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Need your help again Kawimembers

4K views 48 replies 17 participants last post by  HaisseM 
#1 · (Edited)
So my girl took the MSF and she's ready for a bike.

Needless to say she wants a Kawi... She tells me, she wants a reason to spend all day on Kawiforums like I do :)

Anyways looking for a little insight into how much we should pay for a used Kawi Looking at this one: J&M Motorsports but the price was too high in my opinion.

What should we offer?

Things to consider, it's going to be her "first" bike. So I expect her to drop it (even if it's just in a parking lot while putting the kick stand down) So I don't want new.

Money IS an issue. It's not that we don't have it, I don't want to spend 5k on a bike at this point when there is a good chance she'll want someone else (whoops, another bike) in the near future.

Also we're trading in this bike:

2005 Suzuki DR-Z125L Pictures & Specs | Suzuki Motorcycles - Suzuki Motorcycle, Dirtbike and ATV Specs and Pictures

but in blue and in good to great shape. What should we ask for it!!! As always your help is much appreciated!
 
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#3 ·
I don't want to spend 5k on a bike at this point when there is a good chance she'll want someone else in the near future.
Cant live with 'em.
Can't shoot 'em.
 
#5 ·
So my girl took the MSF and she's ready for a bike.

Needless to say she wants a Kawi... She tells me, she wants a reason to spend all day on Kawiforums like I do :)

Anyways looking for a little insight into how much we should pay for a used Kawi Looking at this one: J&M Motorsports but the price was too high in my opinion.

What should we offer?

Things to consider, it's going to be her "first" bike. So I expect her to drop it (even if it's just in a parking lot while putting the kick stand down) So I don't want new.

Money IS an issue. It's not that we don't have it, I don't want to spend 5k on a bike at this point when there is a good chance she'll want someone else in the near future.

Also we're trading in this bike:

2005 Suzuki DR-Z125L Pictures & Specs | Suzuki Motorcycles - Suzuki Motorcycle, Dirtbike and ATV Specs and Pictures

but in blue and in good to great shape. What should we ask for it!!! As always your help is much appreciated!
Hopefully that's a typo ;)
 
#7 ·
Why don't you buy used? I've seen tons of 250 going for like under 2g's...You could prob also get a used older 600 for around 3 too. Or say fuck it and do what I did and buy a racebike
 
#14 ·
whoa.....fuck no....I wouldn't even pay a 1000 for it. Like 500 tops. I've seen 2008's go for that price
 
#17 ·
Thanks for all your help guys. What about this bike?

http://craigfarless.smugmug.com/Motorcycles

It was my race bike. When I retired from racing, I converted it back to street legal to commute on. Tags are current, title clean. It has ~1500 miles since my last motor rebuild. Total miles ~20000. Bike is set up to easily convert to ride track days. 17 inch wheels to take modern tires, Penske shock, forks worked on by aftershocks.

Based on what u guys have said in the past, i should ask/pay no more than 800?
 
#23 ·
She's paying to that bike Not you right? Don't tell her I asked lol....don't need an angry woman when I'm @ thunder next year...
 
#24 ·
Just wanted to thank everyone who participated in this thread. We ended up selling the drz for $1075 and buying a 95 or 96 250r for $700.

Needless to say she's eager to ride her new bike.

Any advice on how to teach her and what i should be teaching her?
 
#26 ·
Any advice on how to teach her and what i should be teaching her?
If you need to ask you don't have the knowledge to teach her safely.

That apart, trying to teach your gf is good way breaking the relationship.

Trouble is, apart from the MSF which is very basic you don't have access to proper training for the street, so all I can suggest is that you make sure that she can do all the slow speed stuff from the MSF properly and that she uses both brakes properly, coming to a stop on the rear as she slows, and that she gets into the habit of performing a shoulder check before each and every change of direction - including every time she moves off while practising the slow speed stuff so that it becomes an ingrained habit.

Reading 'Motorcycle Roadcraft' would probably help you both, but without a trained instructor to work through it some the application of stiff in there isn't brilliantly clear as it's written for the real world.

Rob
 
#28 ·
IMO 2 biggest things I've learned a little too late or didnt practice enough:

Braking - full force straight line until your rear tire feels like lifting
- while in a slight turn

It happens too often that after a blind corner there is a car standing. Or out on the country some animal blocking the road (dozen turkeys, dumb as hell).

You can apply front brakes according to lean angle. I was leaned over half way and could use around 70% of my brakes, that's being pretty hard on the brake.

Just need to apply them gradually and not a hand full at once which causes a locked front.



Enjoy the weather

Here in mid east Canada we got 22ºC/71ºF out of nowhere for today. Lots of riding in the afternoon, last warm/sunny day for us here.
 
#29 ·
Hey Marc,
your gf can come out and ride with me. cal state hayward has empty parking lots on the weekend, and the campus streets are empty as well. also, it's flat and not congested near my house. you can trailer/truck the 2-fiddy over so she doesn't have to ride over the bridge.
she needs to get the shifting (not stalling) and braking pattern down. you know just be more comfortable on the bike, on the street.
 
#35 ·
Have you thought about letting her loose at thunderhill?
 
#37 ·
my first bike trackday, was novice school with keigwins at Thill. my carpool passenger was a gal that had only been riding two months on a 250. not a daily rider either, like once a week. she had a blast, and won a free trackday in the raffle.
 
#39 ·
Ok folks more help is needed. Girlie is complaining about her hands getting numb after longer rides and the handlebar shaking too much.

I'm guessing alignment or tires for the shaking? Any insight for the numbness?


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#40 ·
Any cupping or uneven wear in the front tire? As far as the numbness, I've never experienced it with the exception of riding in very cold weather w/o gloves, maybe the shaking is causing the numbness, maybe she's gripping too hard and her hands are getting tired? Take the bike out yourself and see if you notice any shake.
 
#41 ·
Numbness might come from her putting all her weight on the wrists!

Tell her to clamp her knees around the tank and have the least amount of weight on the handlebars.

Is she complaining about shaking or vibrations? Some bikes vibrate more than others especially if someone swtiched the rubber grips on the handlebar.
 
#44 ·
Yup.

she has numbness because:

1) she's hanging on for dear life (like someone already said, grip tank with knees, and use the core muscles)

2) she needs to not only bend her elbows, but drop them. if she's on a sportbike, her elbows should be lower than the handlebars.

with time, and experience she'll stop the death grip. I still do it on my cbr 1000rr, esp when I'm on the track. it's got so much torque, I feel like I'm going to fly off when I crack the throttle.

my hands are never numb on my zx6r.

vibration - did you ride the bike? what do you think? I think heavier bar end weights to dampen the 'vibration'.

she'll get used to it, and it won't feel so wierd. put the bike on a rear stand and let her try different positions. so she can get used to it.
 
#45 ·
Been meaning to respond. She says she doesnt have a death grip but we have to wait till after the ride today to try the things you guys talked about.

I havent taken the bike for a long ride yet, hopefully later today.


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#48 · (Edited)
It only works on guys :)

Even if she drops her elbows parallel to her wrists, that'll help a ton.
 
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