Slightly older sports bikes

[javawocky]

Hi,

The time has come to upgrade and my wallet says I could probably get something like an R1 or GSXR 1000 - early 2000 with around 40k on the clock. $7k-$8k on the Trademes

Now, is their anything I should be scared of related to unexpected costs of a sports bike of this vintage? Being a liter bike the engine probably just about run in - right? right?

Are there service costs and adjustments which need to be done at this stage in life which could bite me on the bum?

Keen to hear (horror stories / G rated family movie ) stories of bikes of this ilk.

Words of wisdom welcome

(I have ridden various liter+ bikes, so I don't need the "buy a smaller bike first" lecture thanks )

[madbikeboy]

Okay, I can give an opinion of the K1/K2 GSXR's.

I have a K2, I've owned it for a few years, and to be honest, I still like it better than the k3/4, and the K6/7 with the heavy and lame dual pipes. The k2 and the k5 are IMHO the best ones.

The k2's are very strong, they have some issues with higer mileage ones, notibly the anti-stiction coating on the forks can wear out, they also have thin paint, and abuse means things like chains and clutches can be worn. If the front wheel has been landed heavily too often, they can ovalise their headset bearing cups.

The K2 has an automatic choke.

The K2's, in blue and black, get black wheels. White wheels are God's punishment for never cleaning your room as a kid.

You can buy a k2 for $7-8k, but you'll be getting something ratty, with poor service history, and a high likelihood of sliding down the road at some time in it's life.

I rode a K1 a couple of months ago that had been bought for $7k. Night and day between mine and his, his rode very poorly, with poor brakes, and really awful feeling suspension.

If you're into mod's, pick up a Yoshi Tri-oval, PC3, and cam it, and you can get very good HP easily. The K2's have tonnes of torque. If you like being a monkey, you can drop a tooth on the front, or 2 or even 3 teeth on the rear.

Mine is a little worked, and tire life can be depressingly bad if you turn the bike using the throttle like I tend to.

They're fun on track days, and a giggle on the street.

I've debated buying a later one, but I like the k2 the best. I almost bought a KTM SuperDuke (took one with the intention of never returning it a few weeks ago), but the throttle control is awful on them. After riding a GSXR, you'll learn to love the finesse of the throttle.

[madbikeboy]

One other thing, I also own a K5 600. For 99% of the time, the 600 is perfect for the street, and the 750 is even betterer. The running costs however are about halved over a thou assuming you ride sensibly. If you ride like a moron, you can kill a rear in a weekend.

[Bend-it]

my wallet says I could probably get something like an R1 or GSXR 1000

Bastard!

[javawocky]

Thanks badmonkey - wouldn't a 600 or 750 of the same vintage be more like to me in need of a major 'service'?

Bend-it Either you urn it or it falls magically from heaven - mine was sort of the latter

[MSTRS:Me]

Thanks badmonkey - wouldn't a 600 or 750 of the same vintage be more like to me in need of a major 'service'?

Why? Any bike is only as good as the care taken with it. Barring a couple of boot zip scratches on the side pods, mine still looks just like it did in my profile pic. And it gets serviced when it's needed.
Not for sale tho...

[javawocky]

Why?

Well surely a 600 is working heaps harder than the 1000. I could be wrong here having come from the 2-stroke camp

Do they make engines out of really tough stuff nowday

[R6_kid:Me]

Being a liter bike the engine probably just about run in - right? right?

Engines make peak horsepower in the time closest to when the rings and valves are nicely sealed on their friction surfaces - that would be at about the 1000-2000km mark. Unless it's had some serious work after 40,000km+ i'd expect it to be a few HP down on when it was bought. But in saying that I don't think you'll miss 2-3hp when you have 130hp+ to play with.

[MSTRS:Me]

Well surely a 600 is working heaps harder than the 1000.

If ridden as designed to do, there is probably little difference in the two.

[Finn]

Hi,

The time has come to upgrade and my wallet says I could probably get something like an R1 or GSXR 1000 - early 2000 with around 40k on the clock. $7k-$8k on the Trademes

Times are tough so make the most of it. $7 - 8k for a bike around 9 years old is way too much in this market. There are plenty around so go shopping. Find someone who is really hurting financially and bargain hard. Have no pride. It's a buyers market.

[Spyke]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=211542108

Have a look at this one

[Harvd]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=211542108

Have a look at this one

holy shit thats a lotta nice bike 4 not a lot of money

[javawocky]

Ha! shes on my watch list

[madbikeboy]

Replica fairings... Hmm. I wonder what might have happened in order to necessitate that???

Okay, the 600 vs 1000 working harder. The 1000 has a very tall first gear, and around town this means working the clutch alot. If the 600 has been thrashed alot, then maybe - the advantage of the 1000 is that few people actually thrash them. Thrashing a thou at 100% on the road is virtually impossible for long - the rider either becomes worm food, or gets time in small and substandard housing, care of the department of justice. The difference between a thou and a 600 is how the bikes accelerate above about 160kph (top end of first gear on a k2 1000), the thou just keeps pulling like a motherfucker until it hits the rev limiter in top. The 600 winds out, eventually.

That said, the 600 is almost always a more rewarding ride. You feel like your really on it, the 600 can also carry high corner speed (mid corner), and a good rider on a 600 will always outride an average rider on a thou.

I am faster on a 750, than on the thou.

Buy the best, lowest mileage bike you can find. Buy it off an older guy, or a sensible chick. Don't buy the cheapest, by the time you replace a pair of rotors, pads, chain etc, then the top dollar bike with lower mileage and service history is always the better buy.

The thou is like being addicted to Crack. There are 12 step programmes for drug addiction. There are no 12 steps for recovery from a thou.

[ital916]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/List...x?id=211542108

Have a look at this one

the same tm user has an sxv450 *or was it 550* with road trim and low ks going for 8 grand, he says he bought it a year ago for 17 grand. Now he has this bike, my too good to be true o meter would be going off if I was looking seriously at this bike and I would be approaching it with suspicion. It could be all good but then again it might be too good to be true.