hey guys

I'm looking to get a bike in the comming months as i will be going back to college for my masters. having to sell my mustang to get a more economical car (read: cheap as dirt) i'm going to get a bike to keep me sane when driving something of a kia type....

please do not lexture me on what bike to get... I've already made up my mind on a GSXr1k.... kidding... prolly looking for a sv650 or something in the 600 range... nothing more, possibly less, but I'm having a hard ass time finding one that is not hideous (taking a quote from a friend... you are not going to drive it if you cant stand to see yourself in it)

granted that is not the best way to look at it, but you gotta understand what I mean...

my main question is, where can one get a damn bike... I want a used one, but finding a bike is getting to be hard... either out of my price range (as close to 4k as possible), or nowhere near me.... i just dont know where to find a bike that is not new.... checked the paper and that is no help (I live in chapel hill NC by the way), cycle trader and ebay have either yielded hideous, wrecked, or overpriced bikes....

can anyone help me out with how to track down a bike? Idont care too much what it is as long as it looks sporty (full or half faring) and will last me some odd 4 years (hence why I'm leaning against 250s and the like)

anyone have suggestions? I'm looking to buy in prolly 2-3 months....

Torinalth

when searching for a used bike, the most important thing is patience .... one should come along soon, in the very same places you were looking. Try visiting some reputable dealerships, too, and see if you can find a bargain there.

Good Luck.

Buy something that you do nopt mind wrecking, get the 250, ride its wheels off for a year, and sell it for what you paid.

During that year you will learn how to look after a bike, and what to look for when you buy a 600.

hmmm.... like that idea... i have two guys local that have bikes that could come with me... but the more the merrier...

hell, if anyone is in the general RTP area in NC let me know images/icons/smile.gif

with any luck i'm looking at around april to purchase, maybe sooner if i find a great deal.

anything more you can add or suggest is most welcome.

Torinalth

then it still comes down to my one comment, that really shouldnt matter, but it does..... it does have to look decent.....

i've yet to see a 250 that is not fugly... but maybe I'm looking at the wrong bikes? then maybe other suggestions? with the above qualification though images/icons/smile.gif

Thanks so far for the replies...

Torinalth

Are you more concerned with your image than learning to ride ?

To me, this is the whole problem, desireable machines (to an onlooker) are usually supersports, or horrific Hardley style lumps of crap.

They look at the label that says GSXR1000 and immediatly figure that its the best bike.

Well it might be, although I find the 1K intimidating, and am faster on a 750, hell on the right/wrong track I'm faster on a 600 images/icons/wink.gif

If image is so important, get an SV650S, and get a race fairing for you, and tell your non-biker buddies that its an V-Twin 1000 images/icons/wink.gif with a change of exhaust, and some sexy bodywork, they are not going to tell.

Hell, buy a GSXR600, and stick 1000 stickers on it - only the biking community are going to spot the differences - forks/brakes/swinger/rear wheel.

Who are you trying to impress ?

You will gain more respect from the biker world by riding an EX250 for a year, then if you go and buy a GSXR1000 and ride like a twat for a year, assuming you survive that long.

How about a EX250, EX500, GS500 ? or a Buell Blast, or an old XS400, or CB400 ?

There are also cool things like Ducati monsters, and Suzy Bandit 600's (avoid the fire-breathing 1200) to get.

there are a lot of really cool learner bikes out there.

Of course, if you are dead set on a 600, get an old CBR600 of the F2 vintage, they are not overly powerfull, and age will have dulled the handling to make it easier to ride. You will learn a lot about fixing them too.

In about 10,000 miles you will be ready for the next step - an F3 images/icons/wink.gif

After about 20,000 you should be ready for a GSXR.

I like the suggestion of CBR600f2. You might even find an f3 in your price range. More than just a starter bike.

never said i HAD to get a 600, but was leaning that way....

and i agree learning to ride is most important, though I'd like to get my hands on a bike that is attractive as well. it certainly is not the most important factor, but it does play a solid role.... bandit is attractive, like the SVS a lot, the gs500 didnt look bad at all, and been eyeing the katana 600 as well.

the hardest thing is tracking down the bike from the time i have the cash... any other suggestions on the whole?

Torinalth

As for where ?

Try posting an add in the wanted section on this board, send PM's to people that are local to you, get "into" the biking community where you live, and people will help you to find a bike, and probably more importantly, find a bike that is half decent. As a newbie is terribly easy for a dealer to rip you off, much harder if you turn up with a couple of bikers, that can help you assess a candidate machine