Is a honda interceptor 500 a good first bike?
Blaise St-Laurent
the full history of the bike.
My main concern is, will it be too much bike to handle? I was looking
for a 500-750 cruiser, but this is a friend selling it for right within
my budget.
A little info you might need: I'm a bigger biker (6'0, 220lb, rock
climber) so picking it up isn't an issue, but will this bike get me in
more trouble then i'm ready to handle? I just finished the OSC course,
getting my m2.
Thanks in advance.
Blaise
Ken
2-3 days, but you'll outgrow it pretty quick. Go easy on the throttle, and
you could drive a GSXR or a R1 as a first bike. Its more about the decisions
you make in your own mind that determine whats too much or to little. 500
interceptor is quick, not lightning but quick. Have fun!
Ken
"Blaise St-Laurent" <bla...@geeky.net> wrote in message
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Elie
tonnes of fun, easy to turn, and by far the fastest 500s ever made
nice, open design, easy to work on, good brakes. just keep an eye out for
extremely high mileage motors and rusty frames and balooned frame spars
(along the bottom of the bike under the motor)
"Blaise St-Laurent" <bla...@geeky.net> wrote in message
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John
it. Good power and handling but could get pushed around by strong
crosswinds. Traded it on a leftover VF1000 in 86 and a hurricane couldn't
blow that freight-train off the road.
John
Sidney Beauchamp
(magna). I thought it was a great starter bike. With the little
experience I have I feel that the best starter bike for you is a
motorcycle that you find challenging, but not overwhelming. So although
the v45 was a great starter bike for me it might not be for you. I
decided on the fact that if the bike had fallen I could easily lifted it
up alone. (witch I had to do twice, once because someone hit the bike
with their car and took off, and once because I was stupid of a moment)
but the fact that I could lift it up eased my fear. The bike was
challenging enough to keep me on my toes and not do stupid things to
often.
I found that most bikes are fairly easy to ride at speeds greater than
30 KPH, it at parking lot speeds, specially below 8 KPH where it get
tricky. I was strong enough to man handle the bike when I made mistakes,
but it was heavy enough for me to be worried, which I felt was a good
combination.
There are many people with allot of experience here in the group and
they may be able to straiten me out, but this is what I felt.
Good luck,
Sid.
Nikita Synytskyy
"Blaise St-Laurent" <bla...@geeky.net> wrote
> My main concern is, will it be too much bike to handle? I was looking
> for a 500-750 cruiser, but this is a friend selling it for right within
> my budget.
I wouldn't think so. It *is* a quick bike, but not insanely quick and
powerful, like it's bigger brothers, the 750 and the 1000 (although even
they are considered sedate by today's standards).
Overall, I would say it is a great beginner bike. Go for it. I would check
that it wasn't raced, and maybe do an engine inspection. The V-4 engines
are complex and therefore expensive to fix. Carb work is reprtedly a
nightmare, too.
Nikita.
KLG
it.......
Katherine
Bill
Although I had driven several bikes, both on and off road, it was my first
bike
in which I purchased new from a dealer and kept for quite a while.
Mine was also a 1984, probably has more Blue than Red on the tank.
Very quick for a 500cc 4 stroke and a very impressive top speed too!
I am 6'2 and at the time I was around 190lbs...at the time being the key
word ;)
Very nice handling bike and very enjoyable to drive if going on a short tour
3-4 hours.
You won't be able to lift the front end, unless you want too(popping clutch)
which makes
it very nice to know when you want to "crack" the throttle once you get used
to the bike.
As far as reliability goes....I would give it a 4.5 out of five, but you
have to remember that
I sold it when it had about 17000 Kms on it, so I got the better part of the
motor.
All I can say is....EXCELLENT first bike, but keep your eye on the speedo
when getting
on the highway.....you may be big, but this little bike is still capable of
doing 220Kph !!
IF you don't end up buying it....drop me a line with the details :)
Cheers, Bill
"Blaise St-Laurent" <bla...@geeky.net> wrote in message
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Luc Charbonneau
Back when I graduated in '84 a good friend of mine received an Interceptor
500 for graduation. (She was beautiful and so he named her Helena after the
Greek goddess of love and beauty.) Back then he was about 5'5" and maybe
120lbs. and, shall we say, 'lightly' prone to the wild side and he was able
to handle it just fine. He let me take Helena out a couple of times that
summer and she was an amazing ride but then I didn't have allot of
experience yet so I imagine that just about anything would have impressed
me. :-)
Anyway, have you test ridden (is that a word?) the bike yet? If so how did
it feel? Are you prone to the wild side? Because if it's running right it
does have the power to get you into trouble but then so would just about
any bike if you let it, so don't let it. Remember Ken's comments, I agree.
Personally, and this is strictly personally, I think you should stay with
your first instinct for a cruiser, but in that case I think you would want
to look at, at least an 800 or larger considering your size. I'd been out
of the saddle for a long time before this spring, I'm 5' 10" 170lbs and I'm
already feeling my Vulcan 800 Classic to be a bit small and it's the
biggest bike I've ever had. (not that it's for sale) I took to it like I'd
never been away from riding, I think due to it's balance and handling. I
think that someone of your size and strength (you did say rock climbing)
would enjoy the slightly larger cruiser, even if you are a beginner.
Whatever you decide to do, have fun, enjoy life and stay away from the wild
side, you'll live longer to enjoy biking (and the rest that life has to
offer).
All the best.
The Land Level (enjoying biking to the max again) Flyer
'01 Vulcan 800 Classic
P.S. After my comments above I suppose I should qualify my pseudonym, The
Land Level Flyer. That's not the metaphorical 'going so fast that I'm
flying', it's the metaphorical 'being on a bike in the wind, open and free
is like flying' (or so I imagine). Of course the 'Land Level' part is
because I'm doing it on the ground rather that way up in the air. Just
about as good if you ask me. My angels wings will beat the feeling of
biking I suppose but until then this will just have to do. :-)
Ken
one. Jeesh. I miss my old EX500... Not as quick as the Honda, but not bad
for a sewing machine.
Ken
"Luc Charbonneau" <luc.cha...@alcatel.com> wrote in message
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Will Rake
never had any trouble handling a bike this size. A friend of mine had an 84
Interceptor 500 at the time and I thought it was a great bike for the size.
Ideal for beginners. I got bored of my KZ after a couple of years and went
to an 84 Interceptor 750. I'd gor for it. It's a bike I'd recommend to any
beginner.
"Blaise St-Laurent" <bla...@geeky.net> wrote in message
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Ryan Harriman
Ryan
John
"Ryan Harriman" <harr...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
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> Just watch out if it has high km's. The cams used to go on them alot.
>
> Ryan
To the best of my knowledge the 500 never suffered the cam problems that the
750 did. I think they used an extra-old cheese to make the 500 cams as
opposed to the brie that was used for the 750's.
Ryan Harriman
Then again I have ran across alot more V45's. On that note I know someone that
has a 500 Interceptor with a bad cam. He wants around $500 for it if anyone is
interested. I thought it was too much and didn't pick it up.
Ryan
Will Rake
what the exact problem was with these bikes but replacing a cam is something
that minorly experienced mechanic can do.
"Ryan Harriman" <harr...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
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Old Geezer in Quebec
Buy it. You can use it for a while and you will probably be able to sell it
for the same price you paid for it. Try that with a racer or a new bike.
Blaise St-Laurent <bla...@geeky.net> wrote in message
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Ryan Harriman
Well it was the cams plus something else.
Ryan
William Sitch
: My main concern is, will it be too much bike to handle? I was looking
: for a 500-750 cruiser, but this is a friend selling it for right within
: my budget.
The VF500F is an amazing bike. It's light. It's 'flickable'. It's quite
fast, and it's really forgiving. I've got one in need of repair (winter
work), and a VF750F. I'll probably ride the 500 next year and sell the
750.
It's a great bike. Good for a beginner? Definitely.
--
William Sitch, B.E.Eng. (1999) [Post from: Nortel Networks (CRK/12/1B10)]
M.E.Eng. Candidate, OCIECE http://www.engsoc.carleton.ca/~wsitch
Mustangbrad
power.The "V" engine was alright for power but my inline 600 just goes like
stink compared to it. Watch out for burning oil, my bike had 40K on it and
was never mentioned that it burned oil at the time of sale until exactly one
after I bought it it started to. Beware, that;s all I am saying.
"Blaise St-Laurent" <bla...@geeky.net> wrote in message
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> The bike happens to be an 84 in decent condition, new rubber, i'v got
> the full history of the bike.
>
> My main concern is, will it be too much bike to handle? I was lookinge