Hey all! I currently ride a 1999 GS500e.  I have owned it for just over a year now, and have put 6,000+ miles on the baby...  I feel its time for me to step up to a faster bike, especially since my car will out run/out handle the gs (i drive a STi).  Lately i have noticed the GS is leaking oil out of the right side case. 

So i decided i need a faster bike, BUT my funds are limited.  I can't afford full insurance on a sport bike (i'm only 21).  I have $3k cash to spend on a new bike.  I came accross this 1997 CBR600F4i, its a little older than i had in mind, but the price is right where i want it.  I was hoping i could get some opinions on whether this is a good deal and if these bikes are dependable....

http://medford.craigslist.org/mcy/1107472726.html

I called and briefly spoke to the owner.  It has 33,xxx miles, no cracks in the plastics and the tires are in good condition.  The owner was a little hard to get info from, i had to kinda pry and ask ?'s...  I plan on looking at the bike in person today after work.  What specific things should i be looking at?  If i feel good with the bike should i offer $2,000?

Any suggestions/comments are appreciated!

P.S. i plan on keeping the GS for my girlfriend to ride, so don't worry about the GS!!

well if you set your mind to it.... i guess just buy what you think is right.. there are too many opinions to really help you on your next bike.

however... i suggest... in terms of the gs if you have not done so already...     

14t sprocket $ 20 bucks.

Buddha Bars : 40 bucks??  or SM2 bars: $120   this one you have 30 days to try and give back if you  dont like it.

Front springs change:  sonic springs..  $70.

those 3 upgrade will turn your GS into a Motorcycle beast.  Will help you get the feel of a 600 sports bike.  Maybe ride it for another 2k with those on... then by that time... i am sure you will find a bike that you really like. Don't always try to get the first deal that comes up..it sometimes insn't the best.. but because you are so excited to get one..you end up buying it anyway.

the above mods will get you transitioned well to a faster more torque bikes..  all can be done on your own.   good luck on whatever you decide on.

If you have limited funds, I'd suggest getting a reliable newer bike.  That'll keep repair costs down, and money in your pocket.

I think the two best deals on used bikes are the SV650 and the ninja 650r. 

My GS currently has a 15t sprocket...  The main reason i'm in some what of a hurry to get a new bike is that the GS is on what i feel its last leg...  Recently it has been leaking oil out of the right case, it needs an oil change, new front and back brakes, new front and back tires and also it needs to be rejetted.

My thought is, the cost of those maitenance items will be more than the bike is really worth... I'm worried its about to crap out on me entirely, and it would SUCK to spend that money then have it die on me. From what i hear if the engine goes the bike is worthless....

My main reason for posting is that i'm not sure if this bike will be much better. Is 33,xxx miles too many?

how many miles on your gs?

The GS just 16,0xx last night... The previous owner did not maintain it and laid it down several times from what i have discoverd in the past year.  Two days after buying it she broke down, Extreame rust in the tank was the first problem i came accross, since then its been one thing after another....

Well, I do hope you fix it up for your girl friend. I'd be extremely pissed if my man "got" me a bike that is gawd awful or dangerous to ride. I  just don't see how you 'grow' out of this bike after a year or soo. I've had mine almost two years and am long from wanting something bigger because I don't 'need' to go waaay over three digits on the speed o! Cops are very hard on speeding motorcyclist down here. they assume all of us are squids. At 21 and male you are not going to get a good insurance price on anything much over a 500 anyhow! Work on the GS and after those mods you still don't like it well you've had time to thourghly check out a few bikes and find the right one and you're girl has a safe and reliable bike!

My 2 cents.

Mary

Quote from: Turboryan on April 06, 2009, 02:27:17 PM
The main reason i'm in some what of a hurry to get a new bike is that the GS is on what i feel its last leg...  Recently it has been leaking oil out of the right case, it needs an oil change, new front and back brakes, new front and back tires and also it needs to be rejetted.

that's nothing compared to the nightmare you could end up with.  Alot of 600cc sportbikes take a beating, especially in the transmission.  For example, try to find an 99-02 r6 that doesn't pop out of gear.  Either it does, it will, or someone spent alot of money to fix it.  When I'm looking for a bike I go to their popular websites (gstwin, hayabusa.org, gixxer.com etc) and check out what the common problems are for the years I'm looking at.  It'll give you an idea what to look out for. 

16k miles is nothing for a gs i figured when you said its on its last leg your rollin close to 80k miles or something.  theres lots of life in that there gs

Keep the GS put a 14t and go up a couple in the rear, get a new chain, pipe, tires, and prog springs and a kat shock and it'll literally be a new bike.  Drag bars for 12.99 and do all the work yourself.  You'll be a better mechanic for doing it, and not spend anywhere near as much as you're looking for a new bike.  Or just buy mine.  I'm near medford if you're toward the cali side.  4 hr drive/ride. 

So last night i checked out that CBR.  It had been dropped on both sides and looked like it rammed something, the front fender was also messed up.  I took it for a test ride and the battery died along the way.  The owner told me it even had a new battery.  So needless to say i passed on it.

At this point i'm not sure what my plans are... The GS has been a good little bike. But i need more power to keep up on the rides i go on, i can hang in the corners untill the straight comes then i'm alone....

Any one know how hard it will be to replace the gasket on the right side case? I need to at least keep the GS running till' i find a "deal"...

your gs wont do 55?  or am i just old at 30?  speed limit is 55-65 and 70 on the interstate your little ol gs wont keep up ?  or you cant hang while the rest of the big bike are breaking the law/ speed limit?

You're probably going to be hard pressed to find a street bike in great condition for $3k.  If you up your budget $1k, you should have a few different choices on reliable bikes.

SV 650 or ninja 650 has my vote. But yea 3k is a bit skinny ... however I sold a cherry ... 100% perfect 01 SV for 3400 in 2006. So it can be had.
Cool.
Buddha.

Right now i'm working on possibly trading the GS + $3,000 cash for a 600cc+ Sport Bike.

I understand that i'm only asking for trouble by buying a bike that can double the speed limit in 3rd gear, BUT the one down side of the GS is if you have to go for a pass and have a limited amount of passing lane to use....

I'm not just trying to get rid of the GS because its slow, im looking to upgrade. 

I have two close friends that ride SV650S's, i have ridden both and feel that if i'm gonna get a new bike i want a little more than the SV has.  It just feels too much like a heavier and slightly faster GS...

But then again these are just my noob opinions....

here's a $3000 busa.  that should be fast enough. 

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=47406.0

Quote from: Turboryan on April 07, 2009, 08:20:30 AM
So last night i checked out that CBR.  It had been dropped on both sides and looked like it rammed something, the front fender was also messed up.  I took it for a test ride and the battery died along the way.  The owner told me it even had a new battery.  So needless to say i passed on it.

At this point i'm not sure what my plans are... The GS has been a good little bike. But i need more power to keep up on the rides i go on, i can hang in the corners untill the straight comes then i'm alone....

Any one know how hard it will be to replace the gasket on the right side case? I need to at least keep the GS running till' i find a "deal"...

this is proof by itself the rides are too fast. i've ridden with fast groups, and anything that 'leaves you alone' on a gs is too fast a ride. seriously ! that's a FAST RIDE ! if you didn't think about how fast a ride that really is, think again, please !

the turns are where the gs shines, and you've proven it. maybe your buddies are really just straight line rockets, or maybe you've got skills in the turns, either way, a faster bike won't do much for you... I'm done preaching. all done. let it soak in a minute or two.

you can keep your current bike going for 80K fairly easy. the lack of maintenance you've encountered on your gs can be overcome with very few tasks. flush/line the tank, change the oil, keep an eye on the chain and tires. there, you're done. another year of  reliable riding at your feet.

if you have the 'gotta have a bigger bike bug' we can't fix it. that's up to you.

reliable bikes to try:

sv650
ex500
vstrom
fz6

but you're buying someone else's problems, and a few of them will not be disclsed by the seller... a few more of them won't even be known by the seller

good luck !

To add to the previous post, money is what can help distance you from buying someone else's problem.  I'm a cheapskate, so it hurt me to type that last sentence.  Back to the point, if you have enough money to look at relatively new bikes, and can test ride a few to assure you're buying the most mechanically sound one, you'll be fine.

Check out this comparison to let you know how much faster a pure sport bike will be in the twisties.  The answer:  It won't be any faster and will be more tiring on anything but perfectly paved asphault, the kind you don't find in the real world.

i suppose the question is: "how fast does one really need to go?"     

i was looking at some Suz Bandits. They are cheaper than sv650's and fz6 etc etc and are still standard/touring so you're not locked in super streetbike positions. I was looking at trading my GS + some cash....if only ~they~ were interested lol