Is this a decent ad?

[Matt K]

I'm looking to sell my bike, can you guys think of any other info I should put in here?

AD

thanks...

(oh, and come buy my bike )

[bemused]

finally made the decision to go w/ a 2-up friendly ride, huh?

looks good, btw...

[Matt K]

yep yep The zrx really got me fired up, but I can't quite afford to buy a new bike till I get rid of this one


also, anybody know some good places to advertise? I'm thinking the bargain news and the want ad, plus maybe cycle trader? I want to keep it local I think, I don't want to have to figure out how to ship the damn thing to sacramento... (IE, no e-bay). Any other ideas?

[twrayinma]

boston.craigslist.com
maybe gixxer.com?

[Matt K]

ooh, craiglist is a good idea.. I thought of gixxer.com, but honestly most of those guys are whiny little bitches (although the water-cooled forum is decidedly not like that). It's not that I don't like the gixxer.com guys, but I don't want to sell them a bike. It seems like they're the kind of people who'll buy my bike, do 12 million wheelies on it in like 5 days, then call me to complain that the fork seals are shot and the steering head bearings are all notchy, and "it was like this when I bought it"

[bemused]

Matt-

here's an idea for eBay (or any other non-local sale site):

"buyer to arrange shipping"

simple disclaimer, puts the onus on him/her to figger out how to get it outta Acton...

[Matt K]

yeah, I thought of that, but even if I say that, I really still have to do most of the work... plus, I'm a little sketched out by big items on ebay... I'd rather the person gets to see the bike in real life before they drop $$$ on it...

[stoinkythepig]

To me, the add reads like you are trying too hard.

I would swap the tank and not mention the spare tank and plastics, to me that just says the bike has been dumped a lot. Throw it in after the sale and you'll make the buyer happy. Also, I'd just say it's in excellent running condition and meticulously maintained and list the aftermarket parts. Let the buyer ask about scratches. leave the part about the manual and parts fiche, that's a big plus.

[Matt K]

mmm, that's the kind of thing I wanted to hear... it's hard to tell if I'm trying too hard when it's me writing the ad thanks.

[03f4ichick]

good luck man!

[NHViffer]

How about: "Driven by 80 year old grandmother only to church on Sundays"

[Daytona440]

hhmmm, first bike potential for me???

[KevinB]

Originally posted by Matt K
ooh, craiglist is a good idea.. I thought of gixxer.com, but honestly most of those guys are whiny little bitches (although the water-cooled forum is decidedly not like that). It's not that I don't like the gixxer.com guys, but I don't want to sell them a bike. It seems like they're the kind of people who'll buy my bike, do 12 million wheelies on it in like 5 days, then call me to complain that the fork seals are shot and the steering head bearings are all notchy, and "it was like this when I bought it"

I'm a little confused over that statement, the gixxer.com group around this area has trouble staying upright, never mind trying to do wheelies.

[stoinkythepig]

Originally posted by Daytona440
hhmmm, first bike potential for me???

Don't want to ruin the sale for Matt K but it would be a terrible first bike. Look for something a lot less powerful and responsive.

Some good sporty first bikes listed in order of least responsive to most responsive:

Ninja 250
GS500
Ninja 500
Bandit 400
SV650

All but the Bandit are easy to find used. All are fun and quicker than 95% of the cars on the road, even the 250, which will hit 60 in 5.5 seconds.

[Matt K]

ha, no worries stoinky, I wouldn't sell it to anybody as a first bike. My stupid conscience wouldn't let me...



oh, and kevin, I've never met any of the boston area Gixxer.com guys, I'm just basing my sweeping generalization on the impression I get from the general forum there, no offense.

[Daytona440]

yeah , i was just messing around....i don't want to go bigger than a 600 class sport bike...more than i will need for a long time..good luck on the sale!!

[Matt K]

Thanks. And, while you're under no obligation do listen to a word I say, I'm still gonna say it: even a 600cc sportbike is a crappy first bike. Don't get one.

I had a 1987 CBR 600F (and you can't get a slower 600 than that) back in highschool for like 2 weeks before I got rid of it. I felt like I could handle it, but I couldn't afford it at the time. About a year or so later I got a 1972 CB 350, and really learned to ride on that. I'm absolutely sure that that was a good decision. I firmly believe that I'm a better rider now than I would have been if I kept the 600. Aside from all the other reasons, IE, insurance, plastic, safety, whatever, I think learning on a slow, predictable bike will simply help you lear to ride better faster.

I'll stop preaching at you now, 'cause I know I hated it too

best of luck with whatever it is you end up with

[Daytona440]

Originally posted by Matt K
Thanks. And, while you're under no obligation do listen to a word I say, I'm still gonna say it: even a 600cc sportbike is a crappy first bike. Don't get one.

Now I'm really picking up some serious mixed signals..i've been talking to everyone i can find that rides trying to get advice and so many different opinions on bikes...Some tell me a CBR is a great first bike, while others say get a ninja 250 or 500, or get an SV650 while others say get whatever you want as long as you respect the throttle...I'm so confused....how much difference in power can there be between a brand new SV650 and a 10 year old CBR? becides lack of plastic and a more upright riding position what makes an SV (or something similar) a better choice?

sorry for bastardizing your thread Matt.....

[Gangsta SV]

I Personally do not recommend a cbr 600 f4i or sv650 for a first bike , especially if you ride when the floor is wet , when you shift too fast the wheel spins out , it's scary , and you probably couldn't put your feet down in time if it was your first bike . . . .


Start out on a cruiser or Ninja 250 or 500 , my friend started out on a R6 , hes crazy , he went down once but it was like 5 mph in wet floor conditions (right after rain stopped ) because he shifted too fast.

Wow shit , I can't beleive I'm saying this shit , I wanted to start out on a CBR 600 F4i last year

. . . . ohhh ya and just get a cheap first bike , you'd drop it anyway , everyone I know dropped their first bike , especially in parking lots



heck my friend knows a kid who bought a zx-12r as a first bike and didn't even get out of his parking lot . . he died in his parking lot , litterary

[Honclfibr]

Originally posted by Daytona440
Now I'm really picking up some serious mixed signals..i've been talking to everyone i can find that rides trying to get advice and so many different opinions on bikes...Some tell me a CBR is a great first bike, while others say get a ninja 250 or 500, or get an SV650 while others say get whatever you want as long as you respect the throttle...I'm so confused....how much difference in power can there be between a brand new SV650 and a 10 year old CBR? becides lack of plastic and a more upright riding position what makes an SV (or something similar) a better choice?

sorry for bastardizing your thread Matt.....

To answer your question, there's very little power difference between the original 87 hurricane (67 hp, friend's got one) and an SV650 (72, is that right?). The F4i, OTOH, is up around 95 or so if I remember correctly.

The difference may come in weight, however. I've never ridden the 'cane but I'm betting the older ones had quite a bit of weight on them. I have a zx6e that's 500 pounds wet, and I wouldn't recommend it as a first bike, not because of the horsepower but just because it's so damn burly and topheavy, it can be quite a challenge to handle at low speeds. My EX500 on the other hand, which I started on, feels like a bicycle after I get off the 600. I think that's a big deal to new riders, feeling comfortable on the bike as you're in a low speed turn or braking to a stop, and that's harder to do if there's more weight under you. But I'm a fairly new rider myself, so I might be talking out my ass here...

[Matt K]

one thing to remember is that you're not just trying to buy a bike with low horsepower numbers. The HP on a twin like the SV is delivered in a relatively smooth manner, throughout most of the rev range. The cbr on the other hand will bog if you take off too slow, so you hammer it to keep it going. Then as the revs build you get a real burst of power that can be hard to handle, and this is an easy way to get into trouble.

This part is just my belief, but I firmly disagree with anybody who tells you to get a big bike and just "respect the throttle". Sure, that would work in an ideal world, but you telling me you're never gonna make a mistake? accidentally shift from second to first instead of third, hit the gas, and wheelie it into the back of the car in front of you? Oops. There are a million ways to get hurt on any bike, and a lot of them are easier to avoid on a slower, more stable, predictable bike.

and a third point: a plasticy bike is $$$ to drop, while a naked bike tends to be cheap. If you're gonna get a plasticky bike, at least get one with already-messed-up plastic.

And last, like I said before: Sure, you may not crash a big powerful bike, and you may learn to ride on it without mishap (unlikely as that is), but that's not even really the main point. You're trying to LEARN to ride. Get a bike that makes learning EASIER, not harder. Bikes that don't scare you , bikes that inspire confidence, bikes that do what you expect them to do, in a controlled and stable manner, these kind of bikes will help you learn, make it easier for you to become a good rider.

And lastly, I still consider myself a pretty entry-level rider, so don't take my words as the gospel or anything like that. I just want everybody to love riding as much as I do, and be good, safe, skilled riders. Then I can ride with anybody, and not worry so much about the riding company I keep.