From: FRAHM@UCSU.COLORADO.EDU (Joel Frahm)
Subject: Re: Specs on bikes... 
Organization: JILA
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1992 01:12:33 GMT

In article <todd.03ig@psgi.UUCP> todd@psgi.UUCP (Todd Doolittle) writes:
>From: todd@psgi.UUCP (Todd Doolittle)
>Subject: Specs on bikes... 
>Date: 15 Dec 92 21:11:00 EST

<stuff deleted...>

>'84-'87 500 Interceptor        It's a nice bike but what really draws me 
>                               to it is the fact that I can pick up a nice
>                               used one for <$1500.00
...neat bikes.  Cheap too, very sporty.  4 valve per cyl. V-4.  I hear 
they have about 65hp.  Long lasting, too. I rode a few when looking for a 
bike.  They ranged in price from $1200 to $1500, and had 18k-30k miles
on 'em.  All rode well, and motors seemed fine, regardless of the miles.

>
>'86 Yamaha FZX 700             I fell in love with this bike when I saw it.
>                               I'm not big into being a plastic jockey, and
>                               this bike to me is the epidimy of a naked
>                               bike that still looks sporty as hell.  The
>                               two bikes of this make I've seen for sale
>                               have been between $2500.00 and $2900.00.  A
>                               bit more expensive.  
>
    I have a 87 FZ700.  Same motor.  Great bike, I got a deal on mine 
$1400 for it, with 8k miles, new tires, perfect shape but a busted chain.
Good thing the guy selling it was getting married (and couldn't fix a 
busted chain),  so I got a Deal.  Great motor.  5 valves per cyl, inline
four.  Very rare valve adjustments (20K mi or so)  tons of power.
The FZX 700 (or Fazer as it was sometimes called) goes for about $2000 
around here.  Probably more in the spring.  Probably the most power 
of the bikes you've listed.  Maybe 90 hp, maybe more.  Hold on.

Of the other bikes:  the Seca has a 2 valve inline four ( I think) 650cc,
based on the old seca 650 (?)  I've seen them used (almost new) for 
just over three grand.  The EX500 is an inline twin, 4 valve ,  oversquare
(like most if not all sportbikes) probably revs to 11,500 or more.  
('square' bore engines - the bore and stroke are equal.  Oversquare, 
bore is larger than stroke,  revs like hell.  Undersquare Bore is small, 
Huge stroke, less RPMs capable.  Drive my Caddilac with the 500cid plant
if you want to feel an undersquare motor rev.)   

  >>These are all SERIOUS bikes, if its your first bike ever, consider 
buying a small bike to learn on, and sell it after a few months.  Costly
to crash or even drop one of the above bikes.  I probably dropped my first
bike (which was a Yamaha TT500 street-dirt)  about nine hundred times. 
I must have bought three hundred replacement levers and perches, eighty
sets of handlebars, and had to bend the brake and shift pedals back out
no less than four hundred and fifty times.  That bike was a bit big 
to learn on, and was tall and probably wieghed 300lbs.  The above 
bikes are heavier.  Riding a Powerful bike without experience can cause
discomfort or even death.  My main problem with the FZ is trying not to
accelerate so fast I hit the back end of the car in front of me.  


Joel.  (no .sig yet)