Which R6 is more worth it?

[wsln]

Hey guys. In the process of getting my first bike. Not sure which one is the better choice though. Could use some second opinions.

$3900 for a 2001 R6. Around 28k miles. No service receipts.

GYTR Carbon Fiber Full Exhaust System
R1 Inverted Forks
Race-Tech Rear Shock
GYTR Adjustable Rearsets
520 RK Fast Accel Kit / Vortex Sprocket (Gold Chain)
Jet Kit
SS Front Brake Lines
ASV Levers
Pirelli Corsa III Rubber
Carbon Fiber Exhaust Hanger
Carbon Fiber Rear Hugger
Carbon Fiber Heel Guards
Puig Double Bubble Windscreen

$4000 for 2000 R6. Around 15k miles. No service receipts either.

L.E.D. tail lights
Vance & Hines Slip-on Exhaust
Slim design mirrors "carbon fiber" look
HID Kit

For the 01 R6 I will have to drive to a city in California about 300 miles away to pick up. For the 00 R6 the seller will bring it to me. I like the 01 R6 better but it seems like the 00 R6 would last longer. What do you guys recommend?

Also, I was told by a friend that before I purchase the bike, I should have it inspected at a shop. What do I need the shop to do? I asked around but they seem to only offer visual inspections.

Thanks!

[TK FTFW]

neither! spend a lil more and get a waaaayyy newer bike!!!

[Dr. GoFast]

^^^ don't listen to him. you are on the right track with getting a nice used bike for your 1st bike. it is not smart to buy new for your first bike, especially if finances are a consideration for you. Personally, I'd go with the 2001 r6 because of all the trick bits. it shows the guy really loved his bike and those are all very expensive, time-consuming and tasty mods he's done. The fact that it has 28,000 miles means that he's honest and hasn't switched out the gauges. All you would really need to do is replace all fluids, inspect the valves and synchronize the caruburetors when you get it (I could do all of this in a weekend easily). you're on the right track.

you should not pay more than $3500 for either one of them- less if they've been down.

[wsln]

Thanks for the quick replies!

What if all the mods were done by a said friend?

There are no service receipts. Most of the work was done by my friend who has the exact same bike and is very knowledgeable.

Still safe to assume he treated his bike well, yeah?

Do I need to be worried about the transmission and whatnot? I google'd a bit on having high mileages on the R6, and read from a number of people that had to replace their motors..transmissions..etc.

Also, if he's firm on the price, should I look elsewhere? Haven't seen a 01 R6 for $3500 anywhere yet though. At least not for one in working condition or without a horribly done paint job.

[DPucks]

neither! spend a lil more and get a waaaayyy newer bike!!!

so he can crash it and pay out the ass for expensive shit, while still making payments like you and me? no dude. buy the R6 with all the stuff on it like Drgofast suggested

[ktkwong]

offer 3300-3400. He will probably try to meet you halfway if its OBO. if this is your FIRST bike, definitely buy used because the inevitable will happen (crash). I'd also (obviously) pick the first bike you posted up. remember to check for FRAME damages and if its clean title or not.

Sometimes people dont check the small things, like sprockets,chains, tires. They will add up if you buy a bike and didnt check the condition of those items. if it sucks, tell the asshat to knock off a couple $$ too.

[tR1stan]

28k is too many miles for my personal taste. others will disagree. if u can come up with maybe $1000, you can get like 3 years newer. just gotta keep looking.

[blahbla]

somebodies track day bike....vs some guys bike night cruiser?

its a buyers market, i think you may be able to find a better deal...

[wsln]

Thanks guys. How about this one then?

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/mcy/931576118.html

2002 R6 for $3500. Local. Only thing I don't like about it is the paint job but it's not too big of a deal for me.

[TK FTFW]

i didnt say a new bike i said a NEWER bike

[tR1stan]

Thanks guys. How about this one then?

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/mcy/931576118.html

2002 R6 for $3500. Local. Only thing I don't like about it is the paint job but it's not too big of a deal for me.


when i see paint jobs like that, all i can see is a previous crash.

[Dr. GoFast]

why are you limiting yourself to R6's?

[DPucks]

kawis are pretty good bang for the buck. and hondas are very solid.

[cookiebug79]

Thanks for the quick replies!

What if all the mods were done by a said friend?

There are no service receipts. Most of the work was done by my friend who has the exact same bike and is very knowledgeable.

Still safe to assume he treated his bike well, yeah?

Do I need to be worried about the transmission and whatnot? I google'd a bit on having high mileages on the R6, and read from a number of people that had to replace their motors..transmissions..etc.

Also, if he's firm on the price, should I look elsewhere? Haven't seen a 01 R6 for $3500 anywhere yet though. At least not for one in working condition or without a horribly done paint job.
Shouldn't matter who does the mods. Once something is modded (or has that many miles) it's not under any warranty any more. A lot of mods aren't that hard to do. How well do you trust your buddy and the work he does? More or less than some average Joe Schmoe?

Never assume a bike has been treated well.
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

99-02 R6's had a problem with 2nd gear breaking in the transmission, so watch out for that.

[R6SSV650S]

I agree with gitting something a little newer, maybe something 04.

[650cat]

why are you limiting yourself to R6's?

Suzuki SV650 or Kawi Ninja 650R would be great first bikes. They are much more forgiving, cheaper to repair if you drop it. Once you get the hang of it then you can think about a "bigger" bike. Definitely get a used bike but not too old. There should be lots of bikes available soon because of the off season or "winter". Good luck. :)

[wsln]

Thanks everyone for the helpful tips. I guess I'll shop around a bit longer. Just would prefer not having to spend over $4k right now. Knowing myself, if I don't crash it first, I'll be selling it for another model just so I can try new stuff.

Dr. Gofast,
Mainly because almost all of the other 2001 sportbikes I could find make me cringe when I look at them. Or they're priced too expensively. Or they're not located closeby.

650cat,
Thanks. Don't realy dig the headlights on the 650R though. The SV650 looks pretty nice except so far I haven't been able to find any decently priced in Cali.

[TK FTFW]

i think those deals are too high for the year and mileage. i dont think any bike oldre than a 03 is wroth to get anymore

thats just my 02 cents

[freakdawg]

why are you limiting yourself to R6's?


I'll just assume he knows quality... :welcome


All production bikes will have some quirk or idiosyncrasy regardless of manufacturer...

If you like the early R6's then just keep looking for a good solid bike... If you feel your friend is a solid individual and not trying to take advantage of you then seriously consider the bike he has...

I would probably go with the bike with lesser mileage given it is otherwise a relatively clean bike... But it is possible that the bike with higher mileage has a newer engine with less miles then the odometer would indicate...

I own a '99 R6 with 17k miles and have not experienced any transmission issues other then a busted shift shaft return spring... Part cost less then 5 bucks.

3900 - 4000 feels a bit high for this age of bike but the devil is in the details... For that kind of money and that age of bike I would want to see an extremely clean bike with low miles and a clean title.. Not a fancy paint job and a lot of chrome and bling... After market parts can be a plus but the foundation of any sport bike is the frame, engine, and suspension...

Best of luck...

[ZMoe]

650cat,
Thanks. Don't realy dig the headlights on the 650R though. The SV650 looks pretty nice except so far I haven't been able to find any decently priced in Cali.
You should try looking in California then... http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lgb/mcy/925217275.html

[Dr. GoFast]

I would encourage you to view and ride the bike with someone who is knowledgeable about old (relatively) bikes (these are not "old" bikes in my opinion as I started on a 1970 cb450, then a 1986 kawasaki GPZ900, then a 1982 Honda Sabre 750 so there is a sharp divide in how i came up riding and most people on this forum who've never even ridden anything past the 2000s) and has mechanical experience. DO NOT BUY ANY USED BIKE WITHOUT TEST RIDING IT FIRST. when you test ride- you must treat the job seriously. you must go through all gears, rev it hard, brake hard, let it idle for awhile to see if it overheats, take your hands off the bars momentarily to test its stability and that it tracks straight. once parked after the ride, check for any hint of a leak immediately. check the fork seals, check all engine casing mating surfaces (seams). etc...... once again- i suggest visiting the seller with an experienced buddy. as someone who has owned more than one 20+ year old bike I can say that there is definitely a certain charm to the classic bikes and once you get a newer one you will appreciate it that much more for its own brand of "charm." i thoroughly enjoyed my old bikes.

Furthermore, I assume you won't be looking for lap times out of your first bike. you will be looking to get comfortable with the basic operations of motorcycle riding, familiarizing yourself with maintenance tasks etc.. and to that end a super-new bike is in no way necessary. in fact, the statistical likelihood of a drop within your first few months of riding discourages such a large purchase.

[madboosties]

you can definitely find a sv650s for a nice price in socal. Anywhere from 2800 to 4500 will get you a decent used one, depending on which generation you go after

[wsln]

What are the differences between the SV650 and SV650S (besides cosmetically)? Really dislike that big headlight on the SV650.

Dr. Gofast,
Well I do have a friend whose been riding since the early 90s but he wouldn't be able to go with me to California to check out the bike. Do you think having someone from a mechanic shop come out would be enough?

Does that mean you think I shouldn't get a R6 first? Or that I don't need to go for a tricked out R6?

[wsln]

How about the Suzuki GS500F?

http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/mcy/934970288.html

2006, 3600 miles. $3350

[blahbla]

Shouldn't matter who does the mods. Once something is modded (or has that many miles) it's not under any warranty any more. A lot of mods aren't that hard to do. How well do you trust your buddy and the work he does? More or less than some average Joe Schmoe?

Never assume a bike has been treated well.
http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

99-02 R6's had a problem with 2nd gear breaking in the transmission, so watch out for that.

that is due to rider error.....never had a problem with mine, and i even had two season of drag racing on it and numerous track days.

[Dr. GoFast]

What are the differences between the SV650 and SV650S (besides cosmetically)? Really dislike that big headlight on the SV650.

Dr. Gofast,
Well I do have a friend whose been riding since the early 90s but he wouldn't be able to go with me to California to check out the bike. Do you think having someone from a mechanic shop come out would be enough?

Does that mean you think I shouldn't get a R6 first? Or that I don't need to go for a tricked out R6?

1. i don't know the differences, honestly i have no experience with that bike. KtKwong is the authority for questions re: the SV series.

2. Yea, if you can get a bike mechanic to come out with you that would be tops but that may be hard to fenagle and potentially expensive. Do you have basic mechanical knowledge? have you taken the MSF course yet?

3. No, i'm not saying you shouldn't get the R6 or the tricked out R6 or whatever you want that you can afford. I'm just trying to combat the people who are insisting that you must get a new bike and "anything else is worthless." RUBBISH.

[TK FTFW]

i think dr go fast is mistaking my comments

i personally think that if you're going to invest in a motorcycle to keep for a long time, i suggest investing in something not too old to avoid problems, i recommend anything 03 and above and not something brand new

worst comes to worst, you have to sell it, at least something newer will hold better value

[ZMoe]

:lmfao

[wsln]

Dr. Gofast,
Nope, no mechanical knowledge. Haven't taken the MSF course yet either. Waiting for slots to open up.

What do you think of this bike then? http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/mcy/934362783.html

TK_FTFW,
You're probably right. But I think I'm still going to lose money either way. So I'd rather spend as little as possible right now on a good running bike, then take the loss when I sell it after maybe a year.

[wsln]

Nevermind, dont mind the other post.

[leodgk]

well i c bike for like 2500 dollar bike here. but they need work done.if im u i get 1 fit it and i hav a new bike.