I like the 07 as well. Make sure to run he VIN # through Carfax to see if it has any insurance claims. If it does ask them what happened and what was all fixed.

Moses

 

The '08 would be very interesting except for the recent paint job. The bike must have been dropped. They did come in pearl orange as one of the 4 color options in '08 but it is strange to be repainted. Any plastics are replacable and come pre-painted from Honda. I would seek to uderstand the history on that one.

As a side note, I paid $6k for mine with 1k miles a couple of months ago so these are a bit on the pricey side with more the age and miles.

 

personaly i would go with what ever one is in the best condition from 06 or newer.... Make sure you really look over the bike, you will always find there is a lot more wrong with it after you buy it then you first noticed.

 

I think the prices of these bike is different with location. Being in KC i think the prices are just higher because these prices are actually on the low side compared to many others. I plan on personalizing my cbr with doing white/silver Repsol fairings as soon as i get it so cracked or scratched fairings won't bother me. My main concern would be frame/engine damage. I was told by a friend a way to check for frame damage is to ride the bike at or above highway speed (80mph) and if the bike wobbles or shakes there is a good chance of frame damage. Is this true?

 

Sounds right on the road check. You should be able to visually tell if the frame has taken a hard hit or been down. The vin (decal) is on the left side of the bike and should be in place and intact. If the frame has been painted or patched then I would steer clear.

 

Yeah, road-test at freeway speeds is a good. Take your weight off the bars and ride it no-hands and make sure it tracks straight. Even without shakes a bent frame may slowly pull and steer to one side when ridden no-hands. Or it may have to be leaned over slightly to track straight. Although out-of-alignment rear-wheel can do this as well.

I'd go with the previous suggestions to stay under your budget to allow for maintenance costs and leave you some for upgrades too.