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Bikes in the USA?!?! Odd Selection.

Looking on Ebay/CycleTrader in the USA for small bikes like you find at home. I hope to ride the east coast next year by flying from the UK (I will be 19....have full lisense now) and pick up a 125cc bike cheap (cheap insurance fuel etc.) and see some of Cali, Nevada and a few of the East coast states across 5 or 6 months.

Problem is...all i seem to be able to find is cruisers like harleys or converted dirt bikes which are going to be a pain thes)arse in terms of service intervals and comfort. Im riding a big bike atm in the UK (SV650S), but something like a YBF125 or 250cc standard commuter type job would suit me.

Surely places like New York have these sort of bikes? What does the average commute biker ride a harley? Secondly what sort of money am i looking at gaining insurance for a couple months in the states and who can you reccomend?

You might like to consider buying a bmw, tourer. with a fairing, it is no fun dealing with a half killed hornet in your face. anything from an R80rt such as mine, or for USA better get the 100, quicker, and does more mpg. or even an oilhead

Flying Gringo said --"Crossing the Western US on an old Yamaha XS650 twin was a miserable experience. There isn't a large used stock because there were very few sold new in the past 20 years, "---

Well ,I don't think any have been sold new since 1984 ,and I wouldn't encourage any new rider to get one or indeed any model of older bike unless they knew the individual bike's history .But with 50 hp the XS is not too shabby .
Better than an XT350 on the highway I would venture to suggest .

I don't think it's a good idea to forge any official documents in the USA and encouraging a 19 year old to do so is plainly irresponsible .

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dodger

.....
I don't think it's a good idea to forge any official documents in the USA and encouraging a 19 year old to do so is plainly irresponsible .

Back when I was 16 or so...no biggy. :)

In today's environment, it would be plainly stupid and potentialy very costly.
Even your Barney, small town cops are aware and sometimes chopping at their bits.

Come on over. Long ago I took the cheapest flight possible to london and bought a smallish bike and toured about. It cost more than I thought it would but it was great and I still remember the rain in march in GB the snow in paris on the first of april and the bliss of southern spain camping in the sun. I would fly into a area in the USA and set up for a while to get my bearings and check out what is available (of course searching exstensively on the internet beforehand) and befriend a mechanic that can give you advice on the model you are looking at. Try bringing some donuts by in the AM or taking a mechanic out to lunch for a bit of free advice.

There wouldn't be ,by any chance at all, a mechanic in Montana who is partial to donuts and a free lunch would there ?
Ha ha ha .!

A small (in the US a "girls") bike in the USA is a 600cc. Sure, in most of the world that doesn't make sense, but hey, we're the US. Land of, "Go Fast in a Straight Line".

If you make it to No. California before I go to Australia in April, I can help you out. Ack, now I can't breathe. Dang hippy roommate using nose-clogging incense.

--Dave

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flying Gringo

the reason you can't buy these bikes in the US is that the distances between places are enormous and empty, the roads around all major cities are good and demand higher speeds than these bikes are capable of comfortably sustaining, fuel prices as a percentage of wages are significantly lower than in other countries, and commutes by auto are typically longer than in europe, In much of the US a Motorcycle is considered a recreational vehicle, not a daily driver and trying to see the US on a 125 would be a miserable experience to the vast majority of motorcyclists, so there was only a very limited market for small enduros in the US. The vast majority of these bikes sold are not street legal, but for off-road use only.

Crossing the Western US on an old Yamaha XS650 twin was a miserable experience. There isn't a large used stock because there were very few sold new in the past 20 years, and now that Americans are paranoid about gas prices they are hanging onto their small bikes. They aren't riding them, but they are hanging onto them.

Bigger places call for bigger bikes. Another SV650 is a great choice. If you want something smaller, cheaper but big enough to do the job, there are a lot of used Suzuki GS500s and Kawasaki EX500 Ninjas out there. You can pretty easily find an example from the early 90s with low miles that's only been dropped by every previous owner a few times in the Northeast for about $1200-1500. Make sure you get the license plate and a dated bill of sale. If you get pulled over by the police on your way west, explain that you're on your way to California to ship the bike back home. The odds are pretty good they will let you go if you are polite and have all your other papers in order.

If you insist on one of the smaller enduro types, get one of the Chinese 200s off of ebay, go pick it up with your own plate from the UK and print up your own registration at the local Kinkos. the cops aren't likely to bother a guy on a Yumbo with foreign plates going 45 mph. Might as well print up an insurance card while you are at it.

If you go for the cheapest ones, make sure you find a 40(ish) tooth rear sprocket on Ebay. Most of the stock 200's come with 56 tooth rear. which keeps your top speed to 50 mph, and the bike is screaming for mercy.

The Lifan LF200GY-5 model is getting popular, can be had for under $1500 new, shipped to wherever you are (you have to perform minor assembly), and this model comes stock with a 17 tooth front sprocket, and 44 tooth rear sprocket, resulting in a cruising speed of 55-60 mph without killing the engine; you can cruise at that speed. There is a woman on ebay who sells Shineray 200 enduros for $1350 shipped, but if you are in the L.A. area, you can pick it up for $1200. However, L.A. is a big place, and the bike is partially disassembled so it comes in a crate/cardboard box. Plus, this bike comes stock with a 15 tooth front/56 tooth rear sprocket, but as you have to assemble it, you can throw the sprocket on while you put it together. The same dealer has Shineray 150 enduros which are $1100 shipped/$900 local pickup (nearly identical to the 200).

However, as Flying Gringo pointed out, the US is a huge place, and trying to ride a 150 or 200 for distance will get you frustrated to say the least. If you really want to be different, and have the time, you can try it. Perhaps only doing 100 or less miles per day, on back roads, and don't mind the slow pace, you could consider one. The other issue, as has been discussed on other forums is trying to register the bike here. Perhaps, you could try Flying Gringos advice and fudge it by printing up your own registration and insurance card?

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZsmlrace

She also has a Yamaha Virago "clone" (cruiser) in 250cc size for about $2100 which might suit your needs better.

Quote:

Originally Posted by yuma simon

However, as Flying Gringo pointed out, the US is a huge place, and trying to ride a 150 or 200 for distance will get you frustrated to say the least. If you really want to be different, and have the time, you can try it. Perhaps only doing 100 or less miles per day, on back roads, and don't mind the slow pace, you could consider one.

That just depends on the distance you want to cover in a day. Australia is about the size of the lower 48 US states, and I circled it on an old 250cc. Top speed (and my cruising speed) was 60mph/100kph.

I really enjoyed it. Who knows when/if I'll be on those roads again and a slow pace provides plenty of time to gawk. I could have easily chosen a larger bike, but I don't see the point. When riding at 80 or 90mph you need to pay more attention to the ride. At 60, there's not much of a problem with letting your mind wander.

Where's the fun of seeing the US when you're on Interstates? A McDonalds & Walmart at every single exit for 3,000 miles?

He did make it sound as if he had several months to do it, so I guess the slower bike wouldn't be a hindrance to him. He could even consider one of the many 150cc scooters found on Ebay, if he doesn't mind the "slow ride."

Pick up something like a KLR650, they can be had used for real cheap and will get you anywhere you want to go. The not so great plain states could be a bore on a 200-100cc bike and steep grades out west will give you trouble so you might want something bigger like a KLR, Bandit, Katana, F650 or similar mid displacement bikes. You can easily do it on a smaller bike but with the long open roads in good condition displacement rules.

if your not planning on doing any offroading and want to just see the states, most people will bite my head off but the honda nighthawk 750 or cb750 might be worth looking into and you can get them fairly cheaply, they are also available in 250cc

Little bikes really seem to be few and far between in the US for reasons stated previously in this thread...people just don't generally buy them...I've had the same Honda CM250 for over 20 years and never seen another one for sale in my area...your best bet for a small displacement machine is a dualsport but your ass will pay the price after 5000 miles...I'd look for a UJM like a Honda Nighthawk, Suzuki GS, Kawasaki KZ, or something of that ilk. A KLR 650 would make a great choice as it's simple, durable, and cheap to come by...just tie on your baggage and head cross country:thumbup1:

I hate to imagine how a 250cc engine struggles as you cross the Rockies at 10,000+ feet

On my trip in the South-West US, I liked the BMW R850R I had rented there very much. I would, for example, not like to do my trip from LA to Las Vegas on a 125 or 250cc bike. That would be a nightmare.
If you buy a bike, make sure it is not to excotic. A cheap Chinese bike may be nice but what if you need a spare part, 1000 Miles away from the dealer you bought it from?
A KLR650 or another populair model may be a litle more expensive but there are more people who know how to fix it and it's easier to get new or secondhand spare parts.

Find the latest issue of several US bike mags. One of them (on the cover) reviews the Yamaha 1300. Part of the caption is "the best MIDDLEWEIGHT". I about flipped. :wheelchair:

Back in the day, even in the wide open US 350-550's were middleweights. Anything 750+ was a heavyweight. The original Goldwings were 1000's. Now, a Harley is a "middleweight" and "everyone" considers a 600cc bike a small learner/girls bike. The local BMW dealer told me the F650GS would struggle with me (270lbs) at highway speeds - the bike has nearly the same HP as the 750 I used to own, more than the '70's 350 and I went 2up on both those bikes.

Too many people have egos that over ride what little functional brainpower they have.

As for your problem, find a 250 Ninja, KLR650, EX500 or some such in the $1500 range and ride the wheels off.

As for commuters, I ride an 1100 (until I can find something I like and can get at a reasonable price). It's the smallest bike in the lot on the rare days it has company. Company wide (8-10 parking lots) there might be 20 bikes out of 200 that are smaller than mine.