So I'm new to motorcycles and looking to buy my first. Found one local, a 94 Gs500, 14,195 miles for $1300. I think I can talk the owner down to $1000, he said he could hold it for me until the end of the month, but the only thing is it's a salvage title and he doesnt know how it got that status. He says the bike runs perfect and there aren't any problems at all except for a few spots with surface rust (which to my knowledge is normal for older bikes). Anyways he's going to send me the vin# so I can look up the vehicle history report and I planned on going to look at the bike within the next week or so. What are your opinions on this? Should I go for it or not?
I definitely wouldn't pay $1300 for it not knowing why it got a salvage title. Figure out why it got the salvage title first. The owner doesn't know why? That scares me.
Usually with salvage and rebuilt titles it's because fairings were ruined and it's less expensive for insurance to replace fairings by going the salvage rebuilt title. Fact that this model has no significant fairings is strange. Maybe in flood, lost title? If it runs good the only real downfall that i know off us your conscious constantly thinking about your bike not having clean title. If i were you i would keep looking. I personally hate anything without clean title.
Happy fishing!
I bought a Honda sabre from Illinois with just a bill of sale. Perfect condition, Michigan titled it salvage simply because I didn't have the previous title. Took half the riding season to get the title tho, had to make sure it wasn't stolen and what not.
As long as it looks good, runs great and has some sort of paperwork you can register it with, I wouldn't be too concerned with it.
These are a few images of the bike. And its New mexico so i don't think it could be from disaster damage but possibly lost title. I'm kinda wary about it, if you look at the pictures it looks like the right handlebar is almost sheered in half. Besides that, I'm worried that if i do get it i wont be able to commute with it because apparently here you can't change the salvage status or at least that's what I've been told. Will have to call my dmv and look into that too...
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Cant tell if the bar is sheered or if it is just missing the grip and bar end. I wont even pretend to know New Mexico laws, but here in the mitten, you can register and ride with a salvage bike no problem, just have the added step of an inspection before your initial registration.
Pass.......
That bike is pieced together with all kinds of parts that did not come on a 94
None of the plastics are original. The wheels are not original. The rear sets are not original. The headlight, windshield, mirrors are not original. The seat is a not original.
That was someone's project who made a mess of it. Getting into something like that means you do not know what else was altered or rigged.
It has Targa fairing, front fender and seat cowl/side plastuics.
Seat is not on correcctly.
jardine exhaust.
Get the VIN. Go to your DMV and have them check it and ask what you can do.
That's what I've done with questionable titles.
Salvage title doesn't necessarily mean you can't ride it. It can mean it was considered totalled and was rebuilt. Sometimes a state inspection showing it conforms to regulations can clear that up. It varies from state to state. Here in WA if the title is salvage, an inspection by the DOT will take care of that.
If bought for $1000, given the engine, exhaust, fairing, fender and seat cowl, you have enough to make a profit if parted out.
PS: White was correct color for 1994 so they look original. Seat was recovered. Half of the seat is hidden by the Targa seat cowl.
Sorry Addidas. My 94 never had white wheels. Either way, its ugly to me. Im just saying.....
89-96 = white. 97-2000=gray. 01-02 = silver. 04+=black
White works on that bike with the color scheme. I switched Suzi to white which I think looks better for here (blue & white) than the black rims did. Overall my favorite color is the gray.
Yea, wish i would have seen the pictures first. The aftermarket fairings are super expensive and allot of people like the looks of them. Like adiddas was saying you could re coop most if not all profit.
Happy fishing! :thumb:
I'm not much for fully faired bikes, but the parts alone are worth the purchase price of that GSE. Check the VIN, see why it was salvaged, then make the decision. But if I were you, I'd buy it, strip the fairings off it and sell them and then essentially have a free bike to mess around with. Of course, if you like the fully faired look, then you just saved yourself a LOT of money and a considerable amount of time going this route.
If there isn't something terribly wrong in the VIN history, I'd say this is a great find- particularly if you can pick it up for $1k!
I'm going to look at the bike in person this friday and get the Vin checked then, will give you guys more details then. Thanks for all of your opinions so far.
Looks like it was dropped on the drivers right and got rebuilt... it probably had full insurance and with full insurance on a bike that old a scratch on the exhaust will total it (900ish bux for a factory exhaust). Buy it for 600-700 and ride it into the ground then sell the parts for what you bought it for...