OK. My friend is trying to find a new first bike and I'm really trying to help him out. He's having the classic burn for anything he can get his hands on and he keeps asking me about bikes. The thing is he keeps looking at cheap bikes on craigslist and often they are 600cc or up. Im doing everything I can to obviously dissuade him from anything bigger than a 500.

In fact, im trying to get him to get a gs500!
After fixing and rebuilding a bunch of things on mine I told him I could help with tuning up an older bike which would fit his cheap as hell budget.

There is a 2007 GS500F for 1000 on craigslist with front impact damage. The seller says

"will take $1000 OBO. Cash only
Bike was wrecked:
needs repair to make Street Legal, good bike for track.

Frame is good
engine and tranny work great
Farings damaged.
Front subframe that supports faring and headlight damaged
Gauge cluster damaged"

Im thinking it needs a new front fork at worst, new gauge cluster, new headlight/turn signals.
I would just run the thing as a GSE even though its an F. I could fix the thing myself and at most 500 in parts.

Is this a steal? If my friend doesn't want to do this I'm thinking it would be a great project to fix up. Oh yeah, and the thing has a Yoshi slip on, pristine tank and rear faring, etc. It would be a good bike to part out as well im thinking. I have a 2006 500F that could use a new tank and a sexy new exhaust. 

What are you guy's thoughts?

front impact damage could mean more than just forks, frame could be bent/twisted (considering the sub frame is buggered up), steerer tube could be out of round and more than I can think of  from the top of my head.  doesn't take much to screw a bike up.  not being able to roll it properly means you cannot check the alignment of the wheels.  at best its a donor bike to another project IMO.

Agreed, because replacing all those parts and time isnt going to be cheap. Youre better off buying something in better shape and spending a bit more.

Where are you located anyway?

the ad says "frame is good" which I would obviously check for upon inspection. Assuming that was true all thats left to fix is the front end.
The time to fix the bike would be done by me, i really dig working on my GS. Also, changing out the front end components is not difficult at all.

I added up used replacements for a stock gs front end (assuming the brakes, cables still work) and it was only about 500. Not an assured price and all parts would be far from pristine.

Im in Huntsville, Tx. Its like halfway between Dallas and Houston.

so the seller is saying the frame is good means that it must be good or alternatively must say whatever he needs to in order to sell it?  treat whatever he is saying as crap, he wants to sell the bike and as long as he believes the frame is good, then that's all that matters to him.

Quote from: cheeterpasteen on November 15, 2012, 11:03:28 PM
the ad says "frame is good" which I would obviously check for upon inspection. Assuming that was true all thats left to fix is the front end.
The time to fix the bike would be done by me, i really dig working on my GS. Also, changing out the front end components is not difficult at all.

I added up used replacements for a stock gs front end (assuming the brakes, cables still work) and it was only about 500. Not an assured price and all parts would be far from pristine.

Im in Huntsville, Tx. Its like halfway between Dallas and Houston.

Ad says it's good so it must be good?

Holy crap man, if you believe ads I've got a few bridges to sell you.

Seriously, dude, keep this in mind....

It pays to be circumspect about what the intended seller says to you - remember that they want your money, not the item.

Michael

PS, seems to me, YOU love this bike. So get it for YOU not for your friend and not so your friend buys it for Your fun filled work experience fixing it. But really, seeing as you ask, walk away from this one. No, hang on, run.

Quote from: cheeterpasteen on November 15, 2012, 09:10:51 PM
The seller says..........Frame is good

Geeeezz....... how many times have I heard that one   

Get back to the seller and ask him how HE KNOWS its straight......... NO ONE can ok a frame just by looking at it. It needs to be jigged up and measured to tolerances less than 1mm.

http://motorcycle-frame-straightening.co.uk/frame-straightening.asp

Alarm bells are ringing......... if the frame has been checked by somone who knows what they are doing there will be paperwork to support it and............. HE WOULD BE SAYING SO IN THE AD.

My big issue with this is that you can buy a running, non-wrecked GS for not much more, so why bother with this one for $1K asking? 

I'd pay whatever I thought the engine was worth (assuming it's good)... then if the bike turns out to be salvageable, it's just more for you. If not, the rest of the parts you manage to sell are your margin.

Yeah, i getcha guys. I intend and have always intended to be scrupulous of seller's claims.  thats an obvious one. I guess what im really wanting to know is, how much would a good offer for it as a parts bike be? I haven't had much luck looking for GS500s in my area and this is the cheapest ive seen one.

So where are you located?

Quote from: weedahoe on November 16, 2012, 10:32:27 PM
So where are you located?

Quote from: cheeterpasteen on November 15, 2012, 11:03:28 PM
Im in Huntsville, Tx. Its like halfway between Dallas and Houston.

Gs500 

Quote from: shonole on November 16, 2012, 10:53:55 PM

Quote from: weedahoe on November 16, 2012, 10:32:27 PM
So where are you located?

Quote from: cheeterpasteen on November 15, 2012, 11:03:28 PM
Im in Huntsville, Tx. Its like halfway between Dallas and Houston.

Thanks. I must have missed that.

Quote from: weedahoe on November 16, 2012, 11:04:03 PM

Quote from: shonole on November 16, 2012, 10:53:55 PM

Quote from: weedahoe on November 16, 2012, 10:32:27 PM
So where are you located?

Quote from: cheeterpasteen on November 15, 2012, 11:03:28 PM
Im in Huntsville, Tx. Its like halfway between Dallas and Houston.

Thanks. I must have missed that.

Not a problem.  Maybe you'll find someone close soon so you can sell your bike.   

They just have to want one as bad as I did. I had one shipped to me from VA to GA.

My friend ended up getting a 2001 ninja 250 today for $700  He's stoked

Thats a scooter isnt it?