[professorman]

I did, his response was that he has $2500 into the bike already and that he cannot do $2500 out the door. He did so generously offer that he could do $2500 plus taxes fees and all that but it would NOT have a battery,
.
Its a 2006 Kat 600 with 13k miles.
.

The dealer usually have a easier time at selling a bike for a higher price. Why not check Craigslist? I prefer when I can see the records of the previous owner. I sold a 2006 BEAT UP katana last year around this time for $2600. It was solid mechanically, but ugly paint-wise.

A battery is probably about $50 at walmart? Have you tried taking out the cash and showing him? A guy did that to me once, and when he was walking away, I was almost begging him to stay. I mean, who pops out cash to show, then decide that they are coming back tomorrow for no reason? He promised to come back, and then tomorrow, he postponed, then the next day, he determined that I appeared too desperate to make the sale, and this was after he already counted out the cash to me. It does have an effect on people.

[PerfectCreature]

I tell you my area is just swarmed with Suzuki bikes. I found another bike, he wants 2500, its a GSXR600, 2005 with about 8k miles, and it needs general maintenance and carbs cleaned. He said tires are pretty near spent. I'm considering rolling up with $2000 in cash, and a few hundred in my pocket in case he barters up.
Just need to get my wife to approve, she really does not want me getting a bike.

As for the dealer he's an hour away, I wont waste my time on someone with business practices like that, no thanks.

[PerfectCreature]

Pulled the trigger on a Jacket. The Scorpion Force jacket with the Knox advance spine protector upgrade.
I may have a bike too. An 88 GSX600 (Katana) I guess. Guy wants 800 but it needs some work. Crabs cleaned, a muffler bolt as one is missing. And a few other things. It has 34k miles though, I was thinking of offering 500 and fixing it up.
Hopefully it goes well.

[shpielers]

FYI the 88s and kind of a bastard child when it comes to carbs. Instead of fixing the carbs on the bike it's much easier to buy a set of 89-97 carbs and clean/rebuild those (or buy a set off arsenic). If you can actually find a rebuild kit for the '88, then it's certainly a cheaper way to go, but from what I hear they are very hard to find.

[92xjunker]

The geometry is also different. 90 and up is a better option. Though I do like the wheels on the 88-89

[lastleg]

learning on a kat 600

Hey there,

The snow is finally all melted here in Northern NJ. Having said that-- I'm still finishing my rebuild and the streets haven't been cleared of all the grit from the hard winter we just had.

I started riding 2 years ago-- this will be my 3rd season on my 91' Katana 600. Three years in, I'm starting to feel as if I've almost outgrown my Kat-- though this year promises to be much more fun due to all the goodies I've bolted on.

I will say this: I wish I'd started on a smaller bike. Most of the guys here on katriders have suggested a Ninja 250 or something right around that size/weight. The Katana IS a heavy bike, for its size. Having dropped it (literally dropped it in the driveway) a few times, it's a BEAR to pick up by yourself (and I'm not a small guy)

From another perspective-- even if you're a former dirt bike rider like me --learning to counter-steer on a heavy bike is not the easiest thing in the world. I wish that I'd had the chance to throw a little bike around on a few quiet back roads to really learn the ins and outs of counter-steering.

I've put about 10K miles on my kat since I first put it on the road... I still have plenty of respect for the bike. Like my father always says (he's 78 and rides a Suzuki Bandit 1250 almost daily all around the Tampa area) "there's old riders, and there's bold riders... but there's no OLD BOLD riders." A motorcycle can "get away from you" in the blink of any eye... I've had a few "near-misses" that left me quaking in my boots.

If you do decide to go with the 600, make sure that you spend plenty of time in a parking lot with an experienced rider. Work on slow-speed turns, starting on hills from a dead stop, and coming to a stop without taking your feet off the pegs UNTIL you've stopped. (NJ test requires you to come to a full and complete stop before putting your foot down- not sure about Maine)

Good luck!

Andy

[PerfectCreature]

Hey there,

The snow is finally all melted here in Northern NJ. Having said that-- I'm still finishing my rebuild and the streets haven't been cleared of all the grit from the hard winter we just had.

I started riding 2 years ago-- this will be my 3rd season on my 91' Katana 600. Three years in, I'm starting to feel as if I've almost outgrown my Kat-- though this year promises to be much more fun due to all the goodies I've bolted on.

I will say this: I wish I'd started on a smaller bike. Most of the guys here on katriders have suggested a Ninja 250 or something right around that size/weight. The Katana IS a heavy bike, for its size. Having dropped it (literally dropped it in the driveway) a few times, it's a BEAR to pick up by yourself (and I'm not a small guy)

From another perspective-- even if you're a former dirt bike rider like me --learning to counter-steer on a heavy bike is not the easiest thing in the world. I wish that I'd had the chance to throw a little bike around on a few quiet back roads to really learn the ins and outs of counter-steering.

I've put about 10K miles on my kat since I first put it on the road... I still have plenty of respect for the bike. Like my father always says (he's 78 and rides a Suzuki Bandit 1250 almost daily all around the Tampa area) "there's old riders, and there's bold riders... but there's no OLD BOLD riders." A motorcycle can "get away from you" in the blink of any eye... I've had a few "near-misses" that left me quaking in my boots.

If you do decide to go with the 600, make sure that you spend plenty of time in a parking lot with an experienced rider. Work on slow-speed turns, starting on hills from a dead stop, and coming to a stop without taking your feet off the pegs UNTIL you've stopped. (NJ test requires you to come to a full and complete stop before putting your foot down- not sure about Maine)

Good luck!

Andy

I appreciate the insight. I've been wavering back and forth on this. I'm not really finding any small bikes for cheap. Price is a factor. In my area it's al larger bikes being listed. I've been trying to haggle a dealer on a new 250. But even then I'm not sure I want to buy new given I'm bound to dump it once it twice unless I'm lucky.

[Purplehaze]

I still stand with what I said before -- Starting on a 250 is/would have been too under-powered for my taste. They are not bad starter bikes, but as commuters (I've ridden a Ninja 250 and CBR 250R on public roads) I couldn't bear them after maybe 20 miles on each regarding the idea.

I'd recommend not buying a sub-750 bike from a dealer. A bit more of a personal issue on that one.

I adamantly stand, however, that one should NEVER buy a first bike from a dealer. As a first rider the chance of a slow-speed drop (or worse) is extremely high. In the event that it is dropped, the value of the bike is more severely damaged if it's low miles. Furthermore, should the worst happen one will be stuck making payments on something they no longer own.

If price is a factor, choose a 500, 600, or 750. Higher CC's will mean you'll have to be more mindful. If you do choose anything above 500, I'd suggest not to touch a SuperSport bike (Yamaha YZF [r6, r1], GSXR, ZX series) and instead go with a bike that produces less power and also will be marginally cheaper. This is mainly the reason the Katana is not only a good starter bike but a popular one.

[rschlegel]

I would recommend a Kawasaki EX500. Now they actually call them the Ninja 500.

[ZookRick]

I would steer clear of anything that needs any kind of maintenance work done to it unless you are very mechanically inclined like me. By the time you pay to fix things and get new tires, tune up etc, you are already paying more for it. Then there is the question (with an older bike) of whether it will leave you on the side of the road.
My wife bought a V-star 250 as a first bike, and I rode it several times, very boring, and the forward controls arent good for a beginner imo. She was hit by a guy in a caddy who had recently had a stroke, she never rode again and doesnt like me riding either.

[PerfectCreature]

Well, I found a local bike, a Honda CBR250 ABS for 3k. It has 528 miles, one scuff on a mirror from rubbing up against the side of the garage. I applied for financing through my local bank in an effort to help my wifes credit as we will be consigning the loan together.
My backup bike is that 88 GSX600F (Katana) which he has lowered down to $600 after some discussion of potential issues I could run into.
The Katana has has crabs redone and shimmed to fix a running rich issue past 9k rpm. It has new back tire, fork seals, battery. No clutch work or brakes and a sprocket/ chain, so those are potential areas. The bike was wrecked and the story I that him and his buddy assembled it, and he rode it the year before last, and a little bit last year before storing it.
The CBR on the other hand is clean, and was started every couple of weeks in the winter and ran, the story behind that one is that the person ended up being bored of it and purchased a larger cc bike.
I will know tomorrow morning if the CBR is attainable or not, I really hope so as everyone I talked to said its a good bike, and for the price, I can sell it next season If I want and still get close to what I paid for it back.

[rschlegel]

Get both. Ride the CBR250 and take a couple seasons to get the 88 Kat together. You get to ride a good learning bike that should be reliable, get to know the Kat well from putting it right. Come time to move up, your Kat will be ready and then you can get your wife on the 250 or sell it for close to what you paid for it.

[professorman]

I would not go back to an old bike again. I now HATE wrenching. I used to spend more time wrenching than riding. My time is now limited, so I rather have something that works, than something that needs work. Usually, when you buy something that is too cheap, you end up spending more on it than if you just bought something that worked in the first place. You can easily get a 2000+ katana for $2,000 - $2,500. Just buy one that works. Repair costs adds up QUICKLY! The older the bike is, the more things that start to go bad.

I finally sold my 93 Katana and my 92 Katana last fall, after holding on to them for about 5 years, thinking that I would get around to fixing them. Sold them for $1k for the pair.

It is so good now to jump on my current bike and just ride, and not worry about the repairs. I got a great deal on my current bike, and I can keep it for 3 years and still sell it back for the amount that I bought it for.