Hi,
I am having my doubts regarding buying a "new" EX500 or a GS500f (don't want to buy a used one!), and I will be selling the bike in about a year, hence resale value is quite important for me...
Which one do you think will loose the least amount of money if I sell it? I heard that EX500 is pretty good in that sense, and it is much more easier to sell (and you loose less money) compared to a GS500. Is this true?
I would be grateful if you can share your experience...
Thanks...
It depends on who is looking to buy the bike. If it is someone who wants the bang for there buck and has done the reseacrh on the bike they are going to know that the GS is a better bike. But most people who are getting the bike are beginners and are problaly going to be looking for something that has a more sportsbike look and what not so they will go with the EX500. Its a carrying that Ninja name so you know noobs are going to want it. ? if you are planning on only keeping this bike for a year why are you going to by new save you self the money you are not going to get nowhere near what you paid for it. At the stealership you gotta pay all those stupid fees. :nono: But thats my .02 cents.
4d
Word :thumb:
Well, the main reason is that I am mechanically challenged/disabled :)
This will probably sound completely idiotic, but bikes do not forgive problems as cars do. And, if the used bike you buy has been abused/not maintained well/etc and fails while you are riding it, the consequences will be serious even at low speeds. And, given my lack of expertise, I have no way of inspecting a bike when I see one or realize upcoming problems while I am riding it... Hence, I am not sure if it is worth taking this risk to save 1-2k. Besides, since I can't fix the stuff myself, I have to visit a mechanic for every problem, and it is damn hard to find an "honest" one (honest being one that does not try to screw you), and I am not sure I want to uptake that hastle w/ a used bike and/or deal w/ the costs associated with it... Not to mention the fact that, it is not that easy to find a used one, i.e. just checked craigslist, and there is not a single gs500 there... Actually, there was one for $4700 for a 2004 GS500 with 700 miles on it, while I can buy a brand new one for $5200 :)
Regarding the contradictory statements, there is bad and there is worse;) I was trying to assess which alternative is best of the worst...
BTW, how much do you think I would loose if I buy a new one and sell it after one year? I know that this is very relative, but Is it possible to give a rough estimate?
Quote from: dwn4whadever on March 26, 2006, 04:42:23 AM
It depends on who is looking to buy the bike. If it is someone who wants the bang for there buck and has done the reseacrh on the bike they are going to know that the GS is a better bike. But most people who are getting the bike are beginners and are problaly going to be looking for something that has a more sportsbike look and what not so they will go with the EX500. Its a carrying that Ninja name so you know noobs are going to want it. ? if you are planning on only keeping this bike for a year why are you going to by new save you self the money you are not going to get nowhere near what you paid for it. At the stealership you gotta pay all those stupid fees. :nono: But thats my .02 cents.
I disagree with the EX500 looking more sportier than the GS.
i traded in my 2004 gs500f (5000 mi) for a leftover (zero mi) 2005 sv650s yesterday. (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=25025.0) <--- linky, linky
my old gs500f was clean, dropped once by a gal i was teaching to ride. had a jetkit installed which bumped her up to 43.4hp, scorpion exhaust can w/ srinath's flange , k&n lunchbox.
i got my monies worth out of her, wrang her neck at the track. the bike inspector gave me an ego boost when he saw that the tires were worn from rim to rim.
inspector: did YOU ride this bike?!
me: yes
inspector: wow, you really can ride this thing - no wonder you're moving up to the 650
me: sweet
kelly blue book trade in for the gs500f was $2475usd, retail value of $3620usd. the dealer gave me $2600 for her. i'm going to wait a week and go back to the dealer to see what sticker price his going to sell my old gs500f for...
Quote from: annguyen1981 on March 26, 2006, 06:50:27 AM
I disagree with the EX500 looking more sportier than the GS.
It looks sportier than the E.
Quote from: Egaeus on March 26, 2006, 08:23:14 AM
It looks sportier than the E.
dwn4whadever was referring to the new f models I think. If not, I am. :)
Both the EX and GS have the problems in their resale values because they have been in production for so long, plus thier targeted market. Entry level riders are notoriously stingy and cheap with the money they are willing to spend to get into the sport. The differences between an '89, '98, or fresh '03 are often lost on them, they want to get the cheapest price for the "same bike". This steepens the depreciation curve for them. Probably within the first 500~1000 miles, the bike's loose about $2K in value.
But the good news is that after that the price stabilizes and keeps a range of between $3500 and $2000 depending on condition and will stay there for years.
The F model throws a curve into this because the fairing has apparent "added value" to the otherwise same bike. You have more people interested in getting a "sportbike" looking and buying them, which raises their demand. I don't know how much because I haven't really paid attention to what Fs are selling for.
Bottom line is that if you buy a new bike with plans to only keep it a year, you are going to lose money no matter what you pick, same as if you bought or even leased a car for that short a period. At least with a GS the price is low where the precentage of value lost is relatively small.
good luck,
James
All in the eyes of the beholder. I think both the F and the E look better then the EX500. F is sexy and the E is just damn sexy. lol. Just do your research when it comes down to it your going to buy what you like
Come to the darkside. :icon_twisted: zuki
4dd
Quote from: dwn4whadever on March 26, 2006, 10:11:39 AM
All in the eyes of the beholder.
I didn't say that it looked better than the E, just "sportier." A round headlight just doesn't say "sporty" to me.
Quote from: Egaeus on March 26, 2006, 01:13:15 PM
Quote from: dwn4whadever on March 26, 2006, 10:11:39 AM
All in the eyes of the beholder.
I didn't say that it looked better than the E, just "sportier." A round headlight just doesn't say "sporty" to me.
Thats cool, The headlight is something that i will be changing but i still think she looks sporty... its all in the lay of the bike to me.
:icon_mrgreen:
Your best bet is to try and find a GS500 that is slightly used. I bought my 2004 F last year from the dealership with 232 miles. Somebody bought it, and then brought it back because it didn't have enough power. That was the only GS500 I'd seen in my area, other then ordering a new one from a dealer and then paying all their fees. I was in exactly the same situation as you were last year. I wanted either the Ex500 or the Gs500 because it was the right size engine, and I decided on new to avoid problems. I didn't care about the looks. Called lots of dealerships around town and only found 1 GS500 which I bought the first day I looked at it.
As for resale, I've seen a few F's for sale on Craigslist, but they usually sell within a week depending on what shape they are in. Also, don't think that a new bike means you will save on trips to the Mechanic. Your 600 mile service (basically an oil change + valve clearnace check) will cost between $2-300, oil changes every 1500-2500 miles will cost about $40 at a dealership, and valve clearance checks every 1500 miles will also be costly. If you aren't willing to at least replace your own oil and filter then motorcycling on a new or used bike will be expensive. If you can find a good used bike I'd go that way, but if you are set on buing new just keep in mind that the cost of maintance for a bike is alot more then a car, and as you said you can't leave stuff go on a bike like you can in a car. I
Just my 2 cents.
You're buying a toy and secondary transportation. Buy which one suits your fancy, not what suits your accountant. ;)
In January I bought an '04 F for $3500 with 8K miles & in excellent cosmetic & mechanical condition. Original owner paid $5000 new.
Buy used. Let someone else take the hit. :icon_mrgreen: