Well first off im a 21 year old college student, been researching about motorcycles for the last 4 yeasrs of my life lol.
ive finally come to the conclusion im goint to get a gs-500 or an ex-500 whichever i can find in my lowely college income, so far i have saved about $800, which if i cant find anything by summer hopefully ill have $1,500 by then...
so until then i guess im just another of your average noobies trolling around soaking up as much info as possible.
yes i have taken the MSF class and have my moto license, hopefully i will be a great addition to the sport, i dont think i can wait much longer for a bike im going insane!
a buddy of mine used to give me rides on the back of his 600-r and then his R6 until the fool wrecked it due to target fixation and kept the money from insurance to pay for his new townhouse
ok well ill stop ranting now looks like a great board and i hope to learn even more here as i have elswhere!
comments questions welcome :mrgreen:
Welcome! :cheers:
Keep an eye out here, you never know what sort of deals you might find on a GS500.
hey there!!! welcome to the board!!! :thumb: :cheers:
Don't be so stingy with your '20'.... where in VA are you? What school do you go to? I make my way back to the Old Dominion quite a bit.
Good luck with your bike search.
peace.
I live in Springfield Va, better known as Fairfax county about 15 mins outside DC, but go to school in Frostburg Maryland, near cumberland, im home about every weekend and home during the summer of course...
i attend Frostburg State University, im a psych major and looking to become a police officer when im done, but ya never know...
did i mention hwo BAD i wanted a motorcycle? :P
HAHA.. hang in there dude... when it comes to GS's, good deals abound... just keep your ear to the ground. I got my '97 with 7800 miles for 1500 bucks, so with your budget ever-growing you'll be sure to find a road-worthy GS soon enough.
I almost went to Frostburg State U. The only problem was that while MD was happy to accept my income taxes for '93, they weren't too keen on giving me in-state tuition rates for '94... go figure :bs: So I had to settle for VaTech. Anywho... I head down to MD and NOVA alot.. my folks live in Alexandria. I'm constantly traveling between PA and VA. Maybe once you've picked up your ride we can hit the road sometime.
one word of advice.... when you do pick up your bike and you post truimphantly announcing your purchase, be sure to say "First Mod = Fenderectomy", or your post will probably crash courtesy of the anti-fenderites around here clammoring for you to cut it off... :roll: :lol:
Seriously though. Its a great board with LOTS of knowledgable folks. Good luck with your bike shopping.
peace.
ya i hear the price with Frostburg losers wont make me instate either, only reason im going is cause they offered me a 1,000 grant, but then the 2nd year i couldnt afford it so i went to NOVACC for a year and lost it but decided to go back this year, now im stuck here to finish out everything
but once i finally get a bike if that ever happens lol ill be up for some riding
i just dont care how ugly it is if i could find either of those bikes for that price i would buy it, even better i if i could find one for 1,500 who would take 600 upfront and then the rest in monthly payments:P
one day... one day
forgot to mention i alsop already have most my safety gear...
Arai Quantum-F Okada (blue dragon)
Joe Rocket phoenix jacket i think it is (leather sleeves)
and some average run of the mill crappy gloves
figure that should be ok untill after i buy the bike then ill get soem draggin jeans and some decent boots, or maybe better if i can afford it
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&category=6027&item=2438696553
I got this sick deal on Ebay, for a bike with under 6K miles on it. I definitely lucked out when I scored this, but I am also like you. I am a 21 year old college student at CUA in washington DC, and have been looking to get a bike since I left high school. I have been scouring Ebay and cycletrader and other sites. Just be persistent. I almost won 3 other bids before getting this one. It took me a long time, but I kept on trying. Hang in there, man. :cheers: [/url]
nice deal man! if i could just find a freaking job in this billy goat town i could save enough to spend 1,500 grrr
Welcome PPrider...and CUT THAT FENDER OFF...uh, when you get the bike that is...LOL...
Hey, stick around and browse the old posts for some great info on the gs500. Dont forget to check out the main home page here for links to mods, maintenance info, etc and my site has a bunch of maintenance and mod info as well...happy reading.
hang in there and be patient looking for a bike. Keep an eye out on craigslist.org for bikes too-lots of great deals there.
ciao-
craiglist yes! i love that place, i almost bought a bike this weekend from there, was a 1987 yamaha fazer 700, i decided it was to much for me as a beg. ill def keep my eyes peeled there
e-bay just has so many scams now, id rather keep it in areas i can go to by using craigslist and cycltrader etc
thanks for the response!
casicua got quite the deal there! Bike and accessories. How's it run?
pprider-also make sure to spring for some good, motorcycle specific boots too. Dont have to be racing type, get some you can walk in but make sure they're for motorcycling. They'll have proper protection built into them that way. And spring for good gloves when you can. Think about adding pants sometime too.
For good deals on gear check out newenough.com , esp their closeout and used section. They're great people there, giving exceptional customer service and if you have any questions they're happy to help by phone, email fax or in person. I've had great service in the numerous purchases I made there.
yup i got them on my favs list another buddy of mine told me about them i was gonna check them out...
i definetly plan to get the rest of that equipment after i get the bike.. i figured under my circumstances the equip i do have should atleast get me started
For you DC area riders, you might want to check out DC-Cycles (http://www.dc-cycles.org/)
or //www.DCCycles.com
The mailing list goes through good phases and bad phases, but its nice to have access to motorcycle info for the DC-area.
Adam
I'm originally from Garrett Park, MD but currently residing in SoCal.[/url]
Hey pprider...good luck in school and with the bike search. BE PATIENT. The right bike is out there. You have a PC (duh) so look online as well as in local papers.
Since you're a student, I'll give you a reading assignment. You may find these in a library, but if you have to buy them, they are well worth it.
1. Proficient Motorcycling, David Hough...probably the best all-around, easy to read text on good motorcycling technique available.
...and, when you're ready for more:
2. A Twist of the Wrist, Keith Cody...more technique.
Think of theses as safety gear for your brain. Welcome to riding!! :thumb:
thanks dmp221, ill have to go check those books out, and im trying to be patient i just have the motorcycle bug bad ever since my first ride 4 years ago :mrgreen:
I got the deal on my new (to me) GS on craigslist.org. I had been watching the site for about 3 months and rode a number of bikes before scoring! :thumb:
Welcome PP and good luck!!!
thanks adam ill have to check taht e-mail group out.. i think thats where i first started doing my research and then it went dead or something, but that was years ago when i thought i was getting an R6 as a first bike ROFL
mwd, what year you get and how much mileage for how much money if you dont mine me asking, im trying to figure out the standard for prices etc
:cheers: Welcome! :cheers:
I think I'm doing this right......new to this game. Sorry if I blow it! I just wanted to say that I got a steal on my bike. It was my first. Back in May, a guy getting laid off from Boeing was selling both his bikes. I got a ;94 with 3100 miles on it - garaged and pristine - for $1500! It's a fabulous bike......and yes, the fender is gone!! Also the obnoxious turn signals and sticker graphics. Bars and mirrors are next, if I decide to keep it. I rode my boyfriend\ex-husband's '97 Ducati 900SS and loved it, so I'm kinda thinkin' about an upgrade already. I can let you know if I'm selling, but I'm a ways away. Good luck no matter.......you can find one - and the bike is worth it!! Trust me :P
PP
I picked up a 92 with 35K on the clock. I gave up $900 for it. I'm not big on the color (purple :roll: ) or the stock decals (they are 1/2 off now going to start taking them then rest of the way off tonight), but it is mechanically solid. I was looking for a new project to build up and learn on, so the bike fits the bill perfectly.
When I first started looking I was looking new, but due to a $$$$ loving ex-wife, I had to go used. Once I resolved to go used I figured I might as well get something I can put a little into and get big returns out of later.
For reference, I've seen GS' listed for 900 (rough shape) to 2000 (good shape) on CL consistently.
Good Luck again! :thumb:
thanks for all the great info guys, keep it coming!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6027&item=2444385334
I know it's not pretty, but the location is near you and the price is right.
Thanks for the link it just might be what i can afford... ill have to get a hold of that guy and see if i can go look at it thanks for keeping an eye out!
Just make a short trip up too Calgary Alberta Canada, and you can take my gorgous 2002 GS for a reasonable deal. The time is nearing (24 days) untill I pickup (hopefully) my ZX9R, so I have to unload the GS ASAP!!!
Welcome to the forum! Youll enjoy it here. :cheers:
Quote from: CasiCUAhttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6027&item=2444385334
I know it's not pretty, but the location is near you and the price is right.
"The bike is not pretty by any means. It has been dropped"
Uh, 'dropped' is more like tossed down the road at speed.
Still cant beat the price.
well the guy grom CF took the deal for $800, i was gonna get it today (sunday) but i had no way of picking the bike up, the front brake needs adjusted and doesnt work well so id rather fix that be4 its ridden on, he said i can pick it up next friday, so hopefully one of my buddies with a truck will be available...
if all goes wellill be the proud owner of this bike http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/rksdc/lst?.dir=/My+Folder
89 gs-500 woohoo! man i hope everything goes through ok!
pprider-thats a nice looking classic 89 white gs500! Looks to be in good shape from the photos too. Hope you get it.
[edit: and it still has the rear fender intact!?]
congrats!!! hopefully we've got some more of these warm weekends coming! took my first daytrip on my GS yesterday, out 29 all the way to the shenendoah mtns. we should hook that up sometime :thumb:
well everything fell through i hit a pothole thursday taht was so big it bent my rim like 3 inches and possibly broke my axle:( so the money i was going to buythe bike with on friday is now going to fix the car, i feel like im never gonna get a bike! i just wanted to update you guys, and thankyou for all the great info, hopefullyi cna save up another 1,000 by the end of winter doing odd jobs here and there, that way i can still have a bike by spring or summer *crosses fingers*
Thanks
Eric
that sucks.
keep at it though and it will happen for you.
Tough luck dude! Just keep looking! I got a brand new leftover bike, it took mea a year to find it! I'm a student too, I'm just still in H-school. I have a feeling once you finally reach your goal you'll ride the thing everyday. Just look online and visit all the bike shops you find! Don't give up :nono: .
Keep the faith!