A buddy at my work mentioned selling his bike after I told him I was interested in a cheap one that I could toy around with. I know almost NOTHING when it comes to motorcycles, but tonite I went with my friend that has a 99 CBR, who I trust much more than myself, and had him test drive it.


The body has been repainted all black, it has some dents and scrapes.
My friend said it shifted kind of hard, but didn't know if it was because it's a 1991.
It has ~27,000 miles.
It has a Yoshimura pipe.
My friend pointed out that the chain was a bit rusty and should be changed.
Seems to die if not charged (he said there isn't an alternator, but will do just fine if left on a trickle charger, which he does)
New battery, year old tires, new headlight.


How much would a 1991 Honda CBR F2 like this be worth? I feel confident that I could refresh the body myself, that's not a problem. It's my first bike and I don't want to start with something real pretty anyway. I just want something that will last if maintained. Any known problems or things I should look for?

I feel like I could talk him down to $650 or $700. Would it be worth it? I'm in college, and I would need to get my motorcycle license (heard that's about $300). Maybe I'll just ride with my temps ($30) for a while. I gotta learn to ride first though!

well first things first. take an MSF course! best money spent and most of them supply bikes for you to use. do this before buying a bike so you can find out if it's something that will work for you before you buy something you can't ride.
About the bike; if you can get it for 700 it's not a bad deal, but it will need some work. the charging issues is gonna be a problem. if there isn't a charging system on it then it isn't gonna run long and you will most likely get stranded somewhere you don't wanna be. will def need to replace the chain and sprockets if it's rusty (looking around 150-200 for parts plus labor). mileage is ok for its age. the honda motors are good as long as it has been taken care of. as far as body damage on it, see if you can find out where it came from. never know what the bike has been through in the past. if there is body damage make sure the frame and subframe are straight and don't have any cracks in it.

As stated, take the msf course if you haven't all ready. Now, there are a whole bunch of things to check....not just rust on the chain....check this site for a fairly comprehensive list of things to check.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

It's a 20 year old bike so finding parts is going to be a pain in the butt. Sounds to me like its going to need some work. If it's shifting hard I would suspect a transmission problem. Personally I'd find something newer but that's me.

Honestly, avoid it like the plague.

Its very old, its got alot of miles on it, and from what it sounds like, hasnt been treated too well.

remember, bikes dont take miles like cars do, 27k is equivolent to 150k on a car, sure its got more life left in it, but its not something that you particularly want to invest into.

30K on an F2 isn't bad. They where one of the more reliable bikes of the era. Have a '92 with 37K sitting in the garage right now. Has never had the valves or carbs adjusted and runs just fine. Starts first time every time.
For a beginner bike they are good.
Parts are still plentiful and cheap.

The rough shifting could be either the clutch needing adjusting or the trans is dry.
If it's beat maybe they dumped it on the shift selector and bent the arm, or it just jumped a spline.
If you Google I bet you can find a manual for it, or microfiche.

^^ yeah, but there are thousands of better deals out there. i just saw an 05 ninja 500 go for $1600 with 1200 miles on it.

a 07 gsxr for 2800..


why you would spend $600 + repairs on an old bike is beyond me.

well first things first. take an MSF course! best money spent and most of them supply bikes for you to use. do this before buying a bike so you can find out if it's something that will work for you before you buy something you can't ride.
About the bike; if you can get it for 700 it's not a bad deal, but it will need some work. the charging issues is gonna be a problem. if there isn't a charging system on it then it isn't gonna run long and you will most likely get stranded somewhere you don't wanna be. will def need to replace the chain and sprockets if it's rusty (looking around 150-200 for parts plus labor). mileage is ok for its age. the honda motors are good as long as it has been taken care of. as far as body damage on it, see if you can find out where it came from. never know what the bike has been through in the past. if there is body damage make sure the frame and subframe are straight and don't have any cracks in it.

I know it's been laid down, but that doesn't bother me. I feel like for around $700, I'm still getting a deal. He said he would include a helmet, jacket, and gloves for an extra $200. I want all of those before I even ride, but is that a good price? I'm expecting that the chain and charging system need work, but that's fine. Before I buy, I'm going to bring the bike to a local motorcycle shop and have them look it over. I have friend's that are into bikes and work on them, themselves, so I probably wouldn't have to pay for labor on things like the chain/sprocket.

As stated, take the msf course if you haven't all ready. Now, there are a whole bunch of things to check....not just rust on the chain....check this site for a fairly comprehensive list of things to check.

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html

Thanks for the tip and the link, great!

It's a 20 year old bike so finding parts is going to be a pain in the butt. Sounds to me like its going to need some work. If it's shifting hard I would suspect a transmission problem. Personally I'd find something newer but that's me.

It's a very popular bike, parts are not hard to find. From the sounds of, the transmission is fine, could use an oil change, but other than that, it's just how it is. The point of picking this up would be for the deal, so I don't exactly want to find something newer. I feel like this bike would be a great fit for me, for many reasons.

Honestly, avoid it like the plague.

Its very old, its got alot of miles on it, and from what it sounds like, hasnt been treated too well.

remember, bikes dont take miles like cars do, 27k is equivolent to 150k on a car, sure its got more life left in it, but its not something that you particularly want to invest into.

Yes, it's a 1991, but it should last. 27k isn't equivalent to 150k on a car, but I know they're not equal. It'd be a toy and not something I need to rely on, and I figure worst possible scenario, I could re-sell it.

30K on an F2 isn't bad. They where one of the more reliable bikes of the era. Have a '92 with 37K sitting in the garage right now. Has never had the valves or carbs adjusted and runs just fine. Starts first time every time.
For a beginner bike they are good.
Parts are still plentiful and cheap.

The rough shifting could be either the clutch needing adjusting or the trans is dry.
If it's beat maybe they dumped it on the shift selector and bent the arm, or it just jumped a spline.
If you Google I bet you can find a manual for it, or microfiche.

That's the reply I was waiting for, thank you. Hit the nail on the head in many areas from what I've heard. The trans could use an oil change, but I've been told it just feels like an older bike. I can look into the shift selector, bent arm, or spline.

^^ yeah, but there are thousands of better deals out there. i just saw an 05 ninja 500 go for $1600 with 1200 miles on it.

a 07 gsxr for 2800..


why you would spend $600 + repairs on an old bike is beyond me.

If you can find me an 05 Ninja 500cc for that price, let me know. In my area, sellers are asking $1,200-$1,600 for 1991 CBR 600's. Repairs shouldn't be that much either.

^^ yeah, but there are thousands of better deals out there. i just saw an 05 ninja 500 go for $1600 with 1200 miles on it.

a 07 gsxr for 2800..


why you would spend $600 + repairs on an old bike is beyond me.

because old bikes are fun. [^]

27,000 miles on a 91 bike is low. It's barely been ridden at all, which is bad for a carbureted engine. My friend have a 04 FZ6 with 64,000 miles, another friend of mine have a 09 R6 with 22,000 miles, my 06 CBR600RR have 15,000 miles.

I would suggest taking the MSF course (like most have said already) to learn how to ride - properly. Then test ride the bikes yourself, sit on it, see if it fits you (flat footed-usually gives you more confidence).

If the guy takes his bike to a shop, talk to the mechanic that worked on the bike. They can pretty much tell you if the bike is worth buying or not.

as for the gear, avoid buying a used helmet, and buy a helmet that fits you perfect (too tight will be uncomfortable, too lose it will move around from the wind). The rest of the gear you can buy used (jacket, gloves, pants, boots)

I'd say pass on this bike and go for a 250cc or a 500cc motorcycle. It will be cheaper on insurance (250cc bike-$100 a year for full coverage, 600cc bike-$700 liability only. This is based on what i pay, just for example), better on gas, much more forgiving than a 600cc or larger sportbikes, and with so much demand for entry level bike when you decide to upgrade you can sell it for almost the same amount that you paid for.

http://bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/ - some useful info

27,000 miles on a 91 bike is low. It's barely been ridden at all, which is bad for a carbureted engine. My friend have a 04 FZ6 with 64,000 miles, another friend of mine have a 09 R6 with 22,000 miles, my 06 CBR600RR have 15,000 miles.

I would suggest taking the MSF course (like most have said already) to learn how to ride - properly. Then test ride the bikes yourself, sit on it, see if it fits you (flat footed-usually gives you more confidence).

If the guy takes his bike to a shop, talk to the mechanic that worked on the bike. They can pretty much tell you if the bike is worth buying or not.

as for the gear, avoid buying a used helmet, and buy a helmet that fits you perfect (too tight will be uncomfortable, too lose it will move around from the wind). The rest of the gear you can buy used (jacket, gloves, pants, boots)

I'd say pass on this bike and go for a 250cc or a 500cc motorcycle. It will be cheaper on insurance (250cc bike-$100 a year for full coverage, 600cc bike-$700 liability only. This is based on what i pay, just for example), better on gas, much more forgiving than a 600cc or larger sportbikes, and with so much demand for entry level bike when you decide to upgrade you can sell it for almost the same amount that you paid for.

http://bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/ - some useful info

What would help it, being a lower mileage carb'ed engine? Rebuild the carb? Not sure what I can do to remedy the situation. However, I do plan on getting this bike. About to go pick it up tomorrow, what should I offer him? He said he'd probably sell it for $700-$800. Not sure.

A buddy at my work mentioned selling his bike after I told him I was interested in a cheap one that I could toy around with. I know almost NOTHING when it comes to motorcycles, but tonite I went with my friend that has a 99 CBR, who I trust much more than myself, and had him test drive it.


The body has been repainted all black, it has some dents and scrapes.
My friend said it shifted kind of hard, but didn't know if it was because it's a 1991.
It has ~27,000 miles.
It has a Yoshimura pipe.
My friend pointed out that the chain was a bit rusty and should be changed.
Seems to die if not charged (he said there isn't an alternator, but will do just fine if left on a trickle charger, which he does)
New battery, year old tires, new headlight.


How much would a 1991 Honda CBR F2 like this be worth? I feel confident that I could refresh the body myself, that's not a problem. It's my first bike and I don't want to start with something real pretty anyway. I just want something that will last if maintained. Any known problems or things I should look for?

I feel like I could talk him down to $650 or $700. Would it be worth it? I'm in college, and I would need to get my motorcycle license (heard that's about $300). Maybe I'll just ride with my temps ($30) for a while. I gotta learn to ride first though!

Dont pay much for an old bike especially if it needs some maintenance but you will definitely have fun on one.

these bikes are cool but you should only buy this one if:

you have the patience to fix/money almost everything

or

you only plan to ride this to learn then get a newer one to replace it (you should be able to get your money back on it if you sell it)

Heheh.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5989326722_08ac87e523_z.jpg

Heheh.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5989326722_08ac87e523_z.jpg

Looks good from here. Probably needs new chain/sprockets ($250) though if chain is rusty.

I have a '98 CBR1100XX with 28K miles. Ride it all the time. Runs like new practically and will go 150 on a steep incline :)