First of all Im new here so hello!
Glad to find this place.

I am going to drive 100 miles tonight to look
at what might be my first street bike.
Tell me what you guys think...

Ad reads as follows...

***************************************
2003 CBR954RR
Like new never dropped 14.9k miles, Red/Blk
New battery/diablo ft, shoei rf-1000 + HJC
helmets w/ 1-way visors. Joe rocket tank bag,
gloves, boots, pants, jacket, bike cover,
dealer maintained $7100 OBO.
***************************************

I have talked him down to $6000 for everything.
He says paint is brandnew looking I assume
from using the bike cover a lot. The pants are
2 sizes 2 big and Im concerned about the miles.
I hope I can get the pants resized somewhere?
He says the shoei helmet cost almost $600 and
HJC was almost $300 So that sounds like a big
plus.

What do you guys think of this deal?
Thanks!

 

I've rode for over 50k miles on the street and about the last 1k of those have been on a 954RR.
If I had much less experience, owning this bike would be a very bad idea. Being it's a
954RR forum we get a lot of this, but I'm not going to back down. Do not buy this for your 1st bike
if you want to listen to someone way farther down the riding path than you are. Sure it's possible you will
be fine and learn just as quickly as if you started out on a smaller bike.
If I put 3 glasses of water on the table and said one of them is poisened and will kill you in 5 minutes,
would you still drink one even if the odds are you will probably be ok? And not to get your hopes up,
your odds aren't near that good.

FYI, I don't take gear for sale with bikes very seriously. Anything besides leather clothes aren't worth
anything, and the odds it fits you perfectly [which it should or it isn't as safe] is slim to none.
You say the helmet cost almost 600$. His bike was almost 12,000$, but you aren't paying that. Used helmets
are worth very close to NOTHING. Because you don't know jack about riding yet, if you drop a helmet ONCE,
even from waist high on to a hard surface, it's ability to protect your skull in a crash can be comprimised. They
are designed to take ONE impact. When you see helmets for sale with a bike, the owner is GIVING them to you,
NOT selling them to you, regardless of how he makes it seem. Not to mention odds of the helmet fitting perfectly
are also very slim. Plan on buying at least $1200 in gear if you want a higher class helmet soumy/arai/shoei, which
I recommend [I have 2 shoei's and an arai rx-7].

Go buy an F3 and ride the hell out of it for a year, you WON'T regret it. You don't need to start on a bike that does 135+ in the standing quarter mile,
do you?

 

Thanks for the input on the gear. We did also have a deal for $5500 no gear
and your right it might not fit right as the pants dont already. I have been
riding a 600 dirtbike for a long time I know its not the same as a street bike
but none the less some 2 wheeled experience. I have ridden my friends
929 quite a few time as of late and love it. Of cource I never took it over
8000 rpm because Im a noob on the streets. I dont want to buy a 600
and then 6 months from wish I bought a bigger bike... I want to have
more and not use it rather then not have it and want to use it.

I have read a few post here about this matter of starting on 600's....
I am confident I can respect a larger bike and take it as i comes.
With that being said I still ask is this a good deal $6000 for all
or $5500 just the bike?

Thanks for the concern and I respect you experience,
I should listen but I can tell I wont.. This 954 is calling me...

 

That's what I'm saying.. 954 was/is my first street bike and I love it...but to be honest with you EVERYONE I talked to was against me getting a liter for my first bike, and they were definitely right... First week out I scared myself sh#tless the thing is so damn fast. Still no big problems other than a low side I probably would've done on a trike cuz of the conditions, but then again I've got a lot of restraint that not everyone is lucky enough to have.

See if you can get it for $5k ride the **** out of it for a year then sell it for more than you paid for it. As they say, the bike will only go as fast as your right wrist lets it go.

 

welcome to the forum
o8

 

I'd go for the no gear price option and pick out some great stuff that you've personally done research on. Sportbikes.net/cycleforums.com has sections that have 'gear reviews' which are nice. I can help you as well, I've gone through a lot of gear. It sounds like you have made up your mind, but the problem with getting a bigger bike to ride on is so complex a newb can't even understand until it's basically too late. The throttle sensitivity on this bike alone makes it terrible for 1st bike. Newer 600's run 10 second quarter miles. Not sure how much faster you are looking to go. Just take it slow regardless and get as much training as possible through MSF, riding schools, etc.

 

Thanks Im actually looking at the bike in a few hours now it turns out.
I plan to respect that throttle for some time to come. Im not planning
on being a nut case so I think Ill be ok!

 

Got the bike and I must say I love it!
It does not have a scratch on it and rides and look brandnew!
Im taking it real easy for now so all is good
I think it handles like a dream personaly....

 

good man... pics??

 

Welcome to the forum.

Newbie advice,...... read, listen, absorb, practice, repeat,...................Oh, did I mention Enjoy?

The 954 is an awesome machine, I know you will love it.