[Jeff in Kentucky]

Only the newest Royal Enfield model is very reliable and it has a good transmission- I would stay away from the older ones. For a bigger and more expensive used bike, the Moto Guzzi and BMW shaft drive bikes, or a Ducati V-twin are classics. These two used bikes below have an older look, and are reasonably priced with good reliability and good handling for a beginner, although a 250cc engine or smaller is lighter and safer for a beginner, then switching to a bigger bike after a year or two:

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/roadtests/retro_bike_comparison/index.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Check at the bigger motorcycle dealerships, they should know what motorcycle training classes are available for your area.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The main things are if you like it, and later if a buyer will like it. Things to add a lot more power that likely lower the reliability like nitrous or a turbo will probably lower the resale value later, but minor improvements will hopefully increase the value without limiting the number of buyers interested, if the changes are not too unusual.

I think you made good choices for upgrading the looks, without spending a huge pile of money. You will get buyers that just focus on the book value and try to cheat you out of the cost of upgrades- sometimes people will take off extras and sell them separately, when they decide to sell their bike.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

A 200cc or 250cc standard motorcycle has enough power for 55 mph speed limit roads, and a 250cc Kawasaki Ninja or a 400cc Suzuki Supermoto is enough for 70 mph roads, but they will not have a lot of comfort at this speed, and they will get blown around some by big trucks going by. With these you will be ahead of most cars for the first quarter mile, but almost all cars have a higher top speed. (The vehicle with the lowest top speed for the last 20 years is a diesel Hummer- 80 mph).

An 1,800cc Honda Goldwing is the most comfortable for a long trip, and a 50cc scooter is the most fun at 30 mph. For what is most stylish, opinions vary greatly. Some prefer a less comfortable racing style, some an antique Royal Enfield or Harley style, and some the easier no shifting scooter with floorboards that keep your clothes cleaner.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

This article does not apply for a sportbike- only an expert can usually drag a part for them:

http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/drag_motorcycle_corners/index.html

[Jeff in Kentucky]

A common misconception is that leaning a motorcycle is what causes it to turn, and the more you lean the faster it will turn. One of the teachers made a bike with fixed handlebars and turning forks (maybe Keith Code), to show students that all the leaning in the world would not turn this bike very well.

You turn the handlebars with countersteering if you are going more than about 2 mph, which comes naturally if you rode a bicycle first, and the more you turn (push) the handlebars and the faster you are going, the more the bike will lean afterwards. If you are going way too fast and turning (pushing) the handlebars way too sharp, the scraping metal parts (hopefully a footpeg feeler- on my old bike the exhaust pipe scraped first on the right side) will start to lift the back tire off the ground or cause the front tire to start to slide (tuck). If this happens, do not panic- suddenly putting the throttle to idle, pulling in the clutch all the way, or slamming on one or both brakes usually causes more problems.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

Having to bump start the GS500 probably means it needs a new battery which might be causing the surging- some places might be able to test a motorcycle battery- but it is fewer places than for a larger car battery.

Heat kills batteries, so if you live in a desert or put 15,000 miles a year on your bike, the heat from the weather or the heat from the engine will kill the battery faster. I only ride my bike 2,500 miles a year and it is a low compression engine with about 35 horsepower, so my last battery lasted 6 years. I also ride at least every 3 weeks all winter, usually more often, and never go less than 10 miles after starting the engine. I rarely do city type riding stoplight to stoplight, which also heats up the battery more.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I use this for a lot of threads- it is made for aluminum heads with a lot of heat and vibration, for spark plugs that sometimes got very stuck or very stripped in the old days. The blue and red types of Loctite (or other brand) are also good for nuts and bolts that might loosen from vibration- make sure you know which is which- the one requires heat before loosening, but resists vibration better.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The second MotoGP race was in Spain this morning (Sunday May 2). It is being replayed at 4pm eastern time today on the Speed cable TV channel. I guess the volcano problems were worked out sooner than planned.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

How long will these engines last? Generally, the smaller the engine, air cooled instead of water cooled, and if it has higher compression for more power, the shorter the life. A 250cc Ninja might last 50,000 to 80,000 miles before a rebuild, depending on the quality of the oil, how often the oil is changed, how it is ridden, how maintenance is done, and pure luck. Here is a short site about some maintenance tips for the older and newer 250 Ninjas, with some links for more reading or question asking:

http://www.theyeagergroup.com/ninja_250_maintenance_log.htm

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The Walmart battery is a sealed maintenance free battery- acid glass mat. When new, you add the liquid acid and put on the permanent caps, never to be removed again. The battery comes with a time table for initial charging, depending on the amps for your charger.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

The 2009 and 2010 Bonneville has new fuel injection, solid aluminum wheels and radial tires, an upgrade from the older style of the 2008 design. It is a nice bike, but the cost is a little higher than similar Japanese bikes. I also like some of the jackets with the Triumph logo on them at the dealership, also high priced.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

I needed a new motorcycle battery this spring. I could have bought the $100 Yuasa battery from the motorcycle parts store, but chose the $60 battery from Walmart instead- it is a little more work to add the liquid acid yourself and put it on a charger for a few hours, but the last battery was also a Walmart battery and lasted 6 years, which is considered pretty good for cars or motorcycles.

I added stainless steel lockwashers to the battery terminals- a lot of times they get loose and kill the battery sooner. When I start the engine, I ride the bike at least 10 miles, including some at 60 mph, to completely charge the battery, evaporate the water out of the engine oil, and to feed my addiction.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

More training is always better, but it does cost more and take more time.

The person who can complain the most about this new requirement is someone who rode dirt bikes from 8 to 16 years old, who needs very little training to know how to ride on the street, and statistically is much less likely to crash on the street, compared to someone who went from a bicycle to a street bike years later.

[Jeff in Kentucky]

You may want to check out Suzuki’s financing for 5 years:

http://www.suzukicycles.com/Microsites/rideaway.aspx

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