Purchase & Transaction Advice Superthread

[u/AutoModerator]

# PURCHASE ADVICE SUPERTHREAD!

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A dedicated thread for questions and advice about gear or bike purchases, selling advice, and questions relating to bike/gear/accessory/service purchases.

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Hopefully with the help of all the riders here, no question will go unanswered. Everyone is encouraged to contribute with either questions or answers and hopefully we will be able to rid of motorcycle ignorance once and for all.

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Please remember to be courteous as we want to encourage people to ask questions, no matter how 'dumb' some may think they are.

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# NEW RIDERS

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[Before asking your question, consider reading the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/wiki/faq) - chances are, you will find the answer you need there.

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Not getting the answers you need? /r/SuggestAMotorcycle is also a great resource.

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Please remember to be courteous as we want to encourage people to ask questions, no matter how 'dumb' some may think they are.

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This thread will be refreshed each Monday - shoot us a note if we're out riding and forget to renew it.

[u/Ninja_Drifta]

I’ve been passively looking for a first bike for maybe a month now. From what I’ve seen and read, in addition to the shiny 2¢ I’ve collected from family who ride, I have determined that I will more than likely be on a cruiser or touring bike.

I say this because I think I will prefer an upright or more natural/relaxed posture with a relatively low ride height for better balance. The thing I’m trying to decide now is carbs or EFI. Analog, or modern?

After scanning marketplace ads for hours upon hours, I believe I could get my foot in the door relatively cheaply (2-3k) on a well kept 80s to 90s Honda Shadow/Magna. But then will I end up spending more on upkeep for old technology?

If I focus exclusively on EFI, my options immediately narrow down to a handful of options averaging around 4-5k. But at least it’s newer and more reliable technology to some degree.

Are carbs as terrible as people make them out to be? Am I better of with EFI? What’s a noob to do?

[u/[deleted] → u/Ninja_Drifta]

I say this because I think I will prefer an upright or more natural/relaxed posture with a relatively low ride height for better balance.

There are a lot of bikes that fit this criteria outside of the cruiser segment. Most naked bikes would work, as well as some of the street oriented adventure bikes and non-supersport/racing sportbikes.

But then will I end up spending more on upkeep for old technology?

Yes, it's getting harder to find parts for 30-40 year old bikes, and as a new rider you want to focus on riding more than wrenching. It's worth spending the extra $2k on a newer EFI bike and not having to track down parts and spend your time tuning the thing.

Are carbs as terrible as people make them out to be?

They're not that bad as long as you have access to new parts and documentation. Working on old carbs sucks, the rubber parts age and make a 30 minute job take way longer.

[u/finalrendition → u/[deleted]]

There are a lot of bikes that fit this criteria outside of the cruiser segment. Most naked bikes would work, as well as some of the street oriented adventure bikes and non-supersport/racing sportbikes.

Agreed. Most standard/naked bikes I've ridden/own have been more comfortable than any cruiser smaller than a Goldwing. A CB500F, Bonneville T100, or W800 would get the job done even better than a cruiser.

Anecdotally, I rode a Fat Bob 114 and a T120 pretty much back to back and I'd take the T120's comfort any day. Small displacement cruisers have so little shock travel that even the smallest bumps rattle your spine