I came across this in craigslist. Do you think this bike is too old for a new rider? I am waiting to here where the person who is selling the bike lives. If they are reasonably close and if it's a bike I should consider then I will have it checked out.
What do you think?
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/mcy/1405111963.html
Thanks
Vicki
looks fine to me. i'm all about new riders spending less than 2k on their first bike anyway. also, it's best for there to be dings so that when you drop it the first couple times you won't notice so much.
I don't think its too old if its in the condition is as good as that pic.
that bike is in great condition...esprecially for it's age. This would make an awesome 1st bike, or a forever bike. :cool:
Check it out and see if it's really as listed, if so...pick it up :thumb:
It looks way cleaner then my 92...but hopefully that won't be for long as I'm working on her :icon_mrgreen:
Welcome BTW.
certainly looks like a enthusiast bike,very impressed with the picture,dont understand why there are 2 inline car fuel filters on it though :dunno_white:, maybe because they are yellow :dunno_black:
welcome vicki
That bike in the photo looks very clean, but $1650 is a little high for a '90 with 16k miles; a few hundred $ less would be more reasonable. About its age, my first concern would be how old those tires are.
I'll ask how old the tires are. Thanks for all the quick repleys :kiss3:
that is one hell of a clean bike. But does it have a new motor? and the frame is powdercoated grey?
i picked up my 91 with 16k on the clock for $900.....rough shape and needed some major maintenance
Offer $200 less and take that home! That is one clean GS for its age. You can tell it was garaged and taken care of. I would hop on that one.
Quote from: Gary856 on October 07, 2009, 03:13:08 PM
That bike in the photo looks very clean, but $1650 is a little high for a '90 with 16k miles; a few hundred $ less would be more reasonable. About its age, my first concern would be how old those tires are.
+1
If you're a little patient there are some better deals around. There aren't that many buyers right now...and those people aren't buying GS500s. With this economy, I bet you could find a decent 99-01 for that price.
Last week I picked up a mint condition copper (the most sought after color) 03 SV650S with 7k miles for $2700...From A DEALER!!! Earlier in the year I wouldn't have been able to touch it for a penny less than $3700.
This is probably the greatest motorcycle
buyers market ever. Don't be afraid to bargain and walk away.
+1 about a very nice looking gs. that one has the harder-to-find clip on style bars, so you can sell them right away (here on gstwins please!) if the riding position is a little to aggressive for you for 75-100. :)
the paint, frame, engine all looks really really clean. there is -supposed- to be rust here and there, but there isn't.
16,000 miles... things it prolly needs soon:
valve adjust
tars (think the ad mentioned tars)
brakes
chain (if it's original, and sitting that long it has rust inside)
oil change
fork seals (maybe)
lube, lots of lube !
clutch cable / throttle cable (rust eats things that sit)
a rider
all the stuff it needs is easy to fix, diy if you like.
good luck with whatever bike you decide on, ride safe ! :)
Quote from: Victoria on October 07, 2009, 03:17:10 PM
I'll ask how old the tires are. Thanks for all the quick repleys :kiss3:
You can check this out yourself.
Look on the tire's sidewall. You should see DOT stamped then a rectangle with rounded corners. In that rounded rectangle should be some numbers. Mine are 3308 which means my tire was made in the 33rd week of 2008. Tired made prior to 2000 only have three digits and not four. (This is also on car tires, so check out your car tires to see what I mean, by way of practice on how to tell When the tires were made.)
If the picture has not been photoshopped then it looks quite good. Chain isn't rusty looking. So it'd be fair to see tires are probably good too. But do also check them for rot - cracks in the sidewall.
Michael
1. There was no yellow in 1990. Just red and black according to the color chart.
2. It has aftermarket mirrors and levers.
3. Engine and trans painted grey. (came black in 90)
4. Frame is not the factory gray.
all of this means....
Bike looks so nice because it's been down hard enough to need a full repaint.
Based on the quantity of posts regarding do-it-yourself painting, maybe the owner wanted a yellow bike and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it? Plus pretty much every person on this site does some sort of mod - mirrors being among the most common.
Not trying to sound like a jerk, but the reason for it being nice and clean (and yellow) isn't necessarily a crash.
:cheers:
Quote from: NF11624 on October 07, 2009, 06:22:01 PM
Based on the quantity of posts regarding do-it-yourself painting, maybe the owner wanted a yellow bike and there was absolutely nothing wrong with it? Plus pretty much every person on this site does some sort of mod - mirrors being among the most common.
Not trying to sound like a jerk, but the reason for it being nice and clean (and yellow) isn't necessarily a crash.
:cheers:
NF11624 - Good point. You're absolutely right and you definately don't sound like a jerk at all. I hope I don't sound like a jerk either. I often do, even though I try not to. :) Victoria said she is a new rider. As a GS community we should give her all the info we can so she can get the best deal/best bike possible.
Victoria - You should look for evidence of a crash on any bike. Something as simple as saying to the seller "I didn't realize that the 90 came in yellow" would give you lots of information. If they say it did, you know they're covering something up.
I don't think you sounded like a jerk - in actuality I just didn't want the OP to walk away from what could be a perfectly good GS from reading that the color scheme wasn't a factory option.
But I also agree with you :icon_mrgreen:. Definitely check for signs of any funny business - it will usually be very apparent when something happened.
This kind of great info and help from the GS community is one of the reasons why I love this bike (and site) so much :thumb:
DANG! thats great condition. and it has engine guards already on it. good for a new rider in case you drop it alot.
Quote from: Victoria on October 07, 2009, 02:49:24 PM
I came across this in craigslist. Do you think this bike is too old for a new rider? I am waiting to here where the person who is selling the bike lives. If they are reasonably close and if it's a bike I should consider then I will have it checked out.
What do you think?
http://newyork.craigslist.org/mnh/mcy/1405111963.html
Thanks
Vicki
Don't overlook the fact that the headlight bucket and gauge buckets also look to be repainted; back when I lived in the north-east, I was REALLY careful to check out repainted motorcycles, because you never know what someone is trying to hide. Hell, even the chainguard and tailpiece have been repainted, so I guess someone REALLY likes yellow; too bad he didn't use that beautiful Ducati yellow. Well, at least the wheels aren't white...
Vicki, if you don't know a lot about motorcycles, I'd suggest you ask a knowledgeable friend to go along with you to see it. I'll admit that it looks nice and clean in the photo, but you don't want to buy an Easter egg, so be VERY careful about this; make sure that it hasn't been crashed and thrashed...
Check those footpeg rubbers for wear and tear; if they look brand-new, or not long out of the box, they've been replaced, probably due to crash damage... For all we know, that GS is owned by someone who is very fastidious about keeping his machine clean and spotless. I've checked that photo thoroughly, but I just can't tell if the centerstand is installed or not, so please let us know once you see it in person. I THINK I see it, but my eyes don't work as well as they once did. Maybe someone else can see it in the photo, and tell the rest of us whether it is installed or not.
Lastly, you might not be crazy about those clip-on handlebars, but as has already been mentioned (by ohgood), you could always sell them here in the forums and buy the stock bars and other parts to convert it back to tubular bars...
Let us know how this turns out; I think the price is a few hundred too high, but if it isn't just a reworked beater bike, and really is as nice as it looks, I'd probably offer $1350, and try to get it for $1500. I think $1650 is just a bit too high, but this is your money, and your choice, so good luck with this, whatever you decide to do.
PS -- If you buy it, PLEASE POST MORE PICS! I hope you have good riding gear, and that you'll remember to wear it every time you ride. ATGATT = ALL THE GEAR, ALL THE TIME!
Sure looks clean, that paint looks so clean it looks like its been photoshopped! That yellow chain guard is going to take a lot of cleaning if you use chain lube like you should.
I'm sure I can see a centrestand under there.
Good luck with your test and whatever bike you buy.
Hi again, Vicki,
Guess I should have mentioned that in motorcycling, the definition of an "Easter Egg" is:
PRETTY on the OUTSIDE, ROTTEN on the INSIDE!
As far as the price, I would say no more than $1200-1300. As others have said, you can get some great deals on motorcycles right now, and a bike like that would go for $1500 or less in a normal market. Plus everyone on craigslist lists thing higher because they know people are going to make a lower offer.
I also was under the assumption that 1989 was the only rear that came with clipons. The fact that he rounded that up to the next decade makes me more curious about the paint job. Definitely go take a look at it, but don't rush, don't overpay, and don't feel bad about walking away, because there's plenty of motorcycles out there now to get yourself a great deal.
I'm also looking to get another bike next spring, so I'm counting on this economy to not turn around yet so I can still get a great deal!
Actually, I just looked at the listing again and I see he wrote "firm" in the location, which I'm assuming refers to the price, as I've never heard of a place in NY named Firm. That makes me assume he's going to be difficult on the price, and is probably slightly delusional about selling a 20 year old used motorcycle.
Wow thanks for all the great info! I have not heard back from this person yet and that's bugging me. I NOW have lots of questions about the possible reconditioning of the bike--If money was put into it to fix it up that's probably why the seller is so firm on the price.
If and when I go to check out the bike I am lucky to have a back yard neighbor who owned a few gstwins. He also races and trains people to race.
oops
People always try to get more for money they put into a bike, especially for aftermarket parts, which is understandable. You put $1500 worth of shiny parts on a bike and you'd hope it would make the bike more valuable, but it's usually just the opposite. Stock bikes are usually worth more and the seller just has to eat the money they spent on it. The best option is to save all the stock parts so you can put them back on the bike to sell it, then sell the extra parts by themselves.
I'm weary of any used bike that has too many accessories, especially anything along the lines of a power commander. I'm not too picky about exhausts, but certain brands, like D&D just scream abused bike to me. Of course the obvious things like "the clutch slips in 1st/2nd gear", any sportbikes with an engine cage on them, or scratches/cracks on the back of the tail are bad news if you're looking for a bike in good condition.
Same goes for general upkeep. Bikes cost money to keep for a while, so you can't expect someone else to pay if you let the paint job/chrome go downhill when you're trying to sell it, that's just one more sign that the bike wasn't taken care of as well as one might like.
Instead of saying that you know 90's GSs didn't come in yellow, just ask if it's the original paint. He'll be more likely to lie about it if he thinks you don't know, and then you'll know he's up to something.
Hi Victoria, I think you have gotten good sound advice from everyone that posted. I would like to add though that not everyone is out to rip you off. From the looks of the bike the owner has added some extras that shows he was in to customizing the bike beyond it's stock form. Had the bike just been painted with no mods I would be very skiddish! That being said taking your friend with you is a must he will be able to see if there is any shanagins happening real fast just by talking to the seller.
Here is what this bike should look like original:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/gs500e_1990-1.jpg)
Vs the customized version:
(http://i579.photobucket.com/albums/ss239/rtarpley/10-8-20091-24-56PM.jpg)
I hope this helps.
89 clip on's.
Cool.
Buddha.
The seller got back to me via e-mail and told me he lives in Swan Lake, NY, 200 miles in the wrong direction from me. Oh well, back to the beginning.
200 isn't that bad.. it would be a nice cruise home
You won't travel only 200 miles to buy a really top condition bike? That's crazy! It looks like a great bike to me, get out there and buy it.