I am looking into getting a used Ninja 500 for my first bike. It's got 12,000 miles and the guy whose selling it says that there is a slight coolant leak after long trips..which he claims may only be something related to the thermostat. Any ideas on what this may be, and if it's serious or not?? Also, the bike will probably need front brake pads so my other question is approximately how much do good brake pads cost and where can i get them from?? Its in really good shape and its a pretty hot color (that bright metallic blue) but if the coolant leak may be serious then i will probably just stay away from it. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

I just got another email from the seller and he said that after riding 20+ miles you may see 3 or 4 small drops of coolant drips out of the overflow tube. That should help you guys diagnose it alittle better. I don't know that much about motorcycles so I really don't know if thats something i should worry about or not.

 

Is this an Ebay or Cycletrader purchase or do you have access to the bike for test ride and inspection? A coolant leak is probably a very minor thing that can be repaired with the replacement of an $8 hose or a $4 o-ring. BUT it can also be something a little more serious like a leaking head gasket.
Did he give you any idea where the coolant was leaking from?
Brake pads will only run about $40 for EBC, about $55 for OEM (which I prefer.)
Good luck and keep us abreast.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

Nah i found the bike on Craigslist. I am probably going to see it tommorow night, so any information i can get prior to that would be greatly beneficial! Like i said, he told me that its leaking from the overflow tube?? What does this mean??

thanks for your help so far

 

Ask him for the maintenance records (and the receipts.) The oil should have been changed about every 3,000 miles and by now he should have done at least one valve adjustment to it. If he hasn't done the second valve adjustment, I would see if he'll knock one or two hundred bucks off the price to help you pay for this, since it's coming up soon.
~Take a look at the chain. A chain and sprocket set only costs about $140 to replace, BUT it will give you a good idea of how well this seller has been caring for his bike.
~Take a look at the oil level (and color.) The oil level should be centered on the site-glass with the bike level, NOT on the sidestand. And hopefully the color of the oil is a slightly dark honey/amber.
Ask the seller why he's selling it.

Here are some items that would deduct points (IMO):
~How many facial piercings or tatoos does the seller have?
~Does the bike have an aftermarket muffler(s)?
~If so, has he been screwing with the jetting or taken the bike to a dyno-tuner? If he brags about how the bike starts right up and idles with no choke, it is running too rich and there will likely be damage from carbon buildup on this engine.

Conversely, if the seller has an RV or young children running around on the driveway, those are bonus points, because they indicate that this seller is an adult who probably hasn't been abusing this bike or endangering his life.

That should be enough for now. Good luck and let us know how it goes.
Peace!
-CCinC

 

P.S. No idea how the bike could be leaking coolant from the overflow tube. Take your digital camera along; take a photo of the leaky spot and send it to me (calamarichris@yahoo.com) or post it in here. Tell the seller you'll be in touch, once you find out about the leak.
GL&P!
-CCinC

 

Hey thanks for the info. I will definitely look into those things; but what exactly do i look for with the chain and sprocket...how will i know if its in good shape, or do i ask if its been changed?

Heres the link to the ad, just to give you an idea: Pretty much all stock, no performance mods whatsoever: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/mcy/378368175.html

Any other info you have is greatly appreciated!! Ideally i'd like a new bike with a warranty, but i went to the Suzuki dealer today and priced a Katana 600 (they bought a bunch of leftovers from suzuki and are selling them for $5199) but thats gonna be $82/month for 5 years plus im gonna have to drop like $1500 instantly between down payment, gear, and insurance. I'm going Wednesday afternoon to a Kawasaki dealer to check out a new Ninja 500 but that might be on the expensive side for me too. As long as this '00 Ninja doesnt need anything major I'm probably just gonna get it because its so much cheaper....

 

Hey Chris, I got another question. How long does a *typical* Ninja 500 last? 20k, 30k, 40k?

 

Sadly, Micapeak.com doesn't have a registry for them.
The most I've gotten before crashing was only 26K, but this engine is based on Kawasaki's mighty-mighty Concours. Same bore, stroke, pistons and valves, just half as many of them. My father's Concours had 92,000 miles on it when he gave it to his friend and it still had perfect compression, (despite several mechanics' hamfisted efforts!--One of these clods even reversed his exhaust & intake valve clearances on half the engine!)
That same Concours now has 98,000 miles on it and is still trucking.
Because a 500 necessarily revs higher and every stroke of the piston will result in wear, I wouldn't expect a 500 to last that long. But who knows? The Honda riders love to brag about Honda's impeccable record, but I had a '98 VTR1000F Superhawk that lost compression in both cylinders after only 47,000 miles of sensible riding, unimpeachable maintenance and even using the expensive Honda "HP" synthetic oil.
Most 500's have been mistreated and neglected as beginner bikes, then landing in the antipathetical clutches of track riders who ride the pi$$ out of them. I've only got 6200 miles on mine, which was bought at the end of December (I have two other bikes), so ask me again in about 10 years.

Who's got the most miles on their 500 in here?
-CCinC

 

I got mine used with ~26k on it. It rode just fine before I tore it down for the mere sport of it.