Here Are Five Cheap Used Motorcycles You Can Buy For Less Than $5,000

Last week, I wrote about five inexpensive new motorcycles that should provide some two-wheeled fun without putting you into the poor house. The market for cheap motorcycles is pretty awesome right now and you could get a usable machine for just $3,000. But what if you go used? If you don’t mind some years or some miles, you can find some absolutely thrilling motorcycles for not a whole lot of money. Here are five used motorcycles that won’t break the bank.

I first got my motorcycle endorsement just after Memorial Day in 2018. Since then, I’ve owned about 30 motorcycles. Most of those bikes were barn finds and forgotten projects that I got running, rode a little bit, then sold. I never really made any money, but I did find it to be an exhilarating way to experience a bunch of different motorcycles in a short span of time. My first motorcycle was the wonderful and weird failure that was a 2000 Buell Blast. I’ve also owned a fantastically comfortable 1980 Honda Gold Wing GL1100 (below) kitted out like a cruiser. Along the way, I’ve rescued bikes across a huge range from a 1992 Suzuki GSX1100G to a 1972 Yamaha DT175, which I kept as a sort of two-stroke Honda Grom.

Of course, I also picked up one of my dream motorcycles, a 2005 Buell Lightning XB9SX. Perhaps the best part is that I haven’t paid more than $3,000 for any one of these. What I’m getting at here is that there is a world of exciting used motorcycles waiting for you. I could write a list a dozen motorcycles or longer, but we don’t really do listicles here. So here are five. I encourage you to check your local classifieds for what gems may exist.

2004 Suzuki SV650 – $3,500

The Suzuki SV650 is not the fastest or the prettiest sportbike that money can buy. What makes them great is how much versatile motorcycle that you can get for under $5,000.

According to Suzuki UK, the SV650 was introduced in 1999 as an affordable motorcycle with a durable V-twin engine and suited for a range of riders and use cases. It’s a middleweight that you can cruise or commute on or perhaps even take across the country. The SV650 is also agile with plenty of grunt. What Suzuki didn’t expect is for it to become famous with almost a cult following.

The company notes that the SV650 has become the track weapon of choice for many riders. Personally, I’ve also seen SV650s kitted out to do some off-roading, SV650s turned into stunt bikes, SV650s dressed up for touring, and yep, SV650s used by city riders. It seems that if you have a motorcycle dream, you can probably make an SV650 do it. I’ve even seen these completely customized with tons of chrome, stretched frames, custom wheels, underglow, speakers, and more.

What kind of Suzuki SV650 you get will depend on your budget and what’s for sale in your area. The first-generation SV650 has a 645cc V-twin making a nice 69 HP and about 45 lb-ft torque. That still gets you a top speed in the neighborhood of 130 mph. It weighs around 417 pounds wet with a 31.7-inch seat height. These first-gen bikes have carburetors, so if you don’t want to mess with that, step up to the second generation, which launched in 2003.

For the second generation, you get goodies like a pressure-cast aluminum truss frame, new bodywork, a new swingarm, a digital display, and fuel injection. Power got a modest bump to 74 HP and 47.2 lb-ft torque. It weighs in at around 437 pounds wet with a 31.5-inch seat.

The SV650 that you see here is a second-generation with a full fairing. You can find them with a bikini fairing if you like looking at the engine. I haven’t taken one of these on a track, but I can confirm that they’re quite fun to ride, practical, and rather nimble. They’re a great all-rounder motorcycle. That said, some people say that these can be beginner bikes. I suppose they can, but I wouldn’t recommend it. These still have more than enough power to get a learning motorcyclist in deep trouble. It’s $3,500 from the seller in Monroe, Wisconsin.

2002 Harley-Davidson V-Rod – $4,500

Here’s a motorcycle on my dream bike list.

Back in 2001, Harley-Davidson did something that few expected. The Motor Company, known for its motorcycles that look and ride like they come from decades past, introduced something of a technological feat. The VRSC (also known as V-Rod) is a muscle bike that is a departure from normal Harley fare. It starts with a hydroformed tube frame covered in anodized aluminum bodywork. That tank isn’t even a real tank, but an airbox. Instead, engineers moved the real tank and the weight associated with it back and down under the seat. Under that airbox dummy tank is something special. The Motor Company partnered up with none other than Porsche to develop the V-twin.

Car and Driver notes that the Revolution engine bolted to the frame started with the bones of the Harley-Davidson VR1000 racing engine that was originally developed with Cosworth and Roush and then used for AMA Superbike racing. It’s a 60-degree V-twin that’s liquid-cooled with four valves per cylinder and overhead cams. The result is 115 horsepower from the 1,131cc engine. The publication notes that the V-Rod can dispatch the quarter mile in 11 seconds before racing on to a top speed of 135 mph. And that engine revs to 9,000 RPM, incredible for a Harley. A V-Rod goes, sounds, and handles like nothing else the Motor Company had ever built.

The V-Rod was an interesting vehicle for Harley. In 2008, the Motor Company said that 20 percent of V-Rod riders were women and a whole 50 percent came over from another brand to buy it. Further, 60 percent of V-Rod sales were to Europeans. These feature seats sitting a low 26 inches off of the ground, which is great if you aren’t that tall. They are on the heavier side at 615.5 pounds.

The V-Rod launched at $16,995 ($29,199 today) in the 2002 model year. 2017 was the last year for a V-Rod and it seems that they slip through the cracks. Today? You can find them for under five grand. I’ve seen a number of these with over 100,000 miles on them, so they appear to be able to go the distance. Here’s an earlier V-Rod. Not much of a description is given but it looks gorgeous. Thankfully this $4,500 V-Rod is in Ohio or else I would be picking it up, myself.

1993 Honda Helix – $2,500

Not everyone wants to ride a full-blown motorcycle. I totally get that and even I used to own a bunch of scooters alongside my motorcycles. Scooters deliver the two wheels good experience in a different form. In my experience, they’re often easier for a new rider to get accustomed to, sometimes easier to work on, and you can often find them with funky, sort of futuristic designs. Someone who may no longer have the dexterity to ride a motorcycle may be able to get their fix on a scooter.

And the scooter that I’d recommend? A Honda Helix. I’ve had the pleasure of riding both a Helix clone and a real one and they’re just a great ride. The Helix has a cushy seat, a soft suspension, and a tall windshield. Mine sometimes reached 77 mph given a long enough road, too. Plus, I’m a sucker for a digital display.

The Helix was introduced in 1986 as the answer to the problem of scooters generally being not capable enough for highway use. Honda addressed this problem by giving the Helix a long wheelbase (longer than many motorcycles), a huge trunk for storage, a seat for two, decent brakes, and a sizable windshield.

Back in 1998, a writer at Motorcycle.com called the Helix “The Limo of Scooters: It’ll Fool You.” The publication was amazed that the scooter had a longer wheelbase than a Harley dresser, was a soft ride, and felt at home on canyon curves, but noted that touring was sometimes frustrating thanks to hills and headwinds.

The Helix was never a huge seller, but it kept a cult following that exists today. It was on sale from 1986 to 1987, then production paused due to low demand. It came back in 1992 and remained on sale until 2002 when the Helix was replaced by the Reflex. Fans of the Helix demanded it back and Honda put it back into production from 2003 to 2007.

Power comes from a 244cc single making 19 horses. Its seat sits 26.2 inches off of the ground and it weighs about 349.4 pounds. It’s waiting at a seller in Peoria, Illinois for $2,500.

2005 BMW R 1200 GS – $3,500

The BMW GS is famous for its ability to go the distance regardless if you’re traveling down a road or down a trail. I have friends who have taken these tens of thousands of miles around America and beyond. Those people say that they wouldn’t buy anything else. Personally, I’ve found adventure bikes to be remarkable even if you don’t ever take them off-road. They’ll soak up scooter-swallowing potholes without unsettling their riders.

BMW Motorrad says that the GS story starts in 1978 when the company’s engineers built a road legal enduro motorcycle prototype. This bike performed well on and off-road, convincing company brass to give it the green light for production. In 1980, the development from BMW engineers led to the R 80 G/S dual sport. With the R 80 G/S, BMW saw itself building a motorcycle that you could use for touring and for off-roading, a formula not unlike what you see today.

As the GS evolved, it gained technology, power, and comfort features along the way all while remaining a durable machine. The R 1200 GS made its debut in 2004, boasting improvements like 100 HP, a slightly bigger 1,170cc boxer twin, and a weight loss of 66 pounds from its predecessor. Features included CAN-bus engine electronics, shaft drive, Paralever swing arm, ABS, and more. It tips the scales at 496 pounds with a seat sitting 33.1 inches off of the ground.

That seat height can make it harder for shorter riders. When I ride adventure bikes with a seat height like this, I cannot get both of my feet flat at a red light. I get around that limitation by planting my left foot flat on the ground and my right foot on the brake pedal. This BMW GS is $3,500 from a seller in Merced, California.

1983 Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo – $2,900

If you’re more into the weird fare, I think I have just the bike for you. The XJ650 Seca Turbo was the first and only production motorcycle from Yamaha to come with a turbocharger. It came from a time when Japanese motorcycle manufacturers were experimenting with ways to advance motorcycle technology. One way manfacturers did it was by slapping turbos onto their wares.

The Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences explains what makes this so wonderful:

In 1982 Peter Ballamy, from “Revs Motorcycle News”, wrote after testing the motorcycle at Iwata, the headquarters of the Yamaha Motor Corporation, in Japan, “it whistles along like a Concorde, or maybe an F16 fighter – and goes just about as quickly. Blipping the throttle gave warning that the engine had a fair amount of power and the exhausts had a note similar to a jet engine!” Looking sleek and futuristic for the time, the motorcycle’s fairing design was achieved after hours of wind tunnel testing which was said to reduce front wheel lift by 25 per cent and make the bike go faster. Its instrumentation was claimed to include the world’s first electronic on-board diagnosis fault finding system, or micro computer, for reporting on the bike’s functions including battery and brake fluid, engine oil, side stand position and whether the lights were all functioning.

Yamaha sold the XJ650 Seca Turbo for just two model years between 1982 and 1983. The company moved just 8,000 of XJ650 Seca Turbos, making them a somewhat rare sight. It would appear that Honda’s turbo motorcycles are more popular, which is fine because this 1983 Yamaha XJ650 Seca Turbo is a running and riding motorcycle that costs less than a new Honda XR150L. The seller even notes that it still builds boost as it should.

Power comes from a 653cc turbo four making 95 HP. It weighs about 566 pounds and its seat sits 31 inches high. Perhaps unexpectedly, it’s fueled by a carburetor. These specs are good for a top speed of about 126 mph depending on conditions. This Yamaha can be found for $2,900 in Morgan Hill, California.

There Are So Many Great Used Motorcycles Out There

Like the last list, this is hardly exhaustive of the awesome motorcycles that you can find on the used market. I’m not sure that I could even make such a list without it turning into a book. One thing that I love about the used motorcycle market is that you can get some serious speed for not a whole lot of coin. Used sportbikes with top speeds exceeding 150 mph can be had for the same prices as broken-down, tired-out cars.

There are great beginner motorcycles out there too like the Honda Rebel 250, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R, or the Yamaha TW200. All of these could be found just about anywhere for under $5,000. I once owned a 2005 Honda Rebel 250 that I paid all of $600 for.

Once again, I also highly recommend taking a Motorcycle Safety Foundation MSF Basic RiderCourse. The course’s instructors will teach you lessons that you can use in your car, in a plane, or really just about any activity in a motor vehicle. The Basic RiderCourse that I took back in 2018 was more informative in one weekend than an entire semester of driver’s ed back in high school. And if you already ride, the MSF offers advanced courses to help you hone your skills. Go to MSF’s site to learn more.

(Top Photo: Mecum Auctions)

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