Want to buy a motorcycle

[BreckAConner]

I've been thinking about buying a motorcycle, I don't know anything about them so I need help finding a reliable bike. I've been looking at CB750s online, are these bikes reliable? I plan to use it for work, I travel in between schools all day within my city.

[deevergote]

The CB750 hasn't been produced since 2003, aside from one production year in 2007. It has a solid reputation, and seems to be well made (I have no personal experience, and I don't know all that much about motorcycles.) The newest of them being nearly a decade old, you might be buying a restoration project.
You could probably get a smaller, newer bike for less.

Are you new to motorcycles? If so, a 750 is going to be a pretty big bike to start with. If you're a beginner, you might be better starting off with a Rebel or Shadow... 250cc-500cc. If you're not going to be doing any high speed highway merging, a 250cc bike will be sufficient (my friend even takes his on the highway... though there's no way in hell I'd do that myself!)

[F22Chris]

^ x2. Rebels or shadows. My buddy from high school has a gixxer 6 and beats the hell out of it. They have a nice aftermarket too, unless you're more into the cafe/bobber that is. If it's gas milage you want, Honda helix maybe? Ugly as sin but my wife's 86 helix gets around 50mpg and can go up to 70mph with jets, intake, and exhaust. Only downside is the constant oil changes.

[H311RA151N]

Any Japanese bike will be reliable, most are affordable and most are fairly easy to service and find parts for. I prefer a Honda which isn't surprising and I currently own an '83 V65 Magna that I'm very content with.

A CB750 of any vintage is really a pretty tame bike. There are better options for a beginner yes but a CB750 is not a bad choice by any means. It's not going to sneak up and bite you like a 600cc sport bike or similar will. Displacement isn't always a determining factor on how radical a bike will behave or even the power output. Which is a common misconception.

I'm not a fan of 250's, 400's or 500's in most instances simply because the lack of power can get you into situations just as sticky as a snappy sport bike will. You can have all the power in the world and do just fine. What matters is the bikes nature. There is nothing wrong with having a bike that is capable of quite a bit as long as it has tame street manners. As for the extra power being a danger, some people will kill themselves on a tricycle. And that extra power also gives you room to grow without purchasing another bike. Which with most people is a year or less after purchasing their first bike if they do much riding at all.

My advice is get a CB750 if you want one, it's not unreasonable for a beginner, don't pay too much attention to the mileage as with a Honda it doesn't matter for the most part. Get your permit right off the bat and don't ride with a passenger. I would advise you not to ride with a passenger even if you happen to get your motorcycle endorsement for at least the first riding season. The bike won't bite you unless you get stupid. I've only rode a CB750 for a couple hours but really it only takes a couple miles to find out what a two wheeled machine all about.

Inspecting the condition of your bike frequently and thoroughly is also very critical. Just thought I'd throw that in there.

[deevergote]

Just about everyone I know that rides has dumped their bike at least once early on... so yeah, plan on that. Helmets, thick jeans, thick soled shoes or boots, and leathers are always a good idea. Inconvenient, but smart.
I occasionally see some douchenuts rolling around with no helmet, a tank top, shorts, and flip flops... and that dude is going to get seriously F'ed up even in a minor crash!

The CB750 was hailed as the first "superbike" when it first came out. Funny, that it's now described as being rather tame.

[4cam4banger]

i rip a 1971 SL175 daily in the summer. i rescued it from my vocational tech school, it was just sitting there not being used....

i
fucking
love
it

i wish i could love a car as much as i love this bike.

two cylinders, air cooled, made by honda, holds 65 on the highway, can do 70. takes no time at all to get to 40 (for ripping around town), very easy to whip around.




mind you, i don't have much experience on fast bikes. i rode a gsxr 650 or whatever one time, i hated it. i bet a cb750 is quite quick. i don't like big bikes though..... to each their own. you've got to figure out what you like

[H311RA151N]

What a piece of history! I bet your one proud owner.

I don't know what you gave for it and that's none of my business, but I guarantee it's worth many times over what you gave to the right person.

Anyone who eats pavement without a helmet, jeans, shoes and all that only does it once no matter which way you slice it. They die, they never get on a bike again or they wear proper clothing from that point on. After nursing their wounds for a couple months of course.



I'm a bigger guy and my GF likes to ride with me as well so what I would call a midsize fits my needs well. Still yet I rock a pretty iconic bike. When the V65 Magna come out it was a big deal. Significantly faster than anything out at that time. Without boasting about the bike I own too much here I will say it was about as big of a deal as when the Suzuki Hayabusa come out. There is tons to read on the V65 Magna if a person was interested in the history. Lots of people got hurt and quite a few people died on V65 Magna's. The Yamaha V Max that came out a few years after the release of the V65 took the spot light from the V65.

EDIT... my father had a V65 Magna as well and I believe he said he bought it in 87 or 88. I wish mine was in the shape his was. I remember when I was about 10 he sold it because his back started getting bad. I remember being mad at him for selling it too.



Tell you what, for the sake of conversation here's a couple other bikes my father had back in those days. All Honda's you notice.

[BreckAConner]

Thanks for the info guys, this helps me out a lot more on figuring out what I would like to get. I like the SL175 you showed me there. I don't really want a big bike, just something that can get me around town.

[deevergote]

How much are you looking to spend? You could buy a brand new Honda Rebel for under $5000. You'd have a warranty, and the peace of mind of knowing that you have a brand new bike, rather than something someone else used (and possibly abused.)

You could also pick up a used Rebel for about half that (there are a few 2012 Rebels on Craigslist in KC right now for about $3000.)

You may be able to pick up an older bike, be it the CB750 or something else, and end up with a solid machine. Like a car, though, it's a gamble. If you're not terribly familiar with bikes, you might not know what to look for when inspecting a used one... and you'll have to learn real quick what you're doing when the time comes to fix it when it breaks!


I'm not much of a bike guy. NJ is just too damn congested for me to feel safe on one. Which sucks, because they fascinate me! Still, I know if I were to go shopping for one, the brand new Rebel would likely be at the top of my list. It's a good starter bike. Comes with an acceptable pricetag, and has a very good reputation. I'd rather plop down a grand, and finance the remaining $4000.. and know that every single mile put on that bike is my own doing.
Also, as you can see by the used Rebels for sale, they hold their value pretty well. You could ride one for 3 years, and still sell it for $3000!

[bassrock234]

The newer ninja 300 are relatively cheap, under 5k brand new. I once spoke to Someone here who has one, one of the Aussie members, maybe accordtunerx. But they seemed to like it. I had a friend buy a brand new ninja 250 a year ago that was really nice. Looked just like one of the bigger bikes and rode like a dream. He never had one problem out of it and he rode it daily until he traded up to a 600.

[deevergote]

That's a very different bike than the cruiser styles we're talking about, though. Still, Ninjas are good bikes as well.

[H311RA151N]

You made mention of using a motorcycle for city transportation BreckAConner. Are you looking at purchasing a motorcycle more as an economical decision or more for enjoyment is the question you need to ask yourself when you start shopping. It could take you some time to make a selection.

A smaller bike would be beneficial in the city for the most part. But again it comes down to why are you considering a motorcycle. If your wanting one more for enjoyment then you will not want to limit where your able to ride or even how far you can ride by purchasing a bike on the smaller side of the scale. IMO 400-500cc's is doable comfortably with most bikes in the category you seem to find the most appealing.

As said before a Rebel might be a good place to start looking judging by what you have stated so far. There are quite a few bikes similar to the Rebel as well so if that's up your alley then you have a pretty good selection to choose from.

[deevergote]

There's also the option of a scooter. They're not very cool compared to a motorcycle, even a small 250cc starter bike... but they're cheap, simple, efficient, and automatic (which many people prefer, especially in cities and other areas with traffic.) The Honda Metropolitan is $2000, and the cooler looking Ruckus is only $2600. Both the Metro and the Ruckus get around 115mpg.

In comparison, the Rebel will get about 84mpg (though the tank is twice as large as the scooter tanks), and a 745cc Shadow will get about 54mpg. A 2003 CB750 (Nighthawk) gets about 45mpg (that's almost what my Fit gets!)

[BreckAConner]

I see a lot of Rebels in my area for a decent price from $900-2500. I think I might go for one of them. Some look like scooter bikes.

[H311RA151N]

I wouldn't mind a Ruckus to mess around on like on the road in front of my house or to ride around town on with a couple friends who also had scooters. What draws me in is they look cool and they are very customizeable. And of course the fact that it's a Honda. I was unaware they were $2600 new though. Wow. When you buy a Honda Ruckus new from the dealer you really want one.

BreckAConner, if you can pick up a Honda Rebel for about a $1000-$1500 in your area then that's pretty good! You must have a decent local market for motorcycles.

Anyways, good luck with your search and let us know what you get if you go through with it! Always neat to see someone want to get into riding. Those of us who have already made the venture still remember the moment we got hooked.