First motorcycle: how to buy?

[gen.d00dz]

Does anyone have any advice for a guy looking for his first motorcycle?

I'd like something:
Comfortable (upright riding position) and no more than 500cc ideally (fairly certain that's the sweet spot for insurance rates.) I'm also over 6 feet tall, so does that factor into what'll be comfortable for me?

I come to this forum because so far, my experience searching craigslist and autotrader.ca have been less than positive. This is what I notice so far:
For the $0-$2500 range, the bikes seem to be either 20+ years old, "in great shape but probably has an electrical problem that keeps it from starting" or "needs little to cert." I'm definitely scared of buying something that hasn't passed a safety inspection. But what about the 20 year olds? Are they okay to buy?

For example would something like this be a good buy?: http://is.gd/H7Pk?

What is the general opinion on criteria for a good new bike?

Also, to clarify, I'm not that curious about the TYPE of bike to buy, but how to actually buy a bike. (i.e. is a 20 year old bike going to be a problem, is it bad to get something that requires work to get running, and is $2500 too low of a price range for a decent bike.)

[TodayHello]

Is $2500 your absolute limit?

I've noticed on the Trader and GTAMotorCycles that there is quite a a jump in the amount of bike you get for your dollar when you start looking in the $4000 range.

Best of luck

[scotchtape]

There are deals to be had. Be patient.
Get all your gear and do all the lessons etc first...

I've seen a Ninja 250, not too old go for $2,500 because someone needed cash fast. I think it was like a 2005 or something.

Also a 2004 GS500F go for $2,900 24K km but whatever.

You should be able to find a decent newer bike for around $3K but it does take time and effort. People seem to think their bikes are worth solid gold!

I have also seen a few beat up but still serviceable 600's go for a bit more than $3K. One recent example was a 2001 R6 that had been raced but was going for $3.5K OBO.

Do not give in and pay more $$$ especially in this economy!!!

[EGee6]

Watch the CC limit on your bike. Not only is there a difference in speed but there is also a pretty steep insurance hike as well (at least here in BC)

[gen.d00dz]

So the general consesus is that I should definitely stick to something that's fairly new, i.e. 5-10 years?

And that spending in the $2500-$4000 range will likely get me something solid?

What about test driving. Do many people offer test drives? Also, since I've only ridden a bike for the training course, I'm not sure what to look for in terms of "is it safe?"

Anything I should look for that's a dead giveaway that the bike is a peice of junk? For example, if the guys says "well, i only dropped it one time", is that a bad thing?

[AGR-1]

You are not buying a bike for transportation correct?

You have to like the bike, it has to grab you emotions. If you want to sit upright sport bikes are out of the question. You can find newer less popular bikes in the 3K to 4K range in good condition.

The popular cruiser like a Shadow / V Star are more $$$ and more displacement which raises the insurance slightly.

You ride a bike to enjoy yourself, to feed your emotions, to get satisfaction, its a toy, how do you like your toys, if an older bike that meets an arbitrary budget will do that go for it.

Imagine that you tell someone, I just passed my M course, can I test ride your bike?

[executor]

dropping the bike isn't necessarily a bad thing if the person just forgot to put the kickstand down or if a strong wind gust hit someone at a stop and they were off balance and let the bike down. there would be minimal fairing damage which translates to a good deal.

now if the bike was crashed while at speed, that's a different story, the frame, forks, etc. could be damaged. just make sure the seller has a safety and you should be ok. avoid problems by choosing a newer bike, you can pick up a ninja 250, 2006, or 2007 for around 3500-4000. and the 250s one of the few models that really hold their value as beginners are always looking for the smaller bikes.

if 250 is too girly for you go for a ninja 500 or suzuki gs500. price out insurance first, a bike isn't cheap, insurance and gear will set you back close to $2k easy on top of your bike budget. good luck.

[steve-0101]

What about test driving. Do many people offer test drives? Also, since I've only ridden a bike for the training course, I'm not sure what to look for in terms of "is it safe?"

I've sold 3 bikes and never allowed a test ride. The buyer is more than welcome to ride as a passenger so they can hear the bike.

To be honest, having only ever ridden on your course, I'd be mighty careful taking test rides.

Good luck in your search!

[CSR]

Check out gtamotorcycle.com you'll find more advice there.

[scotchtape]

Newer means hopefully less issues to deal with but if the bike has not been maintained then all bets are off.

Make a checklist of things to look over.
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

I suggest you get it inspected by a motorcycle mechanic at a shop or whatever. Or bring along someone who knows about bikes.

Test rides are fine as the final step. As in you know you are going to buy this but just want to make sure brakes work, tranny shifts fine, clutch works etc. Some people won't let you test ride. I'd really feel uncomfy without a test ride, oh look it pops out of second gear, is the seller going to tell you that? If you get it inspected the person should take it for a quick spin anyways.

Noob bikes get dropped a lot. Dropping is fine (at a stop, parking lot, slow u-turn etc). It will leave cosmetic damage and may break some stuff, as long as it is fixed/works it's fine. Heck, you will probably drop it at some point! This usually damages bar ends, mirrors, signals, fairings, pegs. But sometimes no damage at all to little damage. Crashes are a different story...

If you are buying a noob bike the seller will probably let you test ride because the bikes aren't worth that much. Leave your car keys or whatever with the person, that's what I usually do.

Quick check list:
Brakes, Electrical (lights, signals, battery), Tires
Suspension (forks and rear shock)
Cosmetic (fairings, seat, scratches etc.)
Seat key works, Ignition turns properly
Clutch/Transmission (plates may be worn, gear dogs stripped)
MAINTENANCE RECORDS
Seller should know: condition of tires, last oil change, valve clearance, last brake job etc. And there should be receipts unless the work was done by themselves, but there should still be receipts for parts, oil etc. Valve clearance is a several hundred dollar job on a 16 valve bike. I avoid bikes that need one of these soon unless the price justifies it. Older bikes you can do it yourself if you are mechanically inclined, especially shim over bucket designs.