[Anonymous]

Ok guys im pretty much looking used and a few years used also as ..well I dont have a lot of $$ for a bike. The thing ive been questioning is used ninja 250 prices…I see a 2004/5 locally at a Dealership(Harley place) for between $2400-2800 which seems decent. Then ive seen some older ones like a 1999 Ninja 250 that the guy is asking $2000 OBO and one was a 99 for $1900 or BO…..is that about right? only $400-500 difference between a 2005 and a 99? I was gonna offer the local guys $1500 which seems more in line..but what gives for used bike prices and for $1500 give or take what should I be looking at? I should be able to upgrade bikes from a first cheap starter bike in 3 years or so when our cars are paid off. but till then its a cheapie learning bike..

[CBennett]

i thought i was logged in, that was my question BTW.

[Budd]

I would look at mileage and the condition of each bike. Use any damage as a negotiating factor. Check craigslist and make offers that may seem too low compared to what they are selling for. They just might come around.

“I am the best I am at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[CBennett]

Yeah, I was going to..guess what im trying to figure out is what they are all generally worth..I mean Dealers “seem” to be higher priced and $2400 and $2000 for a 05 and 99 respectively are NOT that far off…so i guess what im asking is the $1900-2000 for a 99 high or is the $2400-2800 for a 05 low? I really do want to get a deal but I dont want to go slap a guy in the face with a offer thats way under market value…..I was thinking a 99 would be closer to $1200-1500 than $2000 I mean there IS a difference in 6 years in those bikes….I can afford the $1500 or less I cant swing $2500+ ATM..maybe in a year or 2 but not now.

[Budd]

I got my ’05 for just over $2k. It had about 7,500 miles on it. Great condition. I have been told I got a steal. It isn’t uncommon to find an older bike with very little miles on it. A ’99 with less than 10k miles might fetch a comparable price to a newer bike with more miles.

“I am the best I am at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[megaspaz]

Yah, budd’s right. There’s deals out there too be had. I’d just add, if you have a motorcycling buddy who’d done some wrench work, bring him/her along to check for non-obvious things. And actually, mechanically, there isn’t much difference between a 98 ninja 250 or a 2007 ninja 250. They were pretty much unchanged until 2008. So just make sure the condition of the bike isn’t fubared.

—
If there’s anything more important than my ego
around, I want it caught and shot now…

[CBennett]

Man whats going on here all I can find anywhere localy is Cruiser type bikes(that im really not into) and bigger sports bikes..the closest thing in my price range is a 1993(i think) Katana for $1300..thats it though..at this rate I may not get a bike lol. And to be honest if id not have seen this site first I may have bought the Katana.

[Andrew]

Having $1500 for a bike is making life hard for yourself. At least with the bike prices where I live. Thats basically the old bikes and the mechanics specials. Lowest I have seen old Ninja 250EX’s for is 2K on Craigslist. If you keep to 10 years or less in age then your in the 2.5K area.

Andrew

[CBennett]

well, if you can send me the diffeence I will give you my address so your right. I dont have a lot of $$ to spend and it limits me but thats what you face when you have

1. 2 cars with payments
2. A old Muscle Car that sometimes needs stuff
3. Kids

= not a lot of extra $$$ left for a bike. I may end up having to wait 2-3 years till we get one of the cars paid off to get one…but id rather be learning on a cheapie till then instead of just doing nothing

[Budd]

Get an old 70’s-80’s Honda. You can get one that will run for fairly cheap and it will tie you over till you have the money to buy your dream bike. There are many ways to mod them as well.

“I am the best I am at what I do, and what I do ain’t nice.”-Wolverine

[Andrew]

It’s possible to get a bike for 1500 but you’ll need to be looking at older bikes or ones that need a little work. I saw a ’98 Ninja for $1750 which is just over 10 years. So if you look enough you might be able to snag what your after. Keep an eye on the used listings once it gets colder. I’ve heard winter is a good time to buy.

Andrew

[WeaponZero]

If you’re willing to settle for older bikes from the 1980s you can get good bikes that run great as-is for about the price you’d be willing to pay. Honda Nighthawk 650/700 and Yamaha Maxim are real gems you should be searching for because they can be had DIRT cheap, are beginner friendly, and are shaft driven which means low maintenance. I’ve seen them sell for anywhere between $1k-$2k for models in fantastic shape for the age. The Honda Magna 500/V30 is also a good choice, bullet proof reliability though parts can be hard to find in the unlikely event that anything were to go wrong with it. Suzuki Katana 600s can also be had for your price range and are good bikes as well.

[CBennett]

ive seen a Katana 600 localy for $1300 but isnt that gonna be a bit much to “learn” on, im not trying to kill myself I think it was a 92-93 or such.

I mean ive been looking at a LOT of possibilities that I never even knew about cause I was not a bike guy and they are discontinued or hard to find.. or ive seen them advertised but ha NO idea what they actually were….Let me know what you guys think of some of the following also. Bandit 400, Seca II, ZR 550 Zephyr,Monster 620,BMW F650CS…I think that pretty much keeps the weight under 400 pounds and the HP under 65 or so? and most are mid 90’s models or there abouts and ive seen them on places like Cycle trader for in my price range. Id add the Honda Hawk GT but they are going for $3000+ in decent condition.

[Author]

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