[sterlinghorton]

im looking at buying a used bike here in indiana. id prefer not to have to finance one, but i also dont have a lot to spend. id say $2000 is the most i can do currently. im want a harley-style bike. things im looking at currently are 93 suzuki intruder, 95 suzuki GZ250, honda shadow and honda rebel of various years, etc. my question is...can i find decent bikes like that for $2000 or less? or are bikes at that price point generally trash?

 

[Miss Mercedes]

One of the MSF instructors I had has a fleet of motorcycles and she told me, quote: "I've never spent more than $1,800 on a motorcycle."

Her go to bikes are classic BMWs and newer BMW cruisers. No idea how she scores those deals, but I've attempted to follow her lead. My first bike was a $1,000 Buell Blast (17,000 miles) with some tasteful modifications and improvements to the admittedly poor quality build. My second bike is a $600 Honda Rebel 250 (12,000 miles). It needs some cosmetic work (tank replaced) and tyres are at the end of their lives, but so far it's been a rock solid bike. If you know what to look for, you can get an awesome starter bike with the budget you have.

 

[Offcenter]

There are plenty of low mileage good deals out there. You just have to keep looking and know what you are looking at.
...and....you win some, you lose some.
My '77 Honda Trail 90, one owner, 5,000 miles. FREE!! Needed some work to get it running since it hadn't been used in years.
My '76 Goldwing. $400....but it required quite a bit of work to get it ready for the road. I now have more money in it than it's worth. But I didn't do it for the money. Nice bike.
My '99 Goldwing 1500, one owner, 70,000 miles (that's nothing for a Goldwing) Perfect condition. Just needed a few maintenance items looked at. FREE!!!!
Oh...Did I tell ya that it pays to have good friends?? He bought a new Wing and GAVE me his '99.
Keep looking. You'll find something.

 

[slumlord]

In Southwest Ohio

Xenia Ohio "Ready to ride" Japanese

Covington Ohio Used Motorcycle | Used ATV and Equipment | Covington OH


I have seen plenty of under 2000.00 bikes at the Covington store. Probably more patina than the Xenia store. The cool thing is that these guys actually will work on the older stuff.

The most I ever spent on a motorcycle was just the other day on a 1984 1200 CC Honda Gold Wing Aspencade [$1250.00}

Just a hands down beautiful nice running bike. The owner set it out by the roadside and wanted not to deal with Craigslist buyers. Never have i seen a cleaner bike of that age and mileage that even comes close.

 

[GatorJoe]

The most I ever spent on a motorcycle was just the other day on a 1984 1200 CC Honda Gold Wing Aspencade [$1250.00}

Just a hands down beautiful nice running bike. The owner set it out by the roadside and wanted not to deal with Craigslist buyers. Never have I seen a cleaner bike of that age and mileage that even comes close.



That I might even consider if ran into a buy like that and really don't need another Ride ..

 

[sterlinghorton]

thank you all for the responses. im 25 and none of my family ride...ill be the first! i have a few buddies that ride, but definitely none that can afford to just give me a bike. ive been looking at things like honda rebel/shadow.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

I'm in the same boat as you are! I'm 25 and I'm the first person in my family to get on two wheels! My dad used to ride scooters when he was stationed in Germany, but that was about 30 years ago.

How tall are you? If you're over 5'10", the Rebel may not be a good fit. I'm 5'6" and I feel it fits me like a glove. If you're looking more into sportbikes, there should be plenty of old 250 and larger size bikes on your local Craigslist for well within your budget.

Here are my three "daily drivers". A Buell Blast, Rebel 250, and smart fortwo.

 

[2rr2nv2018]

an oddball bike that can be had cheap.... the last gen Honda CB750 Nighthawk. I had a 1992 as my first bike and it was rock solid. never gave me lip. easy as heck to maintain.... oil, tires, chain and that's about it. they run for a good long time. not real fast but decent.

How big are you...weight and size? that would help too. some of the lil 250s might be gasping if you are a big ole boy. lol. do you intend to keep it long term or just til you can afford something "more"?


make sure ya get the gear, if you haven't already. I wear mine whenever I ride ...even down the street. I found out I'm allergic to asphalt and concrete... get real bad hives.

Scot "Zee"

 

[sterlinghorton]

im like...5'5" and 145-160lbs. i definitely dont want a huge, heavy bike. i dont think id be comfortable on like...an 1100 or something. lol. but i also dont want something that will struggle at 75MPH. im fine with older bikes, like 1985 or newer. was even looking at an 83 kawasaki 550 LTD. i plan to get full gear for sure. ive seen pictures of people that like..dont have feet anymore after a wreck. im not about that life. i dont plan to ride on the interstate in my first year or so, but id like a bike that i can take interstate if need be. im newly married and we have a 3 year old, so id like something that will last me a while.

 

[BWB75]

Good deals can be had, but you will need to take your time. While you are taking your time, you can also take an MSF course and make yourself orders of magnitude safer and more confident when the time comes. If you don't find something this month for 2,000, maybe next month you can save up a few extra dollars... and the month after that...

Please save money for that gear. Great to hear that you want to keep your feet and stay alive. Hmmm. Maybe a thought exercise since you express an interest in utilizing proper safety gear.

1. Helmet: $200. This is a minimum but there are some super safe lids in this price range.
2. Jacket: $150. Cycle Gear has sales from time to time. I recommend you avoid the temptation to be a black and stealth. That just makes cars run into you.
3. Boots: $100. Get something that will keep your feet attached.
4. Gloves: $30. Seriously. Gloves show up in the bargain bin all the time. Buy motorcycle specific gloves. Real leather can handle abrasion and won't shred.
5. Pants: Frankly, for me, pants are optional. I wear riding pants for long rides. Jeans work for riding. They won't do much in a crash but they are otherwise fine. A set of kevlar reinforced riding jeans with knee pads will cost you about $150.
6. MSF course: This will save your life. $80.

Based on this, you really should set aside around $500 or so for safe riding gear and some training. Don't buy a bike until you can afford this stuff, too.

 

[sterlinghorton]

i actually found a jacket that i really like. its more of a hoodie style that has room for my 2nd amendment rights. lol. helmets though...how do you tell how safe one helmet is compared to another? the only thing ive seen is DOT certification.

 

[Dodsfall]

A DOT certification means the helmet passes US standards for safety. There is also the ECE standard for Europe and the Snell safety standard. Snell will only certify full face helmets, since they provide the most protection.

A DOT certification on the helmet means it will likely be effective to protect against injury anywhere the helmet is covering. Half helmets will only protect the top of the head, while full face helmets additionally protect the face as well.

I feel safe wearing the DOT standard. Nothing is guaranteed where injuries are concerned, but they will protect your head in the most common types of crashes.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Dodsfall nailed it! Be careful about helmets from eBay, too. You can buy DOT stickers for cheap. Some jerks do that and stick them onto garbage helmets that won't protect you in a crash.

Also be careful buying used helmets. Dropped ones can be compromised and ancient ones may not do their job well.

 

[Dodsfall]

Never buy a used helmet.

 

[BWB75]

Snell tests helmets by buying them and smashing them into things. The DOT sticker is based on standards that have not been updated in decades and does not involve testing samples of the helmets.

No standard is a guarantee that your helmet will protect you in the event you need it, but Snell is a whole lot closer than anything else we've got in the US.

Take the MSF class. Many of your questions will be answered, and you will be a whole lot less likely to get yourself hurt!