Hi everyone, I'm Travis.

I'm a 27 year old student at the University of Kansas (go Jayhawks!), and have been in love with Harley-Davidson motorcycles my whole life. Around here, lots of people ride scooters to campus. I have never owned a scooter or a motorcycle before. I was going "scooter-lookin'" with the girl-friend today when I saw her:

A 1975 175 SX (AMF). They are asking $900...

Everyone rolls there eyes when I tell them it's my first bike, I don't know how to ride, etc. This bike seems like fun, not too powerful, not too weak, a good project to learn about fixin' up bikes.

I put $100 down so they would save it for me until Monday. They told me it's not like a regular "real" road bike, But I'm falling in love with it!

Will someone either tell me it's a good first bike to learn on, and a good bike for getting around campus / town. Or that it's a horrible decision and I should get my money back and look for something else. I really am excited about my first bike, but I don't want to make a big mistake. For a thousand bucks I don't see how bad a mistake it would be though...

Thanks everyone, I just got home and this is the first forum I came to. I look forward to hanging out with you all on the intertubes and maybe the interstates one day too!

Travis.

P.S here is a pic of the same model:


[IMG]local://upfiles/54469/6D9DF5B1F342469092EFB7DB861259BE.jpg[/IMG]

 

Welcome to the forum, Travis. If you can, take the MSF Basic riders course, about $200. They will teach you to ride using their bikes. I don't know about 175 SX. If itlooks like the picture, might be a collectors item. 2 cycle engine? It should do you well learning to ride and getting around campus. Good luck on your studies and your new ride.

 

Definately take the MSF class, its worth it. You might want to check the Library, they might have have beginner motorcycling books. I picked one up when I started, and they said starting small has its merits as far as learning, but they warned you will get bored of it and need something bigger. I think they said a 250cc is good for beginners, but they recommend a 500cc as a good starter bike that you can keep for a while. Now I got a sportster and had it for a summer before getting my FatBoy, and I still have it. My girlfriend wants to ride, but we felt the sportster was too big for her (shes vertically challenged) so I got a Honda Reflex 250cc Scooter just so she can get over the fears and have a smaller bike she can handle. On the campus I'm sure that bike will be fine, but it probably isn't big enough to take on the highways.

 

Welcome from INDY

 

Welcome from Ohio. I don't know about this bike, but I had an 79 AMF Superglide and it was fine. I think this bike was made in Europe. At the time AMF owned the company, it didn't have a good reputation, but that was the big bike line. Get on the internet and try to research the bike.

 

Welcome from Florida! I'm not familiar with this particular bike, but learning to ride in general on a smaller bike definitely has a lot of advantages. (That's how I started out long ago). By the time you get to a large Harley, shifting, braking, starting/clutch, etc. should be second nature. Make sure the $900 is a fair price, becasue if yiou fall in love with riding, you'll want to trade up soon and you'll want to sell the bike for close to what you paid for it. Enjoy, and ride safe!

 

MSF course is a definate advantage on getting the basics for riding. After that, get your license and hit the road. Welcome from COlumbus, GA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Howdy from Hershey, Pa.

 

Thanks everyone! It is hard to find specific prices on this bike, as it it older and apparently not very popular... As a poor student, this price is appealing because most scooters or small Hondas and the like, are right around $700-$1200. I will try to get another hundred or so knocked off the price (especially because I don't recall the bike having mirrors, which by law and preference I'd have to get anyways).

I will not be going on the highway with this bike. It will be used solely for cruising around campus and Lawrence. The only place worth going to anyways in Kansas City, 40 miles away...

I know that I will want to upgrade... But I'll only be able to do that once I graduate and have a 'real' job with a real income; so I'll have to survive on this until then. I'm a pretty cautious and slow car driver, so I feel comfortable that this bike will be enough for me until then. And for the price, and the Harley-ness of it, beggers can't be choosers.

I really appreciate all the responses, I can't wait until Monday! It's Saturday night and I've been at home reading up for the written test.

 

Welcome from Tulsa. What is the condition of the bike?

Jeff