quick question for you veteran riders

[mickeyV]

hello im new here,

my name is vik and im from chicago. im considering purchasing a new bike and considering how this will be my first bike ever i have a question i'd like to ask.

1982 gs750e 22k miles, very good condition, few dents but looks new and runs great for $1200. do u think thats a good deal?

there is also a 1995 gs500e 3k miles, mint condition for $1800.

my question is are these prices valid for the bike model? and considering that i have never ridden a bike in my life and this will be my first are they good choices? im leaning towards the gs750e cause its less costly but it weighs 100 lbs more than the gs500e, is weight really gonna cause any problems?

your reply will be greatly appreciated.
thanks.

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by mickeyV

there is also a 1995 gs500e 3k miles, mint condition for $1800.

This deal sounds really good. The '82 bike might teach you more (and end up costing more) about repairing a bike than riding a bike while this '95 GS500 is still basically a current model. Either bike will probably need some basic maintenance to get running smooth - carb cleaning, oil change, 10 year old tires should be replaced, probably other stuff too. Kelly Blue Book www.kbb.com shows the retail price of an average '95 GS500 as $1755. With low miles and mint condition, $1800 should be a good deal.

[viper94bite]

personally I would take the gs500. Good starter bike plus it's newer and should be easier to find parts for if you need to. My personal opinion on the looks goes to the gs500 as well. As for the weight well obviously a lighter bike is going to be a bit easier to handle. May save you from dropping it in some cases as all beginners either do or almost drop their bikes. I know I almost did and the only thing that kept me from doing so is that my bike at the time only weighed just over 300 lbs so I could man handle it. They both sound like good starter bikes to me. As long as you are carefull either way.

[mickeyV]

Originally Posted by viper94bite

personally I would take the gs500. Good starter bike plus it's newer and should be easier to find parts for if you need to. My personal opinion on the looks goes to the gs500 as well. As for the weight well obviously a lighter bike is going to be a bit easier to handle. May save you from dropping it in some cases as all beginners either do or almost drop their bikes. I know I almost did and the only thing that kept me from doing so is that my bike at the time only weighed just over 300 lbs so I could man handle it. They both sound like good starter bikes to me. As long as you are carefull either way.

thanks man i really appreciate it, that was very helpful.

the gs750e is also in very good shape and he said he replaced the battery and some cables thats all. the tires are not bad either. nothing leaking though, but you do have a good point about finding parts for an old bike cause you never know how things are gonna turn out once i buy the bike.
here's the pic:





the gs500e is in perfect mint condition, no scratches nothing and it sounds and looks good.



the weight issue is a concern for me cause im 5'9, 160 lbs. i dunno if i'll be able to handle the 500lbs of the gs750e,but i like its power.

[mickeyV]

Originally Posted by tlwisner

This deal sounds really good. The '82 bike might teach you more (and end up costing more) about repairing a bike than riding a bike while this '95 GS500 is still basically a current model. Either bike will probably need some basic maintenance to get running smooth - carb cleaning, oil change, 10 year old tires should be replaced, probably other stuff too. Kelly Blue Book www.kbb.com shows the retail price of an average '95 GS500 as $1755. With low miles and mint condition, $1800 should be a good deal.

you are rite the gs500e is a good deal. but 1800 is a bit much for a first time bike dont you think? or do you think its a good investment?

[viper94bite]

Originally Posted by mickeyV

you are rite the gs500e is a good deal. but 1800 is a bit much for a first time bike dont you think? or do you think its a good investment?

I don't think it is but it all depends on the size of your wallet when it comes to that. My first bike was a brand new gz250 that I paid 2700 for. I know someone that spent 14000 on their first bike a vulcan 2000. tried to talk him out of it but he bough it anyway. dropped it 5 times in the first 2 days, fortunately the crash bars saved all but the end of the bars. So I don't think 1800 is to bad at all. Who knows you might end up keeping it around as a toy when you decide to upgrade. I wouldn't mind having a gs500 myself as a ride a cruiser and I know that thing is faster then my bike. Also if you decide not to keep it you will probably be able to sell it for right around what you paid for it as there are always people out there looking for first bikes and new toys.

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by mickeyV

you are rite the gs500e is a good deal. but 1800 is a bit much for a first time bike dont you think? or do you think its a good investment?

I don't think $1800 is too much for a first bike. You might even talk the price down a bit. Lots of people spend $6000 - $12000 for their first bike. I think that is too much - but how much to spend is an individual choice. The picture you put up of the GS750 looks really good. You're correct about the bike weight, but after you ride a lighter bike for a while, you will be able to move up to a heavier bike (if you want to) and it will be no problem for you.

When I got back into riding, I did it on a 300 pound GZ250 I paid about $2000 for. Starting off on a bike that is heavy and harder to handle isn't as much fun. That GS750 does look sweet though - lucky for me I don't know where it is, and please don't tell me!

[mickeyV]

lol @tlwisner, dont worry i wont tell you where it is. you both have a very legitimate point that 1800 is not a bad price for the gs500e. i guess i'll just have to make a decision now. you both have been a great help. thanks again guys.

btw here is the pic of the gs500e

[Clint]

Welcome, Vik. You should spend a bit of time sitting on each one (for 10 minutes or more). Buy the one that you feel the most emotion for. Personally, I'd go for the newer bike, but that's because I like nimble handling over engine power. It's likely to be more reliable, too. Both would make fine starter bikes.

Let us know what happens.

[tlwisner]

Wow, both of those bikes look new. They are certainly cleaner than my 2005 bike! I need to clean that bug and grime accumulation off of all of the forward facing surfaces...

[Nexus242]

Originally Posted by mickeyV

lol @tlwisner, dont worry i wont tell you where it is. you both have a very legitimate point that 1800 is not a bad price for the gs500e. i guess i'll just have to make a decision now. you both have been a great help. thanks again guys.

btw here is the pic of the gs500e

You would be damn lucky to find a GS500e in that good of shape. Most of the one's I've seen have been riden and ridden alot.

[vr4wolf]

If you are a new rider, the 500 would be a better choice, for three reasons.

1. Less maintenace hassle.

2. Less power, so you won't kill yourself as easily when you hit that throttle hard for the first time.

3. Smaller engine...lower insurance (in most cases)

Edit: My first bike was a Ducati I won at a martial arts tournament, I saw death face to face on more than one occasion, and can only thank the God and Goddess (I'm a pagan, sue me) that I am still here.

That bike no longer exists, it got run over by a jarhead (Marine) driving a dump truck in the barracks parking lot.

[jaydog19833]

I would go for the 500. Newer is almost always better not to mention the 500 has 19,000 less miles on it.

My first bike was a 2003 Ninja 500, brand new. It cost me 5,000 out the door and It was a wonderful starter bike. I only listed the price because I want you to know that you shouldn't always buy a cheap, junk bike as a starter. Junk bikes to learn on can sometimes make learning harder not to mention in some cases mechanically unsafe. Go for the 500.

[87gsxrnut]

500. That old GS, even though she looks great, could have demons lurking. That's just the way they are.

- Nut

[tlwisner]

Originally Posted by 87gsxrnut

500. That old GS, even though she looks great, could have demons lurking. That's just the way they are.

But it would be a nice second bike to work on. For somebody else of course...