fairings myself.

Moozh

Honestly the SV650 with the GSXR forks (and likely front brakes) is not something to poo-poo, that is actually a plus, but likely an indication that the guy used the bike on the track where it likely lived much of it's working life between 8-to-10 tenths if you know what I mean. It likely also has racing rear-sets(foot peg/controls) if it was a "track whor@" as we call em. Rear set generally put your feet higher and more rear-ward making for an aggressive "balls of your feet on peg" sitting thus losing the more relaxed positioning of the stock foot controls. Is this the bike you said had clip-ons? (fork mounted sportbike handlebars~sorta). If it has a GSXR triple-clamp (top clamp where fork tubes and key ignition are secured to..) then it would not have to drill outs for handlebar risers. Long winded way of me thinking out loud that for what you are looking for it likely might not fit the bill but I would think this guy will have no problem at all selling that bike. A SV modified with GSX-R components are highly desired.

I think it would be cost prohibitive/not-doable (nothing is impossible tho) to add a faring or windscreen to a bike that did not come stock with one. The mounting points dont tend to be available. Plus you would be surprised just how pricey a new faring can be. If one of the motorcycles on offer originally came with a faring and the owner took it off (a very uncommon thing to have happened) then you could certainly put one on but if the bikes on offer are the 'naked/standard' versions of the models then you are likely out of luck. Generally a bike with a faring also has totally different mounting/housing hardware for headlights, instrument panel, indicator lights that simply are not interchangable with the same model-yet-naked version. It's not a golden rule mind you, but in my narrow experience this is the case so if it doesnt have a faring/bikini-faring/windshield you likely cant add one. There does tho often tends to be a 'fly-screen' of sorts available for naked bikes that often are more cosmetic than functional as they are often a small panel that goes about/on top of the headlights. I'm not too familiar with the GS500 but I think the GS500F was the model with the faring, tho I suspect the suzuki website/internet forum can inform you about it. I know that the SV-650s was the sv with the bikini-faring and the sv-650 was the naked which I believe comes with a flyscreen of some sort. Truth be told a fly screen is in no way a substitute for a faring/windshield.

If a motorcycle is well maintained and taken care of by the owner 13k miles is nothing..on most bikes that is barely even broken in. In crontrast we do see those squadrons of squids every summer revving the hell out of their gixxers (GSXR's) and bouncing them off their rev limiters just because they think it makes them badasses. I call those bikes three season b!tche$..they use them as if they are such and although they seem to take cosmetic care of the bikes they are horribly mechanically abused in the persuit of trying to look like the legendary ghost rider. You need to stay away from those types but just like cars a well maintained motorcycle can keep going and going. It only seems to be in the USA that a motorcycle with 25k miles is considered worn out, these engines can go to 100k+. I know a guy with a Triumph sprint RS that has about 87K miles on it or so, my buddies 96 katana 750 has over 30k miles and it is still going like a champ. Only use the mileage as a bargaining tool because it seems to me that folks about "this land of milk and honey" have it in their heads that motorcycle engines "wear out", but if you get the sense that the owner took care of the bike, dont be too worried about mileage. Pay a visit to Europa and Asia where serious miles are put on bikes that are used as daily drivers, ridden and left outside rain or shine year round. Higher mileage used bikes are regularly purchased and pressed into service all the time (bike theft in europe (UK in particular) is CRAZY so many just stick with used bikes).

I dont want to make having a faring/windshield seem like the end-all-be-all. I LOVE naked bikes the best. I'd trade my other bikes before I'd get rid of my speed triple but I am "over" using it on I-95. The wind, the endless windblast that is not too bad for the most part but over about 85mph I have to start employing my neck muscles to keep my head on my shoulders, the ceaseless wind blowing on you seems to fatigue you more readily over a moderate distance, your riding jacket helps with this tho. This isnt the case for all naked bikes mind you, just the ones I have had experience with which tend to be "streetfighter" types or standard which tend to have you sitting more atop the bike out in the wind than say like a cruiser which has you sitting down "in" the bike "behind" the tank with a dynamic profile that lends a hand by getting hit by the air first and often deflects the wind around you somewhat. They also "cruise" so they are a lower-slower paced bike so you dont tend to ride as fast as with others.

I would say if you found a deal dont let it detract you from going for it, at sensible speeds it's not such a big deal but I know that about my area even tho the posted speed limit on the turnpike and interstate is 65mph, the AM and PM commuting "norm" is 85 mph while sipping coffee, talking on the cell, puttin' on makeup while steering with the knees (commentary on skinny blondes driving huge SUV's during the commute). And it's at speeds like that and above where riding also begins to demand more of you physically than it would otherwise. In the beginning for me I liked it, the senses were alive but after a season I got saddle sore sitting in the same position riding in that straight line down the interstand thus my "perched atop a middle-weight" comment, laying as flat on the tank as I could manage to keep out of the wind as best I can, eh...after a while I just stuck to secondary roads on my naked. My zx14 is sultan amongst concubines in my stable with regards the ideal bike for interstate and distance duties, but that is exactly it's specialty..the hyper-tourer.

Keep your eyes peeled, hopefully the perfect bike will show it's head sooner than later. Add a suzuki katana into the mix of choices. solid bike, perfect for highway living. If you do find yourself with a great naked bike that is too good a deal to pass up then go for it. Full riding gear including a neck-gaiter goes a long way to keeping things bearable.

samburger

Definitely a track bike, after looking more closely at the pictures & seeing the speedometer, mirrors, & lights had also been removed. Not even street legal in its current condition, though I'm sure you're right about him having no troubles selling it. Not many people out there use bikes as a daily driver that I'm aware of, which puts me at a disadvantage for finding what I'm looking for. I'm thinking that if any of the GS500's feel too forward-leaning for my taste, handlebar risers wouldn't be a hard installation. And from what I could see in the pictures, they all have fairly neutral foot pegs.

The fairings you were absolutely right about. ~$600 for some custom made for the GS500E for the whole set. The windshield, I'm not so sure about. There are about half a dozen respectable motorcycle mechanics in my area & I would absolutely consult them before buying a GS500 based on the assumption that I could put a windscreen on it, but after a quick google search the results were pretty good for windshields. This website is one example that has numerous styles: https://www.motoacces.com/products/su...en/f308-m1241/

I'll definitely use mileage as a bargaining tool, because I had been given the impression that 25k miles was about average for a bike. I did some research on it & came up with one website with a thread decicated to motorcycle mileage & everyone was saying that they had bikes with upwards of 175k+ miles, but upon further inspection I realized it was a BMW F-Series dedicated site & wasn't sure if high mileage was something all bikes were capable of. I would have figured that they were though because of all the people in Europe & Asia that use them as daily drivers.

If I get this job I've been talking to my friend about (yay Gamestop!) I'll be traveling ~20 miles on the interstate & the rest at city highway speeds (~45mph). The speed limit is 70mph for about 10 miles & then slowly decelerates to 55mph, though traffic stays a steady 70mph+ most of the way. The main thing is that I want a windshield that sits up fairly high. As a daily driver, I want my windshield to deflect the wind from me even when I'm sitting almost completely upright. Again, the styling of the F650, Versys, & V-Strom is exactly what I'm going for. If I do get this job it's likely that I'll postpone a new mountain bike to sell whatever motorcycle I end up getting & upgrade to one of those bikes. Here's what I'm looking for:

If the deal is right I'll go for it regardless. If I end up hating it I'll post it back on CL & bare with it until I can get another bike. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for a Katana. I've got my eyes open to literally anything right now (when I search for bikes on CL, I narrow it down by price range & with pictures only, & literally just type the name of the manufacturer I'm looking for...Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, Ducati, Triumph, Harley, Buell, & Victory are amongst my bi-daily search). I still haven't even ruled out a cruiser. I haven't learned to ride yet & as such can't test drive bikes, so I might end up liking the cruisers better anyway. Unlikely, but still possible. Only time will tell.

samburger

https://www.bbburma.net/Plexistar2.htm

THIS is exactly what I was looking for. Tall & wide enough to deflect wind from the entire upper body, & on a GS500. Goofy looking? Yes. But if I was getting a bike to look cool, I wouldn't be looking at commuters.

EthanYQX

Fixed.

Honda 200 DS here, that's going very soon for a DR650 or a DR-Z400SM.

Moozh

Ahh, sweet it looks like you are doing all the right kind of work to gather the info. Glad to see that there are windshield option that look superb for the GS, awesome! That fist site (motoacces.com_) is that from spain? Either way, so long as they ship to the US, no biggie.

yep, those BMW boxer twins have earned a reputation and a folllowing from many world wide as the bike to ride all over the world for adventure and distance. Not a HP king, but certainly has proved itself as a rock solid endurance king, especially the older ones. The new generation seem to have growing pains with all the electronic wizzardry included. (K-series in particular) but I'm sure BMW will get it sorted out, 'spensive bikes tho.

The look of that GS500 on the'bbburma.net' site looks great, Good to go and very user friendly is the impression I get from that package, only thing I would have done is perhaps put some rubber strip behind the hose clamp used to secure the windshild on the forks. You dont want metal on metal like that, it could scratch the fork stantions, otherwise it looks great.

It looks like you are doing it already but definitely touch base and pose all your detailed questions in a internet forum that is specific to the bike you are looking at. There will always be a few veterans that have been thru it all with their bikes and will be a wealth of knowledge to help you find places on line for spare parts/accessories, give you a better sense of what the true ownership experience is from a larger pool of people. And keep in mind that if you find problematic areas where there are those posting about how they hate their bike because it breaks, be measured about it. I have found that when the bikes are working flawlessly we tend not to post about it only when there is a problem we wish to tell the world so for every negative experience there are likely numerous more event-free one. All the same use the info to figure out if there were specific problem with particular year build, what the resolutions were and use the info to see if a bike you are looking at has had the same remedy applied to it. This can also help you know if there are some years that are best avoided, it happens sometimes to some bikes.

I dunno...victorys may be too new to the market to be found for your pricepoint but who knows. Again there are more than a few wanna-be-middle-aged-easy-rider types that bought some shiney american metal to be a rebel on the summer weekends while they bar-hop that might have had a close call, saw their lives flash before their eyes and have since decided to opt out of being a rebel. It' happens, or maybe the missus is deathly afraid of the "death machine" and demands that her mister get rid of it, but otherwise a victory for $2k would amaze me. Lowest cost model I believe is the very cool '8-ball', victory is also a new company so the oldest bike is not really that old at all.

At your pricepoint and for what you intend to use the bike for, honestly I would stick with a Japanese motorcyle. They often are the ones you can find the most resources on for servicing, repair, accessories, etc. Easiest on pocket, reputation for reliability if not "character".

I do like your choice of bikes tho, you are definitely looking at the right kinds for what it is you want to do. keep us updated as you progress.

Also be careful, dont let all my yammering make you over think/scrutinize this. Just find a good bike in good running condition for what you want. Change fluids, filters, check her over to make sure all controls are in working nik and get out there and ride.

EthanYQX

On an F-series website they'd be parallel twins or singles. Not boxers, only the "R" series has boxer twins.

samburger

Yeah I'm definitely going to join a GS500 forum because with it's reputation for reliability & a good bike for beginners to learn on & experts to relax on (not to mention 6 of them for sale within a 2 hours drive), it's looking like the best option. I need to get on there & find out about parts & accessories like handlebar risers, windshields, saddle bags, luggage racks, etc. I even found a bike rack that may fit on it: https://www.2x2cycles.com/

As a daily driver there's a lot more to consider with buying a bike than just "does it run well?" & "does it make me look cool?". But I'll find what I'm looking for. With all the viable options for bikes, it's really selling my truck that's got me concerned. '98 S10, former gravel-hauling work truck without the common sense to buy a bed liner, been attacked by hood rats with a crow bar since my ownership, broken door handle...the list goes on. But that's a topic for a 4-wheeled forum

Anyway, thanks to all for the advice. I'm not sure there's much more to ask about without going into great mechanical detail, so I'll keep y'all posted on what happens.

Moozh

yep I know this, I was commenting on the bmw engine renowned for extremely high mileage, and the latter part was commentary on the growing pains of the I-4K series bikes introduced the middle of the decade.

best of luck out there sam, keep us posted!

ally

Hi all! I'm new here and new to mountain biking this season. I also ride motorcycles. I have 2 Kawasaki Ninjas, one 250 and one 650. The 250 is my mountain buddy! Hubby and I take camping trips in the mountains on our bikes, and my "Lil' Ninj" is extremely nimble and flickable in the mountains. :-) Love that little thing!

samburger

Welcome to the forum! You've come to the right place if you like mountain biking & motorcycles. It seems like the latter attribute makes up a good percentage of the regulars here.

dminor 

No she doesn't. And don't you dare say that again or I will have to muzzle you.

EthanYQX

Right.

Anybody ever ridden an R80G/S? Seriously considering one. And yes, the fact it's a BMW makes a huge difference to me.