another street bike thread

[underpowered]

ok well like many others on the site i am getting a street bike for summer. i am on a limited budget, so new is out of the question. i would like to pay cash for whatever i get, so $2000 is about my limit. i have been looking and found a few bikes to look at. i have ridden bikes before, right now i ride my dads nighthawk 450 to school and such, but i want my own bike. here is what i have found in my price range, what do you all think, there is a good variety in what i have found that i would not mind owning.

1. 1997 Ninja EX500. i know not the best sportbike out there, but i don't need anything real fast, just going back and forth to work on it mainly. no highway at all. can be had for $800, the price is a real attraction for me.

2. 1995 ninja ZX7 alot faster than the EX500, but probably alot more bike than i need. has aftermarket parts, but has been laid down, needs some cosmetic work but i ain't really worried about it so long as i can ride it. $2000 is the asking price

3. 1992 yamaha TDM850. very cool bike, kinda unique. not many around, a sport tourer like the Suzuki SV650. i really like the style of the bike, but not much info out there as far as how they handle, reliability, and aftermarket parts available. $2100

4. 1996 yamaha FZR600. seems like a good bike. not much on the looks but parts are easy to come by. not a bad bike. asking $2000

5. 1992 Katana. a little weak for a 600, but runs good. not nearly as fast as other 600's out there, but would be good for a commuter. $1750


so, these are what i am looking at, what would you get and why? i know it is a variety, but i am mainly looking for cheap transportation. not really a fan of Cruiser style bikes so that is why i am looking at sport bikes, but cruisers can be picked up for cheap.

[Old Head]

the zx7 would be my choise

[underpowered]

i am leaning that way as well, gonna go look at each one sometime next week. right now just by the ads torn between the ZX7, the TDM, and the EX500 (only for the price)

[strnge]

If you are woried about droping the bike and it is still useable, I would go with the Katana. I had a 1990 and I droped/wrecked it like 6 times and it never did anything to it, other than scratch/crack plastics and break mirrors off. (Steel Frame) That frame is bulit proof! I put pipes and rejeted my 600 and I could hang with anything out there, so there is still potential for it.


If you are not wanting this bike to last more than 1 or 2 years before you get rid of it, or crash it in less time and it will be unuesable after that, I would go with the ZX7.

I have been riding street since 1990 and I went from a:

1989 FZR 600 to a
1990 Katana to a
2000 GSX-R 600 to a
2006 GSX-R 1000

[underpowered]

well i really have no idea how long i will keep it. maybe i might have it for a while, or i may only have it for a year or so.

well i don't really know much about the katana, but what others have told me is it is not the greatest bike out there. that they are simply down on power, slow, and have quirks with them.

i want to go look at teh ZX7, the TDM, and the EX500 next week.

[strnge]

I put 100,000 miles on my Katana and only changed the oil when I remembered. Anywhere from 4,000-10,000 miles. My Katana had no "quirks".

If you seriously looking at the EX 500 which I wouldn't let my 120lbs. wife drive, due to it being a ***** bike, then why are you taking down about the Katana. You might as well be riding a scooter.

Don't forget I put 100,000 miles on my Katana which had been down 6+ times.

I went for a full stage 3 set up on my Katana and was still able to hang with the new bikes. It's all about the mods. A Katana is a sport touring bike and not a "croch rocket". There is a difference.

[underpowered]

well i never said it was unreliable, i was just saying i have not heard of many people liking the katana.

and as i have said in every post about the EX500, i am lookng at it because it is $800. it is not really my style, and i know it is a slow bike but for $800 you cannot find a running streetbike hardly. yes it is slow, but the old EX500 is reliable, and gets you from point a to point b.

if you Mod anything you can make it better. but i am on a limited budget and do no have $700 to drop on an exhaust and so on. so why buy the katana, and then spend more money on it just to make it competitive with oterh 600 bikes out there. and i know the katana is a sport tourer, not a "crotch rocket" as you call em. i work at a cycle shop and very well know the differences between the bikes. but most sport tourer bikes like the yamaha FZ bikes, the CB599 ETC... are still very comparable to their sportbike cousins.

the katana is still in consideration, but for its size and all, not up to par with other bikes out there. for the price difference between it and the other bikes like teh ZX7 and teh FZR i would still go for the FZR or ZX. the katana is not a bad bike, but for the money a better bike can be had. i may go look at it and ride it and end up buying it, but just saying it is not at the top of the list as far as bikes go.

[blasterandy]

i would go for flamboiancy and get like an NSR or a 2 stroke 250. :)