I am still in the market for my first bike. Ultimately I would like to have a KLR650. It seems that there are not many in my area (SE Iowa) in my price range (2000 bucks). But, there are plenty of 1980s cruisers for sale for around 2 grand. I see a lot of Maxims, magnas, and the like. These 80s cruisers appear to have a very upright riding position, and not very "feet forward"...which I desire. Some ads say that the bike is very clean, well kept, and runs great. So, what I am asking is...are they worth the 1500 or 2000 dollars... Or is it something that I will be putting money in to keep it running. Ideally, I would ride this bike for a year or two until I can find a nice used KLR in the area. I really have the itch to get out and ride, and learn things about motorcycling... My uses for this first bike would be riding to work (3 miles) and general exploring (on pavement or gravel). Am I being silly? Should I just hold out and get the bike I want?
Like this one...would I be ridiculousfor buying this? http://www.fenderscycle.com/powersports/1982-gs850gl-33805-miles/
If you buy it to gain experience then the one you want will come along. Then you have to go in the hole further to buy the one you want. Then the hassle of reselling the first one pisses you off and you keep it. The start of MBS (multiple bike syndrome) and it is a long term condition that most here on ADV have yet to be cured of.
Well...I have thought of that exact scenario...but I THINK the fact that I only have storage room for one bike would force me into selling. ALSO, I work with a man who absolutely loves to buy used bikes, clean them up, replace things, fix things, then sell them. He pretty much lives on Craigslist. I could see him being very happy to take an 80s cruiser off of my hands.
Boy, that's the truth! Liberty556, I think if I was in your place I'd wait for the KLR. You should be able to find one well within your price range, especially an older one. I believe the 1st gen. bikes are pretty much the same from around 1990 forward. Look around out of your area as well. You can get a bike shipped to you pretty reasonably if you get on U-Ship. I'm getting a Husaberg FE650 shipped to me that's about 8 hours away for $230.00 total cost. I couldn't beat that going and getting it myself. Nothing wrong with '80s bikes though really. About the biggest issues I've seen that are pretty common among the Japanese bikes from that era is charging system failures and to a lesser degree ignition parts failing. Parts availability is something to think about too.
The week after you buy the cruiser the perfect KLR will appear. Then where will you be? I bought a KLR for $1200. It was ugly...even uglier than KLRs typically are. I didn't care. I had tons of fun with it and farkled it with glee. I'd still have it if I didn't have so much highway riding to do to get anywhere. Be patient.
You could always buy my KLX250 I'm selling in Le Grand for $2200. https://ames.craigslist.org/mcy/4856743379.html
If I may critique your thinking. Storage room matters not. You find a way or one lives outside. If the man that lives on craigslist wanted an 80s cruiser....he would have one. They are on there everyday. He wants one at an extremely low cost from a motivated seller. That is you after purchasing the bike you want. For a first bike the 80s cruiser is a great thing to buy and your loss at resale can be minimal so your thinking is not wrong. The problem is you can not be in a hurry (forced) to resell. The right one just came along... this one...http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1043895. You couldn't buy the farkles for that price.
I dEfinitely like the KLXs...but am kinda looking for something little more highway friendly. I will keep you in mind, however...
Is it smart to buy sight unseen? I also have no understanding of how out of state titles work, or sales tax. Or getting the thing shipped for that matter...
No it is not but the vendor seems to have some credentials and could it hurt to talk to him?. If you filled out your location I would have known you were not close. You could live next door for all we know. Fly and ride, shipping, out of state registration, taxes...... done every day here on ADV.
A little sleuthing shows a distance of 750miles. Not unheard of on a KLR. I have bought 3 machines sight unseen. Each one was a concern and each had logistics to be dealt with. Each one turned out to be a fantastic adventure and memories that last a lifetime. The don't call this site...."Stay Home In Case Something Goes Wrong Rider"
OR, you could have him look for a KLR for you. If he does that much work from Craigslist, he probably knows how to get a fair deal and avoid getting screwed.
Be patient and wait for the bike you want or at least the style you want. A cruiser is nothing like a KLR. Also, it's winter in Iowa. Not many people are selling. Set up craigslist searches to be emailed to you with new listings for cities within a couple hundred miles. Or, better yet, start living on craigslist yourself. The truly good deals don't last more than an hour. Bookmark, on your phone, specific searches ( like this: "klr 650"|dr650|dr650s|klr650|xr650 ) for every city you are willing to drive to. Check these bookmarks regularly throughout the day, everyday. When you see one, jump on it or someone else will. My final piece of advice would be to include more bikes in your search for the best chance of beating your budget in the shortest amount of time. DR650, XR650L, DRZ400, etc. For reference, 2 years ago I sold a 1997 DR650 with 12K miles on it. I think I sold it for $1850 and it took a long time. The bike was 100% ready to ride. Tons of new parts, tires, etc. Examples http://quadcities.craigslist.org/mcy/4863363752.html (this is exactly what you are looking for btw) http://peoria.craigslist.org/mcy/4822478568.html http://springfieldil.craigslist.org/mcy/4830553340.html
Surf over to search tempest and set it up to look at the markets you'd go to. Then save that search as a bookmark. As said above, good deals are gone fast, so check in and be ready. Also, starting out with a KLR...hmmm...a smaller light bike might be better for a first one. That co-worker who lives on CL, get him to set you up with 250-400 cc and sell it for you when you're ready to graduate. Something like a DR350 would be perfect for getting started, and they scale well if you want to travel. Start on dirt so you learn the dynamics and crash slower. Budget for safety equipment. Take an MSF course if you haven't already. Post questions here as things come up. Take your time. It's all fun.
dang you are right. A quick peak at the desmoines CL shows some decent looking 80s bikes. there are a couple there that I would not hesitate to snap up if they were in this area (SF bay area is expensive even for 80s bikes) if you can't find the KLR you want, don't get a cruiser: get a standard like: http://desmoines.craigslist.org/mcy/4887637013.html which seems like a stellar deal to me (but I am a sucker for 80s Yamahas..). Ride it around and you might be surprised how much you like it and put of the KLR for a while. and you won't loose much in resale unless you wreck it.
Great pick. Back then it was close between that and the KZ/GPz 550. Both are like bicycles with a motor compared to the next size up, but lots of fun.
Not a 1980s bike i will agree there, but if you are not that tied to 1980s bikes and its just down to price. why not look at the suzuki gs500e. simple basic tough and cheap. They are out there at your 1500 dollars, and i will say if i were on a budget and wanted a cheap starter bike its what i would buy. here is one. http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/4891597897.html
When I shop for a new bike I usually have a larger list but within one type. When I got my KLR I was looking for SV650, KLR650, DR650, and XR650, plus whatever other dual-sports showed up on the various sales sites. I usually end up putting money into whatever bike I buy. Often there are several little things that add up: worn or old tires, fork seals, carb gunk, chain, sprockets, seat cover or revised foam, etc., etc. For me, buying a budget bike usually means spending $1,000 fairly soon getting it ready and reliable for riding. The seller may write "needs nothing" and that may be accurate or it may not. While I really like my KLR, I'm glad I learned on a lower, lighter (and even cheaper) bike. You can ride to work or on good gravel roads on any '80s bike. A dual-sport will make that more comfortable and make rougher roads easier to ride.