Hi Starfire,
Thanks for your response - your wish to ride is not some "flash in the pan" and you have support and backup in the family. Doing CBTA and training is, in my opinion, the most sensible road to riding.
Hi Starfire,
Thanks for your response - your wish to ride is not some "flash in the pan" and you have support and backup in the family. Doing CBTA and training is, in my opinion, the most sensible road to riding.
The GS500F linked looks like a good choice and you shouldn't lose too much cash on such a bike come time to trade up. Keep it bone stock aside from extras like a pack rack and that'll make it easier to sell.
I've found online exploded parts diagrams very helpful in terms of sorting basic maintenance work, a quick google search turned up this listing from Partzilla:
https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/su...00f/carburetor
The same thing goes for the Honda that Scubbo linked, there'll be something out there for the looking.
It's worth checking for downloadable owner's / service manuals as well. If they're free...
The next thing I'd suggest, once you've got a shortlist, is to google the dedicated online forums with search terms like "bike make model year issues forum", see what pops up. I dodged a bullet recently with a bike purchase by doing this - a Honda VTR1000F with a failing cam chain tensioner. The owner lied to my face about having replaced this. If I hadn't done my reading and known what to look and listen for then there was a pretty good chance I'd have bought the bike and possibly had a major engine problem shortly afterwards.
Other bits and bobs...
If possible while buying privately, check out the seller's garage area. This can tell you a lot about how the bike has been looked after. If there's a visible shortage of cash, half-done projects left to rust, general shoddiness visible, well. Caveat emptor.
Quite a few bikes (big and small) don't get used often, this can mean that they're running around with good tread on the tyres but old rubber. Old rubber is fucked rubber and it lets go easily and without warning. Learn to check the date of manufacture codes - it'll be a four digit number, after the DOT codes, in its own little rectangle area, shown as WWYY. WW - Week of year made, YY - year made. At five-ish years age, the tyres are on their way out and should be changed. This isn't a dealbreaker if the bike's good but will factor into the decision financially, tyres fitting and balancing does cost. This sounds technical but once learned will take ten seconds front, ten seconds rear.
Definitely take someone with you when you go shopping, experience and a second set of eyes both counts.
Last edited by OddDuck; 30th December 2017 at 08:02. Reason: whoops missed the Honda
Fuckin dodgy! have a good look at it, it hasn't been looked after at all.
As to the OP, keep it simple if you want the best experience while you're learning. Do your penance with the basics then climb the ladder, learn to walk properly 1st do the training but don't be in a rush there's a lot more to it than meets the eye and only time and discipline develop that
What does a second hand Duke 390 go for these days??
102° Rx = + /_\
2000 model & 20k isn't old
The seller says it's been parked up in a garage for over a year. Then really start looking at it, apart from the cracked cowling & dulux spray bomb paint job, there's a torn gator so what sort of nic is the wiper seal like & is there any damage to the fork itself?, heavy scaring on the L/H swingarm, the chain is dirty as fuck...the rear sprocket isn't much better & over half worn so god knows what the front is like. And you could guarantee it's never had anything near a service since it arrived in the country.
And how come the seller has it listed and the youtube video posted on the 23rd Dec and isn't in the country to allow people to inspect the bike?? surely viewings could be done by arrangement to whoever is looking after the machines
Seen far more rooted dr650 and klrs wanting more.. Its 3300 bargain for a bike that will keep going and be easy to keep going
Good God. What is an articulate and well reasoned person doing on this forum? Please stay and don't let the trolls scare you away!
As far as the GS500 is concerned, yeah, well worth a look. I've looked at a few without buying and they always struck me as an un-dramatic reliable ride. The bikes I did get were siimllar though and I never regretted either (GSF600 Bandit and GSR600).
Only thing I'd say though is that with 50000k on the clock things will start to need to be replaced/fixed so even if you do the work yourself, you'll still need a budget to buy some bits and pieces. (Things like fork seals, bearings etc).
OHHHHH ..... if you are going to do Kaiapoi / Christchurch in winter, heated handgrips are essential. This is not just a comfort thing. At that distance your fingertips will go numb before you reach your destination unless you have super clever gloves (think beeing able to feel indicator buttons) but also it bloody hurts! My commute is only 17kms from Parklands to Cashmere but I wouldn't be without the heated handgrips. Its a safety thing for me, not just comfort.
Good luck. You seem to have a really good handle on what you want and you've obviously put a lot of thought into it so now, good luick is all you really need.
Grow older but never grow up
some guy in Thames got the bargain --- ahh well... would've taken sweet f'all to restore to an extremely reliable runner for long distance commuting and touring without the worry of getting it dirty and scratched. lucky bastard.
TWR dunno what you're on about, she looked fine, just check all the bearings and linkages, front fork seal and an oil change and run the current chain and sprockets into dust before replacing.... less than 4k all up i'd say with a reg
The last thing a newbie on a budget needs is a bike that's going to cost money over & above the purchase price to get right
You obviously didn't have a damn good look at the pictures on the auction, it'd been bowled over & down the road at some stage in it's life.
And the one & only bidder/winner ha he'll be using it to tend his crops
The sellers reluctance to even answer the questions posted are signs of warning bells too.
There's no denying they're a good bike but that thing was a dog!
he just chucked up another one for sale https://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/mot...837399e4445b0e
insurance,acc(rego) and tyres are the factors which people overlook when considering the running costs of a bike.You will need a chain now and then too
Rego was quite a shock for me. Tyres I'll have to save for ... and take it easy meanwhile, trying to keep the rubber rolling with me instead of carelessly discarding it on the tarmac and gravel. Insurance is good value given the cagers with malicious intent or cellular distractions. Lightly lubed links last longer, so I've invested in a Scottoiler.
"Shout! Shout! Let the clutch out!" Gears for Fears
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