Question from a potential beginning motorcyclist:
The guy down the road from me is selling his ’87 Honda Magna motorcycle — 4 cylinder, water cooled, shaft-drive, low seat, etc. 31,000 miles for $1,000.
I am very sorely tempted to buy it! I’ve never owned, nor ridden a motorcycle, but I’ve always had a desire to do so…even if only for a year.
I live in Maine in an area w/o heavy traffic. I’m 57 years old, 160
pounds, fit, and retired. My kids are grown and flown the coup.I’m wondering if this bike is as good as any for me to start with — or
is it too big or ….? I plan to do casual riding for fun… no one in
my circle of friends has a motorcycle so I don’t envision long
treks… at least the first few years. But then, who know?!Thanks,
John
Hey John,
If you’ve read motorcyclementor.com lately, you’ve probably seen the question from a 46 year old beginning rider, “Am I too old to start riding?” Many people learn to ride when they get a bit older… and 56 years old [by itself] is certainly not too old to start.
You describe yourself as ‘fit and retired’… sounds like a great combination.
Regarding the Honda Magna motorcycle: To my surprise, there are several active forums that focus exclusively on the Magna. Some might say it has a cult-like following — small groups of people LOVE that motorcycle. Not a bad thing by any means.
Is the Magna too big [too small]? Without knowing exactly what your riding goals are, I can only give general advice. I certainly wouldn’t say the Magna is too small for you… considering your weight and size. Nor, would I say it is too large. It isn’t a Hyabusa or liter sportbike. Again, so far so good.
Is the Magna fairly priced at $1000? Instead of looking at bluebook or NADA prices, I prefer to look at what they have sold for on eBay. A quick eBay search for ‘completed items’ shows that several 86-88 Magnas have sold in the last 2 weeks. In the screenshot below, the final prices shown in green represent sold items, and the final prices that are red represent unsold items. Take a look:
As you can see, several motorcycles compare well to your 1986 Honda Magna with 30,000 miles. While 30,000 miles seems a bit high to some, I would rather purchase engines that have been operated. And, 30,000 is not excessive by any means. I currently ride a 1998 Honda VFR with 33,000 miles — and it’s proven to be extremely dependable.
So, is $1,000 a fair price? If the motorcycle is in good condition (things work with no past wrecks that caused structural damage) it sounds like $1,000 is a very fair price. Older motorcycles — like older cars — don’t depreciate much, if any. The thought of buying a good reliable used motorcycle for so little — with the potential to sell it in a couple of years for ‘even’ or possibly a ‘small gain’ — is pretty sweet. Even if you get a scratch or two on her, it won’t lower the value. Could this be the perfect combination? Maybe.
I’ll bet you’re calling your neighbor ‘Bill’ right now, “I’ll take it.”
Probably a good move, but what next? Since you’re wise, I’d bet you’re going to park it until you’ve completed some basic motorcycle rider training. Right? Good idea.
David
PS. I’ll post your question on the site in the next week or so, for others to comment.
PSS. You might want to prepare yourself for your close friends and family members telling you “YOU ARE CRAZY!”
Hi David and thanks very much for your sleuthing around about values and sharing that information as well as your thoughts and advice. It certainly is helpful having access to experts like you!
Taking a course seems like a very sane thing to do, especially since, as you so accurately predict, people really do think I’m crazy buying a motorcycle! But then, people think that no matter what one’s age is, and not without reason…. it’s dangerous enough on the road in an automobile.
I took your suggestion and checked out ’87 Honda Magna and you’re right!… lots of hits. One interesting thing is that for some reason the Magnas from 1987 and 1988 (the one I’m looking at is 87) are sometimes referred to as “Super Magnas”
I really hadn’t researched values…a thousand bucks just seemed reasonable to me… even for a 20+ year old bike.
Thanks,
John
Related posts:
23. June 2010 at 9:00 am
The Magna motor is a liquid cooled, 4 cylinder V-four, similar to the VFR. It is truly a sport-cruiser.
There are three generations of Magnas. The 1987 is a 700cc Super Magna, which is collectible among Magna enthusiasts. A Super in good condition is worth a premium, because it was only made for 2 years 87-88. It was 700cc instead of 750 to avoid a tax that was imposed on imports over 750cc during those years (to protect Harley Davidson).
It’s not your average “beginner” bike. It is powerful and fast.
On the positive side, it is middle-weight for a cruiser (mid-500′s), has a low seat height, and has relatively neutral foot peg position, which is important for slow riding — especially at first.
It is a great bike for New Englands roads with plenty of power and good handling relative to other cruisers.
I owned a 3rd generation Magna and only sold it because I need a bike that I could also use for occasional track days. If you buy it, it may spoil you for other bikes later on!
Good luck. (and 56 isn’t too old!)
Bob
23. June 2010 at 10:00 am
@Bob: Thanks for providing more details on the Super Magna. I took a look at your site, and I must admit that a Fall motorcycle trip to Vermont is on my Bucket List.
I visited Vermont with my family years ago [in box], and it was simply unbelievable. We have good fall color here in northern Alabama, but the GREAT scenes of Vermont during the fall far exceeded what my imagination could create.
3. August 2010 at 9:45 pm
i just got my mc license a week ago and i am 56. Why? i rhode about 30 years ago, never got a license so i put it on my bucket list as number 1. Number 2 was buy a motorcycle, i got a 650 Suzuki S40 Boulevard. it is slim and very low to the ground and for a female that is rather hard to find. it is also only 399lbs. which is very light. my son who is 27 said i should get a Ninja but i don’t like the position you sit in and then there is the bent wrist issue. I never learned to ride properly 30 years ago and did not feel comfortable to just go out and buy a bike, wouldn’t have even know where to start. I had actually thought about getting a trike so i didnt have to worry about dropping it. Trikes handle totally different and aren’t really like riding a motorcycle even tho you need a mc license to ride a trike. Sooooo glad i took the 3 day mc education course – learned all safety elements – broke bad riding habits from over 30 yrs ago that somehow stuck with me – then i went out an bought the Boulevard. I LOVE riding the memory of it never left. Seeing things in a totally different way, smells you never noticed before and you can appreciate just being alive when you ride. Good luck with your bike whatever you get. I would strongly suggest you find a local mc education course where they supply the bike, helmet and experienced instruction plus, you will probably get a discount on insureance for having taken the mc education and safety course
11. October 2010 at 5:24 pm
great info, i used to ride off-road bikes and really want to get a motorcycle as an extra commmuter and weekend warrior.
my trouble is being an ex-off roader im tempted to get a dualsport (although i doubt it will ever see much dirt) or a cruiser
im between a suzuki drz400(dual sport) or maybe a used shadow, sportser, or magna.
anyways, great stuff will be back regularly
9. December 2010 at 7:43 pm
@freegamefans
If you want a dual-sport go for it. I’m sure there are plenty of Dual Sports that don’t see the dirt (kinda like SUVs). And one day if you get a wild hair up your posterior and want to hit the trails you can:-)