Cheep Bike Challenge <$1500

nedodjija · 07-07-2009, 01:57 PM

Well another post gave me the idea. Please tell us about the bikes that you initialy bought for less than $1500 and please post some pictures. Thanks.

AIrey1507 · 07-07-2009, 03:17 PM

I bought my first motorcycle at 18. It was this 1986 Yamaha Radian (YX600S). Bought in June 2007, three months after taking MSF course and getting my motorcycle endorsement. I originally wanted a Ninja 250/500 but they command too much of a premium for anything in decent condition. I paid $900 for the Radian with 16k miles and a slipping clutch. A new clutch cable helped a ton, and acceleration was all a beginner needed with about 70 horsepower. Also had to put a little bit of money into spark plugs, oil, and a new rear tire, but the money I put into it still was way under $1500. Sold for $1500 in summer 2008 during the really high gas prices. Put almost 4k miles on it in about 4 months of riding.

JStory · 07-07-2009, 03:20 PM

1986 XL600. Bought in 1996 for $1400. I've since rebuilt the engine and added the supermoto front disk. Home made luggage rack(not installed in this pic).

howard kelly · 07-07-2009, 08:13 PM

bought my 1979 gs850 (pic coming) for 800 bucks...i expect i will have less than 500 in the fix up for getting street worthy

nedodjija · 07-08-2009, 06:15 AM

It would be fun to get toghether all the guys that payed for their bikes less than 1500 and have a big ride somewhere.

ACDNate · 07-08-2009, 06:32 AM

1980 Honda CB650
Bought in 2003 for $650 as a barely running bike. Quick carb cleaning and she purred like a kitten. Even with tires, plugs, a rear rack, sissy bar, insurance for a year and registration I was only around $1200

bhkami · 07-08-2009, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nedodjija

It would be fun to get toghether all the guys that payed for their bikes less than 1500 and have a big ride somewhere.

I ran into a moto club from portland doing a 5-5-5 ride. Bike is under 500ccs, under $500, and older than 1975. They helped me fix my wiring, too.

nedodjija · 07-08-2009, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ACDNate

1980 Honda CB650
Bought in 2003 for $650 as a barely running bike. Quick carb cleaning and she purred like a kitten. Even with tires, plugs, a rear rack, sissy bar, insurance for a year and registration I was only around $1200

Nice bike. I used to have one of these, but it was not in nearly good shape as yours.

kraven · 07-08-2009, 07:15 AM

My Nighthawh 450. $900 in cherry shape. I replaced the clutch, chain, sprockets, cables, and just bought new carb rubbers.
So far I've put almost 30k miles on it in the last 2 years. Never left dead on the road yet, though when the throttle cable broke on I77 in Charlotte, I hand throttled it in rushour traffic to get home.

It's a great little motorcycle.

rmi03 · 07-08-2009, 08:02 AM

Bought this 2006 Ninja 250 for $2000 (2 years old with 700 miles), but would sell for less than $1500, if I were selling this bike. Tons of ex250s on the market for less than $1500. Possibly the best deal in motorcycling, if you want a versatile road bike.

Ryan

JimVonBaden · 07-08-2009, 08:12 AM

First bike, a CL 350 "Scrambler" I got in trade for a $400 VW Bug. I rode the hell out of that bike. (SAME BIKE AND COLOR, NOT MINE)

One of my Current bikes:

07 Triumph Scrambler I paid 13 times more for. Kinda similar though, and just as fun.

Jim

AIrey1507 · 07-08-2009, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rmi03

Bought this 2006 Ninja 250 for $2000 (2 years old with 700 miles), but would sell for less than $1500, if I were selling this bike. Tons of ex250s on the market for less than $1500. Possibly the best deal in motorcycling, if you want a versatile road bike.

Ryan

Looks just like an F800S without the lowers.

rmi03 · 07-08-2009, 08:31 AM

I think there are definitely some similarities between the two bikes' looks. The single, square headlight, the color, etc, etc.

For a while I had a picture on my Ninja 250 profile titled "mini f800st."

Ryan

Quote:

Originally Posted by AIrey1507

Looks just like an F800S without the lowers.

treybrad · 07-08-2009, 11:11 AM

1994 GS500 - Bought in '03 with ~30,000mi on it for $400.

I had the tank and tail plastics, just had them off trying to fix the carbs, which were FUBAR, along with bent handlebars, rusty everything, etc, etc....

Spent about a year of my spare time slowly buying parts and fixing it up, riding it all the while. Mangaged to turn it into a decent looker and sold it for $2,000 about two years after I bought it.

Of course, the guy I sold it to promptly tried to commit suicide with it.

Still not sure how he snapped both ends off my nice handlebars. Oh well. Cool bike.

trey

nedodjija · 07-08-2009, 02:17 PM

I like tose GS500s. I just don't understand why Suzuki painted them in purple. I love how the silver looks like.

07-07-2009, 01:57 PM	#1
nedodjija ^OP Studly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2008 Location: Pocatello ID Oddometer: 606	Cheep Bike Challenge <$1500 Well another post gave me the idea. Please tell us about the bikes that you initialy bought for less than $1500 and please post some pictures. Thanks. __________________ Stroms will invade Poland

07-07-2009, 03:20 PM	#3
JStory Beastly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2004 Location: Dixon, CA Oddometer: 2,165	1986 XL600. Bought in 1996 for $1400. I've since rebuilt the engine and added the supermoto front disk. Home made luggage rack(not installed in this pic). __________________ Jeff "He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man." Dr Samuel Johnson.

07-07-2009, 08:13 PM	#4
howard kelly Adventurer Joined: Apr 2006 Location: laguna niguel, california Oddometer: 95	bought my 1979 gs850 (pic coming) for 800 bucks...i expect i will have less than 500 in the fix up for getting street worthy __________________ howard kelly 2009 Kawasaki Concours--wow 2012 V strom 1000 Adventure www.thinkmotorcycles.blogspot.com

07-08-2009, 06:15 AM	#5
nedodjija ^OP Studly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2008 Location: Pocatello ID Oddometer: 606	It would be fun to get toghether all the guys that payed for their bikes less than 1500 and have a big ride somewhere. __________________ Stroms will invade Poland

07-08-2009, 06:32 AM	#6
ACDNate Studly Adventurer Joined: Feb 2008 Location: Ocean Springs, Mississippi Oddometer: 689	1980 Honda CB650 Bought in 2003 for $650 as a barely running bike. Quick carb cleaning and she purred like a kitten. Even with tires, plugs, a rear rack, sissy bar, insurance for a year and registration I was only around $1200 __________________ Nate Ocean Spring, MS 2008 Honda GL1800 2007 Honda CRF150R 2005 Honda CRF100F

07-07-2009, 03:17 PM	#2
AIrey1507 Aspiring Adventure Rider Joined: Mar 2009 Location: Twin Cities, MN Oddometer: 88	I bought my first motorcycle at 18. It was this 1986 Yamaha Radian (YX600S). Bought in June 2007, three months after taking MSF course and getting my motorcycle endorsement. I originally wanted a Ninja 250/500 but they command too much of a premium for anything in decent condition. I paid $900 for the Radian with 16k miles and a slipping clutch. A new clutch cable helped a ton, and acceleration was all a beginner needed with about 70 horsepower. Also had to put a little bit of money into spark plugs, oil, and a new rear tire, but the money I put into it still was way under $1500. Sold for $1500 in summer 2008 during the really high gas prices. Put almost 4k miles on it in about 4 months of riding.

07-08-2009, 07:15 AM	#9
kraven Hegelian Scum Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Asheville NC Oddometer: 3,461	My Nighthawh 450. $900 in cherry shape. I replaced the clutch, chain, sprockets, cables, and just bought new carb rubbers. So far I've put almost 30k miles on it in the last 2 years. Never left dead on the road yet, though when the throttle cable broke on I77 in Charlotte, I hand throttled it in rushour traffic to get home. It's a great little motorcycle. __________________ "That ain't right. How can Honda paint a bike green?" "It's not 1978 anymore?"

07-08-2009, 08:02 AM	#10
rmi03 Daily Motorcycle User Joined: Mar 2008 Location: Athens, GA Oddometer: 319	Bought this 2006 Ninja 250 for $2000 (2 years old with 700 miles), but would sell for less than $1500, if I were selling this bike. Tons of ex250s on the market for less than $1500. Possibly the best deal in motorcycling, if you want a versatile road bike. Ryan __________________ - 2006 Ninja 250- fun and economical....my daily commuter. More info on my bike and its mods here.

07-08-2009, 08:12 AM	#11
JimVonBaden "Cool" Aid! Joined: Feb 2005 Location: Alexandria, VA Oddometer: 41,483	First bike, a CL 350 "Scrambler" I got in trade for a $400 VW Bug. I rode the hell out of that bike. (SAME BIKE AND COLOR, NOT MINE) One of my Current bikes: 07 Triumph Scrambler I paid 13 times more for. Kinda similar though, and just as fun. Jim __________________ Click here for BMW Maintenance and Repair DVDs and Corrections. "Combo-Order Discounts!"

07-08-2009, 11:11 AM	#14
treybrad Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2007 Location: PF, TX Oddometer: 165	1994 GS500 - Bought in '03 with ~30,000mi on it for $400. I had the tank and tail plastics, just had them off trying to fix the carbs, which were FUBAR, along with bent handlebars, rusty everything, etc, etc.... Spent about a year of my spare time slowly buying parts and fixing it up, riding it all the while. Mangaged to turn it into a decent looker and sold it for $2,000 about two years after I bought it. Of course, the guy I sold it to promptly tried to commit suicide with it. Still not sure how he snapped both ends off my nice handlebars. Oh well. Cool bike. trey __________________ '07 Suzuki Bandit 1250SA '08 Yamaha WR250R

07-08-2009, 02:17 PM	#15
nedodjija ^OP Studly Adventurer Joined: Nov 2008 Location: Pocatello ID Oddometer: 606	I like tose GS500s. I just don't understand why Suzuki painted them in purple. I love how the silver looks like. __________________ Stroms will invade Poland

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