motonoob
Member
Sound advice and totally makes sense. I'm enjoying the process of narrowing down options and making realistic decisions for long term riding.Welcome!
I'd definitely listen to what the others say here. I started last year, and was hellbent on getting a cafe racer because...
Ae$tHeTic...
Ended up on a cbr125 that I commuted on every day for the year and then sold for an upgrade this winter.
I ended up riding and enjoying myself, as opposed to fixing a thing and worrying if it will get me home.
It's hard to hone skills on a mechanically shaky bike. The line between your errors and the inadequacies of a custom bike can be blurred in some cases. Is your cornering technique ****? or is the hard tail just causing the rear tire to lose grip over bumps, throwing you all over the place.
Also, by getting a solid beginner bike (rebel 300-500, s40, v-star) you can basically resell it in a year for what you paid for it. Maybe more if you detail it and fix some things here and there yourself.
Additionally, yes, get the bike delivered to a mechanic that does pre-sale inspections (usually $100). My 125 needed $800 of work (tires, chain, sprockets... really basic stuff). That invoice quote gave me tons of power to talk down the asking price of my first bike.
Trust me, after a year on your beginner bike you will have a much better idea of what you like. Looking at a bike is one thing, riding it is another.
I always wanted a vintage cafe racer. Now? not so much...
Thanks!
