Advice on first time bike buying?

Ive been surfing all over the net doing research on buying my first bike and at first I was dead set on 125cc-250cc range but since having seen them and having a spin on a 200cc I'm very sure the 400cc class is for me, its got power to do some nice speed but is still nicely below the powerhouses of 600cc. Since I'm a student I have a some what limited budget and have looked at the Suzuki Bandit GSF400 and the Honda CB400. The Bandit as far as I can tell isn't being made in 400cc anymore and hasn't been for a long while hence all the deals I can find are 90's versions of the bike but fortunately this means they are quite cheap to buy. The Honda from what Ive seen is still being manufactured to this day but the new ones are way way out of my budget so maybe an early 2000's model would be best. My question is, is buying a potentially 13-17 year old bike a good idea mechanically? Are there any people who can vouch for the two mentioned models of bike? And if there are, can you tell me of any other bikes that have that same general look, the naked frame etc, that will be affordable and all in all a good choice? Any other first time buying advice would be greatly appreciated.|||You're very clearly not in the USA... might want to mention which country to gather more answers from people in your own country (on other models).





But, I have experience with both a '91 Bandit 400 (GSF) and an '89 Honda CB400f (CB-1). The Bandit has some funky weirdness when it comes to the carbs, tons of little plugs and o-rings that wear out over time and tend to need to be replaced before the bike will run well. Those cost me ~$80 for the parts and I did the work myself. They will also kill the CDI unit... no definitive reason as to why, but my educated guess is that it's due to older batteries and sub-par charging systems.





The Honda's you're looking at are more than likely Vastly different from the models we have in the US. They made more HP, were more robust and ironically they are more rare.





Both were bulletproof when it came to the engines and highly capable sporting machines. If you're looking for that kind of package, perhaps you have access to the Ducati Monster 400? I really don't know what other naked 400 bikes are out there as they vanished from the US in 1991.





Good luck.|||My bike is from '98 and still in good technical shape. Street bikes are only having problems with engines mileage. There can be little corrosion here and there but nothing serious.


I own Honda and I can tell it's very reliable.|||target.walmart.|||go talk to a few motorcycle shops about reliability, repair costs and availability of parts.