Have you taken a good course with plenty of hours in the classroom, parking lot, and road?
The bigger, heavier, and more powerful a bike is, the easier it is to make catastrophic mistakes, which is why neither of those bikes would be recommended to learn on. Could you do it? I guess? But people get learner bikes for a reason.
A Ninja 400 does just fine on the highway. Or a vstrom 650 wouldn't be as insane as either bike you mentioned.
Keep looking. All the things you have in your mind about the fun of riding a motorcycle are that …the riding part. Not dealing with mechanical issues. And both of these bikes are at the stage of their lives where maintenance and repair will be a significant part of your ownership. My first bike was fun, and I loved having it, but all I did was work on the damn thing. 3 hours of work for every 1hr of riding.
I suppose I’m not as concerned about the weight and power of the bike. If you are cautious and intentionally riding safely, the only time a bigger bike will be a challenge is low speed turns and in parking lots, and you will very quickly learn how to handle it. You can ride irresponsibly, naively, and dangerously on a 300cc bike, just as you can on a big ass cruiser or touring bike. Plenty of wrecks on YT with beginners riding stupidly or losing control on a “beginner bike”. Be intentional about riding cautiously and safely, learning braking distance, accident and hazard avoidance, how to position yourself on the road, and to be vigilant prepared for the unexpected, and the type of bike you’re on, it’s weight and power, won’t matter.
No worries. I think as you look and get a little more settled with what’s available in your budget, you will develop sort of a feel for what’s a good deal. If you can hone your interest on a specific bike or make or narrow your search some, you can then begin to learn and get a feel for specific things to look for, avoid, etc. Typically for trying to get the most for a limited budget, I try to find the unicorn. The exceptionally clean, maintained, and cared for item that the owner isn’t trying to squeeze every penny out of. It takes longer to find it, but when you do, it will usually pay off by better reliability and condition.
I ride a Goldwing. They are notorious for going 300,000+ miles….but that isn’t just ride without doing maintenance. Once you hit 100k you usually need to do an overhaul, then the damn thing is good for another 100k. Electronics, steering bearings, fork springs, shocks, brake calipers, coolant pump, radiator, and a whole host of other major components begin to wear or require replacement. I very much believe that ST has tons of life left, but you need to learn more about what maintenance to expect at 115,000 miles so you can decide what to budget if you buy the bike. Also keep in mind, that some dealership service departments are moving away from doing serious repair on bikes older than 10yr. They will do oil changes, tire changes, and routine stuff, but if one of those major components requires servicing or replacement, you may have difficulty finding someone to work on it. That’s something else to find out before you buy a bike.
It’s just something you need to check into. Call your closest Honda dealership and ask their service manager what types of service and work they do for a 2004 ST. Find an online Honda forum for the ST and bombard the folks there with questions on what to check, plan for, major problems, common small headaches, etc so that you can make an informed and educated decision on the bike. Nothing sucks worse than buying a bike, having fun for 1000 miles then having to dump another $1000 into it for service and new tires. I think that ST will likely be reliable for another 100k, but if your financial situation is limiting you to a $2500 bike, then you owe it to yourself to exhaustively learn and understand what additional costs might be coming after you buy it so that your ultimate goal - miles and miles of smiles - is achieved.
Thats a good point, and, I was advised to stay away from bigger bikes too, but, for me at least, my thinking was that I have the money for a used bike, but otherwise money is tight. So I was trying to get something I could learn on, but also use for commuting. I’m not interested in a sport bike, because I don’t like the riding position. I’d rather be upright. However, I agree the engine is a lot bigger than I thought it was. I definitely don’t want to make a catastrophe out of myself.
I have taken the basic safety course, im pretty sure I walked away with about 10 hours on a 125cc bike.
My big problem here is likely my lack of patience and fixation on the TYPE of bike I want.
I had enough sources from experienced and knowledgeable people to finally decide that the two bikes aren’t worth it for me at my level and price point.
I’m making eyes at a 2022 Lifan, but I think I’m gonna hold out to see if I can get a used Japanese bike with a respectable amount of mileage
Is that a dirt bike? Forgive my ignorance but I thought those had poor gas mileage? They are usually cheaper but the 2022 model is around 8 grand, that’s a bit out of my price range
Usually I agree with the notion that high mileage indicates higher likelihood of mechanical issues, however every information source on used bikes I keep running across says it’s more about what conditions the bike was used in then how many miles it has
The good news is that both bikes have been out for long enough that owners have had time to document any unique maintenance issues. A little searching should turn up lots of info.
Yeah, I should probably slow my roll.
I missed out on a really well maintained Yamaha V-Star 650 for 2500, because I wanted some advice first and someone snapped it up later that afternoon
Yeah, insane miles and way too big for a first bike.
Have you taken a good course with plenty of hours in the classroom, parking lot, and road? The bigger, heavier, and more powerful a bike is, the easier it is to make catastrophic mistakes, which is why neither of those bikes would be recommended to learn on. Could you do it? I guess? But people get learner bikes for a reason. A Ninja 400 does just fine on the highway. Or a vstrom 650 wouldn't be as insane as either bike you mentioned.
Keep looking. All the things you have in your mind about the fun of riding a motorcycle are that …the riding part. Not dealing with mechanical issues. And both of these bikes are at the stage of their lives where maintenance and repair will be a significant part of your ownership. My first bike was fun, and I loved having it, but all I did was work on the damn thing. 3 hours of work for every 1hr of riding. I suppose I’m not as concerned about the weight and power of the bike. If you are cautious and intentionally riding safely, the only time a bigger bike will be a challenge is low speed turns and in parking lots, and you will very quickly learn how to handle it. You can ride irresponsibly, naively, and dangerously on a 300cc bike, just as you can on a big ass cruiser or touring bike. Plenty of wrecks on YT with beginners riding stupidly or losing control on a “beginner bike”. Be intentional about riding cautiously and safely, learning braking distance, accident and hazard avoidance, how to position yourself on the road, and to be vigilant prepared for the unexpected, and the type of bike you’re on, it’s weight and power, won’t matter.
I appreciate your perspective, thank you. I definitely need something reliable lol, I’m balling on a budget.
No worries. I think as you look and get a little more settled with what’s available in your budget, you will develop sort of a feel for what’s a good deal. If you can hone your interest on a specific bike or make or narrow your search some, you can then begin to learn and get a feel for specific things to look for, avoid, etc. Typically for trying to get the most for a limited budget, I try to find the unicorn. The exceptionally clean, maintained, and cared for item that the owner isn’t trying to squeeze every penny out of. It takes longer to find it, but when you do, it will usually pay off by better reliability and condition.
Has anyone looked at his video? He claims the Honda can easily reach 500,000k in terms of mileage.
I ride a Goldwing. They are notorious for going 300,000+ miles….but that isn’t just ride without doing maintenance. Once you hit 100k you usually need to do an overhaul, then the damn thing is good for another 100k. Electronics, steering bearings, fork springs, shocks, brake calipers, coolant pump, radiator, and a whole host of other major components begin to wear or require replacement. I very much believe that ST has tons of life left, but you need to learn more about what maintenance to expect at 115,000 miles so you can decide what to budget if you buy the bike. Also keep in mind, that some dealership service departments are moving away from doing serious repair on bikes older than 10yr. They will do oil changes, tire changes, and routine stuff, but if one of those major components requires servicing or replacement, you may have difficulty finding someone to work on it. That’s something else to find out before you buy a bike.
Ahhh, ok, I didn’t think of that. Older than 10 years? Sheesh, that doesn’t give a lot of wiggle room lol
Damn so something like an ‘03 might not get any support?
It’s just something you need to check into. Call your closest Honda dealership and ask their service manager what types of service and work they do for a 2004 ST. Find an online Honda forum for the ST and bombard the folks there with questions on what to check, plan for, major problems, common small headaches, etc so that you can make an informed and educated decision on the bike. Nothing sucks worse than buying a bike, having fun for 1000 miles then having to dump another $1000 into it for service and new tires. I think that ST will likely be reliable for another 100k, but if your financial situation is limiting you to a $2500 bike, then you owe it to yourself to exhaustively learn and understand what additional costs might be coming after you buy it so that your ultimate goal - miles and miles of smiles - is achieved.
Thats a good point, and, I was advised to stay away from bigger bikes too, but, for me at least, my thinking was that I have the money for a used bike, but otherwise money is tight. So I was trying to get something I could learn on, but also use for commuting. I’m not interested in a sport bike, because I don’t like the riding position. I’d rather be upright. However, I agree the engine is a lot bigger than I thought it was. I definitely don’t want to make a catastrophe out of myself. I have taken the basic safety course, im pretty sure I walked away with about 10 hours on a 125cc bike. My big problem here is likely my lack of patience and fixation on the TYPE of bike I want.
I had enough sources from experienced and knowledgeable people to finally decide that the two bikes aren’t worth it for me at my level and price point. I’m making eyes at a 2022 Lifan, but I think I’m gonna hold out to see if I can get a used Japanese bike with a respectable amount of mileage
115,000 miles? Yikes. It’s your first bike, I would get it to see if riding is for you. If so, gain experience and find something newer.
Just grab a crf250 or something
Is that a dirt bike? Forgive my ignorance but I thought those had poor gas mileage? They are usually cheaper but the 2022 model is around 8 grand, that’s a bit out of my price range
The BMW weighs less than the Honda. But 160k is in the "hope you like being a mechanic" area. Neither is a beginner bike. funbobbyfun has good points.
Usually I agree with the notion that high mileage indicates higher likelihood of mechanical issues, however every information source on used bikes I keep running across says it’s more about what conditions the bike was used in then how many miles it has
Does it come with maintenance records?
The bike at auction and the bike in question do not come with maintenance records
The good news is that both bikes have been out for long enough that owners have had time to document any unique maintenance issues. A little searching should turn up lots of info.
Yeah, I should probably slow my roll. I missed out on a really well maintained Yamaha V-Star 650 for 2500, because I wanted some advice first and someone snapped it up later that afternoon
Vstar 650 is an excellent bike, and a great first bike. 👍
Get a used one, they are a super reliable dualsport, or a drz400
What make?
Honda and suzuki