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A Starter Bike for Sara?

Tourmeister

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Location
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Scott
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Friday
Howdy,

:tab So our friend Sara ("psuedo") is looking for a good starter bike. She will be taking the MSF course soon and is educating herself about various bikes. So I thought I would start this thread so we could all chip in with any info about potential bikes out there. She is about 5'3". I'll go first ;-)

:tab Here is a 1990 Kawasaki Zephyr 550. The current owner tells me it has less than 12K miles on it, runs good and is clean. It has a small ding in the gas tank. I like the blue but have no idea what colors Sara likes. He tells me it weighs right at 400lbs, about the same as the Suzuki GS500E's. I don't know much about this particular model of bike, so I'll do a little research. He is asking $1500 for it.

:tab Anyone else know of a good bike for sale? The preference is for a bike ready to ride and not for one that is going to take some work to get in shape.

Adios,
 
That Zephyr is pretty cool looking, looks almost mean! If she like that, she gets instant cool points in my book! The GS 500 is a great bike, but, to me is just a little plain. The new faired version out this year, is pretty cool, but, I'm not a big believer in a faired bike for a new rider......plastic gets expensive!
TR
El Centro CA
(either way, wish her luck, I'm sure she will always have a soft spot for her first bike! )
 
The Zephyr 550 was essentially an updated version of the older KZ550 which was my very first street bike. It probably has similar power characteristics (fairly docile by current standards - @ 50 hp) with better suspension and brakes. The motor is basically a down-sized Z1 mill and should be pretty durable if it's been maintained at all. IMHO, all of the Zephyr series bikes (550/750/1100) are the prettiest motorcycles that Kawasaki ever made. 8)

Here's a nice example in red -

http://www.zephyr550.info/images/factorypro_zephyr.jpg
 
Thanks guys for your help. Any color would be fine, preferably in black or blue... all help is appreciated considering I need it. I really like the way the zephyr 550 looks!
 
89 Hawk GT 650

Howdy,

I have found a guy in Katy, Tx., with an 89 Honda Hawk GT. Other than a pretty big dent in the tank, he claims it is good shape and is asking $2000 obo. New tanks run about $250-300. Here are the pics I've got:

Right side view
First view of dent
Second view of dent

16500 miles on the clock.
 
A good friend of mine is also selling an '89 Honda Hawk GT 650, and it's in Austin, TX. The bike is red and in excellent condition and rides great. I used to ride it all the time. The only cosmetic blemish is that it has two small dents in the gas tank. It seems like this is a common theme with '89 Hawks! :-) It has an M4 exhaust and K&N. I believe it has 30K miles though, but don't let it deter you from looking, it still rides great.
 
Howdy,

:tab Any idea what he wants for his Hawk? Condition of the tires and brake pads?

Adios,
 
The brake pads have less than 5,000 miles on them. The tires have good tread. The asking prices is $2,800. I have some pictures that I will post as soon as I get them from my friend.
 
Kim's EX-500 will be up for sale sometime in November. We'll be asking $3500 for it. I'll take some pics and get them posted when we officially put it up for sale. If you want more details until then, let me know.

Pete
 
Can the EX be ridden without the side fairings in place?

Adios,
 
Hey
Ya'll tell me what you think...
'93 Kawasaki Ninja 10K mi, good condition, dent in gas tank, asking $1700...
Good starter or no, tell me what ya think.
 
250 c-c or 500 c-c. IMHO the 500 is the better of the two. For the price though it will get the job done. The big plus is that the bike has not changed in like forever so extra parts abound :wink:
 
Sara,

:tab Sorry I never got back to you, I was headed out of town for a trip. Did you ever go see any of the bikes? Did you get to sit on anything and see how it fit? Either the 250 or 500 are fine, just keep in mind that they are faired and plastic is expensive if you drop the bike! Keep us informed on your progress.

:tab If there is anyone in the Austin area that has some good leads on decent starter bikes, please let us know! Even better would be someone with some experience willing to go with Sara to check out bikes!

Adios,
 
I really like the way the zephyr 550 looks!

Ok, then, you get the instant cool points I mentioned earlier! So what about that Ninja? Anything else on your new-ride radar? Keep us informed, it's almost as exciting as getting my first bike all over again!
TR
El Centro CA
(Arriving permanently in TX Nov 10)
 
Howdy,

:tab The Hawk in Katy has recently been sold. Have you had any luck finding any bikes in the Austin area? Have you been checking any out at the dealerships to get an idea of what you like and what will fit you?

Adios,
 
The Hawk in Austin is still available. I still haven't been able to get pics from the owner. I guess he's not that gung ho on selling it, but I know it's still on the market!
 
I saw a really nice red one at the Triumph/Ducati/Aprillia dealer in Waco. Asking $3k. Bet you could get it for less if you haggle with cash. Perfect condition too.
 
Howdy,

:tab I just looked over the Motorcycle Consumer News used bike price guide last night and they show the Hawks being around $1500-1800. Interesting that so many in this area are going for much higher.

Adios,
 
Most likely because they are popular, have a cult following and are becoming more rare as they are coverted to race bikes.
 
I went ahead and looked at the Ninja, I like it pretty well, but it was sold before I got a chance to think. The cheaper/starter bikes sell fast here... There is also a 2001 GS 500 for $3800, but when Scott said how much Debbie got hers for, it doesn't sound right? What are other good starter bikes? Is a bike with 250 cc too slow for highway? (don't know where I heard that one.)
 
Howdy Sara,

:tab There are several 250, 500 and possibly up to 650's that make decent starter bikes. That's the problem, there are so many to choose from. I think the biggest issue for you will be the reach to the ground from the seat. If you don't feel comfortable with the distance to the ground and your ability to hold the bike upright, then whether it is a 250, 500 or whatever is not real relevant. The weight of the bike is also important. Ideally, you'd like something in the neighborhood of 400-450 lbs.

:tab With that in mind, here is the trend. Cruiser style bikes tend to have seat heights around 25-27" while standards and sportbikes are around 30" and up. First, you have to decide which style of bike you prefer? Then you need to look in the dealerships to find ones you like and sit on them, test the reach to the ground. Do you have to tip toe or can you get the balls of your feet down solid. Chances are, on most standards (like the GS500) and sportbikes (like the Ninjas) you will have a harder time reaching the ground. However, you can lower those bikes without too much trouble or money. This is what we did for Debbie's GS500. It has made a HUGE difference in how she feels on the bike and her confidence.

:tab Generally, I disfavor cruisers from any perspective except maybe aesthetics. Some are really pretty to look at. However, I have never really found any of them to be even remotely comfortable for more than 15-20 minutes at a time. The seating position causes you to slouch and to put all your weight on your tailbone. They rarely handle well. Often they have a limited range because of their small tanks and poor mileage. So my advice would be to leave the choice of a cruiser as a last resort. The big advantage of the cruisers is low seats and low center of gravity. The cruiser lovers here can flame away at me ;-)

:tab For standard and sportbikes, the popular ones are:

Honda Nighthawk 250 -std
Honda Hawk GT -std
Many of the 80's Honda Nighthawks -std
Suzuki GS500E (2001 and before) -std

Kawasaki Ninja 250 or 500 (EX250 & EX500) - both faired
2004 Suzuki GS500F - faired

Suzuki SV650 - faired or std - don't really recommend this for you though.

:tab There are a lot of 80's bikes out there but finding one that is actually in good shape is rare. I will be heading down to Hamburger Wednesday in Angleton this evening for the big end of the month bike night. Hopefully, the guy with the Zephyr will be there so I can check it out for you.

:tab When looking at old bikes, look for rust anywhere on the frame, body panels, chains, etc,... Look for dry and craked rubber and plastic. Look for wet spots which might indicate leaking oil, gas, etc,... Look for cracks in the sidewalls of the tires or in the tread grooves. Make sure the engine is COLD and then ask for the bike to be started. Look for bluish smoke (blue=bad). Dang I wish I could come over there and go bike shopping with you! It is so much fun :lol: Oh, any of the stuff listed above is bad.

Adios,
 
John "Irondawg" Morin would be a good choice to take shopping with you ;-)
 
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