Buying a Motorcycle

[Nighthwk12]

So I'm getting my tax return and I'm ready to get myself a motorcycle. I've been scouring Craigslist. Does anyone know of any other places I could check? Are forums a good place to pick up bikes?
I'm looking for a sport bike that's not a Kawasaki.
Thanks

[TLSheff]

Craigslist

Ebay

Cycle Trader

Facebook

[TLSheff]

Just out of curiosity... why you no like Kawasaki?

The Ninja's have been the top rated bike for the past several years.

[elmoughler]

I had a 97 KAWI Ninja ZX7R. It was a first bike and was a blast. It wasn't fuel injected which was nice. Picked it up for $2500 bucks in 2009 with new tires. I've since sold it.

[Bio248]

do you know how to ride already or are you attempting to learn how to ride?

and yeah, kawi makes good bikes. if you don't want to be a squid then avoid suzuki. the rest of the manufacturers are all legit (yamaha, kawasaki, honda).

[TLSheff]

if you don't want to be a squid then avoid suzuki.

LOL could you elaborate on this?

But good question by Bio, first bike and learning on it? or been around bikes and know how to ride but never bought your own?

I was raised on quads and dirt bikes, but never owned my own street bike. Had a friend trash a brand new GSX-R 600 2 weeks and 2 days after buying because he didn't know how to handle it. Bike totalled, insurance barely covered the pay-off.

If it's your first one, definitely get a cheaper bike that you can play with and run the risk of dropping a couple times. It will happen. Frame sliders save more bikes than you think, good investment when you purchase one.

[Bio248]

LOL could you elaborate on this?

you know all the retarded kids out there riding around in shorts, sunglasses, and sandles? doing wheelies in the middle of traffic? who ride like it's their first day out in 20 years and they're only 14 years old?

that's a squid. squids all own suzukis. (see: anyone that rides a busa)

[Nighthwk12]

It's my first bike. I have been around bikes my whole life and have seen some after maths of accidents. And i'm totally not a squid. Reason not a kawi is all the squids around here have ninjas. Also i haven't heard great things about their gear boxes. I'm leaning more towards a mid range yamaha or susuki.

[dsmuts]

I had a cbr 600 and loved it but got rid of it and about a year later bought a cruiser cx500 and only have $25 wrapped up in it.

[Ryan99639]

i bought a 2000 car 929rr for 2 grand a few months ago and i love it , looks great, and scares the s$@t outta me everytime i throttle it hard lol

[MattStrike]

If you want something different, then check out the v4 Honda bikes (Sabre, Interceptor, Magna). I love my 700cc Sabre, 84hp...

But I recommend a 250cc bike as your first. They are light enough you can push them off when you inevitably drop it. And don't kid yourself, you will drop it. The nice thing about the 250's is they hold their value better than the larger bikes.

[dsmuts]

250 is way to small for a starter. My first bike was a 400 and i out grew that pretty quick

[bigburban]

My first bike was a 99 900rr. Sold it a few months ago and am planning on getting a 1000rr.

[Nighthwk12]

Yeah I'm looking it the 600cc to 800cc range. I'm 6'2 205 so I feel a 250 would be a little small.

[Bio248]

i made my wife learn on a 250. its light, agile, and underpowered. literally the perfect starter bike. you can pick most of them up for ~$1000 or less for an older one and it'll run like a top. i rode it around a few times (im 6'1", ~240) and it does make me feel like a fat man in a little coat, but i wouldn't ever think to put someone on a bike that didnt know how to do all of the necessary actions first.

once you know how to ride, then you can move onto trying to handle a bike that has more power than you know what to deal with. however, so long as you stay with a carburated bike they are all fairly tame. even my 08 zzr600 is very smooth and easy to handle, but is a very fast bike if you know how to ride it.

[TLSheff]

My best friend has had 3 new Ninja 1000s over the past several years, trades it in and upgrades every other 2 years. And another just bought a 2013 600 ninja and neither have had problems with the gearboxes. Could just be lack of maintenance or older models, but you prefer something else so the point is moot. just

Bio I do know lots of squids. That explanation I was like Ohhhhh ya, THOSE guys. lol

If your not a stickler for a super-street style, the Katana 750s are nice, more of a sport-touring, but very comfy riding and still got the power and agility to hang. I've also got a soft spot for the older Honda Superhawk 996s. A friend's first bike and it was older but it was a great bike. Fast in its day, but would need quite a few upgrades to hang with the newer bikes, carburated v-twin it sounded like a dam harley rolling up, had some good torque too, just lacked the power up top stock. Just food for thought.

[Utter99]

I own a Buell cyclone 1203cc I got it as my first bike . It was defiantly not easy to learn on . Heck of a lot of touqe and the bike shakes from the v twin . Defiantly didn't make it easy to learn on . But god do I love it .

Crotch rocker with a Harley motor . Yes pleas