Ive heard people on this forum say theyve bought a mid 90's gs500 for like $800...where the hell from?! Theres an 86 gs500 for sale kinda near me for $800, and thats quite an age difference. Whats a good price for a gs500 in good shape from the 80's/90's?

86?  you sure?  the GS500 production didnt start till 89

I bought my '96 for $750.  It wasn't running at the time as it had a tank and carbs full of water.  A little work fixed that.  Had it on the road for about $20 in parts.

They're out there.  A guy was giving away an '04 in California a few days ago until his friend decided he wanted it.  Keep your eyes peeled on here, cycle trader, craigslist, etc.

For a mid 90's in good cosmetic and running condition I'd figure somewhere around $1,500 more or less.

I bought a 2001 on CL for $500. It had been garaged for a year in a house overlooking saltwater. Had some rust and the steering was stiff. Rust came off with a wet rag (no pitting) and some lube on the steering fixed that. Did battery, carbs, a tuneup, front tire (had a new one sitting in the garage), and an Xring chain from Ebay. Which in general is what any used bike needs at a minimum to ride daily with minimum problems. A pretty good deal. I've gotten non runners with title for free from CL. I'd rather pay $500 for a runner anyday. And I'd rather pay $1500 for one that was just serviced. This bike started and ran, had never been down, had a clean 2nd owner title, and in the word of the owner, it  just needed a bath. It was a good deal, but far from the best I've seen. You need to check CL all the time, respond within minutes of the ad placement, in an area with a lot of bikes changing hands, and you have to be prepared to get the bike immediately. If it is a good deal, and the seller posts a phone number, 20 people will call within the first hour, and the first guy to show gets it. Most sellers are smart enough not to hold the bike for a week for a stranger, and they will pull the ad when their voicemail is full. In my case, I was meeting the seller at 3pm, I showed up at 2pm, and there was another guy right behind me offering more. I didn't want to get into a bidding war, had gone through the trouble of actually going 1 hr from home to get the bike, and sort of guilted the seller into taking my original offer of asking price. Saturday, I was buying another bike, knocked the seller down $100, and didn't feel like paying until the next day. Seller called me an hour later and said he had another buyer offering full price sight unseen but that I could match it and still do the deal tomorrow; ie this morning. I hate bidding and told him to take the other buyer's offer. At least he was courteous enough to call me. No problems. Had I really been committed, I would have taken the bike home on the spot. Deals comes and go.

I can get a running late 90's YZF600 on CL most weeks for $2K, there is a limit to what the market will bear for the same vintage GS.

Buddha has posted before that he has sold many GS's, all running well, none for over $1500.

Quote from: SecondsFromTheFall on April 26, 2008, 10:27:48 PM
Ive heard people on this forum say theyve bought a mid 90's gs500 for like $800...where the hell from?! Theres an 86 gs500 for sale kinda near me for $800, and thats quite an age difference. Whats a good price for a gs500 in good shape from the 80's/90's?

96 perhaps?

Also it depends where your from, here in california any running bike is worth at least 1000. Hell running mopeds go for at least 600-700 bucks.

If it's an 86 GS it's probably a GS400 or GS450 standard bike.If it's a 550e or bigger, it's a 4 cylinder crusier.

http://norfolk.craigslist.org/mcy/652279038.html

Heres the ad.

That is a first gen slab side GSXR600.The seller don't even know what he's selling.

I bought mine during the winter.  1300 dollars for a 01 but it needed tires , a new battery, and a gas cap replacement which cost about 500. 

Its basically impossible to find a gs500 around here and if you do it's for several thousands of dollars which I dont have. I'm a man of limited means. I can see myself spending more than 1,500 on a bike for my first. Ideally I'd get one for around a grand and spend around 500 on my gear and classes.

Quote from: ben2go on April 27, 2008, 02:13:51 PM
That is a first gen slab side GSXR600.The seller don't even know what he's selling.

No, it is what he says it is. Somewhat rare bike. A nicer one just went on Ebay for 1100. Keep in mind that if the Ebay seller did the work that he said he did, at a shop, it could easily have run that 1100 if he bought the parts new.

Vehicle Description 

You are bidding on a 1986 Suzuki GS550ES Motorcycle. Has original paint which is in great shape for it's age(still has a great luster). Original mileage of 22,066. Gas tank has a couple of chips(barely noticable) and seat has a small tear on right side and at tank side(also barely noticable). Engine runs excellent. Carbs need minor adjustment to idle perfectly. Just bought an old tent trailer and have no more room in my garage. Currently registered w/new plate. Bike has new grips, o-ring chain, completely rebuilt front/rear brakes, new plugs, oil/air filter, new rear signals, grab bar, gas tank cap and battery. Tires are in fair condition. Any other questions feel free to send me a message. Buyers with a feedback score lower than 5 must contact me before bidding. If you bid, be prepared to buy!!!

Ignore the very old article (or not if you are interested), but read the last line, which should tell you what I think about buying older bikes (in Larry's case, a 20something year old Harley). This is about one of the all time legends in building motorcycles.

Indian Larry, Motorcycle Builder and Stunt Rider, Dies at 55
By WOLFGANG SAXON

Published: September 1, 2004


Larry Desmedt, a New York-based custom motorcycle builder and biker better known nationally as Indian Larry, died on Monday in Charlotte, N.C., of injuries he suffered doing a stunt on Saturday at an appearance there. He was 55 and lived in the East Village.

His death was announced by Timothy White, a photographer and friend. He said Mr. Desmedt had gone to Charlotte for the filming of a new segment in a series shown on the Discovery Channel, "The Great Biker Build-Off."

Indian Larry, who had his workshop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, was a legend among biking enthusiasts and other custom builders. He regarded his craft as a form of art and, Mr. White said, got his nickname from the classic brand of a motorcycle he rode years ago.

He had gone to Charlotte for the shooting on Saturday of an episode of "Biker Build-Off," in which he has successfully competed with other riders of custom-made two-wheelers. The accident happened afterward in a parking lot, with a crowd of thousands watching.

Mr. White said Indian Larry, wearing a protective suit but not a helmet, was standing on his bike as he went down the parking lot in a crowd-pleasing routine and may have been blinded by the sun; he fell and hit his head.

He died early Monday at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte.

Larry Desmedt was born in Cornwall-on-Hudson, N.Y. His wife, Bambi, and Mr. White described him as a lone wolf, who was a familiar figure to fans across the country but never joined a motorcycle gang. He was known among bikers as a metal sculptor and highly skilled mechanic.

His first motorbike was a 1939 Harley Knucklehead he bought for $200 when he was a teenager, he said in a Rolling Stone interview. Within hours, he had taken it apart, and it took him nine months to put it back together.

Quote from: wreckhog on April 27, 2008, 07:22:28 PM

Quote from: ben2go on April 27, 2008, 02:13:51 PM
That is a first gen slab side GSXR600.The seller don't even know what he's selling.

No, it is what he says it is. Somewhat rare bike. A nicer one just went on Ebay for 1100. Keep in mind that if the Ebay seller did the work that he said he did, at a shop, it could easily have run that 1100 if he bought the parts new.

Vehicle Description 

You are bidding on a 1986 Suzuki GS550ES Motorcycle. Has original paint which is in great shape for it's age(still has a great luster). Original mileage of 22,066. Gas tank has a couple of chips(barely noticable) and seat has a small tear on right side and at tank side(also barely noticable). Engine runs excellent. Carbs need minor adjustment to idle perfectly. Just bought an old tent trailer and have no more room in my garage. Currently registered w/new plate. Bike has new grips, o-ring chain, completely rebuilt front/rear brakes, new plugs, oil/air filter, new rear signals, grab bar, gas tank cap and battery. Tires are in fair condition. Any other questions feel free to send me a message. Buyers with a feedback score lower than 5 must contact me before bidding. If you bid, be prepared to buy!!!

Quite rare.Looks just like a GSXR600 slab side.Kool.Keepin my eye out fur one.

i really like the look of that bike.  if it is mechanically sound i think that price is a good deal.  i bought a 89 with 15,000 miles on it for 900 bucks last summer.  it needed some TLC but otherwise was fine.  a couple months later i got a pretty much new GSF for 1200 bucks. it had only 48 miles on her but had front end and fairing damage.  i took the forks, triple and wheel of my 89 and put it on the gsf.  i have posts on here about the rebuild of the bike and youtube video under frank gallagher.  there are always deals out there and it is just a matter of timing if you have the patients.

Yeah unfortunately I called the guy today and he tols me he sold it about 5 minutes prior. I just didnt know if buying an old bike was even worth it but next time if my gut tells me to go for it I'm just gonna do it and not look back.

Actually there is an option on Ebay motors down on the left side.It will let you put in your zipcode and pick a distance from 25 miles to 500 miles,from your area.Where bikes are up for bid.
That's how I found my GS.The seller was 30 miles from my home.You can go look at the bike before bidding.Or you may be able to talk them into a cash in hand deal.Heck the guy even delivered it to me at my house no charge.

Only problem is theres NEVER a bike for the price range and ALWAYS very few to choose from.