Buying ER5 advice please

[skipinoz88]

Hi there,

I passed my A2 test in July and have been cycling to work since then, but I think i want to get a bike now as i'm fed up of having to shower every time I get to work.


I have seen this on ebay, and have offered 800, for the bike including delivery, which in principal has been accepted by the owner.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kawasaki-ER5-ER-500-A2-1999-/300652158301?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item460043dd5d


I just wanted experienced thoughts on whether it was a good price and if it seemed ok. i noticed the seller had excellent feedback. I

[kawakid]

The price seems okay, I sold my X reg one 4 years ago with 35k for £850.

Looking at the picture the exhaust has seen better days.

I can't see any bar ends either, they are not expensive though.

The rear ns indicator looks scuffed.

Not sure about the fork seals, I can't tell from the picture.

Perhaps asking and them posting full resolution pictures would be a better idea.

At that age of Er5 expect the regulator to go and your rear drum to go oval.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[angryjonny]

The front indicators are not original.
The downpipes have seen a few winters of action.
The red paint is rubbing off the rear plastics showing black underneath. This *might* mean that it has once-upon-a-time black plastics (i.e. off another bike) that have been sprayed red. I'm not sure why the red paint is showing up orange in some pictures. Might be that it's had a respray. Might just be the light.
Again, it could just be the light but the brake and clutch levers look different colours.
The frame looks matt black rather than gloss, particularly in the front-on shots. Sprayed?

Of course, any 12 year old ER5 is likely to have been down on its side once or twice. What do you expect for £800?

[skipinoz88]

Many thanks for the replies they are greatly appreciated, I will take them into consideration.


do you think it is worth spending a little extra to get a bike that is in better condition?

What would you buy with a budget of £1100 for a bike you wanted to commute on and would be your first bike?

[angryjonny]

I bought an ER-5, for exactly 1100.

A few months later I PXed it against an FZS600 because I was bored of the ER-5. Once you get over the whole "woo I've got my own bike" thing, 50bhp doesn't go very far.

I should add - the ER-5 went over 3 times for one reason or another and came back up each time without a scratch. In that sense it was the perfect first bike.

[sidewinder]

this divvy 600
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1998-YAMAHA-XJ-600-S-DIVERSION-BLACK-/130638896017?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item1e6aaf5b91

Big pussy cat to ride.
good on fuel
cheap to insure

Been using mine now for 6mnths since passing my test.And still enjoying it

[kawakid]

[skipinoz88]

cheers again for taking the time to look at the bike and giving other suggestions , I guess in my budget I am going to have to accept some issues with any bike i purchase.


last opinion if possible I saw this at my local dealer, they seem to have a lot of miles, but are relatively new and should have been looked after, Also they come with a years warranty, thoughts?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CB-500-2007-ABS-/190616057093?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item2c619a3505

thanks again

[angryjonny]

It's a lot of bike for the money. The trade-off for that is almost interstellar mileage. There are 9 bikes and the photos are obviously going to be of the best of the bunch. They may have been serviced well but with 75-100k miles on the clock *lots* of parts are going to need replacing soon. The price seems to reflect that. I've never ridden such a high mileage bike so I don't know what's likely to fail - probably bits that have been replaced twice over already.

Probably not as good as they look, I suppose is my opinion. I'd consider one, but I'd want to see one and ride it first. Get an idea of what sort of state the clutch, gearbox, chain and sprockets, suspension etc is all in.

[Polarbear]

There again IF what the seller has written is true, that they were used as blood delivery bikes, I would expect them to be well serviced.

Yes 75000+ miles is huge on a bike, but whether its quite as valid a rejection point on a low powered commuter as a highly strung sports bike I'm not so sure.

Also, 100000+ miles is nothing in a car, and they still have bearings and shocks and other such bits that wear out, yet we don't worry about them and I would say most bike owners look after their bikes better than car owners do.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[hornetmike]

you can buy mine for £900 20K 2004

https://i482.photobucket.com/albums/rr182/miketovey/phone%20pics%20Samsung/2012-01-12163448.jpg
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[sickpup]

[Polarbear]

[sickpup]

[skipinoz88]

[angryjonny]

With 1500 to play with I'd probably be looking at a Bandit.

Alternatively, a 1st gen SV650 is achievable for £1500. *just*

Both 70ish bhp but the former is an inline 4 and the latter is a V-twin.

[goto10]

I would avoid a bike if I could only *just* get one in my budget (because basically it's going to be a bit shit), I'd rather go for the top end of a lesser model.
You could always get lucky I guess!
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'12 NC700S & '12 CB600F Hornet [Stolen by some dickless twat] Suzuki GT500 shed