New or Old?

[yambabe]

Inspired by a discussion in chat last night.

Is it important to you that you have a shiny new all-singing all-dancing latest model/fashion bike, even if you can't really afford one, or would you settle for just any old bike as long as it was mechanically sound and got you where you wanted to go?

All our bikes are at least 10 years old, but they are well-maintained by the other half and we've never paid more than £1000 for one - most of them (there are 14) have been picked up for less than half that, and some of them haven't cost us anything. This means that in theory we both have one "main" bike and at least one roadworthy spare, and himself also has several tinkering projects on the go.

I suppose if we were to flog them all off we would probably make enough to buy at least one brand new bike, but tbh that seems like a bit of a waste to me.

So, do cosmetics and fashion count? Would you rip the piss out of me at a meet for turning up on my scruffy old bike with missing sidepanels and a ripped seat that cost me £500, and will keep pace with your latest-model shiny thing that cost you 3 grand?

Or would you be thinking well at least she's out & riding a bike, instead of sat at home on the Net just talking about it, good on her?
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Sadie]

I generally buy good condition second hand with 1-2 previous owners.

I have ridden really scruffy bikes (when I was poorer) and would say that a scruffy working bike is better than no bike at all.

I probably wouldn't buy a brand big bike, because there are always so many born agains who spend the money and then give up biking and sell the nearly news to me for much less money!

It would have to be something really special to make me spend on a new bike.
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With experience comes age.

[Bendy]

Fashion can go itself.

What matters to me is that I like it.

[Will87]

I have never had a new bike. My bikes have been 1980s or older, all not very fast due to a very stupid restriction.

My project if i can start it will kick ass though .

[instigator]

Well, lets put it this way - I don't think the depreciation in buying a new bike is worth the satisfaction of having a enw bike so it's always "older" bikes for me.

The way newer bikes are going, I prefer the old school look. Just ask bugsy. He know's I'm an nostalgic old git me.

I prefer an old balance of performance and looks. I wouldn't buy a bike if I didn't find it looked good. Whether people think that my bike is ugly, thats up to them, I like the looks of it. So, who really defines "old bike" when we all have different tastes in bikes.

[Kickstart]

Hi

To an extent anything. I do like to have a fairly tidy bike so would land up buying parts to replace missing or badly damaged panels, but on a normal bike a few scratches do not bother me that much.

The bike I am currently doing most of my miles on is a 13 year old FZR600 with 40k on the clocks and some scuffs on the n/s. Few bits to sort out as well, but to be honest in a lot of ways I enjoy it because it was so cheap.

All the best

Keith
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Traxpics, track day and racing photographs - Bimota Forum - Bike performance / thrust graphs for choosing gearing

[Adam_P]

[MarJay]

[mattsmith95]

I like to own good condition bikes, mainly for company image, both my CB250's are fine and so is the Rebel I bought a while ago. I only buy my bikes from one bike shop and always second hand.

When I bought the second CB250 which at the time had only about 2000 miles on the clock I couldn't really afford it but I needed to have it for when the older T-reg wears out. As CB250's are out of production it was worth getting hold of a good one if possible.

At the moment I have three good bikes for despatching, I have my eye on the new Yamaha enticer which is only a 125 but perfect for my needs but would only grab a second hand one. But with luck I will not need another bike for another 2 years unless I trash one.

I only buy bikes that I feel that are perfect for despatching, if you can't put a top box on it, I don't want it!!

[TheShaggyDA]

Personally, you'll get more from me. I'll leave the idea of having the latest, greatest, this-year's-colours to the power rangers. I've bought two bikes new, the GT550 and the Bullet, both for the same reason - I wanted to ensure that no-one else had had a chance to screw the engine up. The other bikes I've had were all mechanically sound, all somewhere between 10 and 35 years old.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[Robby]

I've owned a collection of cheap 10 year old+ bikes, largely bought for around a grand.

For the most part they have been troublesome. Old bikes have problems, electrics give up and bits get worn out.

This time I went a bit newer. About a grand would have got me an old FZ750, very early FZR1000, early ugly CBR600 etc. With any of these I'd expect to spend a couple of hundred quid on some tyres, suspension, bushes and bearings etc, likely more, and there would always be a job needing doing.

For £1600 I bought a 99 model SV650, which doesn't need these things doing and doesn't have niggly problems. It also goes further between services and uses tyres that can be bought relatively cheaply in pair deals, instead of trying to buy a 16 inch front and an 18 inch rear in something vaguely sticky and matched.

So personally I think trying to run old bikes is just a false economy. Bike parts aren't cheap, and when a modern bike was only 500 odd quid more it made a lot more sense to spend some more and buy something that works.

[conpants]

when i went bike shopping i had £1500 in my pocket (not literally) i looked at a T reg gs500 for 1399 .. was in reasonable condition, not really loved but pretty good .. 32000 miles i think

then i looked at a L reg cb500 .. better bike in reviews and condition wise about the same as the T reg gs .. if not better actually itr had just had a service and had full service history since 1994 all the way through the book till 2002 then after that it carried on on seperate pieces of paper.. only problem with it is the chrome uder the light at the front has corroded and the tank has a ding in it . but for £825 i couldn say no.. and it has 63000 on it too..

i like to think i made the right choice

[Gazdaman]

I've not spent more than £425 on a bike yet, and I've had 4.

The newest being 11 years old, all the others are 15 years old.

With my calibre of riding as long as it's legal it's ok by me, I don't mind if I run the bike into the ground. My bikes are pretty enough for me to be proud of it, and I'm a good enough rider to get the maximum out of them.

I don't see why I'd want a new bike, other than for tart factor. I don't care if the previous person thrashed it, I'm going to do the same. And at this price, I don't care if I blow it up, disposable motoring.

Gaz

[Ric]

i have 3 bikes

i go for looks really so kinda fashion but i dont pay silly money cos i dont have it, but id rather an older bike thats looks nice

im holdin on to my 97 zxr400 until the now new zx6r become 3-4 years old and in my price range

[crm250]

Currently have 9 and the latest one is 15 years old and was dearer to buy than most new 1000cc superbikes.
sod fashion i buy what appeals to me and 100 bhp for the road i am more than happy with so long as it handles.
this one has a bit of pedigree about it and even using it shouldnt de value either.

Oh, its a RC30

[Fruit'n'nut]

I have a bike which I bought new at a heavy discount (Suzuki selling off the blue/white K3 600s at the end of 2003) but I'm planning on keeping it until it blows up or disintegrates - my answer to the question is "yes, I'd like to have a fairly new, but yes, I'd settle for anything"
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Power Ranger

[bish777]

If i could afford to buy new i would (nice new GSXR750 *slobber*)

but im poor and i cant, so i have a good old GSXR1100.

I have bought new, but that was a 125 and the MZ so werent the most exciting and were cheap!
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GSXR1100J

[Motkram]

[lilredmachine]

Newestbike i've bought is '03, though that was in poor nick and cost £600. But on the other hand it now looks great, so I think it was a bit of a bargain.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[yambabe]

[satans_BIG_helper]

being fashionable F**k off.... i buy what i like (and can afford) but i dont like up to date bikes they r too tarty imho and there aint as much skill in going fast and showing off as there is with say a 1980's sports bike....


then again i aint really into sports bikes.... hence the GPZ 750 (if my fork springs n seals ever arrive)

[bazza]

In the end, it's all down to you getting something you can afford and getting the results you want out of it.
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"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter

[distortion]

Dont think i would ever buy a new bike ( unless i won millions ). You loose too much i think to justify it. I rode round on a Naked nsr 125 for about 6 months ( see pic below). Never once got pulled by the police, although i did have a heated argument with a police officer about the legality of it. He stood on the right hand side and said he could do me for having no tax. To which i pointed out that the tax disc sits on the left side infront of the engine by law. Then there was the case of it had no indicators on the front .. to which i pointed out no indicators on the back so it wasn't a problem. He wasn't impressed

[iCraig]

To be honest it really doesn't bother me, sure its nice to ride a new bike and be the first owner, and you get to break it in and look after it, but any bike old or new is still a bike.

My previous bike was 15 years old and very reliable, and only surcummed to corrosion hence why it was replaced with a bike 5 years its youth. My current bike is the biggest unreliable heap of crap ever so, at the moment I am looking a for a cheap hack to get me on for abit and if its old and tatty but reliable it bothers me not!

[Phoenix]

I don't have an issue with buying old bikes, my first bike was an old and fairly ugly 89 TZR, then I bought an 89 FZR and then an 89 ZXR. Since then my bikes have been 95, 96, 98 and 97 models.

I won't spend beyond my means, if I'd have to borrow money to buy a bike then I wouldn't buy it, so there'll be no 2005 R1 for me. Reasons I'd like a 2005 R1 are because they're gorgeous (I like the looks, just because it happens to be the 2004/5 design I like most doesn't mean im being fasion conscious) and are awesome to ride. If I was to get another Fireblade however, I'd most likely go for an old one (94-99) because I think they look better than modern Blades and I prefer the engines.

I buy what I like not what I think other ppl will like, though there are a lot of ppl who do the latter.