Buying My First Kat -- Please Help w/ Suggestions

[MolecularMan]

So I'm buying my first bike ever and I have two options:

Yellow 2002 Katana @ $2600:
This one's yellow, it's driven by a well-to-do college student whose a math major and is an extremely cautious person -- never takes the bike above 90mph. First owner. He even put on a nice yoshimura exhaust, and took of the rear fender! But the bike has 16,000 miles -- which is because it is his only means of transportation so he commutes with it. At least the engines broken in, right?

Blue 2004 Katana @ $3200:
This one's blue, it's driven by a 40 year old man who claims to "never ride like a 20 year old -- took it above 100mph ONCE." Second owner. The guy says he hasn't changed the oil since 2007. But the bike only has 5,400 miles, and the guy says he only put on 3,000 of those miles. The guy says it was never dropped/put down and that he puts it in a shed over winter.

What do you guys think? The 2002 Katana is a safe bet cuz I know the person who owns it, and it's in great shape. Needs a new chain and tires though. But who knows about the 2004 Katana? It could be just as great, if not better, but I don't really know the owner -- just getting it through craigslist.

[Dfurgi]

Hmm that is a pickle. The yoshi exhaust is a great deal on the '02 but the high mileage sucks. Ask either one of them if they've ever taken it in for any work done? Valves, hoses, o-rings replaced? When was the last time the carbs were cleaned and synced? If the 04 Kat guy didn't bother to change the oil (which is the most basic of bike care) what eles has he neglected to do?
I also personally like blue more then yellow, but that's not really important.
The fact that you know the 02 kat guy really helps and I wouldn't worry about the high mileage as long as he took a few steps to take care of the bike.

With all used bikes (whichever you decide to buy) maybe set aside a few bucks to have a mechanic look it over, I did that this year with my '99 Kat ( I bought it last year) and its a good thing I did because there was alot of small problems that were about to turn into major breakdowns.

[Chilli99katana]

I'd say go with the one you know, the '02. 3 years is a long time with no oil change, and you already know the 02 owner treated his bike rike. 16000 miles is nothing on a Kat, but I'll let the experts chime in(they are do in any sec...)

[wickeded]

I would go with the 02, 16,000 miles on an 8 year old bike is nothing (that's 41 miles a week).
What I really do not like about the 04 is the oil not being changed in 3 years and it seem to have a story attached to it.
Really??? both bikes never over 100MPH.....ok...
JMTC

[MolecularMan]

Well my friend is a really nice Indian kid who's a bio-chem major and very very quiet. He's like the most cautious person I've ever met, so I would say he probably doesn't push the bike too much.

Doesn't matter about the 2004 Kat anyway, just got a quick email from the guy saying he sold it. Oh well..

[Astro4x4]

+1 on the 02 anyway

[Woodmysta]

Go with the 02. That sounds like a safe bet to me.

[DClark]

i'd go for the '04 with 5400 miles. That low mileage means less wear and tear on other things like the chain.
I got my kat 1100 under similar conditions, had 4100 miles oil hadn't been changed in years. I have had the bike since '98!
If you are worried about damage, do this-
Go to see the bike real early on a weekend, make sure the bike hasn't been ridden in the last few hours and hopefully it is cool or cold outside. Start the bike up and stare at the exhaust. if you see no blue smoke, rings are good.
if the owner is unwilling to let you drive it, ask that he give you are ride . Listen for a steady loud knock. If not present, your lower end is probably fine too. Seriously, the oil cooled SUzuki motor is as tough as a two dollar steak.
If all looks good, give him a counter offer with the promise you''l be back in an hour with cash in hand (ok, I use cashier checks for these things!).