Buying a used motorcycle on craigslist for under $1000 because fuck spending a lot on a starter bike.
I've found a 1988 Suzuki GN250 and a 1987 Yamaha Virago VX535.
Both are bobber style bikes but the Virago looks like it's in better shape. Both are going to run me $700. I didn't really want a bobber but they're the only cheap things on craigslist.
Neither did a great job with pictures and so far only the Suzuki guy has responded to my text. He said that the bike "runs and drives has TONS of new parts".
I know neither of these are exactly a steal or great find, but what would do you guys think would be better suited for a new rider?
Am I getting ripped off badly spending $700 on an old bobber? I already feel a little gipped spending $700 on a 250cc engine..
Be sure the registration is up to date on whatever you buy, they can get massive fees worth even more than the bike itself
Jordan Jenkins
you are better off going to look at them in person.
The Yamaha with only 5k miles probably was parked for most of its life. Bill of sale only makes me nervous. Stolen, has loan (not sure how you could owe money on something that old but hey maybe) or has salvage title he doesn't want you to know about.
I dont see a mileage on the Suzuki so not sure what to make of it. Lots of new parts because it was crashed?
Not exactly sure what you expect to find for that cheap that doesn't have some sort of problems that will need fixing. If you can wrench take a gamble after you go look at it in person and take it for a test ride.
Jacob James
Not to sound like that faggot, but everyone I've spoken with so far has told me spending that much is absurd for a starter bike. Especially something that's used and probably not great anyways.
desu I'd build my own bike if the tools weren't so fucking expensive.
James Myers
Fuck, where do you live? $1,500 gets you a late 90's rebel in PA.
Ayden Wright
The yamaha says missing title. Get a honda Xl185, xl250, or a CB, or a TT. Fuck man. Plenty of good old bikes for cheap
Chase Sanders
I never said I expected them to run perfectly.
I'd rather buy a bike that needs work anyways. I did the same with my guitar. Buy it beat up, fix it, then learn. Gain more knowledge that way.
William Martinez
Dualsport? Bought my 250 for $1200 My learner bike Something im not at all worried about dropping
Benjamin Barnes
bullshit
you just want a bobber to cruise for men
Owen Mitchell
Stop trying to buy shitty project bikes (especially that GN) and just go find a running Nighthawk 750. They have 75hp if it's a '91+ and you can get one for >$1,500 all day. Plus you'll actually be able to fix it if it breaks instead of just throwing it out.
Jaxon Jenkins
well both of those look like trouble to me and I would want nothing to do with them. If you can wrench and those are the only two options I say Suzuki. You could find a decent first bike with almost no problems for like 1500-2000 like said.
Your money Your life man. do what you wanna do
Leo Moore
I'm guessing that further discussion will lead to me spending more money that I barely have.
>lets do it
I was really interested in getting a dual sport (my next NEW bike will be a dual sport), however there's nothing good in my area.
damn straight daddy
trust me, the pickings aren't as nice as you'd think they are around here.
Jack Butler
I can wrench, my grandfather can wrench and lives in the house to my left, my good friend is a mechanic and lives on my right.
I'll be fine buying something that needs a cleaning and tune up.
Ryan Murphy
post your craigslist. there for sure is something better out there than those 2
Owen Flores
Don't ask for your advice if you already made up your fickle mind. If you want a shit bike, go fucking buy a shit bike.Save up for grinding down all those kneesliders on your gn250 or viragiawhatever
Cameron Thompson
What's your Craigslist?
Joshua Martinez
South Shore/Rhode Island. Can't go into Boston so that's a huge limiting factor.
>doesn't read anything in the thread >posts this
Christian Reyes
Boston>South Shore btw, not South Coast
South Coast is full of fuckwits in Florida that don't know what the Keys are.
Jaxon Allen
since you didn't give me a link I have just put in craigslist Rhode island
craigslist RI is pretty much my only option, didn't think I'd need to post anything else since the state is so damn small.
I'm not really sure I want to get a liter bike as my first. I was thinking more in the range of 500-750cc, I really don't think I need anything more than that.
Juan Johnson
Those liter bikes are really really tame and easy to ride
Wyatt Collins
Again, this is the exact opposite of what I've been told from several people.
I'm not saying you're wrong, I just don't really know what I'm looking for anymore..
Kevin Diaz
Big twins are nothing like sport bike 4cyls.
Landon Cooper
You know what? I never really made that connection that people were talking about sport bikes and not old cruisers..
I'll have to take another look. I'd still like to keep my cap at $1000 though, however I think the stubborn nature of New Englanders is going to make that hard.
Jason Long
The Virago looks way cooler
Chase Richardson
Why not save up another $700 and get something more presentable and better riding? Like any 90's 600cc sport bike?
Brayden Rivera
Im this user
sport bikes and cruisers are way different for cc size. I started on a 600cc sportbike and its really not that bad as long as you understand what happens when you ham fist the throttle.
the 250 is a meme. someone who is gonna wreck is gonna wreck no matter what size bike they are one because they dont think about what happens when they ham fist the throggle or brakes.
Sport bikes have touchy throttle and brakes. Big Twins are heavy and slow so they need more power to get moving. My bike weighs 425lbs with a full tank of gas. Not sure how much those that I posted weigh but I bet its alot more than 400lbs
Wyatt Fisher
I've seen the Nighthawk suggested other places than here so I'm definitely looking out for one of those, but are there any other bikes you would suggest looking out for? Any manufacturers to avoid?
I'm seeing a lot of Mangas for example, so I kind of have the feeling they're cheaper?
Easton Morales
1/2
Lucas Thompson
2/2
Michael Stewart
Makes me want a dualsport even more.
>hold their value very well so its hard to find a cheap one
that's the problem though. something like a KLR250 would be nice to find, but nothing like it is close by.
Jack Morales
Just don't listen to the bike general here, they have no idea what the fuck they're talking about
Evan Cook
Literally just found an 86 Nighthawk in my town that was listed in the wrong place.
Gonna shoot this guy an email real quick, says it only needs the carbs rebuilt and he has the kit. Only $700 too, back to spending sub 1k.
Thoughts?
Care to give some input then?
Owen Roberts
Nevermind, guess who's good at reading shit wrong.
This guy.
Still gonna shoot an email and get a price.
Gabriel Howard
money is jsut as good as trades.
you are gonna need to widen your search area if you not finding what you want for the pride you want. this user is only half right
Lucas Myers
Oh yeah I know, I'd rather not go through the arduous process of explaining my circumstances, but I need a bike soon and it needs to be close.
Odd necessity but such is life, am I right?
Jaxon Flores
On a side note, look at this little thing I just found. A moped that goes 60 and looks like a little race bike?
If I had the extra money I'd totally pick this up too and use it for riding around the town.
absurd is spending $5-6000 on a new ninja 300/yamaha r3 from the dealer
$1500 is the bare minimum to get a running/driving motorcycle that isn't a total pile of shit while paying book value (sure you can get something nicer cheaper but it might be a screaming deal no one else can normally get).
Dominic Hughes
Buy an old Ninja 250 for $1000-$1500 like a sane person.
Also cheap bikes are cheap for a reason, i.e. they're probably going to need expensive fixes.
Eveyone you've talked to doesn't know shit then.
Spending $1500-$3k on a first bike is perfectly fine imo, because as long as you don't crash it you'll make all that back when you sell it in a year or two for something faster.
Your first bike probably won't be your last, everyone seems to forget that.
If you don't have much money, don't buy a cheap bike that'll need money sunk into it to get it to a decent state.
Also if you can't afford a decent bike, how do you expect to be able to afford everything else (i.e. gear, license etc)
Hunter Wood
Can confirm, the /dbt/ doesn't know shit and is caner incarnate.
Ian Lewis
I have the gear and license, just looking for a bike bro.
Like I said before, I need a bike soon and I don't have much money. My life story isn't necessary for finding the best option in my price point, all you need to know is that I can barely afford to spend $1200 and this needs to be done soon.
Are we done making an echo chamber or is there more you'd like me to know?
Jackson Howard
I'm in basically the same situation as Op... Is this a good option as a first bike? I texted him and he has agreed to sell it to me for 1000. It doesn't say in the ad but the bike is a 2007. ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=42768478
Benjamin Peterson
OP here From what I've been seeing and reading, I'd say that it's a good choice. It's not going to go super fast or turn heads, but if you need it for short distances around your area I'd say it's just fine.
I've found myself torn between these two bikes:
1988 Suzuki GN250 Bobber southcoast.craigslist.org/mcy/5931908798.html I'm not too interested in getting a bobber, but this thing is ready to go and supposedly running great (will confirm when I see it in person).
1992 Suzuki DR250 southcoast.craigslist.org/mcy/5946046764.html It's a dualsport bike, only issue is that it might be a pain in the ass to get it registered for the road. Plus I'll have to spend a little extra on lights, but it apparently runs "mint". It'll run fine on the road after it's geared properly, which shouldn't be an issue for me.
Both $700, both good for my area (dirt and pavement), both run just fine.
Grayson Russell
You can get better bikes for less than a grand. Try to find something that is stock. That's how I got my CX, and why I'm checking this out.
Alright.. I've finished my search and come to the conclusion that the 1988 Suzuki GN250 will my first bike.
It has a title, it's in running condition (any issues will certainly be small), it has a decent bit of new parts and "upgrades", and it's only $700. Honestly the only downside I see to it is that it's fucking ugly as sin, but if I cared about what I look like I'd have a six pack by now. Plus it wouldn't be hard to make this bike look nice if I ever wanted to, it's a pretty common project bike apparently.
Sorry to disappoint, I'll be back in a few days with pics if I decide I to buy it. If not I'll probably grab the DR250 and post pics.
Leo Allen
It's also utterly ruined and from the looks of it unrideable.
You are such a fucking moron.
Gavin Carter
That's exactly what i bought for my first street bike back in 2000. It was ok. Guess I'd recommend it, but there are tons of options these days.
Dominic Russell
Don't buy an ancient DR unless you are an experienced mechanic and even then you'll spend more time fixing it than riding. The other one is shit too but probably is more mechanically sound. Also it doesn't look bad. That style is back in now.
Jose Murphy
Well I mean if you want to have a look, then be my guest. I posted my area earlier and someone came back with his suggestions. All were liter bikes, which I'm not getting. One was 650cc but he won't budge on that $1200 tag and it's not worth that much.
I've texted, emailed, and called an insane amount of people these past few days and so far the GN250 guy and a few others have replied to me. Some turned out to be too far away, others lied in their post and told me about top end engine damage, bad tires, no lights, etc. when I got in touch with them.
The only options I have right now, based on people who have actually responded to me, are these:
You tell me which one to get, if I'm such a fucking moron. My options are slim because of my situation. I never said I need my bike to give your 47 year old dick the time of it's midlife. I need it to run, which is what this guy claims his bike does. He also has the title and everything I could ever want to make registering it easy. He's in my area and can meet me before Sunday. I'll decide if I want it then. If it rides, then I'll bring it home. If not, then I'll give the DR250 a go.
Ian Walker
Well he claims it rides "mint", which is why I'll be thoroughly inspecting it when I check it out, if I do.
It doesn't look that bad in the pics, and he didn't have anything negative to say about the bike when I texted him. It has an off road registration, but no title so registering it after I throw some lights on it might be the biggest challenge from what I've been reading.
I have seen people saying the DR line isn't great for streets, but others are saying that it's fine at
This doesn't look bad. The gn is a shit heap on its own, modded like that other worthless.
Tires are some of the cheapest things on a motorcycle. You can get a full set of brand new tires mounted and balanced for less that 200 if you know the right shops.
You ever notice how everyone is telling you the same thing, and you're telling them that they're wrong even though you came here for help?
Lincoln Barnes
He's too far away.
You'd be surprised how many people post in South Coast that aren't actually in South Coast.
Anything else?
Adam Walker
Not really anything worth buying with a price cap of 1200. Id keep looking until you can find an actual good deal, or until you can afford something that isn't a total basket case.
My first (real) bike I bought for 800, because it was a solid bike that had just been sitting for a bunch of years. A little bit of work to get it to run reliably, and I rode it about 12000 miles over 9 months.
You can find cheap gold, but I don't see it in your Craigslist.
Gabriel Bailey
Find a clean savage for 1200.
Logan Fisher
Just buy a cheap Yamaha TW200, put fuel in it occasionally, splurge occasionally and put a $5 oil filter and a litre of olive oil in it every few years or so, ride it to the ends of the earth and back again with no fucks given.
Landon Price
Installed letgo.
Found a Yamaha 750 Special owned by a mechanic. Near perfect condition and only 2k miles. He's okay with doing $900 and will probably go lower.
Only concern is that, being a mechanic, he knows how to hide problems with the bike. So I'm bringing a mechanic with me.
Lincoln James
>he doesn't have anything negative to say about it
Of course he doesn't, he wants to get rid of the thing.
