Purchasing motorcycle in dead of winter

7 year old bike with 8k on the dial.. Just so you know a bike that has just sat around and not been rode is not always a good thing especially in carbed bikes.
 
I'm agreeing with the others. The bike will start in the cold if it is working properly. Unless he's storing outside under all this snow we're getting this winter. He's trying to hide something. Get him to fess up or start it, or walk away.
 
Was showing my bike on the weekend for sale and it started up just fine in the garage. Needed the choke on full for a bit to warm up then he was able to get on the bike and shift a few gears.

Guys full of BS! Walk away unless you want a summer project.
 
cbcanada said:
7 year old bike with 8k on the dial.. Just so you know a bike that has just sat around and not been rode is not always a good thing especially in carbed bikes.
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I'm debating whether or not I want a bike with so few km's. I understand that bikes in Ontario don't tend to be ridden as much and in my search, I have found a few 2004-2007 bikes with as few as 5,700km.

I couldn't take a look at the bike because of the messy roads last night, but hopefully I'll see it tomorrow afternoon.....hmmm....I just went onto the weather network and I think going on Thursday is a better day since it will be around -4C versus -16C on Tuesday, which shouldn't give the seller any excuse.
 
For the record I bought a 94 ninja 250 a 2 years ago, started right up in -20. Rode it down to -1 in november. The 94 had 14k on it, when I sold it 12 months later in similar temps she had 30k. Don't be afraid of low K, as long as the bike has been taken care of its will be fine. Maybe I got lucky but it was a great bike it never skipped a beat for 15,000km with regular maint. It will take a while to warm up but should start fine with choke and begin to run fine once warmed up.

While others may disagree with me the ninja 650R is a good beginner, note they are found almost as low of a price as most 250's...and they will keep you happy for years....I upgraded 1 year later from my 250 and wish I had just started on the 650, its just as easy to handle at least for me, with some punch. Expand your search to the ninja 250 is not the ONLY beginner bike as some would have us believe.
 
hardk0re said:
For the record I bought a 94 ninja 250 a 2 years ago, started right up in -20. Rode it down to -1 in november. The 94 had 14k on it, when I sold it 12 months later in similar temps she had 30k. Don't be afraid of low K, as long as the bike has been taken care of its will be fine. Maybe I got lucky but it was a great bike it never skipped a beat for 15,000km with regular maint. It will take a while to warm up but should start fine with choke and begin to run fine once warmed up.

While others may disagree with me the ninja 650R is a good beginner, note they are found almost as low of a price as most 250's...and they will keep you happy for years....I upgraded 1 year later from my 250 and wish I had just started on the 650, its just as easy to handle at least for me, with some punch. Expand your search to the ninja 250 is not the ONLY beginner bike as some would have us believe.
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650R is significantly larger and heavier than 250R. If you are a bigger guy, yes it is ok. But for small guys, get 250 first.
 
Just to clarify, this may be my first street bike, but I also own a zx6rr that I’ve been tracking for the past two summers. I’ve come to appreciate the speed of a 600cc bike and came to the understanding that it’s pretty much useless on the street i.e. not fun unless you open her up. I wouldn’t want a street bike that requires changing gears at 8k rpm or risk getting charged with a 172. With a 250cc, you can go through the first 3 gears and still be doing a reasonable speed. End of the day though, I’m looking for a nice modest commuter bike. When I need to get the adrenalin fix, I can always take the zx or the track car that I’m almost finished building, to the track.

This, of course is just my opinion, pretty sure people may think otherwise…:)



oh yeah, I also wanted to mention that with my current driving record, the 250cc is $100/month cheaper than an SV650....$60/month cheaper than an SV650 once I have a clean record by next spring.
 
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nokturnal said:
RZ350 FTW. Small engine, good fun factor on the street, cheap insurance.

And you'll smell nice.
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Please don't give me ideas haha, I need to be sensible with this purchase. I've also never owned or worked or ridden on a 2 stroke, so I wouldn't know where to start...
 
I got a 2000 Suzuki GS500e. The naked one. As my first bike and its been great to me. enough power for most city roads. The power is decent but you will not get into too much trouble. Its cheap as hell on insurance and maintenance cant be any easier or cheaper than most bikes. I keep it really clean, stock and maintained and the bike has never let me down. Im planning on selling her this spring to upgrade. Its just that time for me. I need something a bit more highway capable for longer rides. I really hope the person who buys it keeps taking good care of it as it is in nice shape and would be a shame to let it get warn. If your interested let me know. It also comes with saddle bags If your into that sort of thing.
 
RedDemon said:
Please don't give me ideas haha, I need to be sensible with this purchase. I've also never owned or worked or ridden on a 2 stroke, so I wouldn't know where to start...
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so easy... thats the beauty. I am working on converting my whole stable to 2T!
 
RedDemon said:
Please don't give me ideas haha, I need to be sensible with this purchase. I've also never owned or worked or ridden on a 2 stroke, so I wouldn't know where to start...
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That's simple.
On 2 strokes there is a extra pedal on the right side called a "kick starter". You kick, bike starts.

If you want to start the bike in the cold take along a heat gun. Warm up the carbs with the heat gun till they are not cold to the touch, not warm, just not cold.
 
Buyers beware. If someone won't fire a bike for you, run don't walk away. I've got a bike for sale right now, bike is winterized and battery pulled. It would take me all of five minutes to retrieve the fully charged battery from my basement and start the bike for a potential buyer. : )
 
RedDemon said:
It crossed my mind to get a cruiser style bike, though I had my eye on the Suzuki M50, but I want a sporty bike.
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The TU isn't a cruiser. It's a naked standard UJM neutral seating position. Sporty is all and good but how about comfort? M50 is way more than the 250cc the TU is. Depends on your criteria right? Might as well consider a v-strom 650 if you are in a high-cc shopping range. Not a cruiser either that one.
 
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