hey guys, im located in santa cruz, ca and have never owned a bike before. ive done a lot of research for a long long time and decided that the cb's were my best bet in both reliability, parts, and ease to ride. ive already got my permit but i just need some seat time....ive ridden my grandfathers sportster once or twice and my roommates scooter dozens of times to get familiar with how traffic works etc.
the bike im going to check out isnt stock, its sort of 'bobbed' out. no front brake (although i think it comes with the front brake, they just took it off) no speedometer or gauges, no signals, and struts in the rear instead of shocks. no front fender (it was moved to the rear) and a solo seat. i know as a new rider i probably want signals and a front brake which i would put on (signals cant be too hard to locate, probably smaller aftermarket ones.)
anyways, my only issue is getting screwed on a purchase. is there anything i should be looking for that are tell-tale signs of major problems or common things? i know these bikes are really damn reliable and ive been told "just change the plugs and oil and it'll run forever" but the no speedometer means i dont know how many miles are on it. i was told around 20k but thats just going off the sellers trust.
the bike is located in sacramento somewhere so ide be taking a nice little drive out but...its worth it if i can find exactly what im looking for. would someone recommend maybe a mechanic or knowledgeable person i can pay 50 bucks or something to come with me and give it a good run thru in the sactown area? thanks
