Every time I look, I am amazed at the supply of late model used bikes with low mileage at good prices. I can ride forever, cheaply, on a host of different motorcycles without ever spending more than $3500 and as little as $1500 (and a little work).
I LOVE the used market! And I LOVE guys who outgrow bikes quickly, or get bored, or ride 1000 miles a year for 4 years and then sell it :cheers:
Just feeling inspired. My plan is when I buy my next car, find the car I want/need, then strip options/buy used and come up with 2 or 3K savings. New car, new bike, same dollars, no harm done!
Trev
PS Until I started riding, I always thought I would buy a sports car some day. Now I think, why would I waste money on a sporty cage?
You need some transportation when it's raining, snowy, or you're out in the dirt. That's what Subarus are for :thumb:
I don't know how people can just put on 1k miles a year. I was out of action for 4 months, didn't have my license until October, and still managed to put 1200 miles... about 600 in the past month :) Gotta ride whenever the circumstances present itself!
Yes... bikes are the flavor of the month... The mentality is some like this... You live in the Up town condo of the month, and wear the designer of the month clothing, and after you get back from work you relax on your bike and ride down to the starbucks on the corner and order the coffee of the month... and sit there with your helmet and designer leathers looking baaaaaad assssss... Then a small scrape appears on your bikes fairing from a rock thrown from a trash truck and now its ruined... you get depressed, see a shrink, and take her advice and sell the now ruined bike... but that is all that's left of your prefect life now... so you let it sit, and ride it 2 more times over 4 years, and then sell it.... How's my point of view... scary right... whooo hooo
Cool.
Srinath.
It's a great system. Pretty much money for the taking:
1) Buying used, you don't pay the destination fee for Japanese bikes ($500 in the US). On a GS500, that's more then 10% of the price!
2) You get that nasty depreciation thing out of the way
3) You pay less sales tax
4) The initial 500 mile service has probably been done, and quite a lot of serious problems from the factory have already been dealt with
5) You may not have a warranty, but nobody here takes their bikes to the shop for service anyway :)
6) You have a good chance of "mod" parts thrown in for free.
7) I have seen many, many bikes with less than 5000 miles on them. Barely more than an oil change interval, and a fraction of a chain! The tires might even be okay if they are still young.
Of course you could get bitten, but with a Clymers and a board like this one, the pain is probably short term.
Trev
The used market is great. I picked up my '83 Gs450Ld for $340.00 late last year. Early last year I picked up my '88 Subaru Gl wagon for 200.00(needed the tip of one plug tightened down). Next month, I am picking up a Gs500 for $500.00. It is a retired drag bike with 37k miles, but it has a D&D can, aftermarket filter kit, properly jetted, and is in good shape.
I don't by new, don't have the cash(I refuse to finance), and can't stand to loose the money when I leave the lot.
Don
Buy used, ride the piss out of it and sell it for what you've got into it....as tempting as those new bikes are...ya just can't beat the 'ol used bike :thumb: