And they can be had cheap in this area. (under a grand.) Please talk me out of this.
And they can be had cheap in this area. (under a grand.) Please talk me out of this.
They never appealed to me but I know people like them, and if they're that cheap these days they are certainly worth consideration. I'm pretty sure there was a long discussion about them here a few years back, you may be able to find that discussion with a search.
They are solid, reliable bikes, if uninspiring. Your price is about right for one.
Cheap and a good beginner bike. Tough to sell when you're done with it though.
Had one as a starter bike, no regrets. Light and very forgiving, easy on fuel and easy to maintain. Had mine for 3 year and taught three other people how to ride with the same clutch.
A few notes from the road, checking the oil is not as simple as it sounds, the bike seems to be hard on rear tires (IMO), and watch for rear wheel bearing play as some of the wheels were machined a bit too big.
Have fun as they are cheap these days.
I really wish I had not read this thread. I want one now.
I'll just leave this here....
Ok, where can i get a BB for less than a grand? I had a SuziQ gs500, 'bout the same?
In reply to Justjim75 :
All over the place. I'm not even looking for one, and I have stumbled across 4 in the past week from $500 to $800.
The Buell is probably one of the more modern options in that price range. I rode one during my MSF training course. If you haven't ridden one, I suggest a test ride. Remember it's a thumper: single-cylinder. Suitable Acceleration & torque, but lots of vibration. My impression was that it'd be fun for scooting around town. The clutch lever felt a little heavy, but I had a pretty limited frame of reference at the time.
Suzuki savage (also called the LS650 or S40) is probably in a similar price range (also single-cyl), if you're more into the cruiser style. The Savage can also be modded into anything else you want, if you decide you want to build it into a scrambler or cafe racer you can always change the foot sets and mod it to your liking. RYCA sells full kits, as well as individual components. There's no problem time and money can't solve:
I went with the GS500 when I was facing this same question many years ago. The Blast looked cool but the GS500 engine seemed much more refined as did the rest of the bike. Plus Suzuki never seemed ashamed of the GS500 the way that Buell / H-D did with the Blast. GS500 wasn't horrible on the highway either (although slightly small for my 6'5" height).
To do this over again I think I would go straight to the SV650.
A Blast is a blast to ride for a short time and quickly becomes boring. (easily mastered)
It comes with a parts problem and a non-existent resale value/market.
Meanwhile the SV650 does not have a parts problem and isn't that hard to trade down the road. Plus they sound nice with a pipe.
pres589 (djronnebaum) said:Meanwhile the SV650 does not have a parts problem and isn't that hard to trade down the road. Plus they sound nice with a pipe.
This. All of this. They also have a reputation for making great track bikes with suspension upgrades.
Blast: All the engineering & refinement of the HD V-Twin, but cut in half. Hard pass.
I hear they are a blast. (rimshot) I often wonder about older Buells, I love their engineering and design, but wonder about parts and support. The one that intrigues me is the Ulysses.
Peter Egan loved his Ulysses as do most guys that still ride them. There are 'good' and 'better' versions of them over the years. What research I've done on them indicates they are reliable. Biggest complaint is engine heat.
I'd love to buy an XB9 or XB12 someday, but they aren't cheap enough for me to jump in yet. I usually see them around $4k.
Blasts are not at all interesting to me, but they are so cheap that you practically can't lose money if the thing runs and has a title.
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