This summer I searched craigslist for a bike that would be cheap to purchase yet still ran because I didn't want to take on an impossible project. I came across this little beauty
For those of you who can't pick out a Yamaha XS 250 simply from a picture, this is a 1981 Yamaha SR 185 (wait for it...) EXCITER! yes, this bad boy literally has "exciter" in the name. My reference to XS 250 is because I was so blinded by excitement (and the fuzzy pictures on craigslist) I didn't think to question the title of the craigslist posting.
THIS IS A LESSON KIDS: make sure the bike you are buying is actually the bike
Anyhow, I have learned to love my little SR 185. She is a pain to find parts for, but I was able to buy her for $250. The motor runs great, the transmission works well through 3rd gear (lets be real, this bike is held together with duct tape and prayer. I am not chancing anything past 3rd gear), and to get moving I only had to buy a chain. for less than $300 I had a little bike that ran.
I want to be clear. My intention with this bike was not to buy it, modify it, and sell it for a profit. Like college or any other education you receive after high school, you have to pay to learn. I will most likely have $1,000 in a bike that I can sell for $500 on a good day, but I will learn how to build a bike.
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