Recommend me a small cheap bike

[mossy1200]

Mate had a 400 version of the kwaka and I didn't like the way it handled.

CBR is a far nicer bike

[iranana]

I'd go for the CBR over the GPX. Old bikes are fine if they were kept well, but bear in mind that the rubber in em perishes over time, and given their age you can't be sure of their full history and whether of not one of the owners was an ape. Things like crank seals, dampeners, gaskets etc. get old and crusty and need replacement eventually. The CBR would require less maintenance, and would probably be more fun, being an inline four.

[jorabro]

I'm pretty keen for that CBR. I've heard the inline 4 cbr's are quite high maintenance though especially given their age. What about a 2002 Honda VTR250? Its about 1k over budget, however I've heard really good things about them and that they just go and keep going, seems like it has reasonable power for a 250 and handles well.

[Grashopper]

Take both, the CBR and the VTR for a test ride if you can and get them checked by someone who knows what they are doing.

There is probably some money you still have to put into your new bike, e.g. the tires are too old (check the date code) or don't have enough thread left. You never really know what you'll get with an older used bike.

[iranana]

I agree, take em both for a test ride and see which you like more. With an inline four you do have twice the amount of everything in the engine, so yeah, maintenance of them is inevitably more costly. That's what steered me away from inline fours... It's also worth looking into parts availability though. If parts are horrendously expensive and hard to find for a bike, then you've gotta ask yourself whether it's worth it. I ride a bike from '78 but parts are so abundant (internationally, that is) it doesn't matter if something blows up. I just bought a pair of new old stock cylinder heads for a grand total of fifty bucks and new head gaskets cost me around ten bucks each. Try finding new heads for a modern bike at that price! Call up your local bike shops and wreckers and ask about parts for each bike (clutch plates, gaskets, brake pads/discs, cam chains, chains/sprockets etc) and do some research online/on eBay.

[jorabro]

Went ahead and bought a sweeeeeet little red VTR for 3.5k. Came with a lot of extras for the price too including "heated handle grips"...
Should be mine Tuesday afternoon. Will post pics.