[joe]

i spent 1300 on my 90 kat 600 when I was 18 (1999). The guy I bought it from lived 30 miles away from me and I had zero experience with motorcycles; my friend had to take it out on a test ride and then ride it home. I have since spent probably close to a grand since then but it has been (and hopefully will be) worth every penny.

[ADyingBreed]

600 for bike

and the price keeps going up with parts lol

[Kreylyn]

$6800 for my 93 Kat 750 off the showroom floor.

Krey

[shinna202]

also one bad thing about a older bike is the parts are only harder to find

[JayBell]

I bought a rifle off a buddy for $1600. Several years later (last June) I traded that rifle to a collector for my Katana.

so... $1600

[scottynoface]

I paid $2000 OTD for my 1993 Katana 600 in May 2007.
-$170 of gear
-$245/yr insurance
-Another $400 or so in parts and upgrades

So $2800 or so for my first bike.


Sold it for $1500 in March 2008.
-Sold my car the next week for $3000
-Bought my 2003 636 with 7k miles on it for $4200
-Insurance $211/yr
-New tires, brakes, plugs, oil, oil filter, air filter ~ $500
-a pair of riding jeans for $140

So I have just over $5000 in my Ninja right now.

[PSU08]

Paid $1600 for a 1998 600 last fall/winter. Probably have an additional 5-600 in it between tires, brakes, and a few other minor fixes. I was trying to stay around $2000-2500, so I'm pretty happy with what I've spent for what I got.

[tmk7c9]

I bought my wife a '95 kat several years ago for $800. It needed some TLC, but no real fixing, just lube and general maintanence. Painted it, put tires and brakes on it, and it's served her well for several years now.

I figure any good bike will run about $1500 if you shop. You can buy a junker and fix it, or buy one ready to go, either way, I usually end up around the $1500 mark.

[zcphoto]

i got my 2000 kat in nov. for $1500 with 17000 miles on it and it needed nothing. i think the kat makes a great first bike but i'm 6'2" 220lbs and someone smaller might feel a little intimidated doing slow stuff.

[Badgerman]

My first bike was a Buell Blast. I believe that is one of the best bikes to start on. I bought and sold mine for the same price after a year and 1500 miles, then bought my Kat.

[shinna202]

im about 260 at 6'0" so would it fit me well?

i always liked the way buell looked, but seemed out of price range.

[Catcha23]

I'm 38 and I bought my first bike less than a year ago, 2001 Kat 600. I paid $2400 and found it on Craigslist. I had no prior riding experience. I didn't want to spend too much just because I didn't know if I would love it or hate riding. Fortunately I fell in love with riding and have stayed with the same bike.....it's just enough power for me! However a Busa would be great if I could find a great deal

[BIGKAT1100]

From looking on Craigslist, you can take advantage of the present economic situation and get you a pretty good bike for around 2 grand. Being a brand new rider, you really want to be careful about buying stuff held together with spit and duct tape. Bikes that require to much work should be avoided as well.

Also just curious to see how old were you when you first bought your bike?

I bought my first 3.5 hp mini bike with a Tecumseh engine for 75 bucks. I was 8 years old and managed to save a portion my allowance until it added up to what I needed. My first street bike was an early 70's Honda CL100. My dad's cousin had kept it in his basement for a couple years with out starting it. I cleaned out his garage and cut his grass (he had a really big yard, I would've charged him about 50.00 for the grass and probably another 50.00 for the garage) and negotiated it from him along with a few dollars.

First real bike (as defined by the ability to keep up in traffic on the Interstate) was a 1976 Yamaha XS650 purchased in 1982 for 750.00

[Smokey]

I bought my first one when I was about 12yrs old. Paid $25.00 for an old Suzuki dirt bike from my uncle. My wife is wanting to learn how to ride. I'm going to look for her a used Ninja 250 that is cheap but safe. First bike shouldn't be something that will make you cry when you drop it IMHO.

[BIGKAT1100]

im about 260 at 6'0" so would it fit me well?

i always liked the way buell looked, but seemed out of price range.

You would not be happy with a bike that small. I'm thinking somethihnng along the lines of a 600 Bandit, 600 Yamaha Seca 2, or a 90's ZX6-D/C. IMHO, if you can find a CBR-F2 that hasn't had the crap kicked out of it that would be a good starter bike. With that, just make sure there aren't any "mod projects" gone awry on anytjhing that you buy.