Help for a first time motorcycle buyer:

I'm looking at an '03 Buell Lightning Low XB9S. I looked it over today, but the battery was dead. I'm going back tomorrow and the seller (a pawn shop) will have it charged and is willing to let me test ride. The mileage seems to be either 17,301 or 1703.1. The seller has indicated he would be willing to take three grand for it. What are some things I should check for?

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

does it belong to the owner or is it a pawned item? Clean title? Maintence history. At the very least, look at the tires & chain. If it is around 17k, might be time for a service. Those are good bikes. Also, if any of the plastic is bad, that's gonna cost some $$. MSF course: please take one, even if you know how to ride.

If there is an HD shop there that used to handle Buell, I'd insist on an inspection from them.

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I'll be checking on the title. No worries about the chain since it's a belt drive. The plastic is in good shape, and I took my MSF BRC last month.

The story about how the pawn shop came to own it was that an older guy had it, pawned it, lost it, bought it back, pawned it again, and lost it again. I'll ask about maintenance records, but I'm not too hopeful on that front.

There's a Harley dealer in town but I have yet to hear anything positive about their service department.

Edit: And I already know the front tire is pretty worn. This points more toward the 17,000 mile interpretation of the odo.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Do you need a motorcycle endorsement on your drivers liscence to test ride the bike?

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CHILCUTT~
The secret to a long life. Is knowing when it is time to leave.

To do so legally, yes. Good thing I have one.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

So, are you screwed for parts after a couple more years? Buell has officially closed its doors.

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1982 240D, sold 9/17/2008
1987 300D TurboW124.133 - 603.960, 722.317 - Smoke Silver Metallic / Medium Red (702/177), acquired 8/15/2009
262,715 and counting

I was thinking about the parts thing. Buell is no more, but the parent company is still around and probably will be for a while longer. In the unlikely event that their upper management grows a brain*, they'll probably bring back Buell or something like it.

I just made some phone calls and will probably also be looking at an '05 Kawasaki Ninja 250 tomorrow.

*One of my drinking buddies works for "The Motor Company", so I hear about it all the time.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

First, congratulations on taking and passing the BRC.

Next, as a 'beginner' you will be happier with the Ninja.

Finally, as you gain skills and experience, you can embarrass a lot of larger machines with the Ninja's abilities. It may not outrun the bigger sportbikes, but it will corner with the best of them and not cost an arm or leg to insure.

Have fun and be safe with whichever ride you choose.

yea, i cant support the xb9s for a beginners bike. wayy to much torque. you'd be on your backside in no time.

the ninja 250 will be great, you'll be hitting top end of 5/6 on the freeway. you'll probably outgrow it in 1-2 years, or less! look for something around 500-600cc's.

ive riding a honda 599 (600cc) and i really like it, good enough to start out on, and last me a while.

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93 300E 2.8 - The Beezy
05 Mazda3 Hatch - The Zoom

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I took the Buell for a quick spin around the block. My initial reaction was, "This bike scares the s--- out of me!" Because of that I didn't look into the other things that were brought up here. However, now that I've had some time to think about it, if I just develop a little better clutch and throttle control I could get used to it. I also had a hard time finding the rear brake pedal for some reason.

I didn't get to look at the Ninja today. The seller had a minor emergency and we rescheduled for tomorrow. I also priced insurance for both bikes. They both insure for $75 a year for liability. Full coverage with a $500 deductible is 356 for the Buell and 319 for the Kawi.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaB40TLQE8M

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)

I actually went and sat on a BMW the other day, but it was too tall for me.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

Unless you grew up riding a motorcycle, (as I did) it is likely that any motorcycle will "scare(s) the s-~~~ out of (you.)"

Unless you are willing to accept the consequences that riding it will eventually either seriously maim or kill you, you have no business riding one even one mile.

Once you comprehend those facts - do whatever your heart and wallet will permit you to do.

Personally, I would never buy a used bike - but I can afford to buy whatever I want these days.

Were I buying one today, I would buy the fastest, large cc Japanese production model made. Motorcycles and speed don't scare me. Not in the least. I've been riding various motorcycles since a young lad at speeds sometimes vastly exceeding 100 mph.

At the risk of being blunt, who, besides you, gives a rat's ass what you can afford?

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You're a daisy if you do.
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84 Euro 240D 4spd. 220.5k sold
04 Honda Element AWD
1985 F150 XLT 4x4, 351W with 270k miles, hay hauler
1997 Suzuki Sidekick 4x4
1993 Toyota 4wd Pickup 226K and counting