hey guys im brand new here and wanted to know a little information. Im about to buy my first motorcycle and i hope you can help me out. I am looking at a 2003 Honda CBR600F4i that has 37,000 miles on it but has been kept up with service, it has an aftermarket pipe on it also. It has been dropped but the only damage to the bike is on the fairings. sounds and works fine but havent ridden it and i know the guy personally. hes asking around $3,500 for the bike. whats a fair price to ask from him, is his price right and is 37,000 miles too many? also when i test ride it what should i look for?

 

IMHO that is too high a price for a bike with fairing damage, 9 years old, and 37k miles. Maybe $2500

 

i know the price is too high, i think i can get him down to around 3,200. really just concerned about if it has any life left in it at 37,000 miles. i dont want to constantly have to take the bike to the garage to fix it and tweak it because of its age. what should i lookout for with the bike when riding it?

 

Yea I must second that opinion as to his asking price being to high. ^^ I bought my 2001 with 30k miles for around 2500 and even then I wanted to talk them down a little bit because the bike had some rash on the left, some oxidation in a few areas, some rust on the forks, bottom triple, some bolts, kick stand was toast, turn signals didn't work at the time nor did the brake light. The seller was firm on the price however an F4i has always been the bike of my dreams hehe so I bit and bought it. I would say if he isn't willing to do at least 2500 then keep looking. You'll be glad you did. A guy on here for example I think his name is Mr. Phil or something just picked up an 03 R1 for 2800 I think with under 30k on the clock and the pads only needed to be replaced and he had receipts for a full service. Just some food for thought for you...and NO I AM NOT SAYING LOOK FOR A 1000 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD......hahaha keep us updated on what transpires. I would be interested to see how things play out for you. =)

Also I personally started out on a ninja 250 and i am so glad I did because I honestly think I could have been really hurt or totaled my bike if not. . I got away with so many mistakes as a new rider and it has totally made me a better rider because of it. When you make mistakes on a 600, which you will it can totally bite you in the fckn *** before you even realize what's happening. I guess I am one of those that believes starting small is really such a good idea but if you have your mind made up that you want a 600 you better mind your p's and q's while you are developing yourself. Make SURE you take a basic rider course no matter what bike you get and also buy Keith Codes A Twist Of The Wrist 2 book. You'll be amazed at how much information is in there and how many things you never knew existed that is an absolute necessity when it comes to controlling/staying alive on a motorcycle. He is an ex professional racer that brakes everything down and takes you to college in his book. Part one is for the track part two is for the street basically. One of the best books I have ever read. Also make sure you do tire reviews on what ever the bike comes with and or buy replacements accordingly. Best of luck to you.

Let the other half of people that believe starting on a 600 is perfectly fine come on in and start going nuts with posts i'm sure it's coming. ^^

 

For some crazy reason around here people ask high prices for bikes that are loads too..not saying that the bike hounds a load, but IMHO the price is high. The again, people can ask whatever they want.. They probably won't get it. If you really like the bike, offer 2800 and try to get it closer to 3000.. If you really like the bike. 30K miles is nothing if the bike has been kept up with.

 

I looked at a couple ninja 250's for a starter but I would get a 2012 or 2011 which is going to be around the same price as what I think I can get this bike for. Is this bike twitchy or beginner friendly? I'm extremely careful when it comes to things such as riding. I've ridden dirtbikes for a while and own a crf150f that I ride on trails and track but I know those two are worlds apart. I plan on riding Just to and from high school which is about 4 miles away and around campus when I go to college.

 

Just bought an 06 f4i as my first bike. So far I have scared myself a couple times. Thankfully, there is no low end power. I am extremely lucky my friends talked me out of a 1000. So far so good. While I haven't ridden a 250, I am happy with my purchase.

Shop, shop and shop. When you find something, don't be afraid to negotiate. There are a lot of people out there that need cash for something and you can get their bike. I walked away and the guy called me 30 min later and came off $300 on his rock bottom price. I didn't get a steal, but definitely a better price.

I was acutely aware of high or low mileage bikes. Beware of the garage queens. They are just as likely to have problems (rusty gas tank) as the high mileage ones. Get something that has been driven regularly, but not excessively.

Good luck.

 

The price is way to high. Go to KBB or NADA and punch in the info to get the fair retail price. REMEMBER nothing is selling in this market higher than fair retail price. I would go even lower. One thing on the 2001-2003 F4I, is the ECU. Check the fuel cut relay, and engine stop relay to make sure they are there and not jumpered out!!!!!!!!!!! Epically the back one (fuel cut relay). They are located on the right side of the bike between the tail faring and the frame. You should be able to get to them and see if they are in place w/the rear seat removed, and possibly you might have to remove the front also, only 2 screws. If one has a jumper wire in it your ECU most likely is not sending the ground signal to it preventing the fuel pump from priming. You can still run the bike like that (I do) but remember the ECU has an issue an it costs about 1000.00 new from the dealer. Good luck.

 

Just checked mine and you can see the relays w/only the rear seat removed, you need a flashlight. Look On the right side, they will have square rubber covers on them about 1 inch square covering the relays. Put your fingers in and feel to confirm relays are in place.

 

Like everyone else has said, thats way too high. Absolute most I would pay for a bike thats 9 years old with those miles on it (even if it has been taken care of) is $2,500, but thats without any damaged fairings or anything. Shop around for awhile. I shopped around for about 3-4 months before I found my bike. Its a '01 f4i that I got for $500. It was completely taken apart and had a thrown rod in the engine, but the guy gave me a 600rr engine with 5,000 miles on it that I sold for $450, so I basically got what I payed for the bike back. All in all, I got a bike for $50 after I sold the engine, and fun project to work on (still rebuilding it as I just got it a few weeks ago). Just look around before you decide that you definitely want to buy this bike.