[johnbryanpeters]

I like it because it's clean, simple and minmalist.
I dislike it for lack of fenders and the stupid peanut tank.

you can view older bikes as a clean slate.....

79 KZ400

 

[Potroast88]

I just traded for this yesterday. It's a '71 Yamaha R5. The R5 was the early version of the RD and the RZ. It's a 2 stroke 350cc and it will absolutely scream. I've been out riding wheelies on it all day.

 

[jimmydean]

That's awesome. The guy who bought my FZ has an RZ350. 2 stroke goodness.

 

[Kanye West]

Braaaap!

Splaaaaat!

 

[jimmydean]

Splaaaaat!

Thanks, I wish you well, too.

 

[skatetokil]

I just traded for this yesterday. It's a '71 Yamaha R5. The R5 was the early version of the RD and the RZ. It's a 2 stroke 350cc and it will absolutely scream. I've been out riding wheelies on it all day.
]

2 stroke huh? but where are the silly pipes? you got a sound recording?

 

[4xBoy]

2 stroke huh? but where are the silly pipes? you got a sound recording?

Expansion chambers didn't happen for a long time in the smoker world.

Some smokers never got them.

That was my last motorcycle, I am thinking about getting another one this spring.

 

[bikenweed]

I just traded for this yesterday. It's a '71 Yamaha R5. The R5 was the early version of the RD and the RZ. It's a 2 stroke 350cc and it will absolutely scream. I've been out riding wheelies on it all day.

Nice bike. Any plans to cafe it, or you gonna rock it the way it is? I'm jealous. I'd love a Mito 125 for the mountains where I live.

 

[Potroast88]

Nice bike. Any plans to cafe it, or you gonna rock it the way it is? I'm jealous. I'd love a Mito 125 for the mountains where I live.

I'll probably keep it the way it is. The only thing that isn't original is the bars.

 

[skatetokil]

Expansion chambers didn't happen for a long time in the smoker world.

Some smokers never got them.

That was my last motorcycle, I am thinking about getting another one this spring.

mmm. trials.

 

[blue]

This is mostly for JimmyDean...almost sent it in a PM, but figured I'd offer myself up for public ridicule:

I'm asking your advice as I know you're familiar with motorcycle mechanics...

I'm eyeing this:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/mcy/929275896.html

400lbs and 110hp sounds like a bad idea for a first bike, but I'm more enticed by the fact that I can beat the sh!t out of it and not worry about it. Reckless squid I am not, and the power DOES concern me - when people talk about certain bikes being too powerful for beginner riders, what do they mean, exactly? I trust myself not to ride recklessly, but can I easily be overwhelmed by an almost-liter bike? Keep in mind the only other "street" bike I've ridden was a Ninja 250, and it was very uh...underwhelming.

Second part of my thinking - if I lowballed for the bike and got it, how hard is it to source Honda moto parts (and how expensive)? I'd definitely keep it to the bare minimum - nothing but mechanical repair and would keep it naked. What should I be looking for re:frame damage, as the bike has obviously been laid down before?

I was originally pining for something along the lines of an SV650 or Monster 600/750 but my budget has been curtailed to say the least, so I'm looking for a deal and am mechanically apt.

 

[stevew]

braaaaaaaaaaaapppppppptttttttttttthhhhhhhh

 

[bikenweed]

I'm eyeing this:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/mcy/929275896.html

400lbs and 110hp sounds like a bad idea for a first bike, but I'm more enticed by the fact that I can beat the sh!t out of it and not worry about it. Reckless squid I am not, and the power DOES concern me - when people talk about certain bikes being too powerful for beginner riders, what do they mean, exactly?

Pessimistically:

Do you want to work on motorcycles, or do you want to ride motorcycles?

Can you afford the gamble of spending $1500 on new clip-ons, levers, grips, mirrors, cables, throttle tube, headlight, turnsignals, and registration? Gamble, as in since you can't ride it, it will be impossible to tell if the frame/fork are bent or if the gear box is still in good shape. Are you willing to risk all the time and labor only to find out your sick new bike can't be ridden because the guy is a stunting hack and the bike has no 2nd gear? Or that it's bent just slightly, and at 50 mph it develops a headshake that throws you off the bike and into traffic?

I would never, ever buy a motorcycle without a test ride. You don't know if all the gears are there, and chances are, if it's that lightly wrecked and he's selling it for so cheap, he's a broke ass who didn't have the money to properly maintain it in the first place. Plus, no plastics means it'll be impossible to tell how it crashed. Steer clear. That bike would be a great parts donor, but that's it. This is all pessimism, but you really are gambling it all.

IMO, spend the $2k and get a legit bike that runs 100%. Much cheaper in the long run.

 

[jimmydean]

This is mostly for JimmyDean...almost sent it in a PM, but figured I'd offer myself up for public ridicule:

I'm asking your advice as I know you're familiar with motorcycle mechanics...

I'm eyeing this:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/mcy/929275896.html

400lbs and 110hp sounds like a bad idea for a first bike, but I'm more enticed by the fact that I can beat the sh!t out of it and not worry about it. Reckless squid I am not, and the power DOES concern me - when people talk about certain bikes being too powerful for beginner riders, what do they mean, exactly? I trust myself not to ride recklessly, but can I easily be overwhelmed by an almost-liter bike? Keep in mind the only other "street" bike I've ridden was a Ninja 250, and it was very uh...underwhelming.

Second part of my thinking - if I lowballed for the bike and got it, how hard is it to source Honda moto parts (and how expensive)? I'd definitely keep it to the bare minimum - nothing but mechanical repair and would keep it naked. What should I be looking for re:frame damage, as the bike has obviously been laid down before?

I was originally pining for something along the lines of an SV650 or Monster 600/750 but my budget has been curtailed to say the least, so I'm looking for a deal and am mechanically apt.

You can find an SV650 with a salvaged title for cheap if you shop around. Use http://crazedlist.org and search a wider area, or check out some insurance auctions, or places like Ride Safely or Cranky Ape. My bike was $500 to ship from Minnesota to Oregon.

A CBR 900 is a bad idea. Not saying you won't do well, or you will kill yourself just looking at it, but wrist control is paramount. Those bikes, like my R1 tend to want to ride in the upper 8k range a majority of the time. When I am in 1st gear puttering through town doing 25mph, my bike is unhappy. But when you are doing 8k in 3rd gear, you are also looking at 60mph. Give a hair too much twist and you are in a wheelie doing 80mph+. Next thing you know you panic, dump the throttle and you are head slapping your way to a not so cheap heli ride to the nearest ER.

They are manageable, but a bike like that is a lot less forgiving than something with 65hp. Watch the youtube of the dude on the GSXR1000 dumping the bike 20 feet from the dealership.

I would also look for something a little more complete. Stuff like bars, controls, gauges and crap get real expensive real fast.

A chick I ride with put her GSXR 600 in a ditch. The left side plastics took a hit and she busted the windscreen, but she rode it home. She sold it for $1500 with the title still clean because she didn't tell the insurance.

 

[blue]

Pessimistically:

Do you want to work on motorcycles, or do you want to ride motorcycles?

Can you afford the gamble of spending $1500 on new clip-ons, levers, grips, mirrors, cables, throttle tube, headlight, turnsignals, and registration? Gamble, as in since you can't ride it, it will be impossible to tell if the frame/fork are bent or if the gear box is still in good shape. Are you willing to risk all the time and labor only to find out your sick new bike can't be ridden because the guy is a stunting hack and the bike has no 2nd gear? Or that it's bent just slightly, and at 50 mph it develops a headshake that throws you off the bike and into traffic?

I would never, ever buy a motorcycle without a test ride. You don't know if all the gears are there, and chances are, if it's that lightly wrecked and he's selling it for so cheap, he's a broke ass who didn't have the money to properly maintain it in the first place. Plus, no plastics means it'll be impossible to tell how it crashed. Steer clear. That bike would be a great parts donor, but that's it. This is all pessimism, but you really are gambling it all.

IMO, spend the $2k and get a legit bike that runs 100%. Much cheaper in the long run.

Danke for the levity. I will be avoiding the trash heap I saw.

You can find an SV650 with a salvaged title for cheap if you shop around. Use http://crazedlist.org and search a wider area, or check out some insurance auctions, or places like Ride Safely or Cranky Ape. My bike was $500 to ship from Minnesota to Oregon.

A CBR 900 is a bad idea. Not saying you won't do well, or you will kill yourself just looking at it, but wrist control is paramount. Those bikes, like my R1 tend to want to ride in the upper 8k range a majority of the time. When I am in 1st gear puttering through town doing 25mph, my bike is unhappy. But when you are doing 8k in 3rd gear, you are also looking at 60mph. Give a hair too much twist and you are in a wheelie doing 80mph+. Next thing you know you panic, dump the throttle and you are head slapping your way to a not so cheap heli ride to the nearest ER.

They are manageable, but a bike like that is a lot less forgiving than something with 65hp. Watch the youtube of the dude on the GSXR1000 dumping the bike 20 feet from the dealership.

I would also look for something a little more complete. Stuff like bars, controls, gauges and crap get real expensive real fast.

A chick I ride with put her GSXR 600 in a ditch. The left side plastics took a hit and she busted the windscreen, but she rode it home. She sold it for $1500 with the title still clean because she didn't tell the insurance.

That's a big reason I liked the sound of the Ducati so much - lots of lower end grunt for around town riding. Only one small freeway where I live, and I don't use it often. I'm still toying with the idea of "punishing" myself with a Ninja 250...they're just so fvcking ugly.

Thanks for the tips on where to look - I'm wary of the salvage stuff on Ridesafely, as it doesn't really seem to detail the damage to the bike. I know a lot are just laid down and have minor cosmetic issues, but then there's some with broken forks and obvious issues...

Want:
http://www.ridesafely.com/inventory.asp?InventoryID=811113069

 

[jimmydean]

Thanks for the tips on where to look - I'm wary of the salvage stuff on Ridesafely, as it doesn't really seem to detail the damage to the bike. I know a lot are just laid down and have minor cosmetic issues, but then there's some with broken forks and obvious issues...

Want:
http://www.ridesafely.com/inventory.asp?InventoryID=811113069

While I love Ducati's, they are not cheap motorcycles. Much like a VW, they will need constant attention, but parts are expensive.

The trick to salvaged bikes is to find a shop that knows them and pay to have it looked at. You take a gamble buying it, but you could be a big winner if the damage is purely cosmetic. A good shop can check the frame/fork to make sure they are square.

<edit> Looking at the pics, the left fork tube looks bent. If the trees are intact, then a fork tubes could be had for under $500 for both.

 

[blue]

Suzuki GS500E for $500? Yay or nay?

It runs, but needs a carb cleaning and a tuneup.

 

[Kanye West]

If that's all it needs, sure, but that's usually never the case. Bring someone with you to take a look at it. Someone who knows their way around an engine will be able to pick out what all is wrong in just a couple minutes.

 

[blue]

If that's all it needs, sure, but that's usually never the case. Bring someone with you to take a look at it. Someone who knows their way around an engine will be able to pick out what all is wrong in just a couple minutes.

I'm familiar with car engines but not motorcycles, and don't know anyone that does.

Any tips?

 

[Kanye West]

Bring someone with who can do a carb cleaning and set the idle properly. It will be apparent pretty fast if it's the carb that's messed up (easy fix and easy to sell) or the top end (hard fix and easy to sell as a dirty carb).

 

[blue]

Bring someone with who can do a carb cleaning and set the idle properly. It will be apparent pretty fast if it's the carb that's messed up (easy fix and easy to sell) or the top end (hard fix and easy to sell as a dirty carb).

It's actually at a motorcycle shop right now and being sold as a lien sale - I wonder if it might be a good idea to just have them do it. Any ideas on how much that normally runs?

 

[Kanye West]

It's actually at a motorcycle shop right now and being sold as a lien sale - I wonder if it might be a good idea to just have them do it. Any ideas on how much that normally runs?

If it's being sold through a shop it should have the carb cleaned out regardless. It would be in the best interest of the shop to clean it up and make sure they weren't selling a dud for someone and have it bite them in the ass. If it was really as simple as that to get it running perfect, they would have done it themselves and sold it for more than $500. Sounds fishy.

Removing the carb is easy, just turn off the fuel, pop off the fuel line, undo the hose clamps on the carb boot and the airbox boot. From there, remove the 4 bolts that hold the bowl on. Remove any dirt and spray it out with carb cleaner or electrical contact cleaner (acetone). If it isn't running cherry after that and playing with the idle level, walk away from it.

 

[kazlx]

You can easily start on a sportbike. My first bike was a 93 GSXR 750 that I picked up for $1800. It was perfectly fine to start with. My next bike was a 97 600, then I ended up buying a brand new 04 750. They were all fast, but manageable. You will get yourself in trouble on anything if you want to. I think it's just stupid to buy a bike knowing that it's not what you want to ride. Would I suggest going out and getting a new liter bike? Not really, but there is nothing wrong with a used 600. If you haven't been on a bike before, a 600 has more than enough nuts to leave brown streaks in your shorts. Just do yourself a favor and get full gear and a take an MSF course. Ride around in a neighborhood for a week to get used to the feeling. It's definitely a weird feeling to be out on a motorcycle. Definitely one that I will never forget, just looking over and not seeing anything but pavement wizzing by at 40+mph. The first time you get on the freeway is a rush too, although, I think the freeway is way more mellow than the street because there is less going on.

 

[RhinofromWA]

Nice bike. Any plans to cafe it, or you gonna rock it the way it is? I'm jealous. I'd love a Mito 125 for the mountains where I live.

Do not mess that bike up...

If you want a cafe/rat bike get one that has been laid down a couple times.

That is a clean old bike. Cherrish it.

Oh, Think of this... it is often more fun to ride the piss out of a "slow" bike than to piddle around on a fast one.

 

[bikenweed]

Suzuki GS500E for $500? Yay or nay?

It runs, but needs a carb cleaning and a tuneup.

If it's the GS500 from "The Bike Yard," stay the hell away. (http://bikeyardsf.com/project_bikes.php)

I bought my GPZ550 there, and it was several hundred dollars over priced, and generally a complete hack-job. If I wasn't a little kid fresh out of high school at the time, I would never have bought that thing.

Steer clear of ANYTHING having to do with The Bike Yard. Moto Java, however, is much more legit.

 

[blue]

If it's the GS500 from "The Bike Yard," stay the hell away. (http://bikeyardsf.com/project_bikes.php)

I bought my GPZ550 there, and it was several hundred dollars over priced, and generally a complete hack-job. If I wasn't a little kid fresh out of high school at the time, I would never have bought that thing.

Steer clear of ANYTHING having to do with The Bike Yard. Moto Java, however, is much more legit.

No, it's not, but I'm gonna pass on it. The shop is actually supposedly going to get it running right and jack up the price (owner moved today), but I decided I'd rather save my cash and pick up something slightly prettier/more powerful. Monster 700-800CC bikes from the early 00's late 90s are going for around $2k, and I'd much rather have one of those. I think.

 

[jimmydean]

I started stripping mine. I got the bars mounted and the tank swapped out. A guy is building me a custom carbon undertail to use with the 50th yellow seat cowl. If the undertail is nice, I'm going to have him build me a few more custom bits.

My headlight should be here in a week or two, it's awesome.

(still not for beginners)

 

[OGRipper]

Well, I did it, I bought an '07 Suzuki DRZ 400 SM from a buddy over the weekend. It's got full Yosh exhaust, airbox opened up, new front brake, and some other mods. I should have it in the next day or two and will post a pic when I can. Pretty friggin stoked. Stay tuned for random periodic reports of the travails of a moto noob (hopefully not a squid, or road kill).

 

[sanjuro]

congrats.

 

[jimmydean]

Nice work, post up for sure.

 

[johnbryanpeters]

This is opening near me - might help me get the G15-CS on the road again...

 

[OGRipper]

Shazam!

 

[jimmydean]

Looks hot. How's it ride?

I never got to ride my Husaberg FC400 with street tires, but the 'Berg had serious grunt and a 6 speed gear box. I was told it would top out around 80mph, but I don't think I ever had it past about 45.

 

[OGRipper]

Looks hot. How's it ride?

I never got to ride my Husaberg FC400 with street tires, but the 'Berg had serious grunt and a 6 speed gear box. I was told it would top out around 80mph, but I don't think I ever had it past about 45.

I've only tooled around the block a couple of times. Super fun but I don't have a lot to compare it to. The purchase happened pretty fast and don't even have my permit yet, hope to get it today. I'm told she can get up around 75-80 or so but I am not planning a lot of highway riding, more around town and on the twisties.

 

[sanjuro]

I've only tooled around the block a couple of times. Super fun but I don't have a lot to compare it to. The purchase happened pretty fast and don't even have my permit yet, hope to get it today. I'm told she can get up around 75-80 or so but I am not planning a lot of highway riding, more around town and on the twisties.

Up it!

 

[OGRipper]

Spent some quality time on the moto this weekend. Super fun and a great way to get around town - fast, easy parking, etc. I am still pretty sketchy getting better. Amazing improvement in clutch/throttle touch over just a couple of days.

Next up: Gear. I bought a good helmet (shoei something or other) and some gloves. Been riding with my DH gear under my jacket and jeans, but I want a good jacket and probably some pants. What are ya'lls thinking on leather vs. textile? Preferred brands? Leather seems to provide more protection and it's not super hot where I'll be riding.

 

[jimmydean]

I got one of each jacket type (Leather, textile, and mesh) I have worn the leather twice, the mesh once, and the textile the rest of the time. The mesh has OK armor, but it doesn't seem to stay in place. The leather is awesome, but very hot (not perforated).

The textile jacket I got is an Icon TiMax (titanium reinforced) that I sniped off ebay for $50. It retails for around $300 and is totally worth it. I met a guy at Motocorsa who crashed wearing his jacket and slid 30+ feet. He swore by it.

Cycle Gear sells Frank Thomas and have heard good things about them. Seem to be a lot cheap than the Icon gear.

<edit> For pants I bought 2 pairs of Icon Recon jeans (one blue, one black) off ebay for $50 a pair. Kevlar lining in the contact areas with some stretch material that keeps them from sliding up when riding. My friend got some TiMax textile pants with armor that are very nice. I will get some this spring for more serious protection.

I have heard that the double layer Carhart jeans hold up in a slide on the street, but regular jeans burn off in less than 5 feet or so.

 

[sanjuro]

 

[jimmydean]

Also, my bike being "god awful yellow" has allowed me to score some sweet gear on the cheap. My yellow/black leather jacket was less than $100 new with tags on ebay.