The Owners even chuckled at the fact they had four months to get the work done. They swore it wouldn't take longer than two months to finish. We signed the lease at the end of June, 2007.
Yeah.
As you may be able to tell, I am not happy about this ordeal, it has seriously caused a lot of stress and pain for me and my family. It's hard to plan finances for a certain date, only to have that date stretch by over 8 months. It's been tough.
Add in that I haven't been able to go for a ride in a long time, and if you ride, you know how quickly the ride becomes the perfect reliever of stress and you can understand how badly I want a motorcycle.
But, I have had time (oh, have I had time) to really research bikes, decide on a bike, change my mind, decide on another bike, read ADVRider.com, decide I need an adventure bike and change my mind again.
However, I honestly feel like I can see a light at the end of the tunnel and I decided to get serious about picking a bike that I will find and purchase (unless I find a really, really good deal on another bike that is on my list).
So, how does a bike get on my list? Well, good question. I only have a few criteria:
1. Must be able to cruise at 80 mph. The bike must also be able to hit 90 without adversely affecting the motorcycle. If I ever decide to hit I-10 for a few days of riding, I want to be able to. Not sure I will, but I want to be able to do it.
2. Light weight. I don't want a 700 pound bike.
3. Must be reliable and newbie friendly for repairs/maintenance.
4. Must be cheap. Real cheap. Like one to three thousand. In good shape. I've been looking and that's doable.
5. Must be a cool bike. I'm a fan of the underdog or the things that only a true fan could love. You know what I mean? For example, I had a dog that was part lab, part dachshund. There you go. He was cool.
6. Would be cool to have an online following. Cause I like to belong :)
So far, there are five motorcycles that fit the bill:
1. The Buell Blast.
Ok, where to start? I first saw a Buell Blast last year, when Tim and I went to bike night at Famous Dave's here in Tallahassee. We were walking around the parking lot looking at the bikes and this was the coolest looking bike there. Well, it was, until the ratty BMW dual sports pulled up. Nothing cooler than those, if they're muddy, in my opinion. Anyway, I had no idea what the Blast was but it was definitely cool looking in my opinion.
So, when I got home, I googled it and found out it is the sport bike Harley Davidson. Sort of. More or less. The Blast is not a sport bike, but the bigger Buells are, in every sense of the word. The Blast is a very small bike, with an air cooled 500cc single cylinder motor.
It is not particularly fast, in motorcycle terms, but will outrun most any car off the line and will cruise at 80mph, so performance wise, it is fine. They are also reliable, after you weed through the knee jerk comments. There is a dedicated group of people that absolutely love these bikes and their site is at the
Buell Blast Motorcycle Forum
So, the Blast fits my criteria. The only concerns I have are that it is a very small bike. I look ok on it, and felt great sitting on it. The handlebars are up high and sitting there, hearing the single cyclinder rumble... ok, it was a slight rumble, but still.... It just felt cool to me and that's all that counts. The other concern is that they cost more new than a Ninja 250 and used, you can find a Ninja 250 (and even Ninja 500's) for what some people ask for their Blast. Yes, I know about haggling and all, but still, it is a concern.
Next bike:
2. Pre-2008 Ninja 250.
To be honest, this is my choice as of right now. It does everything I need and want in a bike. Sure, it's a 250cc engine, but so what? The bike has completed several Iron Butt Rallies, goes 100 mph GPS verified, is extremely reliable and easy to work on and has a rabid following, as seen at the Ninja 250 Riders site.
They are also dirt cheap, because too often, people buy them and consider them a 'starter' bike. I do not buy the whole 'I outgrew the bike's power so I HAD to upgrade' BS you see. The Ninja will outrun most every car out there, will break every speed limit in America, so why do you need to 'outgrow' it's speed ability? Noone can explain that to me.
Sure, I understand that you might WANT more power but my guess is the majority of the people buying and then selling a Ninja 250 that use that excuse are doing so because of peer pressure or some goofy ideal of what a real Motorcycle is. I do understand that the Ninja may not work well for 2 up riding or heavy touring but I don't see many people riding their Hayabusa or R6 or whatever at 100 mph in Tallahassee or on the Interstate.
Sorry, let me get off the soap box.
I've always liked the way the Ninja looks, ever since they were released back in 1986. The fact that they remained basically the same for 20 years also really appeals to me. Their underdog status also really appeals to me. Add in they are cheap and I'm a big fan of them.
The main concern I have on the Ninja 250 is the comfort of the bike. It is pretty small and I'm not sure how comfortable I'll be riding it for longer than an hour. Sitting on them, I'm pretty comfortable but I'm not sure if the slight lean to the handlebars would become a pain.
The other concern I have is that with a bit of research, it is possible to find the next bike on my list for only a bit more money...
3. Ninja 500
Well, take what I wrote for the 250 above, and add another 250cc to it. This would certainly cure any worry about power and it is a bit bigger than its 250 sibling. There is a decent fan site for the bike at EX-500.com
There are a few concerns though. First, and I realize it is purely an aesthetic problem but I really do not like the horrendous front fairng. I'm sure I can live with it, but it is UGLY. But, I do not see this keeping me from a Ninja 500.
The only other concern is that I am wondering: Do I need a 500cc bike?
Other than that, I like the Ninja 500. In Kawasaki Green or in Yellow, please.
Next bike:
4. Suzuki GS500F.
Neat bike. Performance and comfort is fine. It is roomier than the Ninja 250, that's for sure. It is more expensive used, though. There is a decent fan site at GS Twin.
It's a bit plain, I guess but there's nothing wrong with that. Flying under the radar is fine with me.
This bike has everything I'd need, plenty of power, plenty of room, fun and reliable.
The only concern is price. I think I could find a Ninja 500 for less. I know this write up is small, compared to the others but I do like the bike.
Last but not least:
What a cool bike. It really fits the bill for everything I want in the motorcycle I buy. It, like the Ninja, until this years update, was basically unchanged for 20 years. It's a big single cylinder bike and a lot taller than the other bikes I have on my short list. I sat on a KLR at a local dealer and looking at it, the bike is huge! But, when I sat on it, honestly I felt better on it than the other bikes listed.
The bike would do everything I want it to do on my list and it has an extremely large online fan base, as seen at KLR650.net. Plus, it gives me the ability to ride off road, well, off paved roads. I don't think I'd be doing much serious off roading.
There are some concerns on the KLR, though. One is price. I'm not sure I could get a good model for under $3000. It's possible, but not as easy as the other bikes on my list.
The other concern is financial. For less money, the other bikes would do everything as well as the KLR, maybe even better, except riding on dirt roads. So if I found a KLR for the right price, chances are I could find one of the other motorcycles for less.
Anyway, those are the five motorcycles I think I'd be very happy on. If you've made it this far, feel free to let me know your opinion. They would be welsome!
5 comments:
I have a Blast. It is a great commuter bike, though it is a bit light for the highway. I have had the bike since February of this year and absolutely love it. I am not a big mod guy, but there are certainly a lot of mods you can do to it. I have a stock Blast and have all of the maintenance performed at the nearby Harley/Buell dealership. So far, it has been relatively maintenance-free. If you don't have a long commute, are a bit on the shorter side, want good gas mileage, and want very little maintenance overhead, this bike is perfect.
Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence on the Blast. I do really like the way they look, sound and feel when I sat on one, but there are a couple of problems for me.
I'm 6'3 but the bike was still comfortable. So that's not really a problem.
The Harley place in town looks at Buells like they are a disease so getting any advice or parts from them would probably be impossible.
And laqstly, I don't think I can find one for the same price as a Ninja 250 or 500.
But personally, I think the Blast is the best looking bike in this group, and one of the best looking on the road.
Oh, by the way, excellent music choices on your profile.
I found my Blast on Craig's List for $3K. It was a 2000 with only 237 miles on it! If you are patient and cruise CL for a few weeks/months, you might find a Blast for ~$2K. Good luck in your search.
You know, I was just thinking. You might have some luck finding a Suzuki SV650. It isn't hard on the eyes, especially the older ones without the weird faring. The 2002 SV650 is really a nice looking bike. I am also kind of partial to the Triumph Scrambler too, though this might be out of your target displacement. I think that I am going to stick with "thumpers" from here on out though. If I could have any bike between 500 and 900 ccs and it was a thumper, I would probably go with the BMW 650 or maybe one of the Royal Enfield bikes.
All very cool bikes, but I'm trying to get the best bang for the buck and I think these five bikes are about the best in that regard. But the SV650 is also a good choice, but you don't see them here too often.
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