Hi guys,
I just moved to the Bay Area, CA and am looking to buy a 600cc bike. I have about 2 yrs of experience riding regular street motorcycles (not sports) ranging from 100cc to 350cc. I took the Basic Rider Course (offered by the CA Motorcycle Safety Foundation) and cleared it. I should be getting my license in a couple of days.
I am targetting a bike pricedaround the$3000 so that I afford to buy a good helmet and the rest of the riding gear. A couple of friends suggested the F4i, but I don't seem to be getting one for that price. I visited a used bike warehouse and sat on a F4i as well as a GSXR 600 and the gixxer felt a little too heavy for my liking. So I am looking at the F3 or F4from 1997 onwards.I would like to know if I am headed in the right direction.
Any other inputs/tips related to safety, riding, gear, etc. would be really helpful

 

also wanted to know as to what all should I be looking for while buying a used bike to eliminate a problem bike

 

lol make sure it runs.. it shouldnt smoke, especially not black or white smoke, which indicates either oil or coolant is making it into the cylinders. blueish gray smoke is not a huge deal, it just means it's running rich and you may need to adjust the carbs.id check for oil in places that oil isnt supposed to be, lol. look around the exhaust ports on the cylinder head, around the headgasket, and around the sidecover gaskets.lol also,set it up on a stand and spin the wheels to make sure they arent out of alignment.just remember, you're not looking to find a crook, you just want to make sure this bike is worth your time and money.

 

thanks holy.
is there something like Kelly blue book where you can enter the condition, mileage, etc of a bike and get its value? kbb for motorcycles seems to only ask for year and model

and a question about insurance - how much would i be looking at paying for 6 months? i am 30 with no tickets or accidents and i will be adding my motorcycle on to my car insurance. Do you get any discounts for taking the safety course?

 

There's also nadaguides, but its just as basic as KBB, except you can put in some accessories.
For insurance, it depends greatly, for comparison I'm 23, no tickets, CBR 600F4, paying $100 per 6 months. And yes, just about every insurance provider gives a discount if you've taken the MSF course.

 

Hello & Welcome!!

Keep an eye out on craigslist.

 

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