Hmm, might not work so great for her then. We need something that is gonna be low maintenance.
Buy a sorted out CX500 from one of the Cx/GL forum members. Join that forum and learn a bit. Like I said, they are very reliable bikes, I gave you worst case scenario of what would be done to give me peace of mind on taking one for a 2000 mile run. Well, that and changing the seat contours as I am 6'4" and the stock seat puts me too far forward to be comfortable and riding for hours I want a comfortable seat. Some guys just redo the seat foam and put a new cover on it that suits the new design. There is an excellent how to rebuild/build your own seat on the CX forum that illustrates the needed shapes for comfort and the tools and methods used to do it. He even sewed up his own seat cover and it looked great. Made a transformation in looks and comfort.
So, check out the bike, for a new rider it is most likely going to be a better choice than many others. It can be a great starter bike and is very easy to work on. The cx500 deluxe tank is a go to tank many use for cafe bike projects as it has very nice lines and is of good capacity as well.
Only thing mine needed was a new 7 volt regulator, easy to replace/build your own. Changing tach cable, install /replace missing horn, cleaning up electrical connections and everything else was for peace of mind or just to have it be in the best tune possible as well as to suit the desires I had for the bike. Bike ran great and was trouble free. Many things I did were preventive maintenance steps and unneeded expenses. Sometimes it is worth some disassembly so you know for certain the condition of a component that could fail or just to reassure you all is well. Some of the things are part of a periodic maintenance. If you pull a wheel to change a rear tire then it makes sense to clean and inspect your drum brake system and see how much of the drum shoes are left and to deglaze and regrease the necessary points in the drum. With the shaft drive you change the oil and relube the shaft drive so you know its condition and you inspect the splines for signs of wear and perform the shaft maintenance as it comes out of the transmission. You then have a point at which you start the clock on your maintenance of the same and your maintenance log and reciept book. The later really is important, because if you do happen to have a claim for the bike and are hit by someone else or carry collision on the bike your receipts give you the evidence and ammo needed for dealing with your or someone else's insurance to show the bike was well maintained. I bought a very old car and it was a rolling restoration. Cosmetics were not performed , outside of cleaning and waxing exterior and interior, until I had the car mechanically sound. I was rear-ended and the other person's insurance company was going to chalk it up as an old ratty car but I had spent thousands on motor, driveline, suspension, and had many upgrades over the one foot in the wrecking yard, not far from it, that I started with...to a reliable daily driver. So, the stated value insurance policy was for a very good reason. They did not breath a word of totalling the car, or arguing about its value after sending them a list of all the work performed on the car since buying it 2 years prior. So, cosmetics are what insurance adjustors tend to use when assessing value...and it is their job to weasel out of any expense they can to save them from paying on a claim. So,know that my recommendation is not without reason to do so.
if I didn't have the money to apply towards the bike much of it would have been at a slower pace.
Anytime you buy a used vehicle of any kind you need to plan and reserve funds for basic new used vehicle servicing and for any unexpected repairs. Just like you need to buy the safety gear you need to protect you.
So, don't dismiss an old CX500 as a cross that one off. Just do not buy on emotion or you are going to vastly overpay and the honeymoon period with the new ride is going to be extremely short and expensive as you will underestimate true condition and realistic expectations. Educate yourself, you will be far happier. A bike owner should allow you to test the stator according to the factory method, if they will not allow you to test the charging system and stator and do a thorough inspection, then they may be not wanting you to find something or just not trusting you. Having an independent mechanic do the same thing you can do is expensive. Many buyers do not do a thorough inspection and they risk having things not be found. I would not expect an owner to hand you the keys and let you ride it without the money in hand. They should be willing to demonstrate to you or if you give them the money with a written agreement they and you sign that you are test riding the bike and as long as the bike returns in same state, undamaged, it left in
Then you have the option of saying no thanks and leaving with your money, or if you damage it, it is yours.
If the engine grenades on your test ride and should not have, then
A go pro filming your ride can demonstrate you did not cause this to occur because you were operating it in a reasonable manor that would easily be considered normal operation.
David
