Alright, I just finished my safety course, so it's time to go bike shopping.
I drove a CBR125R and absolutely hated it, the riding position just did not work. I was also on an old Kawasaki 250LTD and liked it except for the bars being a bit to swept back. The TW200's they had I loved, and I'd buy one in a heartbeat except they seem fairly rare.
The only dual purposes I would be able to afford would be something like the DR200, XT225 etc. I've seen alot of reasonably priced late 80's/ early 90's standard bikes like Honda Shadow's and Magna's, Suzuki Temptor's, etc. What's the parts availability on bikes like this, or do they ever really break down?
Everything breaks down given enough time. 20-30 year old bikes can be a challenge depending on what kind of life they've lead.
Electrical issues and corrosion are usually the biggest problems, but some bikes, like the V4 Hondas, had design flaws that were only addressed in later versions. Then you get into the regular wear items like chains, sprockets, fork seals, swing arm bushings, steering head bearings, cush drives etc. Old bikes get neglected and all these little parts can really add up. I wouldn't recommend getting a bike that old unless you knew your way around a shop manual and a toolbox or, at the very least, had a lot of patience and a willingness to learn.
As far as parts, it's the same as everything else, the more popular the bike, the better chance of finding parts. Parts for a CB750 aren't usually a real problem, but I've had to send away as far as Australia to get parts for my (now gone) 1975 Suzuki GT550, and it wasn’t really a rare bike, just few survivors.
As a noob, I’m guessing you’d be more interested in spending time on the road than in the garage, so I’d recommend getting a bike in the best condition possible. I think your prospects would be better too if you looked in the Maritimes. You should be able to find a DRZ400 or 350 for reasonable bucks.
