Thanks for all the replies.

I'll just take exactly the most I'm gonna want to spend on a bike (depending on what the bike is worth to me). I'll say, here's $2,300 and a kick in the *****/shin/mouth. I'll figure it out. My old room mate and I will go look at bikes in a couple weeks. He knows his stuff.

 

Take less than the most you're willing to spend. If you go with $2k and he wants all $2.3k, going back to the house to get the other $300 will give you a moment to truly evaluate the bike.

Bike Lust may make you say "Well having to do the valves won't be that bad"

 

The taking less is a good idea. I'll have to take two trips before the bike comes home. One to go look at it then go back probably the next day with a trailer. I'd rather get familiar with it in my neighborhood than on highways and stuff like that on the way home. Unless I find one very local.

I'm fine with a little bit of barely noticeable cosmetic damage, but anything mechanically wrong I'll be leery. I want to be riding, not fixing and paying more money.

 

I recently came across a steal on a 97 f3 with 9k on it. I got it for 1700 with a brand new icon jacket and icon gloves and a hjc mutant helmet all less than a month old..the guy dumped it lightly and the bike feels like i just drove it off the showroom floor!

 

yes wait for fall really...you will see things like 2006 cbr's for 2500 bucks...people give bikes away in the fall