I'm a newbie. I've seen folk say that getting a 600 to start off with is a dumb move. I'm also getting tired of seeing so many people talk about they got a Kawi 250 and they disappointed. Even one of the Kawi sales guys I talked to said a 250 won't really like being ridden to the beach from Richmond.

Anyways, there's a guy selling an '04 CBR600F4i with 5,500 miles on it. That seems low to me for a 4 year old bike. I talked with him today. Says the original owner parked the bike when he had a kid. The guy says the bike runs well and he's even driven it to Kentucky before. He just wants to not have the payment on the bike anymore.

I'm curious though. Does a bike sitting for 2 years cause any problems? I mean the new owner has put about 900 miles on it since he's owned it. I just don't want to buy a bike and then find out it's real problem was neglect. Thanks in advance for your opinions!

 

Well there were some pots earlier about leaving gas in the tank not being good for the Fuel return line and the pump.
i have also heard from a dealership that leaving unchanged oil in the engin is corrosive to the seals and stuff

but thats all from stuff i have heard and read on this site

 

I purchased an F4i that had been sitting for a couple of years. I changed the oil, coolant, all brake fluid, inspected the chain, almost replaced it but didnt need to. replaced tires just becuase I wanted fresh rubber, and I replaced the fork oil becuase I had to change out the springs anyways

check the air filter, run some injector cleaner and a fresh tank of gas. and you should be ready to roll.

 

when gas varnishes it can & probably will ruin the fuel pump & fuel pressure regulator.

my f4i is my first bike & i'm loving it.. almost wish it had more power but its hella fast enuff honestly.

you need to sit on what feels comfortable to you, nobody can answer the question of what size bike you should get. we dont know you

if the guy has been riding it lately & hasn't had any probs i wouldn't be concerned. mine was a 2002 with only 2900 miles that HAD been sitting for 2+ years when i found it... bad fuel pump & fpr from varnished gas & i've put 3000 miles on it this month! thats on the real

good luck potnah

 

true, fuel circuit could be a problem if it hasnt even been started in a while, but that is worst case what happened to drdrewdown.

oslage where do you live? you mentioned he rode the bike to Kentucky? I live in Ky.


for comparison, I bought an '01 in mint condition in the summer of '07 with only 1,005 miles on it. but yes, that is very good mileage for an '04

 

dang ur legs might hurt and your butt would probably be sore if you sat for 2 years straight

 

+1000000 for changing the fluids as soon as you get it, you might as well just to make sure and for your own peace of mind. I started riding on a Kawi ninja 250 and it is a great little bike but after getting my 06 F4i I DO NOT like going back and riding it. The differences are night and day. If it were me I would get a cheap 250 and ride it for a month or two then sell it for what you paid then get the F4i. I totally would have dropped the F4i had it been my first bike. The 250 is really easy to handle.

 

Get what you want. You don't have to defend yourself here. You're a grown man with your own money and your own life...People will give you advice, but at the end of the day it's your choice.

As far as a vehicle sitting, yes it can hurt stuff like seals, pumps, etc..

If the bike runs good (doesn't loop at idle), the pump and fpr are probably good.."usually" when pumps go bad from sitting they freeze up. (won't prime) Just make sure it's not running rich/lean...A test drive should let you know that..If it's not blowing out smoke of the exhuast and starts right up everytime, you're probably ok..

Martins, It's true that letting the vehicle sit can be bad for the seals...I've never heard of or seen it be corrossive..I've worked as an ASE mechanic at a large auto dealer for several years..What I see alot of times is the oil seals dry up from not being lubricated for a long time and begin to leak...Valve stem seals and main seals are nutorious for this..

Without going to far indepth synthetic is good for long sitting since it has charasteristics that help hold the oil on mechanical parts, to the seals, etc for a longer period of time so they don't dry up as soon...As long as the engine doesn't smoke when you first start it (bad valve stem seals) and it's not leaking oil on the ground you'll be fine...

I'd be more worried about the price than miles..I think that sounds like a good bike, but keep in mind that it still is a 4 year old bike and depending where you live you'll be going into the off season in 3-4 months meaning there will be storage involved...Keep in mind when negotiating that there may be an urgency to sell the bike before it gets to late into the season..Basically you're going to get maybe 3 months out of the bike, will have to store it for the winter and won't see it again until it's four years old..Basically, what I'm saying is just because it's low miles doesn't make it worth more than KBB, especially this time of year depending on where you live, IMO..

 

My bike sat for like 10 months before I bought it from my friend. The best way to tell if there's a problem is to start it and ride it... if it runs good, then it's OK! Some fuel injector cleaner, a new battery, plugs, etc might be needed.

 

Thanks for all your input guys. I ended up buying the F2. It runs pretty good. I find myself getting stuck in neutral by accident sometimes, but other than that, it seems to be a great machine!