I'm sure this question has been asked a million times but peoples opinions change over the years. Going to look at a '93 CBR 600F2 on Friday and want to know a few things prior to making the drive to go take a look at it. For reference, here is a couple photos of the listing below my paragraph. I currently own a 95' DR250SE and a '01 Supermoto XR650R and this would be my first venture into the world of sport bikes.


I live in a very rust free area (essentially 0% humidity in Northern Nevada), and the frame seems to fit that idea well.
My questions are as follows...

-What are some things I should look for when viewing the bike?
-Generally, what milage will these F2's go to? (I've read that they can last a very long time with proper maintenance)
-What are the differences between the years? (91-94)
-What is the value these days? (I would assume I can talk down the price but there are a limited amount of comps in my area)
-Where is the best place to buy parts? (OEM)

Thank You!

-Evan

 

That bike appears to be unmolested. The exhaust looks original. The plastics look to be in good shape. Overall, from the 2 pictures, she seems like a nice bike.
The value is totally subjective. Sport bike popularity in your area is a big factor. Where I live, (deep south), there are more cruisers than all others combined. If that bike popped up for sale in my neck of the woods for that price, I'd be on my way to look at it.

To answer your questions,
Before the owner starts up the bike to show you how it runs, feel the exhaust. If it's cool, that is a good sign. When bikes have issues, they can be hard to start when cold. Sometimes a seller will get the bike warmed up prior to the buyer arriving so that it starts easier.
On that particular bike, it looks like a battery tender is being used. I view that as a good thing. It points to the owner being responsible mechanically.
I would look for obvious wear on exterior components, tires, chain, etc..
How well does it run when the choke is disengaged? How long does it take for it to run so it doesn't need choke? This is a carburetor bike. When starting from cold, regardless of the outside temp, it should require choke. It shouldn't take long before you need to decrease or completely disengage the choke. If the bike requires the choke to run all the time, then there are carb issues to deal with.
As for how long the bike will last, that's a huge variable. As you stated, proper maintenance is key. Also, the riding style of the owner, (did they redline it constantly) plays a factor. If a bike is maintained, and ridden responsibly, 60k is easily attained. There are still tons of f2, and f1s out on the road.
As far as parts go, it's a crap shoot, due to age. Model specific parts can be tough to find in some cases. For example, if you needed new fairings or other body parts, you likely will not find them on a parts shelf. You will have to use eBay and other places like that. But other parts, you can find all day long at places like partzilla.com. Consumable parts like brakes, tires, chains, are no problem.
As to the differences in the model years, they are very minor. 99% of things are the same. I can't speak to specifics, but it isn't anything notable. The biggest difference would be between the California and the regular model. They are pretty much exactly the same bike except in the carb and air intake areas. Other than that, you wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

Hope this helps and good luck. She's a really good-looking bike.