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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> New LS650 maybe /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1188571289 Message started by roscowgo on 08/31/07 at 07:41:29 |
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Title: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 08/31/07 at 07:41:29 Hey folks, longtime lurker here. Am looking at a 98 Ls650 for 1200. seems in fair shape, a little rust...paints a bit faded. Seems to run well, and the guy that is selling it is an actual bike mechanic. *hopes fervently he's already done the carb work* I saw it start up cold this am, idled within a minute with no choke. No weird noises etc. Belt looked alright, tires are good. One lil dent in the tank. No biggie. It's seen some weather here and there though. Anything in particular i should look for other than the usual? 10k on the clock. Bike would be for a newbie, my GF (she had her eye firmly glued on a 1100 spirit) I didn't notice any oil seeping anywhere. Thanks in advance! |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by verslagen1 on 08/31/07 at 08:34:53 I bought a '96 for that. And the only major issue I've had is cam chain mod after 5k miles for tons of smiles. ;D |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by franch on 08/31/07 at 09:04:49 thats a good deal. i got my 98 for the same $ but it had 17k on the odo. all i had to do was a clutch and cam chain and plug cap leak and carb jets. sounds like alot but it wasn't so bad. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by YonuhAdisi on 08/31/07 at 09:59:35 That's what I bought my 2000 LS650 for with just over 12000 on the odometer. Now I have almost 14000 and needs a new camchain. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by Savage_Rob on 08/31/07 at 11:28:44 I bought a 98 three years ago with 1640 on her for $2200 and have been quite happy. I installed the modded cam chain adjuster at just shy of 10K miles and would suggest you check yours to know where you stand since there seems to be wide variance in the wear. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 08/31/07 at 11:57:47 I am beginning to think the cam chain can go be hanged on this one. The GF is blowing hot and cold. Enthusiastic one minute...absolutely doesn't care at all the next. No true biker I know would Not be all butterflied up and unwilling to get into the buying process. Which she is. And that's fine. But i'm sick of doing her legwork for her, and getting nothing but...oh just let it go everytime a small hurdle pops up. If she doesn't want to ride her own ride...I'm totally for that. If she does I'm 100% for that too. She protests that "it's too much hassle" and "I don't really think it's worth all the hassle" or even once "I just don't care right now" Can you find me one new biker, contemplating their first bike that would say these blasphemous things? On her enthusiastic side I get, "Ohhh it fits me just right", "I Really like the way it looks" and "I can have that paid off in no time flat" or "Ohhh I want it, when can we get it home. I want to try some parking lot stuff on it!" gyah! Women confuse me. Confuse me very bad. yes or no. sheesh. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by T-Mack1 on 08/31/07 at 12:06:21 Might want to show her some of islandwahine's, FreeSpirit's and skatnbnc's posts. As for see-sawing, don't we all do that once in a while on big purchases. The "I gotta have it" then look at bills and say "Wow that's soooo much" then see a picture of it again and say "gotta have it" all over again..... As for confusion, wait till you marry one....... |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by verslagen1 on 08/31/07 at 13:13:07 beware the wishy washy, but it will be your fault anyway. as for the bike, if I came accross one that died due to laziness, cheap, I'd pick it up in a heartbeat. You found a living one for a reasonable price, go forth and smile. ;D |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by justin_o_guy2 on 08/31/07 at 14:23:53 T-Mack1 wrote:
And, for the Mormons of old & the Sheiks who still have more than one wife, How the heck can ya DOOO that? I can understand someone who has never owned a bike waffling on the idea. Once she has it & gets comfortable with it, she wont ever want to be without one. Theres just something about the smell of the air early in the morning, & even thru a helmet visor, the world feels closer than thru a windshield. I just finished getting creamed, but I know I am still gonna be riding. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by Starlifter on 08/31/07 at 16:17:49 Yes piloting a bike is the closest thing to flying an open cockpit airplane as you can come, without leaving the ground. :D |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by BigWes on 09/01/07 at 16:38:13 95 savage was my training bike for the first time, and i couldnt think of a better bike to start on. Thats a good price and tell your girly she dont need an 1100 to start on. Bad idea. somthing cheep that can be droped (god forbid) because newbees do that at least once. Ive been tring to talk my girly into it but she is looken at bandit 600's or SV 650's. So i guess im glad she is staying in the Suzuki family. I myself moved up to a bandit 1200 and i think she just wants to keep up. Keep pushen her on the savage, shell love it. i promise |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 09/04/07 at 11:36:28 I understand the wishy-washy in the sense that....oh it's not really practical for carrying all my junk yadda yadda that non-riders don't really know about until they try it. This wasn't that kind of thing....It was complete apathy. Not...ohhh i want it but.... it was....I don't give a crap. Lets go read a book about partridges. I think *read that as know* that once she gets some pilot time..she'll ride more than I do. She already pesters hell out of to take her for rides on the back of my horribly uncomfy c50. (bumpy roads, and ive got my suspension set danged stiff.) Being in CONTROL and riding...will make her ears ring. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by islandwahine on 09/04/07 at 11:51:34 My 2 cents! Not all women are wishy washy about decisions! I've been wanting a bike for so long, but could never afford one (single mom). So then I got these checks in the mail from one of my credit cards, and an idea struck me. Use the check (high APR) then use balance transfer option from other card (low APR) and voila! No hassle bike loan. Then one day someone suggested Craigslist, I left an add saying I was looking for a Virago or Rebel (wanted to start slow). The next day I got an email from a guy I actually knew on the island, saying he had a bike for sale but it was a 650. My first thought was too big, but I was so exited that he only wanted $1000 for it that I hopped into the car (forgot about work) and went to see it. Love at first sight (She needed a lot of work though, very rusty and beat up). He left the keys in the ignition (you can still do that here) and told me to take her out for a spin and see if I liked her. She was easy to ride! Since then (you can count the posts) I've been having to do a lot of work on her, but it has been worth it. If I really want something I jump through hoops to get there, no wishywashyness. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by skatnbnc on 09/04/07 at 14:23:35 roscowgo wrote:
New biker + first bike = she could be excited and SCARED. It's a big thing. My suggestion would be that she take the MSF class and after she passes it, SHE can look for a bike. Why are YOU taking on all the responsibility? Heeheehee. Yeah, women confuse, we can't help it. No offense. ;) |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 09/05/07 at 06:02:54 Well, i had all the responsibility, because she Told me to take over. I think the direct quote was, "Will, go look at this bike and see what you think, if you can talk them down to a reasonable price and then get the loan, I'll gladly pay for it." (she has much much better credit than I do, she actually found the spirit first, and i talked her down off of it a little. I think an 1100 is just too much for that first bike. too heavy, power etc) After that I hear "Well, since that one isn't a good idea would you take the time off and go around town and look around the dealers for a more suitable beginner bike?" And she would. If i know her she'd starve herself and pay 300% payments till it was all gone. To myself I think...ok she wants me to handle the aggravating part, thats fine, I can understand that. To get through all the aggravating parts, and run my butt off, and take time off work etc etc etc....then get hit with a (another direct quote) "I don't care. What are we eating for supper?" is incredibly frustrating. Especially when you toss in the Oh it fits me greats, and the Ohhhhh i want it so bad, the more i talk about it the more i want it....... |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by LANCER on 09/05/07 at 06:59:06 Moan and groan, yeh yeh, most of us have been there. I think she needs help making up her mind, and that is your job...she is really asking you too. So be gentle, kind and patient, and take her back to the dealer or where ever it is you are getting the bike from and pick one out that day and buy it. Most of the time the female species appreciates the help in getting over the hurdles, AND this part of the of the episode will be over. Now you can ride together and work on other issues ... there are always issues. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by skatnbnc on 09/05/07 at 08:26:12 LANCER wrote:
I beg to differ with Lancer. No girl should need help making up her own mind, especially on something semi-major like this. That is dooming you (roscowgo) to failure, because you will NEVER know her mind, and as an added bonus she is giving you mixed messages. It appears she wants you to do all the work and then she thinks she can have all the fun afterward. You gonna take tha MSF for her too? ??? You deserve the same respect from her that you give to her. You've been helpful, and she's not been appreciative. Sounds like she is not being honest with HERSELF, let alone you, so you get the wishy-washy behavior. Anything else you wanna know about girls, ask us ladies on the forum. WE appreciate you guys! :D |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by islandwahine on 09/05/07 at 11:42:51 Why don't you show her this site, give her her own handle, and have her talk to us girls about our experiences, pros and cons. The thought of actually owning a bike probably sounds great to her (imagination running wild) but the fact of actually riding it probably scares her, and she's just worried about the dangerous aspect of riding. Mixed feelings towards the whole thing. I don't know if pushing her is such a good idea, let it simmer for a while! |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 09/05/07 at 20:24:08 well thats kinda the thing. If i point her toward something bike related.....i get...... wah wah wah (charlie brown teacher noises) If i sit back and mind my buisness i get bombarded with bikebikebikebike! I'm certainly not pushing her. To tell you the truth, the half arsed stuff scares me spitless. What if she decides she "just doesnt care" right before a smacktard in an SUV pulls out in front of her. To the earlier post about her wanting me to do all the work, and she gets all the fun....that was my take on it too. And the reason i told her that i'd gladly go look at a bike she finds, or give her some ideas about a beginner bike. But that i wasnt gonna do her dirty work for her. I do agree about never knowing her mind though. I gave up on that while asking for her to hand me a wrench and she made some comment about tulips. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by islandwahine on 09/05/07 at 21:33:27 Well! Maybe she'd be better of not getting a bike! :-/ |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by skatnbnc on 09/06/07 at 06:43:02 islandwahine wrote:
I agree - if she's that flaky OFF a bike, it is not going to be any better once she gets one. :P |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by FreeSpirit on 09/06/07 at 10:45:26 skatnbnc wrote:
First of all men can be confusing sometimes too.....at least to women :-) BUT.....I agree with Skatnbnc.....I would say,take the MSF course first and then if you still want a bike,we'll get you one.I think this will help her and also see if its what she really wants. Simple solution! As far as me.....well,I do what I want to do :-) I don't ask for help on major decisions! I make up my own mind,I buy it & pay for it,then if I'm unhappy I have no one to blame but myself. I had ridden on bikes for years as a passenger,wanted one for years,waited it out ,made up my mind for sure.....then got one.I'm happy!! |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by verslagen1 on 09/06/07 at 11:31:35 There one guy here not to long ago got a savage for his significant other that went to waste. She took the MSF course but I think dropped out cause she couldn't get out of 1st. She could put along in 1st but as soon as she went faster she would panic and crash into something. So, have her take the course. Find out if she's got what it takes and likes it. Then get a bike for her. otherwise it's a waste. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 09/06/07 at 12:01:11 Naw, a new bike aint Never a waste. If all else failed i'd raise the rear, drop the fender and put knobbies on it. I think she's convinced herself that getting into the 2 wheeled world, HAS to be some long arduous painful frustrating experience. We are going to do the MSF thing. late october. Maybe. If the bells ring and the birds loan their wings to pigs. :P I've seen her do the parking lott putt on my c50 and my katana. She WANTS to ride. And i think can learn. I don't want to let her get too close to doing the parking lot thing with me, because i'll teach her bad habits. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by wrongwayair on 09/06/07 at 13:07:22 Roscowgo, geez, tell her to quit whining & take the MSF course. If she's still not sure, tell her to take the course a second time or to see if there are some private lessons available. One other thought, have you by any chance shown her some of the bigger scooters or even some of the automatic motorycycles like the Q-Link? I'm not questioning her riding / shifting abilities but I know some riders who prefer the simplicity of riding that way. I don't mean to be overly harsh but i'm with the other women here. She needs to make her own decision on whether this is right for her or not. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 09/06/07 at 14:20:12 Put simply, I agree. To date she doesn't have any shifting/not shifting skills. top speed has been about 5mph with the feet down. She has expressed interest (all by her lonesome...just comes up and says...I LIKE THESE!. Generally when i'm doing something totally unrelated to bikes. say washing the dishes.) She likes the step-through design. The shifting mechanism of course makes her nervous. But not unduly so. I do worry about her riding. Maybe it's my tendancy (bike bred I'm sure to look everywhere as often as possible the entire time i'm driving or riding) that she has paying attention to other things than the road. Then again, how could i possibly Not say...hells yeah go for it. i'll be right behind you 100% hun. I do hope she decides to hop on in. And I'm taking the msf with her. As a kind of extra furry security blanket. She's worried that the class will be a bunch of experienced riders who will mess with her about riding. I tried to explain that most likely the rest of the class will be too busy not riding over their own feet to pay any attention to her. The rational social concerns I understand and can deal with. It's the on one second off the next weirdness that messes with me. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by demin on 09/06/07 at 14:42:38 I am an MSF insructor.In my experience sometimes it's better if you don't take the course with her.But everyone is different.Believe me(1) no one will be watching her, they are to busy looking to where that shifter or brake pedal made off to.(2)Most people taking the course are newbies.I have yet to see students make fun of each other.It's usually the other way around,they try to encourage each other.Sometimes too much because they will go to each other rather than a ridercoach with questions. Good luck |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by islandwahine on 09/06/07 at 18:31:40 I agree, she should take the course by herself without you around. That way she will also learn to stand on her own two feet. I think it'll mean more to her hearing "great job" from someone who doesn't know her, and who isn't biased. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by pgman on 09/06/07 at 19:26:34 For what its worth - I will share my thoughts. I bought a "first bike" (a Suzuki VZ800 Marauder) this past April. My wife LOVED it and wanted to share it with me, which I was more than happy to do. We already had our learner's permits from the DMV before we took the MSF class, so we rode it just a little bit around the block and in some vacant parking lots down the street from our house. I found it to be a handful and the misses was a little bit scared of it. After the MSF class I quickly became comfortable on it but my wife did not take the class with me (mostly because we couldn't get our schedules worked out). She took the class a few weeks later. During the time between my MSF class and hers, she almost dropped the Marauder in the street and it scared her pretty bad. She told me in no uncertain terms that she was NOT going to ride that bike - it was just too heavy and cumbersome (she is a small girl). I was really bummed, but I didn't pressure her. I waited a couple of days and then told her that I would buy her something smaller if she still wanted to ride (I knew she did). That weekend, we were off to go look at Rebels. Try as they might, the Honda sales people could not get her to warm up to the Rebel. She said it just felt like a toy (too small and too light). I was bummed again - BUT there was this beat-up, nasty looking Savage on their lot and we walked over to try it out. She tossed it back and forth a couple of times, turned to me and said "this is my bike". Since we couldn't possibly work a deal on that Savage (it really was a mess), I started looking for a better one (my wife sometimes likes to let me do the dirty work, too). I found a couple more that we passed on (just not the right deal) and then I found one. It is a 2003 and it had 2300 miles on it. I paid $3000.00, including tax and dealer fees (UGH) and I kept it in my neighbors garage for a couple days before giving it to her on her birthday. After she took the MSF class, she tried the Marauder again and now she wants it!!! So now I guess I have to decide what I am going to ride next. It may be her Savage! The point of this long story - I would recommend that SHE decide on a bike AFTER she's completed the MSF class. I would not pressure her into doing anything - not even the MSF class. If she wants to ride, she will make the move. You go and take the class without her if she isn't ready. I think it is better that way anyhow. It is reallly very barbaric and incomprehensible, but it is true that salesMEN very often do not take women seriously when they go to buy a vehicle. You might try to find a dealer that has some female sales people. There are a few around here (so I am sure you can find some wherever you are) and they treated my wife like "one of the girls" when we shopped there. She was definitely more comfortable in that situation. The salesWOMEN we met were also riders and so they could empathize with my wife's concerns better than even I could. They may even inspire your girl to get the show on the road. If you look around, you will find yourself an LS650 - they are fantastic bikes for smaller people, and they are pretty common. If you let this one go, you'll find another - possibly even better - deal when the time is right. Good luck to you. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by roscowgo on 09/07/07 at 07:24:46 I understand that she needs to take it herself. I also understand that when i mentioned this to her i developed a large set of teethmarks in my arse. I need to take it too. I've been riding one two wheeled jalopy or another since I was a teenager, when i got a 250 dual sport that i used as a dirt bike. Some professional instruction sounds very good to me. As for pushing her...Nope. I Swear on all the things I hold holy that I'm not. Pushing Jen is kinda like pushing a cat into a shower and not wearing gloves. I do the best I can to support what She wants, It just happens that in this case, it's something that I love doing and that excites me no end. I'd be tickled pink if she took up blacksmithing and invited me to join in too :D I agree on bike after class bit too. |
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Title: Re: New LS650 maybe Post by mavinwy on 09/07/07 at 12:35:22 Having had a girlfriend/fiancee/wife that has been riding for 18 years, I got smart and asked her advice for anothe list I am on......I'll paraphrase and see if I can find the original post. Her thoughts were to have the GF take the couse whether you go together or not. Offer to pay for it if need be. She did not take the course until she had been riding for about 8 years (it just was not in our area) and picked up info from taking it then, so it was worth it. She said that she had been so engrossed that she barely remembers the friend who went with her being there at all other than at the deskwork. Her mind was on the riding. (YMMV - My wife can get a little single minded) Then, when she knows what feels "right" to her, have her sit on every machine she can find until she finds the one where everything comes "to hand" (or foot) for her. Cute and Stylish do not matter for a first bike, comfort and confidence do. The wife started out on a Kawaski 100 enduro because it was light enough and short enough. She then went to 500cc sportbikes because of the handling. Her requirements for a bike now: 1. Be highway worthy (75 mph cruising) 2. be light enough to pick up on her own (she is 5'1" and 105lbs) 3. Seating for 2 (our son alternates who he is riding behind) 4. Short enough that she can put the balls of both feet down. 5. Handles well enough that she can manouver it comfortably. Just some thoughts. Mav |
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