That bike will go for way more than £500.

And it needs a new tank and or respray of the tank and the fairings as well.

Plus the other bits need repairing, poss new exhaust can etc

Bikes needs the wiring road loom putting back in - not that easy a job, and the lights/indicators need sorting, there isnt any?

I would watch it see what it goes for, but wouldnt buy it.

What is your max budget?

What about this one.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HONDA-CBR400R ... 4aba507ca6

Save a bit of cash then get a chinese copy fairings from ebay and get the tank resprayed in the same colour. Or try and get a 2nd hand tank in the colour you want with the chinese fairings.

yeah thinking about it, it's probably too much work for me to do, although the road wire loom, lights and indicators are included, i doubt i would be able to fit them.

i was actually looking at that bike, however, considering the offers on it, i doubt it will go for less then £800. considering i also have to pay someone to deliver it (which is usually £100+) it's just too much, which is a shame.

i'm looking to spend probably max 700, so the bike would have to be around 600 or less (depending on where it is).

i can find a fair few bikes for less than 600, just not ones i would trust to buy!

if I was in your shoes, I'd wait until I had more cash to spend. You keep saying you have no mechanical knowledge, but are willing to spend money on something 20-25 years old, regardless of how reliable Honda's are, chances are something will need attention. If you cant fix it, then you're stuck with a £700 ornament. Sit tight, something will come up....have you put word out to your friends/family that you're looking? - often, someone knows someone else who might have heard about a bike being sold blah blah...I'm 6ft tall & fit my NC29 perfect (although long rides give me a bit of back ache). Some of my friends the same height can't get their legs under the tank bulges, so I'd suggest trying to sit on a few before jumping in & buying one.

yeah the reason i wanted to get a cbr is because pretty much my alternatives are get a bigger bike and restrict, which im assuming would make it horrible to ride, get a 2 stroke 125 (4 strokes are way too expensive), liek an aprilia rs 125, but they are infamous for unreliability, and have most likely been crashed multiple times and/ or badly modded by a teen, or get a low powered commuter type bike, which i just really could not see me on.

my friends and family know im looking for a bike, but no one i know rides, and all of my friends have cars.

i might go to a dealer and sit on a bike to see the size (although dont know of any near me that has any).

i think im either gonna have to learn some bike mechanics (not likely) or just wait a little longer till i have more money...

Get a haynes manual for whatever bike you get, everthings explained clearly with detailed pics.
125 two strokes are as reliable as the next bike so long as you look after them and don't scrimp on the oil and follow the service guides.
I paid £400 for my nc29 , but it was missing loads of parts and bodywork, but fixing it yourself is the best way to learn .

did you learn how to fix your bike just using a haynes manual?

my biggest worry for doing work to a bike is 1) diagnosing the problem, and 2) once taken apart, putting it back together again

Thats what forums like this help you with. Plus you'll begin to learn about bike mechanicals if you have to fix something yourself. Are you checking sites like autotrader, MCN and Pistonheads too? dont limit your search to just fleabay

yeah i've been checking ebay and gumtree, and autotrader and mcn now and then but their bikes are more expensive.

haven't looked at pistonheads before, but just checked now and saw one that was quite nice:
http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4118172.htm

but its in west yorkshire, and i'm in north west london, so its a bit far for me which is a shame!

there's a couple of NC23's on Pistonheads too....slightly older version of the NC29, nearer your budget. The crashed NC29 you put a link up for appears a straightforward repair; replace clocks/fairings etc, but that'll add up. Plus if it's been recorded as an accident bike, it'll need to be inspected before going back on the road so repairs done will have to be up to par. Keep looking mate...and keep saving!

yeah i was under the impression that n 23's are a little smaller, and im 6ft. i saw this nc23:

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4146452.htm

but again its in yorkshire and has done 48000 miles. none seem to be close to me!