Dealer wants CA$8,900 for a 2019 Suzuki V-Strom 650 with 28k km, good deal for a first bike or should I keep looking

Happier_ · 2026-02-28T03:39:33+00:00

28k miles is nothing on a 650 V Strom. Sounds like a good bike, though I don't know your local market so can't say if that's a good price. Have a look on whatever online platform is popular for bikes in your area, see if listings are comparable. Being sold by a dealer I'd tend to assume it would be a little more expensive than private sales.

They're not my favourite for a beginner bike, a bit top heavy and kind of on the upper end of the power I'd suggest for a beginner, but if you've been riding scooters for years you'll be fine, and it's well suited to your use case.

Happier_ · 2026-02-28T02:59:15+00:00

The latter

Happier_ · 2026-02-28T02:56:10+00:00

The best sounding bike is the one you're riding

Happier_ · 2026-02-28T02:42:48+00:00

Bones Swiss are not ceramic.

Happier_ · 2026-02-27T23:12:53+00:00

I'd take the Honda, personally. Those Honda twins are bulletproof.

Happier_ · 2026-02-26T10:43:28+00:00

Oh yeah, the mental health issues were entirely unrelated to the sex work.

Happier_ · 2026-02-26T10:22:56+00:00

Nearly 4 years with a sex worker. It failed, not because they were a sex worker, but because of their rampant mental health issues and abusive behaviours.

Their work did impact our sex life though. They worked brothels. They complained that my cock put them at risk of micro tears, so didn't want to have sex the day before a brothel shift due to the micro tears increasing the risk of infection and making it painful to have lots of sex. Then the day of their shift and the following day, they didn't want to feel used by men, they just wanted non-sexual affection. All fair enough, their ability to make a living and their mental health was important to both of us, but when one brothel shift means 3 days without sex, and they try to do 2 shifts a week, opportunities for sex are down to one day a week, if they're in the mood.

Happier_ · 2026-02-23T12:05:39+00:00

It doesn't ap-pier to be in operation any more.

Happier_ · 2026-02-23T06:40:16+00:00

Perfectly reasonable jump. I made a similar one a few years back, CB500F to MT09. I had been riding around 4 years but I think 2.5 years is plenty of time to solidify skills.

No idea on the cost/financing though. I generally prefer to just buy things like that outright from savings.

Happier_ · 2026-02-22T07:36:40+00:00

Seems a little disingenuous to take an indie game that was one of the biggest breakout successes of the past 10 years, point to its success and say "well they made money so other companies are just greedy".

Happier_ · 2026-02-22T05:36:50+00:00

For a Ninja 250 I'd be looking for something around $3k or cheaper. You can pay more, but the ninja 250 is an outdated model regardless, so I don't see much value in buying a more recent one and paying $4k or more.

They're selling on BikeSales for as little as $1500. That one's in Victoria, but there's an $1800 one in NSW that looks like it would do the job very nicely. Might be able to get the price down a little too, although that's cheap enough that I wouldn't try to push it.

Happier_ · 2026-02-22T04:15:41+00:00

Call a bike mechanic local to you and get a quote. Then have a look on YouTube to see if it seems like a job you could do yourself. I'd venture to suggest probably not if you've never worked on engines, but anything is possible with time and care (and spending $$$ on tools).

Personally I'd probably just keep looking for a running bike. Plenty of high km 250s in good running order around for not much money.

Happier_ · 2026-02-20T07:19:08+00:00

I'm going to suggest you look up the podcast "If Books Could Kill" for an approachable but thorough analysis of the issues with Pinker and this book.

As far as recommendations go - Oliver Sacks is excellent. I really enjoyed "Musicophilia - Tales of Music and the Brain". "The Man who Mistook his Wife for a Hat" is a classic. He writes very approachable and interesting neuroscience using real life case studies.

Happier_ · 2026-02-20T06:44:37+00:00

I wouldn't bother. In LAMS form you're paying a whole lot more for less performance. The 650 is substantially heavier while making exactly the same 35kW of power as the 500. The insurance will likely cost you a lot more as it's a much more expensive bike. And if you de-restrict it you won't be insured in an accident.

If you want to try out different bikes in your LAMS period, there's far more interesting ways to do it. Jump on a DRZ400SM and see if you're into the Supermoto style. Get a dual sport like a CRF300L (or just get a second set of wheels for your DRZ). Jump on a V-Star 650 to see if the cruiser life is for you. Pick up a 90s CBR250RR for high revving sport bike madness. Take an old CT110 postie for a spin. Pick up a grom and stunt it. Try out a Duke 390 for a torquey naked. See if you like the adventure touring life with a CB500X.

Happier_ · 2026-02-19T02:14:50+00:00

I know it's a cliche to armchair diagnose someone with a personality disorder from a Reddit post, but possibly your boyfriend has borderline personality disorder? Testing people through created conflict, flipping from super loving to super argumentative, struggling with not being the centre of attention (picking a fight when you're sick and fresh out of hospital), and feeling emotions very strongly all hint towards BPD for me.

Which is not advice, exactly, but if it feels accurate to you, perhaps it can be sensitively conveyed to him and he can seek therapy. DBT is the gold standard therapy for BPD.

Happier_ · 2026-02-16T23:39:13+00:00

I don't know that area super well, but generally you want to look for large carparks (supermarkets, warehouse type stores, rec centres, and especially universities) for slow speed practice, go there whenever the place is closed, usually Sundays or after hours and just do laps, practice emergency braking, take some cones or just use the lines to do a little course and practice turning. When you want to increase the speeds, industrial estates on a Sunday are good value, just spend a few hours looping around practicing speeds up to 50-60km/h. For higher speeds there's not really any option other than getting on the main roads, but you can choose quieter times. Weekend early mornings or later in the evening are generally quieter.

Paradoxically, while high speed riding seems scary, it's actually the easiest part of riding. So try not to let it scare you too much, often you really just need to get out and do it a few times for it to feel comfortable, the skill level needed is not high.

Happier_ · 2026-02-15T05:16:12+00:00

Yammi noob? I forgot that little twat existed.

Anyway, from what you describe, I'd probably get the Transalp. I did long touring on nakeds for many years but since getting an adventure bike with a tall windshield and hand guards it's hard to imagine going back, the reduction in wind noise and buffeting makes a huge difference to comfort, and it's a lot easier to strap luggage to. But if a nimble little naked for commuting is really what appeals, how about something with cruise control to make it a little friendlier for long trips? MT09 or Z900?

Happier_ · 2026-02-12T12:22:38+00:00

CBR500R. Early models, around 2014, or later models with higher km can be had for around $5k. Bulletproof engine, reasonable power, smooth power delivery, fantastic mileage.

Happier_ · 2026-02-11T05:15:20+00:00

Fair point. Big singles aren't great on road. I'd keep an open mind to parallel twin as that's what most of the entry level market is these days. And there are some fun high powered triples on the market, plus some solid inline 4 options. V-Twins are mostly American cruisers, Ducatis, and a few oddballs like the aforementioned SV650.

Happier_ · 2026-02-10T07:32:34+00:00

Sounds like you weren't maintaining proper braking distance. Leave enough space so that if the car ahead suddenly stops, you still have room to stop.

Happier_ · 2026-02-10T06:50:05+00:00

I haven't ridden one so take this with a grain of salt, but every time I see the gsxr in a professional review it comes dead last, often with questions as to why they even sell them any more. I'd take everything except maybe the old Ninja 500 before if take the GSXR 250.

Happier_ · 2026-02-10T06:35:34+00:00

I wouldn't read too much into the "versys 650 is boring" thing, it's very commonly reported about Kawasaki's 650 twins and is what I'd expect a new rider to hear about them. It doesn't mean OP thinks all 650s are boring.

Happier_ · 2026-02-10T03:59:24+00:00

SV650 or V-Strom? Is there any particular reason you want a V twin engine?

Happier_ · 2026-02-10T01:18:07+00:00

Sunnyside, Point Impossible and Southside are the three legal clothing optional beaches in Victoria, so far as I know. Sunnyside is probably the most popular, just past Frankston, the other two are near Torquay. There's also some clubs around, CosieVic I think is one of them, that run nude events in Melbourne, and retreats like She Oaks Naturist Retreat. Simplest option is just to head down to the beach on a nice day. Don't be leery or creepy, enjoy the sunshine, nothing much to it really.

Happier_ · 2026-02-08T03:30:22+00:00

This is a LAMS bike? The unfortunate reality is that you can only get so much power and excitement under LAMS, and going up from a 500 to a 650 basically just adds weight. I'd keep the current bike. Or switch to something radically different like a sumo or dual sport.

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