Looking for a Bike

[noshine4mine]

I looking at 03 to 06 600cc Hondas and Kawasakis. Are there any wierd manufacturing things about the earlier models? I heard some sport bikes experimented with oil in the frame.

How much importance do you place on lack of maintence records? I change the oil in my car all the time, I don't see a Motorcycle being that hard, however I have never actually done it.

Should I be looking for maintence records for the transmission too?



Anyone know if the CBR in the classifeds is still for sale?

[eastsidetorino]

My last Honda was an electrical nightmare, and the dealership wanted ducati prices for parts. I can say of all the bikes Ive owned, that was the only one I didnt feel bad about signing over the title.

[Cooter]

was your last honda an 03-06?

[Hobie]

My last Honda was an electrical nightmare, and the dealership wanted ducati prices for parts. I can say of all the bikes Ive owned, that was the only one I didnt feel bad about signing over the title.

was your last honda an 03-06?

I've owned a little bit of everything in the sportbike world, including Ducatis. Please tell me where you're getting Ducati parts for Honda prices, I'm going to be a millionaire!

I doubt it and if it was some pieced together salvage junk that someone else poorly cobbled together don't expect it to have the exceptionally quality Honda is known for.

[Hobie]

I looking at 03 to 06 600cc Hondas and Kawasakis. Are there any wierd manufacturing things about the earlier models? I heard some sport bikes experimented with oil in the frame.

How much importance do you place on lack of maintence records? I change the oil in my car all the time, I don't see a Motorcycle being that hard, however I have never actually done it.

Should I be looking for maintence records for the transmission too?



Anyone know if the CBR in the classifeds is still for sale?

03/04 636 front forks have a design flaw that causes them to fail. It's easy to stay on top of.

No Japanese bikes had oil in the frame. Buells had fuel in the frame and oil in the swingarm IIRC. I'm not sure what years and what models did what, I've never owned a Buell, but a couple board members have them.

Oil changes are more important on japanese sportbikes as the motor, transmission, and clutch (they have wet clutches, Ducatis have a dry clutch) share the same oil.

Almost no one seems to keep records though, lol.

Changing it is easy, most Hondas won't even require the removal of the lower fairings.

[eastsidetorino]

bike was an old 97....the problems I had weren't atypical of bikes that age, just I had to pay $300 (with 10% military discount) for a fuel petcock. I never got an adjusting screw for the left fork because the dealership wanted $700 for the screw assembly itself (not the full fork). I left a wheel and tire (17") at the dealership for two weeks and it never got mounted. Most of my problems with the Honda were dealership related. There are a lack of bike junkyards in Hawaii, and most of the reproduction parts you can get come from china and are of questionable quality. I do recall they wanted just short of $500 for a voltage regulator/rectifier assembly..and thats about the time I decided the bike was no longer going to be in my possession.

[Hobie]

bike was an old 97....the problems I had weren't atypical of bikes that age, just I had to pay $300 (with 10% military discount) for a fuel petcock. I never got an adjusting screw for the left fork because the dealership wanted $700 for the screw assembly itself (not the full fork). I left a wheel and tire (17") at the dealership for two weeks and it never got mounted. Most of my problems with the Honda were dealership related. There are a lack of bike junkyards in Hawaii, and most of the reproduction parts you can get come from china and are of questionable quality. I do recall they wanted just short of $500 for a voltage regulator/rectifier assembly..and thats about the time I decided the bike was no longer going to be in my possession.

All dealer parts are very expensive for sportbikes. Economies of scale you know.

I would think being in Hawaii was also a problem as far as cost was concerned.

In the future Bikebandit.com and ronayers.com sell OEM parts the cheapest in my experience.

I put over 85k miles on my original beater F3 that was cobbled together from a wrecked bike that I would wreck again in one serious crash (hit&run with a car) and a few minor drops here and including a flipped stoppie.

F3s and many old bikes from the late 80's-90's were known for killing stators and rectifiers. I was always told it was the nature of the electrical system and it happened when a bike was jumped/push started on a dead battery and recharging a dead battery and powering the bike were too taxing for the electrical system. Keep in mind they don't have the automotive style belt driven alternator.

Mine was ridden frequently year round and never had a stator or rectifier issue.

I've also been told that once upon a time stator technology was so bad that you had to rev old bikes at a stop or they might not generate enough juice and they would die.

Again, just what I've been told and we all know how that goes.

[Adam]

I fried a regulator/ rectifier on the 92 f2 I had when I tried to jump start it with my truck lol.

[eastsidetorino]

yea, my point was that the only support for keeping a Honda on the road here in Hawaii is through the dealership. This dealership in particular has repeatedly been the worst experience Ive had. I wont say that that bike was any better/worse than my Suzuki or Yamaha in terms of build quality, but that dealership experience was so bad that I will never go back to owning another Honda.

[noshine4mine]

03/04 636 front forks have a design flaw that causes them to fail. It's easy to stay on top of.

Can they be changed out completely or is that not cost effective?
Is it seals or something?

[lowthreeohz]

pokulskiblatz or w/e on here is selling my old 05 636. low miles and freshly restored!

[Hobie]

Can they be changed out completely or is that not cost effective?
Is it seals or something?

Changed out for 05/06 forks, but the problem isn't that hard to stay on top of.

There is a set screw in the bottom of the for that comes loose, then the slider backs out, then it smashes up into the fork, then it breaks and you eat shit.

If you tighten it every oil/brake/tire change it won't be a problem. If the forks starts leaking that's an ominous sign. The slider needs to be spun back down in the bottom of the fork and set screw tightened, but some damage has been done and the leak has not been stopped.

This is the most famous image by far;


It's not just stoppies/stunters that are problems. People think because they don't stunt they'll be fine, WRONG.

[4.0x3.48]

I got a 2003 600RR for sale.

[Skidmark]

I've got an '04 GSXR600 with 6500 miles on it. It's got fresh paint, CF style mirrors, CF Yoshi shorty exhaust, nice bike! Not really looking to sell, but i've been eyeballing the fuck out of a '11 ZX10

If interested PM me and I'll get pictures and a price together.

[BP]

Interested in an American sport bike? I'm going to get in trouble on my Buell. 25+ more horsepower, nearly double the torque and it's lighter than most of the 600s on the market. It won't be much more than a clean, low mileage 636.