What factors do you consider when buying a bike?

[vaara]

Select all that apply.

 

[Ed.]

Will it get me laid.

 

[vaara]

forgot to add "handling". Doh!

 

[209manny]

forgot to add "handling". Doh!

and wheelies

 

[Var]

I chose torque, fuel economy, reliability, price, comfort, and practicality. Basically describing a Vstrom. (maybe except for the fuel economy) Luckily Vstroms happen to handle well and look decent IMO, which is all that matters. They also happen to be Japanese which is a plus.


I wish I could have an FZ1 with a Bandit 1200 engine, bar risers, a high output stator, and a fat windscreen with givi hardbags.

 

[Psyclotron]

Luckily Vstroms happen to handle well and look decent IMO, which is all that matters. They also happen to be Japanese which is a plus.

where can you buy one these days? and i never see any used on c-list

 

[vaara]

I wish I could have an FZ1 with a Bandit 1200 engine, bar risers, a high output stator, and a fat windscreen with givi hardbags.

I wish I could have a V-Strom with a V4 engine and shaft drive.

 

[moto-rama]

the wheels are round

 

[Roadstergal]

"What I'm going to do with it" isn't on the list.

My criteria for streetbikes, dirtbikes, trackbikes, and so on have... pretty much 'wheels are round' in common.

 

[Var]

where can you buy one these days? and i never see any used on c-list

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/mcy/984236828.html

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/mcy/978056599.html


there were quite a few 650s for sale about 3 months ago which was a big surprise. But I got a great deal on my 1k so I bought a 1k

 

[ThermalStone]

By allowing everyone to choose as many options as they want, this won't be a very informative poll. I would pick price as the most important. Once I have a general idea of what I want, I wait for the best price. Say that I really wanted a new liter bike or a 600 supersport. The differences between the Big Four's bikes are pretty close, so I would wait until I found a really good price and buy that, regardless of brand. If I were shopping for a new twin sportbike, I would gravitate towards the Ducati 1098, but the price is high enough that I would consider the cheaper competition, like the Buell, Aprilia, or Ducati's own 848, very carefully before deciding.

 

[masameet]

You forgot:

Because it's pretty!

And regarding DRZ's: If I drop or crash it, repair costs will be minimal.

 

[ScottRNelson]

forgot to add "handling". Doh!

You forgot "weight" too. I'm not interested in anything over 500 pounds.

 

[vaara]

Well, if enough people respond, then we might start to see trends. If few people vote for "brakes," then mebbe they aren't relevant to most people's decisions.

But I give myself a big fat FAIL for not including "handling" as a choice.

 

[Dr. Evil]

More than anything, a bike has to have that je ne sais quoi. Period. It's got to appeal to me on a very basic level. If not, won't buy it. I won't necessarily buy it if it does, but not having it's a deal-breaker.

 

[Stormdragon]

More than anything, a bike has to have that je ne sais quoi. Period. It's got to appeal to me on a very basic level. If not, won't buy it. I won't necessarily buy it if it does, but not having it's a deal-breaker.

+22!

Why 22? Because!


But seriously. For me it's handling, looks, and perceived performance. Why do I say perceived? Because in reality, I've never really been able to outride my bikes. They've always outridden me.

 

[OldFatGuy]

At this time, reliability is in first place. I have to call

Hardly anybody shops for a bike based on reliability.

 

[littlebeast]

does it match my pumps. i'm currently looking for something to go with my jimmies.

 

[mosquito]

FWIW, 'reliability' was the closest thing to 'work-on-ability' for me.

For my first bike, I knew these things I wanted: used, < $2K, older / carburetor, low seat height, relatively low weight, < 650cc. When add a second bike some time this year though, I dunno exactly what my criteria are going to be.

<ETA>

What would work best for Choo? Vespa 600RR me thinks.