| Author | Message | ||
     B00stzx3 |
Hello Badweather. This is my first post. i was inquiring to see yalls oipinions on how I should go about purchasing a Buell. I'm 21 years old, with a good job and I go to school as well. I'll be taking the BRC/license test in June, so I was hoping to have a Buell Xb12R or 9R waiting for me when i get it! I've found that the most affordable Firebolts are the ones I've found on Craigslist. What would ya'll recommend doing to afford a Firebolt at say $4,500? Should I get a loan from a bank, website or something? I can make payments every month and have a pretty big ($500-$1000) down payment, but since its probably going to be through a private party I have no idea how to go about this. I have good credit from maintaining payments on my car so thats not a problem, although my parents have horrible credit. I'd defintley have to get it lowered to, but I'll figure in those costs after I acutally get the bike. Thanks! | ||
| Thumper74 |
Take the class first. See if you're ready to accept the risks before you're stuck with a bike payment. As someone your age 24, I love my Buell, however it's been cost prohibitive as far as insurance goes. I would plan on $100+ a month for insurance, plus your bike payment, $200-300 for a set of tires every 4-5,000 miles. $50 per oil change if you do it yourself. It adds up quickly. If you have decent credit, go find a credit union and open an account there. Build a relationship with them and then use them for financing. Avoid loan companies like the plague. If you have a credit card with a low interest, you could use that and then keep liability on the bike saving you a ton of money. Lowering the bike takes away ground clearance (and cornering clearance), increases the likelihood of you denting your exhaust, etc. Ride it, see if you like and then decide. If I remember correctly, you'll only be able to lower it if it's a 2003-2005(?) R, as they switched to a larger diameter fork tube and there are no 'low' versions available in the S model. | ||
| Greenlantern |
Welcome Bobby, At 21 years of age, School with a good job depending what practices banks follow in your state concerning loans / insurance coverage, you might want to hit Family or Friends first for a loan. You would be spared paying full coverage on a used motorcycle and protect your just developing credit history in the process for when you need those "important" loans one who works can't do without. If you are not required to carry full coverage on the bike, you might want to extend your patience for a while, build the cash up, put in a bank account and take the loan against the account. Sounds like alot but you will get a better rate and if you default for some reason the money is already frozen in the account to cover and the impact on your credit is not as harsh since the bank does not lose the original capital. I bought my first 2 bikes this way and besides working for a positive credit rating it had the side effect of building my savings which came in handy at down payment time for my house. I'm sure the good folks here may have other tips and even better ideas (that is what makes this place the Bees Knees) so take it all in and good luck when you finally join the ranks. Randy | ||
| Xl1200r |
Thumper is spot on for basically everything. Insurance for me is about $91/mo (24 years old, perfect driving record). Oil changes are about $50 assuming you can do them yourself, tires, etc... it adds up fast. As far as a loan goes, credit unions are going to be the cheapest way to go. Buying the bike privately shoudln't change anything - you tell them what you're getting and how much you want to borrow, and they make sure they don't lend you more than the bike is worth. You get a check for the amount borrowed and book of payment coupons. Pretty straight forward. I have no idea what decent rates are these days - I bought my bike cash so I don't know. My car is 4.99% though at my credit union, and I woudln't be surprised if it's dropped since then. As an aside, I can't comfortable encourage anyone to get an XB as a first bike. Things can get out of hand fast, course or no course. I would encourage you to look for something smaller to start with - general rule of thumb is any single cylinder bike, or any multi under 600cc (NOT including 600cc, but UNDER 600cc). Anyways, I see no problems with doing a loan, even for that little money. Interest rates are so low now it almost dumb NOT to borrow. You can make more investing cash than you would save by paying something outright. my $.02 | ||
| Ratbuell |
Another finance option is your local HD/Buell dealer. We do "finance only" deals all the time - we write loans for bikes being bought by individuals, from individuals. (just saw your profile that you're in Balto - swing by Frederick and say hi sometime, I'm the ugly tall lanky guy in the Buell shirt  ) To build credit (if you aren't already), get a credit card, buy your gas with it, and pay it off every month. Also keep up to date with a cell phone contract, and get one in your name if you don't have it already. The credit union is a good way to go as well, but sometimes they have time limits before you can borrow from them. Definitely worth some phone calls and emails to get information | ||
| Ratbuell |
Oh, and welcome to BadWeb. You realize we're only going to facilitate the addiction and not help cure it, right?  | ||
| Bill0351 |
A guy at work is thinking of getting his first bike. I pointed him in the direction of the 250 Ninja. We found him an '07 with 600 miles on it for $2,700 on Craig's List. If you found a similar deal and had $1,000 to put down, you could just put the other $1,700 on a zero interest credit card offer. I financed my old Kawasaki that way years ago and had it paid off by the end of the year. No matter what though, used Buells are a really good deal. Bill | ||
| Corporatemonkey |
Personally I believe Cash is King. If I can't afford it, I don't buy it. I know it is harsh to say, but to get financing on used bike is not going to be favorable. Buy a basic beater bike, and save up until you get what you want. Trust me, you won't know exactly what you want until you put a few miles under your belt. | ||
| Court |
For your situation and age I'd suggest you set a maximum budget of $3,000 and don't buy until you can pay cash. The test I use is as soon as I buy the bike . . . I kick it. I kick it real hard and knock it over. If this bothers you, you've overspent. My personal favorite bike for this is the KLR650 although the Ninja mentioned is always popular. Spend some time riding it, get comfy, know the bike inside and out and develop some skills. Then make the jump to light speed. Just a thought. | ||
| Indy_bueller |
You can get used Buell Blasts pretty reasonably priced. Try a HD/Buell dealer with a Riders Edge program. | ||
| Nautique4life |
The xbscg is lowered and suited for the 'shortys' out there. I wanted to buy another bike and add to the stable. I had some extra cash saved up, but didn't want to use it. I wanted my bank to pay for it. Long story short, I needed addition lines of credit. So, I did as mentioned above and got a small CC and kept up on my payments. I was fortunate to be able to purchase my first bike with cash, back when times at work were great. I miss those times. Anyhow, good luck with that. Hope you are riding soon. This place is like hangout and therapy for a lot of us. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
First of all..WELCOME. Second......."yalls"? | ||
| Jayvee |
Hey I see tubers for $2800 in decent shape. You could 'learn' on a cheaper bike maybe? Coupla $ grand difference might not sound like much, unless you don't have it. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Consider a used factory street legal dual sport. Just about indestructible, used ones hold their value extremely well, they will work fine for commuting, are very forgiving for mistakes, and you can play on the dirt. Great fuel economy and reasonably comfortable. If you can ride a bike on the dirt, you will be a better rider on the street. KLR-250, KLX-250, XR-650, DR-350, super sherpa, etc. The KLR-250 is close to this catagory, but is really a dirt road bike, not really something you will want to spend time on single track on. Oughta be able to find a really good one under $3000 easy, and can probably find some of them under $1500. Get one of those, ride it for a season, and you will probably be able to sell if for as much or more then you paid for it. Like CorporateMonkey said, after about a season or two... you will probably have a pretty good idea about what kind of bike you want to ride... or even if you really will ride. You won't have to gue$$. | ||
| B00stzx3 |
Wow! I didn't anticipate all the good advice I'd get from so many folks. I appreciate it! I think I will go ahead and start looking around for credit unions. theres one at my work I never even realized. I desperatley want a sport bike, and in my family driving something foreign would is not acceptable, especially not to my WW2 vet grandfather. I really appreciate the advice guys, I will surely use it. I will do the credit union thing and of course check out the local Harley dealerships (H/D in Baltimore-Rosedale, Annapolis and Frederick). I'm only taking the BCR to get my license since it seems to be the cheapest route. | ||
| Bill0351 |
If it's got to be a sport-bike and it's got to be American, then you really only have one choice. There are better choices for a beginners bike, but there are lots of worse choices to make. The payment on a $5,000.00 bike is only about $100.00 per month, and even if insurance runs you $100.00, it will be money well spent if you fall in love with the sport. At your age I wouldn't have gone for the KLR650 or the 250 Ninja either, even though both are a logical choice and good advice. Anyway... The biggest part of the equation is the part you bring. Your first bike could be a Hayabusa, and if you didn't ride it like a moron, and you wore all the gear, you would probably be fine. One of my oldest friends went down hard on his CX500 and was almost killed on his next bike which was a CX650. I have 20+ years of riding and haven't been down yet (knock on wood). Take the class. Pay attention when you are there. Buy a good helmet, jacket and gloves. Then wear them every time you get on the bike. Leather bottoms and boots are an even better idea. If you are out in a group and you feel yourself getting in over your head, fall to the back of the pack and take your time. Good luck. Make the right choices and you will still be riding in 40 years. Bill | ||
| Xl1200r |
Buying something big and powerful for your first bike is bad idea no matter how you shake it, even if you claim to have the most well-behaved right hand in the world. The problems come when your inexperience gets into even the slightest bind, you stop paying attention to things and that right hand opens up. On a Ninja 250, you might lurch forward some. On a Hyabusa, you'll end up on your back with bike 100 feet away up in some tree or something. A Buell isn't a bad choice. There are worse for a first bike, but there certainly better as well. | ||
| Josh_ |
The 9R would be a good choice - 03/04 are cheap and the insurance should be less than a 12. The Blast would be the cheapest (cost, insurance, gas) pay $1000-2000 for an 00-02 ride it for a year to see if you have the riding bug and then sell it for 90-100% of what you paid for it. | ||
| Lost_in_ohio |
If your finances are that tight.....I would say wait a couple of years. Your forget the farkles. You will end up adding stuff on....it is inevitable. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
Buy a used one, stay within a budget....get ready to blow that budget on gadgets and accessories. I've damn near lapped the cost of my bike already and I got mine used for *3500.00 last year. (*included in that estimate is riding gear, Rider's Edge, new tires/brakes and the 10k maintenance) | ||
| Ratyson |
Welcome to the Badweb!! I am also going to jump in with the other folks that say to wait until you can buy it with cash. You will save yourself a lot of money in the long run doing this. And just think of all the money you can put away for things like mods, gear, long bike trip expenses. The more money you bleed out of your account on a monthly basis through loan payments, the harder it is to get the things that you really want. At your age, I would concentrate on keeping yourself as debt free as humanly possible. Debt is a visious circle that can get difficult to control. My wife and I came to this discovery, and are now working VERY hard and sacrificing a LOT in order to get completely out of debt. And we are below the national average when it comes to debt. | ||
| Bobr |
What Ratyson said, what Court said, and what other people said about the Blast for a first bike. A used Blast can be had pretty cheap and they're a lot of fun. If you're short the Blast is good because it's really low. A used XBSl in good condition would make a great 2nd bike, as would the XB12cg if you really need a low seat height. The cg would be more expensive. After you've been riding for a while you may find you don't need as low a bike as you thought. | ||
| Brumbear |
any of the s variations should be cheaper to ins I think I would pay only about 340 for full liab costs me 117 a year but I am a bit older | ||
| Oldog |
stay out of debit! an xb9 is a good bike to learn on but as stated above, the more power the easier to get in way over your head, Welcome and Good luck.. | ||
| Guell |
Wait, do you have any experince riding at all? I spent a good ammount of time on a dirt bike, then jumped on my cyclone, and it was still scary as hell at first. I highly recomend a blast. | ||
| Rex |
both of my sons bought kawasaki 250 ninjas first. one bought a used one, and the other one bought one of the new 2008 models. they are 25 and 24. the are inexpensive, light weight. It is hard to do, but try to start with a smaller bike, get used to it and then move up. I had a ton of bikes as I grew up. at 14 I started with a honda 90. So many new riders try to go straight to the top. relax, buy something inexpensive, get some experience on it, and then look at a higher priced bike. my thoughts. REX | ||
| B00stzx3 |
The only thing I could get would be Blast but....I can't do it I LOVE the Firebolt! I have ridden some big dirt bikes all through high school and less than legally takin out a Yamaha cruiser and an old Harleymy friends dad has cooped up in the garage, so I'm really not that much of a begiinner. I do realize the Firebolt is a whole different animal than both. My dad said my best bet would be goin through BankofAmerica so Thats what I'm gonna do. Found a 2003 XB9R with 2500 miles for $4200!! Its a steal but there is alot of interest in it I hope it comes though for me! Thanks guys!! | ||
| Jayvee |
Sounds like he got the fever ! Welcome to the club ! | ||
| Oddsc |
Get a Sportster. It was my first bike, super easy riding, you can sell it in a year for what you bought it, made in USA, cheaper insurance, not so scary fast. My .02 | ||
| B00stzx3 |
thank yall for the advice!! I love this community already and I still aint gotta buell! ANyways yeah, I applied for both an auto loan, which got denied and a personal loan from my bank, Bank Of America. They denied both, and yet they can't tell me over the phone why they got denied. I have to wait for a letter, which will be too late because I found an AMAZING deal on 2003 XB9r, with race fairing to! I have perfect credit, paid off my own car, I dunno, screw Bank of America. I'm not so loyal to them anymore. I'll be going to the credit union at work tomorrow and seein if I an do it. Thanks again yall, hopefully I'll have pics of the bike if everything goes as planned! |
