My boss is selling this bike, I know nothing about bikes, what do you guys think?

[midtx350z]

I'm interested in purchasing a bike, my boss recently had a light wreck and decided that he wants to sell it.

What do you guys think? What questions should I ask him, etc?

Here's his bike:

"Selling my 2000 ZX-6 Ninja for $1,000. Has approximately 11,000 miles.

Needs new brake pedal, new right blinker, battery and headlights.
You replace these and you are ready to ride. Engine and bike
maintenance have been immaculately kept.

The right front ferring panel and and nose ferring has cracks and scrapes
but looks fine.

Has frame sliders, jardine exhaust (nice!), lowered, and red wheels. "

[ALStensby]

How does it run? And have you ever ridden before?

[midtx350z]

Originally Posted by ALStensby

How does it run? And have you ever ridden before?

I havent seen it. Should I take a video and post it up here?

I haven't ridden before.

[2006 Z750S]

If it still looks like the pictures you posted then I'd buy it.

[midtx350z]

Originally Posted by 2006 Z750S

If it still looks like the pictures you posted then I'd buy it.

He took these yesterday. He's not the best photographer on an iPhone.

What else should I check? I guess I'll find someone that knows about bikes in town to go with me to check it out?

[ALStensby]

Well, the biggest thing is most people wouldn't really recommend a ZX for a first ever bike. But, if it runs well, the price seems good enough

[midtx350z]

Originally Posted by ALStensby

Well, the biggest thing is most people wouldn't really recommend a ZX for a first ever bike. But, if it runs well, the price seems good enough

Is it too powerful?

and around what price do 2000 ZXs stay at?

[Box]

Do not buy a bike because it is available and possibly a good price.

Buy the bike that fits you and your riding abilities.

A bike is for life not just Christmas or Easter.

[mkelley]

I'm wondering why he doesn't replace those things himself and then sell it!
As a first sportsbike, you might be asking for trouble unless you have tons of self-control (and don't get yourself into a situation where you end up hanging on the throttle for dear life with it wide open).

If it were local to me, I'd buy it in a minute, chuck the plastics, and fix 'er up.

[midtx350z]

Originally Posted by mkelley

I'm wondering why he doesn't replace those things himself and then sell it!
As a first sportsbike, you might be asking for trouble unless you have tons of self-control (and don't get yourself into a situation where you end up hanging on the throttle for dear life with it wide open).

If it were local to me, I'd buy it in a minute, chuck the plastics, and fix 'er up.

He's just trying to get rid of it.

What do you mean by having tons of self-control? If you're talking about not being dumb and turning the bike into a missile, I think I'm good.
I drive a fast car, I'm not saying it's the fastest or anything, but it's the fastest car I've ever had and faster than any of my friends', and I have yet to act reckless with it.

[midtx350z]

Originally Posted by Box

Do not buy a bike because it is available and possibly a good price.

Buy the bike that fits you and your riding abilities.

A bike is for life not just Christmas or Easter.

How do I find a bike that fits me and my abilities if I've never ridden before? How do I ride for the first time? Do bike dealerships let you try out their bikes? Even if you've never ridden before?

[skewterdewd]

Are the forks bent? is the frame cracked? how much damage was done to the plastics?

If the forks aren't tweaked and it runs well, I'd buy it. You can prolly part it out for more than a grand, and if the plastic is wasted it would be an excellent start for a naked.

It's a whole lot of bike for your first ride though, and if you don't treat it with respect, you'll regret it.

BTW: cars & bikes are 2 totally different worlds.

[Bubba68CS]

Originally Posted by midtx350z

How do I find a bike that fits me and my abilities if I've never ridden before? How do I ride for the first time? Do bike dealerships let you try out their bikes? Even if you've never ridden before?

Motorcycle Safety Foundation Beginners Riding Course. You'll learn how to ride a bike around a parking lot...and the basic strategies for surviving on the street. Otherwise you're on your own (NOT recommended).

[anamosity]

at 1000 bucks i would scoop that up pretty quickly.

[stickboy]

Personally, I think it looks like crap and there is no way it is worth a grand. Where is this bike at???

Seriously though, it looks like a good deal provided it runs and rides good and there is no fork or frame damage. Both are expensive to fix and can have very adverse effects on riding. Anything else you can either remove or replace. If you take all of the plastic off, you can polish up the frame and insides and add your own customizations and make a pretty nice looking naked bike. Any way you look at it, that bike is easily worth a grand provided no frame or fork damage as others have stated.

As for the ZX6 as a first bike, it is a very light and very powerful bike. Even if you are not messing around and have a lot of restraint, it is very easy to get into trouble. If you are not used to the throttle, it is very easy to give the bike too much gas, and it has enough torque to easily pick the front end off the ground. If you are not expecting this, bad things could happen. Same thing if you accidentally give it too much gas in a turn or something. This is a very powerful bike, and in all likelyhood is much faster than your car (and only has half the wheels). These are things that you really need to consider before buying this bike.

Also, get signed up for the MSF course as others have said. They treat you as if you have never ridden a bike before. You have a few hours of classroom time and then you get on the bikes. You will have about an hour worth of exercises on the bikes (walking with them, etc) before you even get to put them in gear and ride. By the second day, you will have learned all about handling the bikes, taking curves, stopping and starting, and shifting gears. You will also get some practice using techniques that will keep you safe out in the real world. This class is definitely a must, especially if you have never ridden before. And depending on what state you are in, you might get credit towards your drivers license. In Montana, the MSF course counts for the driving part of your test, so you only have to take the written exam.

Anyways, good luck with whatever you decide on the bike, and welcome to the forums!

[PSNinja]

You can always get it and hold on to it until you have some experience. You could look for something used and a bit more appropriate for a starter bike. I agree with Bubba, take the MSF course first to see if you even want to ride.

[Guitar7272]

Originally Posted by midtx350z

He's the Director of Technology... he makes quite a bit of money and said he's just trying to get rid of it. He hasn't even offered it to anyone else other than me and another guy here at the office.

What do you mean by having tons of self-control? If you're talking about not being dumb and turning the bike into a missile, I think I'm good.
I drive a fast car, I'm not saying it's the fastest or anything, but it's the fastest car I've ever had and faster than any of my friends', and I have yet to act reckless with it.

No, what he means is that those bikes have incredible, explosive power delivery that can get an experienced rider in trouble, much less a complete newbie to riding. No matter how much self control a person has, I'd never recommend one of those bikes as a first bike - just too much potential for disaster. That bike has 112 horsepower, you could easily break the rear tire loose at the worst possible time. It'll do 0-60 faster than almost any car you'd ever see on the road. You could wheelie it right out from under you by accident. The list goes on.

It is a good price though... if you were to buy it, I'd say garage it for a while, take the MSF class and get a beater to learn on for the rest of the season.

[Chimerix]

Reinforcing the message others have given:

1 - this is not a good first bike. Even if you were an experienced racecar driver, you would not be prepared for the acceleration, braking, and handling a bike like this is capable of. A healthy percentage of motorcycle fatalities come from people who buy too much bike for their first (and tragically last) choice.

2 - take the MSF class. Lots of them provide the bikes. Talk to the instructors between sessions.

3 - pay a mechanic to look the bike over. If the frame and suspension are fine, then that's a good deal.

[eidian]

Originally Posted by midtx350z

How do I find a bike that fits me and my abilities if I've never ridden before? How do I ride for the first time? Do bike dealerships let you try out their bikes? Even if you've never ridden before?

If you owned a dealership, would you let someone test ride a bike when they haven't ridden before? Think about that one very carefully. I got to test ride a 675 Street Triple last weekend but I had to show my M1 endorsement, proof-of-insurance and show my helmet, gloves, jacket and boots.

Originally Posted by midtx350z

...I drive a fast car, I'm not saying it's the fastest or anything, but it's the fastest car I've ever had and faster than any of my friends', and I have yet to act reckless with it...

Does your car do 0 to 60 in 3 seconds? Do you hand the keys to someone who's never driven before to a car like that? Why not? And even if they have driven, do you think that a person who hasn't ridden could handle a bike that does that? Self control has nothing to do with being able to control a SuperSport--experience does. Do you have the experience it takes to control a bike like that? No one here will question your self-control.

The point that I'm trying to make is that you need to remove yourself from the questions that you're asking and then ask yourself if you'd trust someone else with these questions that your asking. If you can't say, "yes" to another person, then you can't say, "yes" to yourself.

[eidian]

Originally Posted by Box

Do not buy a bike because it is available and possibly a good price.

Buy the bike that fits you and your riding abilities.

A bike is for life not just Christmas or Easter.

Perfectly stated on all points...may I have your permission to quote you in any possible future posts? You said in three lines what would take me 5 paragraphs.

Originally Posted by PSNinja

You can always get it and hold on to it until you have some experience. You could look for something used and a bit more appropriate for a starter bike. I agree with Bubba, take the MSF course first to see if you even want to ride.

Holding on to the bike is a great idea; it's almost too good a price to pass up assuming that the damage is all minor. And if he gets something like a beat up 250 or 500 to start on then sales it, he will only be ahead in terms of ROI.