SR650 - good first bike?

I'm pretty tall - 6'6", 30 yrs old and looking for my first bike. I am going to see a 78 SR650 and wonder whether a bike this old is worth considering. I'm sure there'll be a slight slant to your responses considering who I'm asking, but I'm looking for an honest assessment. I'm relatively good mechanically (I do all the maintenance on my car) and expect to be able to do the work on the bike as long as it's relatively reliable.

If this bike hasn't been run in 2 seasons but was stored properly are there any particular issues I should look for? What should I look for on this model regardless of condition? What would be a fair price in the northeast?

I have been riding a kz250 and actually enjoy it. I'd feel like a sitting duck on the highway, but it's a blast on secondary roads.

Thanks in advance!

I am 5' 10" and have no problem with my kz650 even with the added king/queen seat that doesn't let you slide back farther on seat. If you have been riding a 250 comfortably you shouldn't have any problem with the 650 at all.
I was looking at this SR.
Used to be that a dollar a CC was a decent place to start as far as price, that depending on the condition of the bike to begin with.
Mine was sitting in my brother in laws cellar for 4 years before I bought it from him with absolutely no maintenance for sitting like that beforehand and I had minimal problems with getting it ready for the road.
I pulled the plugs and filled all the cylinders with marvel mystery oil and let is sit on the center stand for a couple days. When that was done I sucked the oil that I could out with a syringe covered the head with a towel and cranked it over to pump the rest of the oil out then put new plugs in it, changed the oil and filter, pulled the bowls of the carbs and sprayed it and the carb with gumout. Drained what gas was in the tank and replaced with new, I had no problem with rust in the tank. And it started right up.
Things to look for are the usual tire wear and condition, chain condition as for as rusted links, check the slack but until you can actually measure the chain you don't know the true condition of it. Do the lights all work, signals flash and such. It's just mostly common sense items.
As far as working on it you will want a shop manual and original is best but a Clymer's will do just about a well. I'm sure other guys will chime in with other ideas.
Oh, and WELCOME to KZR, enjoy and ride safe.

hey bud. 6'6' on a 250,geezuz!i(6'1/180lbs}have a 78 KZ650...pretty much the same as the SR model.I've owned it since 90'and she's NEVER left me stranded.The engine is bulletproof and easy to work on.Expect leaky fork seals[simply replace]...thats about it.Mine is leaking alittle from canshaft cover[minor].She's got 60+ HP,with a short wheelbase[55in]making it a nice,nimble city bike.She's not too heavy @460lbs dry.The highway ride is fine,but look elsewhere for a roadtrip bike[no windshield,high rpm@70 gets old].If your as heavy[250+] as you are tall,or do long highway runs,look for a 750 or bigger.
If the bikes been sitting for 2yrs,hope that the owner drained the float bowls,otherwise you'll have some carb cleaning to do{it's easy for a shadetree mechanic].
I'm happy with mnine,and won't ever sell it. oh yeah,don't pay over $1000 for this bike unless it's pristine.Bike prices are going up cause of the gas crisis.I payed $650 for mine in 90'..only 3500mi on it.
carter,(78'KZ650)

Take a camera with you and post some pictures on this site and you'll get some good feedback based on what we can see. I'm 6'0" and have been riding my '77 KZ650C1 since I bought it new. It's stock, and I find it very comfortable, and I've had no problems that I couldn't very easily fix using the Kawasaki shop manual (the head has never been pulled). If you buy it, you'll probably need to clean the carbs unless the owner drained them before storage, but that's no biggy. Just be sure to change the oil & filter before you drive it because I'm sure the oil wasn't fresh when he stopped riding, plus 2 years of condensation, etc. will hurt the oil. These are really bulletproof engines as long as the owner hasn't done anything to hurt it (such as removing the stock airbox and changing the exhaust without rejetting). Good luck.

Of course we're biased!

I bought my SR four years ago and really wasn't certain whether a 650 was a good choice, but it has sold me. I'm 5'-11" and weigh in the neighborhood of 240 or so and it doesn't lack for power hauling my fat butt around. I too started on a 250, but hadn't ridden since 1991.

Mechanically, about the only internal issue I'm aware of is the starter clutch which can wear if abused. Plan on checking the valve tappet clearance which is fairly easy.

For their age the 650s have held up very well and are a credit to Kawasaki's engineers and builders.

I have absolutely NO regrets about buying my '79 SR. One of the major reasons I dislike some older Jap bikes is that they sit so high off the ground. Myself (being a bit vertically challenged at 5'8") I actually liked th SR model because it sat a bit lower than the regular KZ models, due to the 16" rear wheel. The lower rear also makes it less top-heavy and somewhat easier to handle than some other bikes that I've ridden.
At 6'6" I would think the SR650 MAY be a bit on the low side for you...but that's my opinion only. As far as its' reliability, it's a great bike.

Interesting. I have both an SR and a 650B with stock sized wheels, suspension, etc. To me the 650B feels lower, maybe it's just the more straight bars with less pull back.

I'm 6'1" and have no problem with the 650B. Great bike - good power and handles really nicely. It is very easy to ride. Revs are a little high over 65mph, but other than that it is fine. I often ride with my wife on the rear (she is 5'10") and the bike still has plenty of power.

I paid $400 for mine (but I had an inside "deal"), it had been stored for over 10 years and I did have to rebuild the carbs - not a hard task. Now it runs great - I love it! Oh, and an easy 40mpg too!

A one word answer: YES
If it's been sitting, it will need the carbs cleaaned and adjusted. Get help from someone familiar with bikes. I think I've had 15 bikes or more from KZ1100 full dressed to H-D Sportster and hard tail Triumph. My 78 SR was my dad's when I was a kid, got it back in 1994, had 3 other SR's, and I won't live another day without one. I say it's the best all-around bike.

If a decent SR can be bought for under $700 your doing great!

Good luck!

Well, I'm 6' and 175# and my 650C2 fits just great, goes like stink around town and handles great....as long as you have good quality modern rubber under it.
Handling on the SR with that 16" rear wheel is academic but that may not be an issue for you if you're just slogging back and forth to work on it.
To echo the other posters, the engine is a doddle to work on and is pretty much bulletproof over all, except for the starter clutch. The other item you have to keep a constant eye on is the cam chain adjuster. These are notorious for wearing badly and allowing the chain to losen up and then allowing the valves to contact the piston crowns .....especially if you are prone to living near/in the red zone on the tach. Quite a few 650's have come to a bad end because of crappy cam chain tensioners.
Contrary to some posts, I'm seriously considering putting a small shield, my soft bags and an aftermarket rack on the old girl and going on a 4-5 day "old bike" road trip this July. I think it'll be a hoot, none of us is in a hurry and we won't be hitting any freeways....so why not ??
Oh....and you WILL want to do the relay-coil feed conversion thing. This helps your ignition work the way it SHOULD, rather than the way it DOES. An aftermarket electronic ignition is an even better idea if your budget can stretch that far.