New Rider, First Bike & Lots of Questions

[kedebrav00]

Hello, I have just learned how to ride a motorcycle. As you may guess I am learning on a GZ250. I decided to buy a used GZ250, as my first bike. I figured it would help me get comfortable on the road since its the bike i'm learning on and it's the rated the best beginner bike. Since you guys seem to know a lot about GZ250 I wanted to describe my bike and ask a few questions. please let me know what you think.

Bike Details:
The bike I am buying is a 1999 GZ250 it has about 1700 miles on it.
It was own by a motorcycle school.
it has one dent on the gas tank
when I went to look at it didn't start right away the guy selling the bike said it was the battery and jumped started it.
The cost of the bike is $650.00


Questions:
(1) Am I getting a good deal on the bike. I couldn't find any blue book value for used bikes?
(2) Should I ask any question in particular before buying the bike?
(3) I live in New York and the bike is two hours away. Do you think its a good idea to ride the bike to the city?
(4) Anyone know any good place in New York TriState Area or Online to get Used Accessories - i.e(Used Helmet, Jacket, and
Boots)?
(5) I've posted two pictures of the bike if anyone can pick out some anything suspicious let me know.

[Water Warrior 2]

Welcome to the forum. Gonna leave most of the answers to folks who know more about the GZ than I do. Only one comment to make: Do not buy a used helmet.

[blaine]

Hello,Welcome.I think you are getting a very good deal.It sounds like you need a new battery.You should plan on replacing the tires if they are more than three years old.(check dates on sidewalls).I have a 99 model with 41000 kms on it,it still works excellent.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

Do not buy a used helmet.

:plus1: :plus1: :plus1:

[SuziQ07]

Hello,
In my opinion, that seems like a rather reasonable price for a bike with such low mileage. I would not be too worried about the dent in the tank, as it's just cosmetic. It depends on how much it bothers you. I have a dent in my tank from the previous owner as well. At some point I may do some body work. It would be very important to carefully examine the tires and look for wear, cracks, and rot etc. You could find some used motorcycle accessories and gear on http://www.craigslist.com. I also agree that buying a used helmet is never a good idea. At my local Harley-Davidson shop two people dropped helmets as they were shopping. The store clerks had to take them off the shelves, as they can not be sold as new at this point. She said just a drop on the floor could comprise the safety of the helmet and there may be unseen damage on the inside.
Good luck to you!

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by kedebrav00

Hello, I have just learned how to ride a motorcycle.

Questions:
(1) Am I getting a good deal on the bike. I couldn't find any blue book value for used bikes?

(3) I live in New York and the bike is two hours away. Do you think its a good idea to ride the bike to the city?

(5) I've posted two pictures of the bike if anyone can pick out some anything suspicious let me know.

Welcome. I hope we can be helpful in making your riding more enjoyable.

This may seem like a picky thing to mention but it isn't: You have not "learned" to ride a motorcycle yet; you have just started learning. It is an ongoing process that often takes many years and you kind of go back to rookie status each spring, if you don't ride all year.

1) Yes, I think the price is more than fair. You may have a few additional expenses on maintenance but the "schools" try to keep them in good shape mechanically. All the major used car rating services do motorcycles too, I think. KBB and NADA for sure.

3) Probably not for a rookie.......but that may depend a lot on exactly where you live. If there is a reasonable route that does NOT involve an Interstate or freeway, then maybe. Sunday afternoon when traffic is light would be best. Finding an experienced rider to bring it back for you would be much better.

5) While this is just the opposite of my usual advice..........the resolution on those pictures is so LOW that it's impossible to see any details.

Tires and chain are the two biggies. If there is good tread (should be) and no obvioius big cracks, then the tires should be good for 5 years.

[GZ Jess]

You may have done this but I would check the signals and alignment of the bike. I say signals because when I took my course not one bike had working signals from being dropped. I say alignment (may not be correct term) for the same reason. I saw some school bikes take some major abuse so just check it all over and if you know someone that has been riding for a little while let them ride it too. If it is indeed in working order and the dent is all you can find then I would say it is a good deal! I think U Haul has a motorcycle trailer for $15 a day that you could rent there and turn in at home.

Good Luck!

PS Check the bars to make sure they are not bent and grip ends to make sure that if it has been dropped the throttle doesn't stick and levers aren't bent (all problems my school bike had).

[kedebrav00]

Hey Guys thanks for all of the quick response. I am a rookie. I've just learned how to ride and I have been taking lessons for a few weeks now. I am taking the basic rider course that will waive me from taking a road test on July 4th weekend. I should have my license on July 5th just in time for the summer.
I guess I will purchase a new helmet and i'm going to ask that the bike gets delivered to me.
Once I get the bike I'll take it to a mechanic and get it checked for any mechanical issues I might not of be able to see with my own eyes.


PS - I love this site, I'm so excited to get this bike.

[blaine]

Ride safe,Good luck.

[ArizonaKev]

Welcome to the forum, and congrats on your new (to you anyway) GZ!

It sounds like you have gotten a lot of good advice, and from your last post, sounds like you are making some good decisions. The one thing I was going to say was to definitely NOT ride it home if you are just learning, especially from that far away. Even if you were an experienced rider, that's a long way to go on a bike that you are not used to, and have no idea how good the brakes are, how good the clutch is, how good the tires are, etc. I am glad you are going to have it delivered to you. I would not suggest taking the bike out into traffic until you have checked everything out, and made any necessary adjustments to make it comfortable (rear brake lever positioning, shift lever positioning) and safe (mirror adjustments, brake adjustments, etc).

By the way - if there are really only 1700 miles on it, and everything but the tank and the battery are in good shape, I would say you are getting a pretty good deal. And as far as the mechanical stuff goes, make use of the "search" feature on the sire, and check out some of the GREAT posts people have added, showing you how to do everything from adjust those levers I talked about, to changing the tank, to making homemade bike stands - if you have a question, chances are there is an answer here somewhere. I've been on here for about 2 months, and I LOVE this site - don't know what I'd do without it!

Enjoy your new bike, ride safe, and again - welcome :2tup:

AZ Kev