My brother just called me looking for a bike. His last one was a 650cc Yamaha 650 Street Tracker, but he's been around the block with 20 years of riding. With $2k in his pocket Mike is looking for a decent around town scoot, 650cc or better, a standard or cruiser under $2000.
Got something? If it's a skank I would probably end up fixing it, so be gentle.
Thanx, Dan
I've posted this bike around here before. It doesn't quite make the cut at 550cc's, but it falls in under his budget and I will be putting it on the market once the snow melts.
77 Honda CB550F Super Sport that I've owned nearly 20 years. It's in Western CT.
That is a gorgeous Honda.
woody post that on NEDIRTBIKES.COM if 914 don't scoop it up. There a bunch of vintage guys on the site
44Dwarf wrote: woody post that on NEDIRTBIKES.COM if 914 don't scoop it up. There a bunch of vintage guys on the site
Thanks for the tip. I'm waiting for a warm weekend to get it cleaned up and ready but I'll post it there when the time comes.
What are you looking to get for the 550?
It's very nice!!
Look for a GL650 Honda or a Silverwing.
I love my Honda CB650SC (see Readers' Rides), and they can be found for well under $2000. It's a relatively healthy 72hp, shaft drive, hydraulic valves, comfy, reliable, simple to work on, and can look pretty good for a 25ish year old bike. But of course mine is not for sale, and Woody's looks pretty sweet :).
pinchvalve wrote: Look for a GL650 Honda or a Silverwing.
Only problem with these is that the charging systems are getting to the age where they're staring to fail, and removing the generator is an engine-out affair. Just so you know what you're getting into. (Swapping the clutch is also teh suck on these bikes.)
GL650 = Silverwing, more or less. CX650s and CX500s are basically the same bike, but naked.
As a former vintage service shop manager, I recommend old Hondas over any of the other Big Four, only because the parts supply is pretty darn good across the board. Other popular models from other manufacturers had/have a good following, but even the obscure Hondas will have a good measure of support.
On the other hand, you may be able to find a slightly roachy SV650 for that sort of money, depending on where you are. I always recommend buying as new as the budget allows. (I got my '97 TL1000-S for $1300 a few years ago, for the record, and that was not a shop-insider-type deal.)
The other day when I shot pics of my 599, I snapped some of my buddies '81 CB650 Custom to be put on craigslist. He was planning on asking about $1500 for it, and it includes a few spare parts (like a new rear bar to eliminate the rack and backrest). Located in eastern Iowa.
The trick is to keep a close eye on your local Craigslist. I just looked at mine, and today there's a '79 Yamaha XS100 for $600, an '82 Yamaha Virago 750 for $85 and a '76 Honda Gold Wing for $750. The deals are out there, but they can come and go quickly.
stuart in mn wrote: The trick is to keep a close eye on your local Craigslist. I just looked at mine, and today there's a '79 Yamaha XS100 for $600, an '82 Yamaha Virago 750 for $85 and a '76 Honda Gold Wing for $750. The deals are out there, but they can come and go quickly.
Not to shoot holes in your post, Stuart, because it's good advice, but you've reminded me of a couple things that folks in the market for cheap-o vintage Japanese iron should be aware of.
Viragos have probably the most poorly-designed starter clutch system ever conceived by man. Without going into detail, let's just say they were doomed from their deisgn, and when they break, they'll disable the motorcycle, and they're very expensive to replace with new parts. Honestly, it's such an achilles heel that I recommend against these bikes strongly.
Yamaha, across the board, has bar none the higest prices for OEM parts. Can't explain it, but they're often 2-4 times the price of comparable Honda parts. Boggles the mind, it does.
Goldwings have the same problem to which I alluded above regarding the Silverwings: bad charging systems. The alternators are, again, all about to die, and to replace them involves removing the engine. Not a terrible job on the earlier, naked versions, but, as you might imagine, on the full dress bikes, it will make you want to stand a screwdriver on end and impale your eyeball on it.
Caveat emptor.
You'll need to log in to post.
