Categories: all aviation Building a Biplane bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater
The Next Big Thing (or Not, as the Case May Be)
Ever since I got back from Europe, I've had this image in my head of riding around on an SV650. It's such a different experienece from riding the Ninja 250. Even with my little things I didn't like, I find myself drawn to it.
So, I was trolling around Craigslist, like you do, and came across an ad for a 2007 SV650 with 11,000 miles for $2900. That's quite a good price, so I decided to follow up on it. I just came back from seeing the bike.
I should always remember that people aren't dummies when they price things, most of the time. I figured there had to be a reason it was priced so low (most bikes of this type and vintage are going for more like $4000), but I had forgotten the myriad of things that can be wrong with a bike.
The description just says it runs great, and has 11k miles. That's true, as far as it goes. It neglects, however, to mention that the bike has been stored outside without a cover for its entire life; that it's been down; once on each side; with broken levers and things to match; that the rear brake simply doesn't work (apparently the master cylinder is busted, which is not a thing I've heard of happening without some kind of provocation); that the stock exhaust was long ago discarded in favor of a loud "stubby" can; that the ignition key basically needs to be wrestled with to actually turn the switch; that the rear turn signals have been replaced with little pods that face the wrong way; and so on.
I wasn't expecting perfection when I got there, but I was surprised by how inaccurate the description was, without being wrong about any of the facts it did contain.
It was interesting to see my reactions to all this, too. I am truly a finicky person, and this made me realize just how particular I am. The thought of riding someone else's wreck is simply not one I'm willing to consider, even for a fairly noticeable discount in price. I knew with only a moment's reflection that having to wrestle with the key every time I got on the bike would drive me insane. It's a problem I could fix, but it would be amazingly vexing until I did. It's actually fairly amazing I didn't get a bike like this when I went to Europe, and this reminds me that I did get a pretty decent deal there.
So, overall, an interesting experience, and one that gives me some food for thought. I had been thinking I might want to get an SV650 next, but given that they are now only available used, I may have to change that plan. They seem to appeal to the essential "infrequent riding dude" demographic, which is the exact opposite of me, and it's very unlikely I'm going to be pleased with most of the bikes on the used market.
So maybe a barely-used black Ninja 300 will come to my attention...
Posted at 15:36 permanent link category: /motorcycle
Categories: all aviation Building a Biplane bicycle gadgets misc motorcycle theater