Used Bike for new rider

I just had a post for bike suggestions and got 3 responses, the Honda Shadow, V-Star 650 and the C50.  I want a good used bike at first, one that can accomodate my long legs but is a low ride cruiser for good balance and low speed control.  I want something 2000 or newer and keep the price at $3000 or a little under.  Are there any possibilities ?  If not let me know how far I should go back in age without getting all the wear problems.  

A well maintained low milage bike that's 20 years old could easily be in better shape than a 1 year old bike owned by someone who did the same level of maintenance as he did on his lawnmower. Motorcycles require far more maintenance than cars do and someone who's not used to doing that much maintenance can quickly ruin a good machine. In my opinion, knowing the person who maintained the bike is far more important than how old it is.

That said, a low milage bike that was garage kept, will probably not have any major problems even if all the owner did was change the engine oil and filter on schedule for 4 years. But be prepared to replace all the fluids as soon as you get it home and new tires won't be far down the road.

regards,
Joe  

Thanks Joe, I guess it's the same with older cars that set in garage. I am watching a 2002 Honda Shadow VLX on Ebay located near me, it has over 40,000 miles on it and the reason it is being sold is that the guys Dad can no longer ride.  I guess it is better than buying one with under 1000 miles as it shows it was riden.  Thanks for your input.      Mike  

Back in the days when the Navy was paying me $20, twice a month, I was making my beer/gas money and acquiring my transportation by buying 300-450cc Hondas from sailors who didn't even know how to change the spark plugs. They'd ride the bike for 6 months to a year, until it quit running, then a few months later I'd offer them a dollar a cc. After a quick tune up, I'd ride the bike for a month, doing all the maintenance and adjusting everything so that it was running good, then sell it for 50 cents more a cc to some other sailor.

Once, a guy thought to get more by doing the maintenance checks before selling it to me. He had the chain so tight, the bike wouldn't even roll, then got 3 other guys to help push it trying to loosen it up. I dropped my offer by $50, when I saw he had broken some teeth off the drive sprocket :-)

regards,
Joe  

In my recent search in Kansas/Oklahoma I was looking for the same thing as you. Most of the bikes I found were $4500 and up. After lots of research we decided on the v star (translate: it's the one my wife liked best) and I just keep looking until I found one for the price I was willing to pay. Finally found a 02 v star 650 for $3500 and took it home. I would think you will be happier finding the bike you want even if it costs a little more than just settling for one that fit your price range.
Good luck in your search and enjoy the ride.
Gomez  
02 V-Star Classic