Moderator: Not sure where to post this, so please move where appropriate.

Hi there. I'm in the process of adding a second bike to my driveway, and I've come across a CBR. Seeing as how this forum likely holds a wealth of knowledge, I'd like to pose some questions and concerns and hopefully gain insight. Now, I'm comparing in my head the 98 CBR to my 08 Ninja, so I'm aware I may be overstating issues.

The bike I looked at today was a 1998 SJ edition, 19000mi., with an asking price of 2200$. I noticed a few things:

The bike has undoubtedly been sitting. I suspect it could use a good carb cleaning. There was a hesitation at partial throttle and it felt a tad weak on the accel (sync issue?), though I may have been a lot easier on it than if it were my bike. I don't care to damage a bike I don't own. Is the throttle normally stiff on these bikes? My Kawa blips like a beast, but this took some effort to pull. I saw a bit of rust.The exhaust is rusted, muffler is fine and I heard no leaks, so I don't suspect anything bad there. The pegs are rusted pretty good. The clutch was very, i want to say, rough? Almost as if the plates were dry. I asked about the previous oil change, he says about 2000miles prior. I didn't notice any slippage. The bike had been laid down on it's right side. looks like a relatively low speed lowside. I noticed very quickly on my initial rolling check that there were no rear brakes. Pedal pushed with no resistance. I suspect air or leak. Front brakes were fine. The guy was very open with looking it over and pretty quick to put me on the bike, so I don't think he would be hiding any issues. Everything else is superficial. It needs one hell of a bath, the clutch cable needs lube, the turn signals are the size of my head.

So the questions
How much of a bastard are the carbs on this thing?
Is the throttle stiff on these?
Would sitting for a long while cause the clutch to feel less than smooth?
How expansive is the vendor list for these bikes? Are parts impossible to find?

I'm convinced in my own head that 2200$ is steep for this bike in this condition, but I'm not familiar with the CBR. Given the information above, is it worth it to consider this bike? And if so, where is a good point to start negotiating. He is flexible, he says, as he polished his beautiful new Harley Davidson.

98 CBR 600 f3 Smokin Joes Edition

Thanks for the insight.

 

I'd say the price is a little on the high side (at least in my area). I'd offer more in the 15-18 hundred range. Yes it may run, but to run reliably you're going to invest another
5 to 12 hundred in it. so that puts the actual bike's cost at $2700 to $3400.
For that investment you can purchase a pristine one.

Ern

 

I would have to completely agree with madhattr it is a bit steep of a price and you will be putting money back into it for sure. R/R, fuel pump, cct, ect... They are great bikes but are going to feel a bit lethargic compared to your ninja. I rode a 04 zx636 before my 96 f3 and while the cbr is fast and had a healthy low and mid range it just could not touch the top end pull of that 636. The CBR is much much more comfortable ,and on the twistys can easily hold its own with a more modern bike untill a straight away. If you are interested in this bike ask the owner about the cct, Manual or stock as the stockers are prone to fail. And check the R/R by making sure the voltage at the battery is 14.5 or so at 5k rpm. Compared to the ninja I was riding the throttle felt the same way to me tight and and slow to close. But maybe worse on the one your looking at due to sitting or grunge in the cable and throttle tube. if you can pick it up for 15 or so it would probably be worth it. Parts are very easy to come by used and new. Clutch is probably worn out from from use or has some warped plates. And as far as the carbs its really not that bad and there is all the help you need on this sight.

 

Thanks for the responses. I'll talk to the owner and see if I can get him down to a reasonable price. If not, I'll just continue to shop. I've been stalking the forum nonstop over the past several days, and the amount of knowledge I find here is incredible.

Here's to hoping I can continue to pick your brains in the very near future!

 

the throttle tightness could be due to cables too tight. it should be light and easy just like any other bike. or the throttle tube could be damaged as well as the handlebar bent if it went down on the right side.

love that bike tho!

 

The bike did, in fact, go down on the right. If the bars are bent, it wasn't noticeable at all. I assumed the throttle should be silky smooth, but this was far from it. The clutch cable felt as if it lacked greased, so perhaps neither cable received any lube?

 

the bike as it is SJR is a great find. it is a beautiful bike but the price at this condition is little much. i have paid $3200 for mine at the beginning of the year.
mine was dropped by previous owner with minor scratches. other than that bike was spotless and ran perfect. (still does) it also had 8k miles.

for your find i would sattel for $1700 -$1800 no more than that.


check if this is the real replica.....the 8th digit in the vin should read 3 look like this 253.....were just f3 is 250...another thing, in the lower left corner it should say CBR600SE

good luck with your decision.

if you have any questions please feel free to pm me.

 

We've agreed on $1700, so this should be in my driveway Monday or Tuesday!

 

Very cool! Be sure and go through all of the systems before you get it out on the road.

Change all of the fluids, oil, coolant and brakes, for starters. Check chain tension/sprocket condition.

Be sure that the brakes are operating properly. Lube all of the cables as well (as per
our earlier concern about throttle cable).
Take the time to adjust the controls to fit. A lot of blown shifts are due to the shifter
being too high/low.

Another neglected area, go through the harness. Inspect all of the connectors for tight
fit and any signs of heat damage (burnt pins/warped-melted plastic). A little contact
cleaner and di-electric grease, are your friends here. Make a serious inspection of the
R/R. This is the most common failure point in the entire line of hondas. And the
milage is about right for it to raise it's head up.

A couple of cycles of Seafoam added to the tank will forstall a carb issue till you get
the chance to pull them and give them a good going over, as well.
And the milage is about right for a valve clearance check as well, although that's
usually a "when I get around to it" kind of thing.

Happy Thanksgiving! Ern

 

very nice, thats a nice bike to add to to your driveway. its a eye catcher for sure. have fun with it.