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Is this a good buy or no?

2K views 12 replies 4 participants last post by  dh300 
#1 ·
I have an offer for a 2014 Kawasaki Ninja 300 (non-ABS), same bike I had before a car hit me, minus the ABS.

It's $3200. Dropped once at 10mph, only some cosmetic scratches (haven't confirmed yet but let's just assume). Non-stocks include Pirelli Diablo Rosso 2's, plate delete (?), integrated turn signals in rear light. 1,776 miles(!)

What do you guys think?
 
#2 ·
Hey Noiradle -


I think its a fair price. Has a good amount of aftermarket parts. Obviously get a good look at the damage first.


KBB suggested retail is $3,945 in excellent condition. Hypothetically there is $700 in damage, its in the right ball park. Plus - if you can get the OEM parts that were removed, might be able to sell those to some peeps on this forum - or elsewhere online.


Have the seller send you some pics - post em on the thread.


All the best -




Doug
 
#4 ·
He offered to give me the standard 2014 tires with almost no miles on them, along with some cheap Bell helmet that I'll probably only use to get the bike home. My last crash left my smexy Arai Vector II badly scratched with a lot of the vents ripped out and a caved in mouth vent. It actually would still be usable despite that but I blacked out and woke up on the pavement so I don't know how much blunt impact the helmet took so I can't be sure of its integrity. It definitely feels solid though, hell even damaged it'd probably save my brain more than a low end Bell.

Anyway with the low miles I can't imagine he'll have too much to show as far as servicing but I'll see, and I'll definitely ask for receipts, manuals, key code, etc.. I'll see if I can talk him into letting me test ride it without cash in hand (don't plan on gathering the money unless I decide on buying it and that'd be the next day). I don't know all that much about bikes aside from the obvious things to check like brakes, lights, fluid levels, etc.. Is there anything I should be looking for when peaking into the guts through the plastics?

Here's the pics I got but they're pretty crap quality.
 

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#6 ·
Damage to the fairing isn't that bad. It doesn't look like there are any cracks or anything. Almost a who-gives-a-shit amount of damage.

All you can ask is have it warm up in front of you. Listen for any abnormalities in the engine. Knocks, squealing, etc. Try to see if they'll take it through the gears - do a few passes. If they don't - ask why? If they say its cold - tell em to wear an extra layer. Or - obviously, if they let you go through the gears - do that.


If he has it in a garage - check under the bike - look for any fresh oil spots.


With the low miles - everything should be in great order unless he abused it during the break in period.


And hey - I like my cheap Bell helmet :p


- Doug
 
#7 ·
Good idea. I'm thinking this guy is a bit scared of his own bike though since he's giving up riding completely as far as I know. I'm not sure if he'll jump on the bike but if all looks well, I'll take it for a test ride myself when I can put cash in his hand.

May I ask your opinion on ABS? I'm pretty worried about a non-ABS bike, although I can only remember 1-2 times I activated it in 8,000 miles or so on my last bike, but those 1-2 times may very well have been crashes without it, but I probably wouldn't have been braking so sloppy and aggressive (neither times were in a panic situation, just me being stupid)
 
#8 ·
Ah. He has "the fear." Possibly.


I'm the wrong person to ask about ABS. My Non-ABS 300 is my first modern bike. Used to rebuild Hondas from the 60's and 70's and ride those. My personal thought is to get as good at breaking with a non-abs model and then if you want to get more aggressive or start doing track days - ABS would be a logical step.


But do not defer to my judgment as I've never used ABS.


Anyone else out there that can drop a line about ABS/Non-abs?
 
#9 · (Edited)
Indeed, not sure if you read my crash post but I almost died back in October. I had someone pull out in front of me and I slammed into them at 45 with no chance to react. I really do respect my ability to ride and ride safely, but it really hammered it into me that us riders can't rely on our skill alone, sometimes it's just out of our control because people can't fuckin' drive, and sometimes technology like ABS can increase our chances.

Incidentally my ABS did jack shit in that scenario. I may have been able to reduce damage slightly but it happened so suddenly. All I remember is registering the car in front of me and waking up on the ground, I can't remember if I grabbed the brakes or if it would have even mattered.

Aside from that and some reckless braking a couple times, I did feel really damn confident braking pretty hard on my 300 without ABS kicking in, although I knew I could fall back on it so I'm wondering how a non-ABS model will affect my confidence. Time will tell, I'll probably only stick with this bike for a year or so anyway.

Edit: I thought you meant I had "the fear" about ABS, just realized you were talking about the seller. Yeah it's definitely time for bed!
 
#10 ·
This is me but I'd probably hold out for an uncrashed bike, though you will likely pay more for that privilege. If you're planning on replacing those rashed pieces, then it's probably better just to find a better used specimen with a savvy owner that took care of it.
 
#12 ·
Well it was garage kept and low miles, a fall at 10mph that only resulted in scratches doesn't mean he was busting wheelies on it. I have no plans on replacing the plastics, don't care too much about the scratches. I'll make sure it runs well though, I'd never buy a bike without a good 30+ minute test ride and since it's the exact bike I had before, even if I'm mechanically challenged I have the benefit of knowing how a functional 300 rides. We shall see!
 
#13 ·
Noiradle -

Definitely wasn't implying you had the fear. Jorge Lorenzo talks about "the fear" in the Moto GP documentary "Fastest" on Netflix. Meant no offense!

Out of curiosity, how long have you been riding? Best thing I can recommend is taking a rider/advanced rider course. Especially if they provide a bike for you to practice and wail on. I only took the basic - it was a small class. And we got to practice whatever we wanted. Group consensus was emergency braking. We were on GZ250's - obviously way different stature/center of gravity - but they put us through the ringer and gave us a great crash course.
 
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