How much for an R6 with bad rings?

[piresito]

Hi all,
Since I got my GS500 running 100% that I started to get that little demon whispering "get a I4...I4 is good for you" 

So I can get a deal on a 1999 R6, with 61000Kms (around 40000 Miles) that needs piston rings. How much would you pay for a bike like that?

Obs: It has never been dropped or in an accident.

[xunedeinx]

1k + professional rebuild would equal what I could get a good one with low miles for around here.

[Twisted]

Hi all,
Since I got my GS500 running 100% that I started to get that little demon whispering "get a I4...I4 is good for you" 

So I can get a deal on a 1999 R6, with 61000Kms (around 40000 Miles) that needs piston rings. How much would you pay for a bike like that?

Obs: It has never been dropped or in an accident.

Try looking at the cbr600 f3s if you want a reliable I4.

[piresito]

I thought about rebuilding it myself, or getting a used engine, although the cost would be close to a new one. After all is not viable.

Twisted, fun you say that, last sunday I looked at a F3 and just though "it looks better than the F4"! Btw, can you explain me why it is a reliable i4?
I've been looking for I4 bikes but most of them sooner or later need a ring job or the gearbox starts jumping the 2nd gear, which is a pain in the ass!

[Twisted]

I thought about rebuilding it myself, or getting a used engine, although the cost would be close to a new one. After all is not viable.

Twisted, fun you say that, last sunday I looked at a F3 and just though "it looks better than the F4"! Btw, can you explain me why it is a reliable i4?
I've been looking for I4 bikes but most of them sooner or later need a ring job or the gearbox starts jumping the 2nd gear, which is a pain in the ass!

Well by reliable I mean that the R6 you are looking at needs a rebuild at approx 60,000kms. Sure it may have been tracked or just flogged but I see heaps of F3s for sale with 120,000kms still running great. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about them. Mind you I have never owned one but I have had friends who have and regret selling them. Also the riding position is not as aggressive as a R6.

[BaltimoreGS]

I regret selling my F3, great bike!  In fact, the only bike I really regret getting rid of.  The F4i survived a run in with a deer and still sees use as a stunt bike.

-Jessie

[piresito]

Thanks for you advice! I need a reliable bike, as I'm used to the GS500 and want to have fun in track days, so she must survive them!
I've just checked online adds, and people still want a ton of money for such a old bike! At least compared to other brands. For the same money of a good condition F3 I can buy a GSXR 600 Srad!   

[piresito]

I regret selling my F3, great bike!  In fact, the only bike I really regret getting rid of.  The F4i survived a run in with a deer and still sees use as a stunt bike.

-Jessie

Lol...nice that the biggest animal I can get in the street around here is a human... 

Do you think that the F3 is track ready or it needs suspension/forks/brake upgrades like the GS?

[BaltimoreGS]

The F3 had a lot of suspension improvements over the F2 including cartridge forks.  It is light years ahead of the GS500 but will be lacking compared to modern sport bikes.  It wasn't until the 600RR that the CBR got inverted forks.  The F3 was also the last of the steel frames.  And remember that there are a quartet of carbs to deal with but they aren't known for having carb problems once they are dialed in.  The hardest part is finding one that wasn't abused.  Best bet at that is to find a bone stock one.

-Jessie

[Twisted]

keep an eye out for some earlier model ZX6r's too if you want to do track days.

[yamahonkawazuki]

xune was the only one that answered teh question lol. got to figure in the cost of bike, PLUS cost of gasket kit, plus, perhaps next size up, on piston, OR rings if nezt size up isnt necessary, and just rings only.

[Phil B]

Hi all,
Since I got my GS500 running 100% that I started to get that little demon whispering "get a I4...I4 is good for you" 

What's so wonderful about an I4?  Why not stay with a nice "simple" twin?

like this one?

I mean.. it's a production bike, so it might not thrill you quite as much as a "race replica I4" or something. But give it a try.. you might like how it performs for you   

or this one:   

Or if you wish to economise, and only have around $10k to spend, you can slum it with this little scooter

[yamahonkawazuki]

to answer the original quesiton. you could rebuild. but tbh you could just buy a used engine cheaper. tbh if i had to id say a thou on the bike, and plan on say a thou for a used engine, ( and save a few dollars/pounds sterling and install it yourself. 2 grand and have a decent bike. twins are imho better off the line whereas il4's or whatnot are rev happy.

[piresito]

Twins are nice, they do have that manly growl that put some respect!  Although the ones with +100hp (comparing to I4 600's) are really expensive. I want a bike that I can race and be willing to go down, as strange as it may seems...I don't want a ride that's in bad shape, old and ugly to get my girlfriend on in the weekends, and don't want a bike that I'm not willing to take the to the ground. Something in the middle, like the CBR600 F3. A 99-02 R6 would be the top of this range, I've been also looking for the YZF600r's but for the money I can get the CBR600 F3 which seems to be more reliable.

Twisted, I won't go for the ZX6R as spare parts are rare and expensive...I think sooner or later I going to need them! 

About that R6, the seller just reduced the price recently, and I'm yet to find a used 99-02 R6 engine. So the figures are up to a thousand in the bike, and thousand in the engine...risky but still is a possibility...

Just placed my 97 faired GS500E "for sale" ad, it's your fault guys! 

[Twisted]

Twisted, I won't go for the ZX6R as spare parts are rare and expensive...I think sooner or later I going to need them! 

Where are you located as they are a dime a dozen here? Same as the CBR600's.

[piresito]

Twisted, I won't go for the ZX6R as spare parts are rare and expensive...I think sooner or later I going to need them! 

Where are you located as they are a dime a dozen here? Same as the CBR600's.

Portugal...the bike itself is not that expensive, but if I search CBR600 in a ad site I get 6 pages of results and for a zx6r I get one...
CBR600 is the most common bike around here I think, even though they still more expensive than Gixxers...
Seriously, parts are harder to find and more expensive than the CBRs.

[tt_four]

Those earlier R6s were known for having transmission problems too. Slipping 2nd gears are usually caused by guys always clutching up wheelies in 2nd gear though. There's no reason the 2nd gear would just wear out faster than any other gear with normal riding.

I could see the rebuild getting expensive if there was damage to the cylinder, but I'm not sure why people think it would cost more to rebuild a top end than it would be to just buy a new motor. I guess if you found a good deal on a motor for $500 it would be easier just to swap that in. Otherwise you could buy the new rings, gasket kit, and rebuild the top end on your work bench. May need to swap a few shims depending on how the valve clearances are. Either way, $1000 is probably the highest I'd got for a bike that needs the engine torn into, $1500 if I knew the previous owner and was pretty confident that the problem he told me it had, was really all it had. Having some random kid on craigslist tell me a bike needs piston rings in no way makes me believe that all a bike needs is some new piston rings. The last bike I bought I was told it only needed water pump seals, when it also needed the whole top end rebuilt, plus the bottom end is a little loud so I'm pretty sure the right side crankshaft bearing should've been replaced as well, but I didn't feel like getting that far into it. That bike was only $500 so no big deal, any more than that and I'd be skeptical.

[piresito]

Thanks for your input, that R6 I was watching just got sold...
My GS in now on sale, after selling it I will choose depending on the opportunities, although the CBR600 F3 will be the first choice now...

Thanks!