C'mon dawg, gotsta be da gixxer thou'. Seriously though, '01-'03 gsxr's are definitely within the price range, but most people put suzuki/kawasaki's at the bottom of the reliability scale so I was a bit hesitant.

 

think most people put gixxer riders below the bottom of the reliability scale

 

So I was in the county over and stopped by a bike shop that I frequented this past season as the guy that owns it is pretty knowledgeable when it comes to bikes. He just happened to have a CBR900RR for sale. Sorry if it's a lot of photos, but I took what I thought would be important to look at. It's in pretty good condition, it's a '98, has about 50k kilometers on the dial.

The good parts: it's closer, it looks kinda clean (taiwan fairings that don't exactly line up everywhere), the owner of the shop promised me some kinda guarantee on the motor/tranny, it'll be more manageable to ride than the '01 R1 which is known to rape newbies to liter bikes.

The bad parts: it's had a slip (which is why it has cheapo fairings), it's a '98 and reselling it might be a problem, tires look like they've only got a month or two worth of riding left on them, it'll be more manageable to ride than the '01 R1 which is known to rape newbies to liter bikes.

What I'm looking for is a good bike to transition me into a new 1000rr, which is in my plans to purchase when I move back to America this coming August.

Pics:

 

clean ride, i love my 900, , these are good bikes and strong. the weak link here is the charging system, seems like most of em need a stator and a rectifier around 20-30k miles, not that bad of a job tho, the parts cost me aroun$280. this bike also feels like a big bike, pulls hard and will pull the front wheel up on its own in the upper revs.this bike is a beast tho, it looks clean, this bike wont feel anything like a 600 tho.good luck....

 

Your correct in that the R1 can rip a newb apart quick, but so can the 900RR. With the gearing the 900RR came with, the low end torque it puts out, it can get hairy really quick. Think of the 900RR as an unrefined beast, the early R1 as a bigger beast, but slightly more refined. I guess what Im saying is, the R1 does put out more power, but the chassis is better. The 900RR is just as powerful, if not a little more down low, and a chassis that really doesnt handle the power well. Just my opinion though. The 00 and 01 R1 is much more managable than the 98-99 version.

I'd also stay away from the Huyosung. I've never ridden them, or even known anyone that has ridden them, but I"ve heard nothing but bad about them. I'd hate to drop my money on something and have a ton of problems.

Honestly, if I were you. I'd just wait and not spend the money right now. If your going to buy a bike and keep it for a few months, then try to get rid of it, your just going to waste a bunch of money and have a huge headache. I'd wait til you got back. The money you save spend on some really good gear and add-ons for your new ride when you get back.

If your still going to get a liter bike before you get back, I'd vote for the R1 over the 900rr if its still available.

 

I have considered this option, too. Realistically, I'm looking at about $1k-$2k in losses when everything is said and done, so long as I don't run into any real engine/tranny problems between here and August (I'm accounting for the fact that I could/probably have at least a minor slip and will have to buy new fairings+random pegs/clip-ons). Even if I can get a solid 4 months of riding, that's around $200-400 a month to be able to travel this country on my own terms and not leave it to riding on a bus everywhere, exploring mountain roads that I won't have a chance to when I get back to America, get some track time at an "exotic" road course, and most importantly, not waste this time not riding. I leave for Seoul in about 2 hours, I never wake up this early. I imagine this is what being a kid on a Christmas morning feels like.

 

Do they short term lease bikes anywhere?

 

Update: Bought the 2001 R1.



I test rode it, my face nearly tore in half with a smile when i spun out first and second at like half-throttle. I can only cross my fingers that there are no major issues with it that haven't presented themselves yet, but any money I lose on it, well, I'll consider it tuition on my road to becoming a better rider and a smarter bike buyer.

 

Sweet lookin' ride, some mod's too looks like! Have fun in Korea, Pil-Sung!

 

That's really nice. Hope you enjoy it. Be safe out there.