Looking to buy my first motorcycle, need opinons. *Finally bought one
- Thread starter JeepMI
- Start date
Didn't like the TW much, wasn't in good condition so I didn't feel the price was fair. Still looking around, weather is getting warmer so I'm hoping some more will come up for sale. I do appreciate the opinions everyone, i'll update this thread when I finally pick something up.
Drsuzuki06
New member
I know that thease bikes are not on your list but they can be purchased for a small amount and can be used as is or modified a little for gravel road use.
1970-present honda xl series dual sports the only one to possibly be wary about was the 350 but over all great bikes
Honda CB any 4 cyl other than the custom and even one of them can fit a cheap dual sport tire under.
Honda Hawk 400cc 2 cylinder
most yamaha xs series bikes750 and 850 can be heavey.
any old xt (4 stroke) series yamaha dual sport or a DT series(2stroke)
There are many older bikes that do not cost alot of money that with a little maintenece will run the hiways and gravel roads for years happily , I would really watch out for the rare models or the ones that there is no more part support for. IE. suzuki 650 Tempter and Madura. and sole of the 2 stroke specialty Yamaha dual sports, Kawasaki and honda had some that were only sold for a couple of years .
I think if I had to try and pick a bike right now for the budget minded that could be adapted for all types of riding and had under $2000 to spend I would buy a new or next to new CBR125 and put a less street tire in it and try and lift the front fender . There was arecent article in i think It was cycle canada of a fella who rode his fron coast to coast in the states and then from the south coast of florida to the artic ocean . with out missing a beat and traveling at hiway speeds. .
1970-present honda xl series dual sports the only one to possibly be wary about was the 350 but over all great bikes
Honda CB any 4 cyl other than the custom and even one of them can fit a cheap dual sport tire under.
Honda Hawk 400cc 2 cylinder
most yamaha xs series bikes750 and 850 can be heavey.
any old xt (4 stroke) series yamaha dual sport or a DT series(2stroke)
There are many older bikes that do not cost alot of money that with a little maintenece will run the hiways and gravel roads for years happily , I would really watch out for the rare models or the ones that there is no more part support for. IE. suzuki 650 Tempter and Madura. and sole of the 2 stroke specialty Yamaha dual sports, Kawasaki and honda had some that were only sold for a couple of years .
I think if I had to try and pick a bike right now for the budget minded that could be adapted for all types of riding and had under $2000 to spend I would buy a new or next to new CBR125 and put a less street tire in it and try and lift the front fender . There was arecent article in i think It was cycle canada of a fella who rode his fron coast to coast in the states and then from the south coast of florida to the artic ocean . with out missing a beat and traveling at hiway speeds. .
Well, after a couple months of misfortune throughout my vehicles and personal finances I've finally bought myself a bike. Unfortunately in the process, mechanical failures forced me to sell my Jeep at a cheap price, and the car I had inspected and bought after that ended up being twice as bad as the Jeep. I lost around 2k (my tax return and then some). It's taken me a while but I've finally recovered from that blow. I had $4700 to spend on a vehicle, that's what the car after my Jeep sold for ('03 mazda 6). With this money I was determined to buy a cheap car and reliable motorcycle and I believe I've done a good job at that.
Friday I picked up a 1989 Honda Accord 2 door 5 speed for $1500. It has 131k, I bought it from the original owner who has had all of the proper maintenance done (timing belt, water pump, etc.), and it runs and drives really well. It's rust free and has a mint condition interior with working sunroof and a/c. Only downside is that the paint is faded. Doesn't bother me, so I bought it. Not the coolest car around, but it runs so perfect that I couldn't pass it up for the price. The guy I bought it from just got back from a trip to Colorado from Michigan and said he had no issues. I was so impressed with the car that I didn't even bother negotiating on the price, and at $1500 any good running driving car is a good deal in my book.
And finally, today I picked up my first motorcycle. It's a 1997 TW200, 3600 miles, new tires with less than 50 miles, everything is in darn near mint condition. It runs perfect. My much more knowledgeable friend was very impressed as well. I probably paid too much at $1800, but I don't regret this decision. I rode it today (first time ever riding a motorcycle) and was very happy with it. Never stalled, loved the light weight, shifting was easy and quick. I still need to practice turning and braking but it was raining today so I'll head out to a parking lot tomorrow. Also, he threw in a very nice rack for the back that I have yet to install, i'll post another photo when I do.
I also begun the licensing procedure here in Michigan last week for my motorcycle endorsement. I took the written test and passed with 100%. Now I must register/insure the bike, then take my "road" test later this week. I'm heading out tomorrow to buy some gear for the bike, helmet, jacket, gloves, etc. Pretty excited to get on the road. Thanks for all the help and patience guys!
Here's a picture of the bike!
Friday I picked up a 1989 Honda Accord 2 door 5 speed for $1500. It has 131k, I bought it from the original owner who has had all of the proper maintenance done (timing belt, water pump, etc.), and it runs and drives really well. It's rust free and has a mint condition interior with working sunroof and a/c. Only downside is that the paint is faded. Doesn't bother me, so I bought it. Not the coolest car around, but it runs so perfect that I couldn't pass it up for the price. The guy I bought it from just got back from a trip to Colorado from Michigan and said he had no issues. I was so impressed with the car that I didn't even bother negotiating on the price, and at $1500 any good running driving car is a good deal in my book.
And finally, today I picked up my first motorcycle. It's a 1997 TW200, 3600 miles, new tires with less than 50 miles, everything is in darn near mint condition. It runs perfect. My much more knowledgeable friend was very impressed as well. I probably paid too much at $1800, but I don't regret this decision. I rode it today (first time ever riding a motorcycle) and was very happy with it. Never stalled, loved the light weight, shifting was easy and quick. I still need to practice turning and braking but it was raining today so I'll head out to a parking lot tomorrow. Also, he threw in a very nice rack for the back that I have yet to install, i'll post another photo when I do.
I also begun the licensing procedure here in Michigan last week for my motorcycle endorsement. I took the written test and passed with 100%. Now I must register/insure the bike, then take my "road" test later this week. I'm heading out tomorrow to buy some gear for the bike, helmet, jacket, gloves, etc. Pretty excited to get on the road. Thanks for all the help and patience guys!
Here's a picture of the bike!
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Awesome choice! The TW is on the short list of bikes that I really would love to own (okay, I lied - the list isn't all that short! 
)
You did not overpay for that TW. I consider $1800 to be a very fair price for a TW with that mileage and in that condition. I've seen older TW's go for over $2k.
On the minus side, the pre-2001 bikes have only a drum front brake where as the 2001-up models have a front disc.
On the plus side, they still have a kick starter which could be nice if your battery ever dies (ask me how I know that!)
Ride safe and have a blast!
) You did not overpay for that TW. I consider $1800 to be a very fair price for a TW with that mileage and in that condition. I've seen older TW's go for over $2k.
On the minus side, the pre-2001 bikes have only a drum front brake where as the 2001-up models have a front disc.
On the plus side, they still have a kick starter which could be nice if your battery ever dies (ask me how I know that!)
Ride safe and have a blast!
Awesome choice! The TW is on the short list of bikes that I really would love to own (okay, I lied - the list isn't all that short!
You did not overpay for that TW. I consider $1800 to be a very fair price for a TW with that mileage and in that condition. I've seen older TW's go for over $2k.
On the minus side, the pre-2001 bikes have only a drum front brake where as the 2001-up models have a front disc.
On the plus side, they still have a kick starter which could be nice if your battery ever dies (ask me how I know that!)
Ride safe and have a blast!
Well that's good to hear! I didn't really have too much to compare it to price wise as it was the only one on craigslist within 100 miles, but it seems like I made a good buy so far. I've been cruising around the neighborhood/learning how to ride/making my neighbors mad since I bought it. I'm going to get it all registered tomorrow and take the test Thursday, then I'm finally on the road, I wish there were some trails around here to hit though.
The brakes don't seem to be too powerful, makes sense now knowing that it has drums front and back now. They work alright though, my friend said they're fine, just not nearly as good as his cbr1000. The kick starter was another selling point on this bike for me, I don't see any reason for a small motorcycle like this to not have one. A battery failure alone 50 miles back into the woods would be a pain without a kick starter.
This comparison is pretty funny. Short of riding into a wall I don't believe a TW will ever stop as well as a SS.
Martinjmpr
Wiffleball Batter
Yes, the drum front brake isn't great but you can get used to it. Just don't ride in such a manner that you need to make a panic stop.
As far as the price goes, I'll tell you this: Take good care of that bike, change the oil regularly, don't wreck it and you can sell it in 5 years for just about what you paid. From what I've seen, a running TW200 is never worth less than $1500.
In fact, if you "outgrow" it in a few years, come out to CO and I'll buy it from you!
As far as the price goes, I'll tell you this: Take good care of that bike, change the oil regularly, don't wreck it and you can sell it in 5 years for just about what you paid. From what I've seen, a running TW200 is never worth less than $1500.
In fact, if you "outgrow" it in a few years, come out to CO and I'll buy it from you!
Haha, great to know! I've been riding all week and I've had 2 offers to buy it for $2k or more. Apparently they're hard to find around here! I'm going to keep it around for a bit though for sure, it's been a blast so far, and the $4.80 fill ups are nice. I also got that rack on the other day, and made a 115 mile ride (round trip) to Dexter, MI. It's running great but the one thing I have to get used to is how noisy the engine is. Seems a little harsh in the upper RPM, but I've read that it's normal and that TW engines are harsh sounding, so I've just been shifting a little sooner because I don't like to hear the noise. This seems to work well considering how the bike is geared and how flat the torque curve is.
JJackson
Explorer
I don't think it has to be able to stop as well, unless of course you're able to get it up to CBR1000 speeds.