I texted the guy with the black and orange Katana and he still has the bike and now i am waiting for some more details to see if it needs anything and if it's inspected. I also got ahold of my insurance company and got a quote just to get a feel for how much i am looking at. I was quoted at 109 a year for BARE min. coverage and 300 a month with the uninsured or under insured motorist.
The katana is a pretty good deal. It's ugly but it's the fastest of the bikes you are interested in. Which may not be great for a first timer.
My advice. Stay away from the older watercooled bikes (other than the ex500 ninja, it's pretty solid)
Don't even look at a bike that's been modified. You may inherit someone elses headache
I have a kz400, gs550, gs500 and i like them very much
the gs500 is low maintenance the kz400 is a slow and low cruiser.
Stay away from the maxim, virago, and the vf750 Has some pretty horrific factory flaws and service headaches.
SO in summary.... My choices in order from first to last
Gs500
gs550
ex500 ninja
kz400
katana (great bike but may get you into trouble as a noob)
Thanks a lot J that was very helpful. I think I am going to jump on the Katana if the guy ever texts me back and is still interested. 10k miles, fresh paint, replaced almost everything, and low insurance because it is considered a "Sport Touring" bike to most insurance companies. And like I said, I like how it looks personally mostly because its my favorite colors.
Yeah from what I read it sounds like a perfect bike for me. And a buddy of mine has the same year so he knows a few things that he can teach me. I just have to see if the guy is still interested. After he texted me saying he still had it he never responded.
I will keep the tensioner in mind and I already looked into a brake upgrade. With it being a heavier bike and me not riding much for a while, better brakes won't hurt. Haha.
GTmatters wrote:Yeah from what I read it sounds like a perfect bike for me. And a buddy of mine has the same year so he knows a few things that he can teach me. I just have to see if the guy is still interested. After he texted me saying he still had it he never responded.
I will keep the tensioner in mind and I already looked into a brake upgrade. With it being a heavier bike and me not riding much for a while, better brakes won't hurt. Haha.
better brakes CAN hurt. If you don't understand brake control your front can wash out and leave you with a face full of asphalt.
ah I didnt even think about that haha. but it makes sense. I think i am going to wait for 2 weeks because I will be getting a big check then and i have to pay my deposit for my chemistry class and for a lawyer for a little thing I got into and maybe I will find a better deal by then anways! But yeah I looked into the GS500s and it seems like a perfect bike for me. It's a basic engine, no fuel injection and it's only a 2 cylinder but it get's better gas mileage and is much easier to work on, so I hear. It's not as fast as a katana or other bikes but it's my first bike and its probably for the best anyways.
My only concern I can think of right now is that I live in central PA and there is a LOT of hills in my area and Pittsburgh and stuff. How easy is it to go from park to go going up a hill on a bike? It seems like it wouldnt be too easy in my mind. I can just imagine me over reving and flipping the damn thing on top of me. hahaha.
I'd stay away from anything modified or modifying anything until you get used to riding. Coming from a guy who's just starting to learn to ride, youre going to have a lot more to be concerned about that looking cool or going fast. I've got a build planned for mine but for now its staying stock until I get a summer of riding under my belt.
IMO driving a bike is soooo much easier than driving a stick car. You have a lot more control and finesse in your left hand than your left foot. So its easier to feather the clutch and control your take off.
The only real thing i said about modifying was the breaks to make it safer. And I am looking for something practical and inexpensive so I dont have to worry too much about anything.
GTmatters wrote:
My only concern I can think of right now is that I live in central PA and there is a LOT of hills in my area and Pittsburgh and stuff. How easy is it to go from park to go going up a hill on a bike? It seems like it wouldnt be too easy in my mind. I can just imagine me over reving and flipping the damn thing on top of me. hahaha.
Its easy as hell, you have 2 main options really if your a beginner.
Option 1: From neutral hold the front brake and using your left foot put the bike back into 1st gear, put both feet back flat on the ground and release the front brake. Use your feet to hold you from rolling backwards as you start out.
Option 2: Same thing as above except instead of putting both feet on the ground, keep your right foot on the rear brake to hold you in place till the clutch starts to grab and then release the rear brake as you slip the clutch out. (this is the better option and is safer, especially if the hill is rather steep).
Those are the easiest ways to go about it, once you get better you can also use the front brake to hold you in place then either jump off the brake and slip the clutch as you would do in a car, or slip the brake and the clutch at the same time as you give it gas. Thats a bit harder than what I mentioned above if your starting out, as you have to be fast on the clutch or be good at working the front brake and throttle at the same time with your one hand.
Long story short, I would not worry about hill starts...lol Much easier than in a standard car.
I would also caution on getting too crazy with the brakes, like "jfire" said until you learn the brake control you can get yourself into trouble very fast.
In a panic brake situation your first instinct is to just jam the brakes as hard as possible like in a car, which would result in either you going over the bars, or locking the front or rear tires.
I'm still working on rear brake control myself, twice now I've been in a panic situation and resulted in locking the rear tire up (I'm still too used to dirt bikes and dragging the rear tire), not fun when your doing 60mph...lol
Haha thanks a lot for the info. I am so excited and I want a bike now! haha. I just wish there was a little more of a selection in my area right now on cheaper bike, tis the season though i guess haha.
Buy in the winter homeboy.
I didnt have money then haha
http://altoona.craigslist.org/mcy/3746186480.html
Txted the guy and said he would part ways with it for $1100. 32k miles, all it needs is a front tire. Idk how I feel about the color but it seems like a decent deal. What do you guys think? This a better buy than the 92 GS500?
honestly as a noob rider a katana or a fast bike has a very good potential to get you killed. it takes just one little slip up with the throttle or the brakes. they are fun, and i have certainly done my fun rides. but now a little slower is better with the amount of idiots texting and driving. be careful the gs500 are great good looking bikes. i love old jap bikes or old italian bikes.
yeah I actually liked the looks of the gs500 a lot. The thing I like about the Katana is that its not too fast(considering it's really a cruiser) but it's not slow enough for me to "grow out" of it.
GTmatters wrote:yeah I actually liked the looks of the gs500 a lot. The thing I like about the Katana is that its not too fast(considering it's really a cruiser) but it's not slow enough for me to "grow out" of it.
the katana is not a cruiser. A 85hp 12.5k redline, dual disc brake, mikuni bst32ss carbs, clip-on-triple, and usually a 4-1 exhaust.
Not by any means a cruiser. I might give it a sport touring but not a cruiser. The gs500 is about the same overall but the throttle and brakes are a little more tame.
Thats what I meant. Sport touring not cruiser hahaha. I am looking at safety gear now. I am a little intimidated to go up to highway speeds to be honest, which i dont think i will for a long while. Haha.
Layered vented jacket. Some tough gauntlet gloves with knuckle protection.
I've been t-boned by a car and also side swiped by a UPS truck. IF i hadn't had my gear i would have been much worse.
I usually use my one piece suit because when i was side swiped i slid and my jacket rode up and i got some rib-road rash.
As goofy as people think i look, i can push the limits and feel safe enough to enjoy riding. Plus it's not as hot if it's vented
Yeah I understand. I was referred to ridersdiscount.com. they have a good selection at a good price. I will probably get gear off of there.
GTmatters wrote:Yeah I understand. I was referred to ridersdiscount.com. they have a good selection at a good price. I will probably get gear off of there.
While RD is in the same town as me, and I've happily purchased from them, I've also had great luck with Sportbike Track Gear.
http://stores.sportbiketrackgear.com/StoreFront.bok
Particularly-
Quote:
Jason Cloonan
Sportbike Track Gear
Call me: 888-784-4327 Ext. 210
Email me: Jason@Sportbiketrackgear.com
