Possible Purchase
 

It's been 10 years since I've owned/ridden.

I learned how to ride on a V-65 Magna, had it for awhile, sold it. Then a few years later felt the urge again but had limited funds. So, my second bike was a 1985 or 86 Nighthawk 650. It was too light, and blown around in cross winds on the highway, so I only had it a month, then bought another V-65 Magna which I sold in 2003.

I've only ridden two other motorcycles, a 1998 (or so) VFR, didn't like it at ALL. The other bike was a 1998/99 VTR, I loved it. I actually rode both bikes the same weekend at a friends house in Phoenix. We took the bikes to Run What You Brung at Firebird that night.


I don't plan on going long distances, probably a 2 to 4 hour drive would be all. I don't want to spend much, so under $3,000 for now, less is MORE in this case. We bought a 60 year old house a year ago and are putting time, labor, and money into it.

Anyway, I have questions.

1. How many miles is Ok on a motorcycle before it's considered high mileage and likely to start having issues.

2. Passenger comfort? How bad is the passenger seat? Are there after market options to make it better? Can you get a backrest for the passenger? (Easily removable would be preferred)

3. Is there an aftermarket fuel gauge available? (for the older models)


Any other things to consider?

Do the valves need to be adjusted on a VTR?

Any specific issues to look out for when purchasing a used one?

I'm looking at a 98 with 42k miles I believe. ($2,200 asking price) The guy says he is/was a mechanic and has kept it well maintained.

Other bikes I would consider:
ZX11
ZRX
GPZ

Thanks in advance!

Well, now that you have forum access, You should use the search to look for specific questions you have. Lots of topics come up constantly and can only be adressed so many times per day/minute.

These bikes are very reliable (honda). You should ask if the regulator/rectifier(rr) has been changed and if the cam chain tensioners are stock. Those are the only things I know of being issues.

But again, search those for the zillions of threads on them. The RR is easy to swap. The cct not so much. If the bike starts good and runs smooth it says alot.