Finding a "new" (to you) bike, always problems

[subxero]

It seems like when you are trying to track down a bike to buy that nothing works in your favor.

Bike is too expensive
Bike is too beat up
bike is too old
to far away
the list goes on...

I have been finding it amusing how my wants and needs change depending on the type of bike I am looking for.

Recently I have been keeping my eyes open for vintage/post vintage (pre 83/84-94) dirt bikes in hopes of scoring one at a great price that I can use to race in some local vintage races that go on throughout the year to just have fun on. And i really would like to snag a 125 2t, or a 500 but finding 500's at a decent price is getting tricky. anything between 125 and 500 i am not really interested in, i have a 250 already so i want some variety, the little 125's are a blast and easy to ride, pin it to win it

As I look at FS ads I find myself saying things i normally don't say when looking at bikes like "damn, that bike isn't old enough" and "that bike is too nice, i can find something a little worse off cosmetic wise to save some cash" "too many cc's, need something smaller"

Strangely enough, it has been difficult to track down a bike that fits all my criteria, i have some hope for the off season though


what are some things you look for in used bikes that might be unique and or hard to find? Or deal breakers that you have come across?

[SLOWn60]

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[dcj13]

Fortunately I’ve had the opposite experience (this time of year, anyway). There’s a lot of junk out there, but every time I look for a bike, I find one in better-than-expected condition and at a fair price.

["A"]

Not many dirt bike from the 80-90's era survive that long to be sold in the used market.

If you find them, likely they are in decent shape, then they'll cost more, because seller has sentimental value that keep them at decent condition from that era.

I don't buy many used bikes without title, which is mostly the case with dirt bikes.

In my experience, deal breakers are sellers with sentimental value in the bike.

Always show up with cash, at least enough cash for a deposit, and always walk away when seller is not willing to come back after an offer.

[TnNinjaGirl]

I find after buying a selling a lot of bikes the key things are:

Have cash in hand
Call/text/message as close to first if possible

You get a feel for people and how they write their ads after a while and can get a good idea from that if it is a decent bike. A lot of people say you should let the listing sit as long as possible but I find when you get in front of someone with cash it changes their tune quite a bit. In addition anyone you WANT to be buying something from wants to get it over with as soon as possible and doesn't want to deal with the typical CL people waiting to trade their used chinchilla.

It can take a while but narrow you search down to what you want. Try to make it as specific as possible and focus on that but not so specific you work yourself out of the market.

EG: I wanted a Triumph Daytona but didn't really care what year. After finding about a million it took me a month to find the one I got. The guy had it listed for $3500 where everyone else had theirs listed for 5-6k. The "hangup" with this one is that he converted it to streetfighter BUT still had all of the fairings. I bought the bike for $3200 and converted it back to original and sold all of the streetfighter parts for $600. I ended up getting a 2006 Triumph Daytona 675 with 9k miles for $2600 total invested, clean title and all.

I have several other examples like that. It basically takes patience and cash. You have to be serious when you make the call to see it. Generally that will help your chances of getting it for less than the listed price. Everyone knows the CL game. They all list too high because they know they will be negotiated with.

I'm sure you know all of that.

As for finding bikes? Look outside of your area and make friends with someone in the sellers area if it is that far away. Forums for the type of bike you are looking for are an excellent resource. Prices are generally lower and the people are generally more knowledgeable and honest about what they are selling.

[choneofakind]

If you have a realistic expectation of number 1, the other issues seem to disappear

It's a two way street here. A buyer expecting too much for too little is just as big of a problem as a seller who thinks their stuff is gold plated.