what would be a good price. Ive seen a 2003 honda rebel for $2000 and the 1997 honda rebel is listed for the same price. Just wanting an affordable starter bike. Looking to buy this really soon so any advice would be great. The two im looking at are on craigslist.

1/14/2008 1:23:16 PM

paging ncsukat

1/14/2008 1:25:07 PM

post links

1/14/2008 1:51:58 PM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/535024528.html 97 honda rebel

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/538585464.html 2003 honda rebel


same price. wondering what i could offer for the 97 that would be a good price otherwise i might go with the newer model.

1/14/2008 2:10:28 PM

personally, i wouldn't waste any amount of money on a 250. even as a female rider, it's something you are quickly going to grow out of. not to mention the misery of driving one on the highway for any extended amount of time or in any situation that you need more power than a moped.

going with a cruiser/sport cruiser in the 500-750 range now isn't going to be dangerously powerful for a starter bike, yet it will offer plenty of room to grow and overall a much more enjoyable day to day riding experience. you might be talking about another $1-2k (depending on exact model) in initial investment for a comparable year, but you'll save yourself some time and money in the long run.

if you're dead set on a 250, your links are a prime example of their pricing. they have horrible resale value within the first couple of years, but level off after that. so, definitely don't spend any more than $2k on one but also don't settle for one any more than a few years old at that price. assuming equal cosmetic and mechanical condition, there is absolutely no reason to choose the 97 over the 03 unless they cut the price in half or something...

1/14/2008 2:59:59 PM

^thanks!

Yeh i had a 750 Honda Shadow for a little while and it really intimidated me. I am a female rider bout 5'2" and it was the first bike I had on the street. I took the motorcycle safety class before buying that bike and learned on 250s which I was incredibly comfortable on. I would be using it mainly to go back and forth to work and just around the city I think to save on some gas.

Any other suggestions specifically other than the rebel?

1/14/2008 3:14:48 PM

The rebel aint bad, as long as I don't have to ride one...

The prices can depend on many things.

1) where was it kept
2) how well it was maintained
3) how much it was ridden
4) overall miles

new doesn't always mean better, but usually the consistency of use has a better ratio with overall miles. What I mean is, a low mileage older bike, must have sat for a while...like the 97, which could mean old gas and gummy carbs. on the other hand, if the newer one was kept outside, it will probably have tons of surface rust, faded controls and possible more brittle seats. These are all things to look and ask for. 2K for one of those is too high in my opinion unless you plan on keeping it for a while and want a really nice one. Jamie sold hers for $1600 had some surface rust and some miles, but ran great (cause I stayed on top of the service). another important factor would be the condition of the tires. The older one will have good tread with low miles but probably have dry rot cracks around the rims. Oh and a big one...RUST IN THE TANK.. make sure you check. This will gum up that little carb before you can say "weeee." The carb isn't bad to clean yourself, but it's still a hassle you don't want to do or have to pay for ($Texas). I'd say for this price it better be spick and span and perfect. Remember, at year end sales these things can go for as little as $2500 at the dealer new.

Sorry, just random thoughts in my head

P.S.- as far as other models go..if you want a small 250...I wouldn't go with anything else in cruiser form...it will never let you down with proper maintenance

[Edited on January 14, 2008 at 3:51 PM. Reason : .]

1/14/2008 3:49:31 PM

the fact that you've already owned/ridden a 750 would be even more reason to skip on a 250. they're fine for motorcycle courses and even low speed urban commuting, but if you like cruise around on back roads, take highway trips, or even ride around the beltline it gets old. also, not only is the lack of power no fun they're also a pain in the ass for doing any kind of defensive riding maneuvers. having some power on tap with a bike is nearly as important as good brakes, especially somewhere like raleigh that's full of traffic and idiots.

do you specifically want a cruiser, or are you open to other styles? that will help narrow down some good alternatives, and possibly give you the option of something easier to handle. was it the power or the size of the shadow that intimidated you? that's a pretty healthy bike in terms of weight/size for a new rider that's only 5' 2". in other words, you might find that you'd be more comfortable/confident on something smaller and lighter, yet still comparable in power.

1/14/2008 3:51:49 PM

definitely not set to a cruiser. So suggestions are welcome. The 750 was too big and too heavy. Hard to balance it at stops and hard to get it to start out without staling which was probably just practice but with it being so heavy it wasn't as forgiving. I saw a 2004 Kawasaki Ninja EX 250 for sale as well that I was interested in. Maybe the same problem though if it's a 250.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/534530972.html $2200

open to suggestions

1/14/2008 4:08:12 PM

Ninja 500s are great starter bikes. More power than a 250, almost as cheap, readily available, and still easily manageable by a newb. Also known as the ex500, but find a 94 or newer if possible.

1/14/2008 4:52:56 PM

I started on a suzuki gs500..great simple bike. I would look into those as a less intimidating commuter bike

1/14/2008 6:27:51 PM

^thanks for the suggestions

1/14/2008 8:06:48 PM

there is an official motorcycles thread

1/14/2008 8:15:39 PM