[Imperator]

Hello all. I made a thread here about a year ago, but then I fell off the face of the earth. I’m in the same boat now as I was then.

I’m seventeen and looking to start riding, both as an effective means of transportation and something fun. I don’t have any money, but I’m going to start mowing lawns and doing what I can to get enough, as I’m a lot more serious this time around.

I think I’m leaning towards getting a sport bike. This is because I want more bang for my buck and it’s what I grew up around, watching my dad with his bike or going up to New Hampshire to watch races every Fathers’ Day.

So I suppose I’m looking for advice on what I should look for, as well as feedback on things I do find.

I’ve found one particularly intriguing lead on Craigslist, and I’m a little bit stuck. As I said, I have no money. My mother will lend me half of the cost of a bike if I can come up with the other half, which cuts down the time I’ll need to make some money. I’m not sure how long the ad on Craigslist will last, but it seems good, so I’d rather grab the bike now and worry about everything else later. It’s 900 dollars.

Onto the bike itself… It’s probably not the best for a starter bike, an ’83 Honda Interceptor 750. It’s probably a lot of bike for me, but I certainly wouldn’t outgrow it, as I would with other bikes; and again, it’s 900 bucks.

http://worcester.craigslist.org/mcy/1151754275.html

So any advice would be appreciated, and I’m eager to hear it.

[eternal05]

If you’re bound by money, you don’t have much choice, but keep in mind, things are not always a cheap as they look. That’s an old bike, and unless it hasn’t been ridden and has had great treatment and maintenance, you could be spending $900 for ownership of a bundle of ready-to-die machinery. Worst case, you drop $900, spend another couple hundred fixing things as they break, and then the bike dies for good.

Get the mileage numbers and, if you can, bring your Dad along to check it out. A great, well-maintained bike lasts a lot fewer miles than the crappiest, most abused car. I’d say anything above 40-50K miles (most don’t last to 75K) is a deal-breaker, given the age of the bike.

By the way, you should be able to get a much newer bike for $1000-$1500. I know that’s a big step up for you, but it could be a lot cheaper (and safer) in the long run. You might also want to sacrifice your desire for a sport bike, at least at first. Learn to ride on some cheap 250-500cc banger and then spend some real money in a few years’ time on the bike of your dreams. I know it sucks not to feel good about your bike’s image (I’m a sport bike fan too), but honestly, that interceptor isn’t much closer to sport bike heaven than, say, a Rebel or a Virago.

One last thing. Do you have any gearhead friends/family that could help you out if the bike turns out to be a lemon? If so, you might feel better about the whole thing. Either that, or give yourself an opportunity to do some grease monkeying!

Do what you gotta do, just know what you’re getting into.

[SantaCruzRider]

That $900 CL bike is like the free puppies that people sometimes give away in front of the local market.
On the surface, it looks like a deal you can’t pass up. But then you end up paying the vet $100 to deworm, $250 for shots, $50 for a license, $30 for a collar and matching sweater (OK, maybe you skip the sweater). Point is, free pups and cheap bikes are cool, but you need to be prepared for the extra costs that almost always follow. I know I’ve spent $200 on progressively larger tanks to house a couple “free” goldfish my son won at a carnival!
Be sure you have the cash (or wrenches) ready, know what the insurance is going to cost, etc, before you fall in love with a bike.
If you’re looking for a super deal, you’re also more likely to find one in the fall — and by then you should have more money in your hand. That should make the search feel like you have more options and less like there’s only one good deal out there.
Either way, best of luck with the search.

[Imperator]

Thanks for the advice so far. I got my permit today and am pretty excited about that, because I’m a big step closer to riding. I still need to sign up for the MSF course and secure an actual bike. I’ve found another promising lead on craigslist, this time 700$.

http://providence.craigslist.org/mcy/1152665875.html

Hopefully this weekend my dad and I will be able to get out and take a look at either or both of the bikes, though buying it and specifically getting it home may be a problem.

[Munch]

U-haul it

[Clay Dowling]

It has nearly the same engine that’s in my Magna. It was a very good, reliable bike when it came out. There’s a good chance that your parents hadn’t met yet when that bike was built. That’s a gigantic warning sign.

I haven’t ridden an Interceptor, but Honda sport bikes are not generally recommended for beginners. Honda really loves speed. Even their cruisers are fast. Their four cylinder cars are generally faster than their equivalents from other companies. In other words, you might want to steer clear of this bike right now. Cool as the Interceptor is, that is the bike that coined the phrase Crotch Rocket, which does not suggest beginner friendly.

[Author]

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