The Honda Grom has built up a reputation for offering new riders an excellent starting point for their motorcycling journey. It is a fun, reliable little bike and is the very definition of approachable. With a base price of $3,599, it is most certainly affordable, but it is also pretty expensive for what it is, especially when you start looking at what is available on the used market.
If you just so happen to be a more experienced rider looking for something more capable, but only have enough room in the budget for a Grom, there are some genuinely interesting used options. All the way through the 00s, the Japanese manufacturers rolled out one exceptional superbike after another. These potent liter bikes were pretty affordable back then, and have now depreciated into genuine performance bargains.
Buying a used motorcycle always has an element of risk attached, so please do your research and proceed with caution.
The Early 2000s Was A Great Time To Be A Sports Bike Enthusiast
Yamaha effectively set the tone with the YZF-R1. By 2004, it was already an established liter-class sports bike, having been around since 1998, it had already received several updates, and had more than 170 horsepower. The 20 valve Genesis lump has proven to be durable and is a solid, similarly priced alternative. Suzuki came out swinging in 2005 with the K5 GSX-R1000, which was a landmark motorcycle for the brand, and its engine is still in production right up until now. Its reputation precedes itself, and even though it wasn’t the wildest offering, it is more susceptible to crash damage. Our pick is arguably the wildest of the lot.
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The 2005 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R Is Cheaper Than A New Grom
Price Range: $2,000 – $4,000
Back when it first came out, the Ninja ZX-10R felt as though it had come straight from the racetrack. Kawasaki had set the bike up so aggressively that many new owners didn’t quite know what to make of the bike. It was, in a word, terrifying. Today, it is still pretty scary in the wrong hands, but it is also genuinely fun in the right, more experienced hands. Prices for the original 2004 model have already started to rise as the bike – at least in good condition – is reaching collectible status. For now, the 2005 model remains affordable, but that might not be the case for much longer.
As it stands, the trade value is set at a pretty low $2,485, but with the motorcycle industry currently still in a slump, most dealers won’t even bother trading a bike this old. The more relevant figure is the current resale value of under $4k. This is for a bike in good shape, and more importantly, this will be an all-in figure. The out-the-door price of a Grom will almost certainly be over the $4k mark.
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The 2005 Ninja ZX-10R Is Too Powerful For Its Own Good
Power: 179 Horsepower (with ram air)
After struggling along with the old Ninja ZX-9R for literal years, Kawasaki finally answered the call to build a better, lighter, faster sports bike. Suffice to say, the ZX-10R exceeded expectations. It was, at the time, albeit by around half a horsepower, the most powerful superbike on the market. With ram-air, it was making 179 horsepower. While this might not seem all that impressive compared to the 200-horsepower monsters we have at our disposal today, the only form of “traction control” was your wrist that was attached to the throttle. A throttle that was akin to a hair-trigger.
A Sports Bike For The Purist
This bike really should have come with some sort of warning label. It was very much set up for the track straight from the factory and was full of sharp edges. This was, naturally, the first of its kind, and nowhere near as polished as some of the competition, which had already been around for several years. New riders found out the hard way that this was never meant for novice riders, but experienced riders were able to appreciate it for what it was and respect its limitations. Even by modern standards, this is an incredibly fast motorcycle. If you are able to deal with the twitchy throttle and get on the power at the right time, it will be a joy to ride. Still scary, but the good kind of scary.
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The 2005 ZX-10R Can Be A Great Track Bike
The engine is only one part of the puzzle. The chassis was all new for 2004 and was unchanged for 2005. At the time, it was cutting-edge stuff, lighter than most 600cc supersports and equally compact. With a wheelbase of under 55 inches, this bike is extra racy. Add to that a wet weight of only 433 pounds, and you have yourself a ready-made track bike. It is completely devoid of electronics, so there is nothing to remove or switch off.
The front suspension will almost certainly need to be revived, and although serviceable, a better rear shock will be a transformative modification. Arguably, the most crucial modification – even if you won’t take it to the track – is a steering stabilizer, because these bikes were reportedly prone to head shakes.
A Blue-Collar Hero
The fact that these bikes were always so affordable is a double-edged sword. There is a lot to love about this “blue-collar hero.” It offers incredible performance on a budget, but it was also always prone to abuse. Anybody considering one of these bikes as their only bike needs to think twice. While a Grom can do pretty much anything, an old Ninja like this is just a toy. A fun weekend warrior. It is certainly not something you can depend on, and even a good one will still be hopelessly impractical… and that is exactly why you would want one in the first place.
Chassis, Suspension, And Weight Specifications
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Chassis |
Twin-spar aluminum |
|
Front Suspension |
43mm inverted-cartridge fork adjustable for spring preload, compression, and rebound damping |
|
Rear Suspension |
Single shock adjustable for spring preload, compression, and rebound damping |
|
Weight |
433 lbs |
Source: KBB