Best beginner bike for college student?

[MoisesS]

I'm looking for a reliable, economical bike to commute to work and school.

I'm going to guess I need at least a 450CC engine to stay alive in Los Angeles traffic.
Or should I be looking at 550 and up?

I was thinking about a honda nighthawk 450, or really any honda bike with an engine that uses a driveshaft, but any advice is welcome.

I am on a budget as well, so new bikes are out of the question. I was thinking of getting a mid 80s to late 90s bike and doing the necessary repairs to make it reliable (carbs, tires, etc)
thanks for the help everyone!

 

[jayjay]

The problem with a 25-yr old bike is getting parts. So check for parts availability before your buy. Stuff that's hard to locate on old bikes especially includes: chain sprockets (they wear out), carburetor parts and gaskets, electronic modules (they crap out on older bikes and they can't be fixed). Fancy Japanese steel gas tanks rust out and leak and they're a real nightmare to fix. So I prefer newer bikes with good parts availability. A new Kawasaki Ninja 250 is just as fast as a 25 year old Honda 500, and a lot easier to maintain if you're riding freeways every day.