Well, I thought I'd found something worth buying but it turned out to be a total rust bucket. Over priced.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anybody has an idea where I can find all these hidden, "thousand dollar" motorcycles that I keep hearing are abundant. I've searched Craigslist, ebay motors, cycle trader, etc. and found nothing that's even close to what I can spend. I'd like to spend about 1000-1100 dollars, give or take. I'm a new [street] rider, and I'd prefer something bigger than a 250. That's about it, I don't have any real preference other than that. I'm just about to give up completely, sadly. I keep hearing people say I can get a GS500 for 1,000 bucks or so but...I haven't found one yet. Any ideas or offers would be most appreciated. I'm in the Atlanta, GA area, and willing to travel up to 150 miles in any direction to look at and/or buy a bike.

Thanks for your time,

-Kij

Just remember... you get what you pay for.


Save up some more money and THEN purchase  better bike.

Under $1,000- http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1421519079.html

Or try low balling these guys:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1423381901.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1428217656.html

Wow! I don't know how you found these (I spent a lot of time looking) but thank you very much! I sent two of them an email, we shall see.

Thanks again man!
-Kij

No problem.  Don't be too over enthusiastic and buy the first one you see, take your time and look over your options.  And don't be afraid to offer less money, the worst they can say is "no".  Good luck on your hunt!

-Jessie

Not a GS and not in the 150 miles around atlanta ... but all the 150 miles, atlanta and GS500's are over-rated ... so there ...

K I gots me this beauty ... hey, its a suzuki, and it does share the same gas tank grommet as a GS ... so there, its practically a GS ...

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/mcy/1431033775.html

Tons of powdercoated parts, and 3500 genuine miles. And I know why too ... the owner had to get out of town in a hurry in 1991 ... and didn't return till 2008. Yup ... and I have the carbs to prove it. And pics too of the worst damn carb in the world before I whipped out the magic wand ...

This one has been gone over tip to toe. No characterstic oil leak from the top end, no cam chain noise ... its also cheaper to keep in tires than a GS and has belt ... AKA - no adjustments or replacements for the life of the bike.
Its also much much easier to adjust valves on. Nothing to remove, and no shims. Threaded adjusters.

Literally its just about the easiest bike there is to work on and cheapest to maintain.

Cool.
Buddha.

To find a $1000 GS worth actually spending $1000 may well take some time; and patience. Stuff is always easier to find when you are not looking for it. OTOH, if your CL search skills are sketchy enough to miss bikes fitting your target range, perhaps you need to work on those, too.

One minor CL hint - gs500 only finds if they described it as such. GS500E or GS500F will find others that are described that way. GS 500 won't get caught by any of those - any you simply can't predict how the seller is going to list something.

Suzuki and your price range will get a broader selection and things with more typos or detail on the model number (GS500EM, for instance - a 1991, in full-blither mode). Simply searching your price range alone will get more. Searching a bit above your price range and offering less is worth trying unless the ad specifically states "No offers", "Price is firm" or the like - especially if the ad is from several weeks ago and the bike has not sold.

If you use the lower part of the price range, you won't get ads that list a price in the ad, but did not fill in the price where CL looks for a price.

Avoid anything with title issues. Clean title in hand, or walk away from it.

Here's another low-ball somewhere in the atlanta area. Either yucky or already half done, depending on what you think of the flat-black fugly look. Parts bike is a nice touch.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1384595921.html

Oh yea ...
"UP FOR SALE OR TRADE IS A SUZUKI GS 500E STREETFIGHTER PROJECT. GS500 E COMES WITH ADDITIONAL PARTS BIKE & TITLE. RENTHOL STYLE BAR HANDLEBARS, STRETCHED SWINGARM, & D&D EXUAST PIPE. BIKE WILL NEED BATTERY TO START BUT GREAT PROJECT BIKE OVERALL. LOOKING FOR $850 OR NICE RUNNING QUAD OR DUNEBUGGY. PIC ENCLOSED "

One more all caps idiot ...

And stretched swingarm .. .wink wink ...
Thank god he's a liar ... cos if it has a stretched swingarm ir will look like sheiete ...

Cool.
Buddha.

-Patience.  The deals come up, and you have to wait for the right one.

-Bring cash.  Don't lowball over the Internet.  Go see the bike you want, offer the cash there on the spot.  If they don't want it, don't be afraid to walk.  GS500s aren't rare enough that you should settle for anything other than the deal you want.

-The difference between a $1000 bike and a $1500 bike might be worth it.  Make sure you know what to look for mechanically, and if a bike has been well-maintained - it might be worth a few more hunsky.  But don't let anyone convince you to pay extra for little bitty turnsignals or stick-on faux carbon fiber.

Quote from: Roadstergal on October 22, 2009, 05:45:04 PM
-Bring cash.  Don't lowball over the Internet.  Go see the bike you want, offer the cash there on the spot.  If they don't want it, don't be afraid to walk.

+1, X1000. Lowballing should only be done in person, when you can see the bike and the seller can see your wad of cash money. Lowballing sight unseen is pretty much putting yourself in the same class as Nigerian scam artists. You can wait for the seller to drop the price without bothering to go look, but emailing "hey, how about $1000" for a bike listing at $1500 is not going to fly. Then again, it's rarely going to fly in person, though $1250 might - as might $1000 for one listing at $1250.

And sometimes (not most of the time, not even that much of the time) you'll get an email/call a few days later to see if you'd like to complete the deal at the price you offered and then walked away when they declined. Knock a few bucks off for the bother, gas and time of going back if you like, and you might just get a deal. Or not.

You never know what will fly until you try.  A co-worker was selling a nice RC51 this summer for $3500.  He'd told me that his firm "bottom line" was $3,000.  I took a friend to his house to see the bike and he offered $2,500.  My co-worker declined and we drove off. We didn't make it more than 5 miles from his house before my cell phone rang.  When his wife found out that someone had shown up with cash she said make it $2,650 and it's sold     Some sellers jst get tired of all the tire kickers than even a significantly lower price will fly. Don't be afraid to walk away. Good luck and happy searching!

-Jessie

Quote from: Kijona on October 21, 2009, 04:26:03 PM
Well, I thought I'd found something worth buying but it turned out to be a total rust bucket. Over priced.

Anyway, I'm wondering if anybody has an idea where I can find all these hidden, "thousand dollar" motorcycles that I keep hearing are abundant. I've searched Craigslist, ebay motors, cycle trader, etc. and found nothing that's even close to what I can spend. I'd like to spend about 1000-1100 dollars, give or take. I'm a new [street] rider, and I'd prefer something bigger than a 250. That's about it, I don't have any real preference other than that. I'm just about to give up completely, sadly. I keep hearing people say I can get a GS500 for 1,000 bucks or so but...I haven't found one yet. Any ideas or offers would be most appreciated. I'm in the Atlanta, GA area, and willing to travel up to 150 miles in any direction to look at and/or buy a bike.

Thanks for your time,

-Kij

you're in a great location. atl craigslist has $1500 bikes pretty often, and there is a breaker there (something about riverview road ? dunno) that sells insurance write offs pretty cheap. couple of guys here in bham said you can negotiate with them on prices. they're all theft recoveries , but if the engine runs, and it's 1/5 the normal price....

gs's are anything from 1000 to (ASKING) 3000 her in bham. they sell lower good luck !

Quote from: BaltimoreGS on October 21, 2009, 06:16:12 PM
Under $1,000- http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1421519079.html

Or try low balling these guys:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1423381901.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/mcy/1428217656.html

Hey, that 2nd bike is mine, don't try lowballing me!    I am negotiable, and like a previous poster said, flashing cash in person makes mountains move!

Had the first person come to look at it yesterday, says he's going to give me a deposit this afternoon for it, we all know how that goes, though, so bike is still for sale.  Never got an email from anyone in Atlanta, though??

Check out this forum post:  http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=50581.0;topicseen

Thanks a lot guys!

Hey, Shrek...are you the guy in Sharpsburg or Montgomery? If you're the one in Sharpsburg, I was the guy that asked how close you were to Stone Mountain (metro ATL area).

Thanks again guys!
-Kij

come out here to loganville and check out my two bikes. bring cash need to pay my landlord
678-696-5895
shawn

Do you have any pictures, Dube?

test