Used bike prices?

[SpiritOaks]

Hi All!
Thanks for all of your help in advance! I'm new here and am going to be a first time "driver", rather than "back seat driver" soon. I'll be back to do a full introduction, but right now am curious about a price and appreciate any help I can get.
I am here in the Tampa area in Florida, and found a 2000 GZ, with about 9300mi. It's immaculate, has been garage kept, driven by a woman, has some extra detailing (nothing major) as well as the owner just added a set of brand new hard saddlebags. They originally had a price of $2200 on it, then two days later dropped it to $2000...probably realized they were overpriced. But I have looked at past posts on here and also at Kelley Blue book and dealer retail on it is around $1400(?) :??:
Here's the thing....they are holding it for me, with a piece of jewelry as "good faith" and are allowing me to pay as I can (I've got a bunch of stuff to sell). They are also people who I see as future friends....the couple is really nice and around my age.
So, I know that $2000 is high (if I could walk in with the green stuff in hand), but should I attempt to dicker price when they are being considerate and holding it for me, plus will be people I hang with in the future?
I would have posted this in the "For Sale" section, but know it gets much less traffic than here....plus I don't have one for sale, do I? :tongue: ROFL

Susan
45yo, going through a second childhood. :rawk:

[JWR]

Suzuki reduced the GZ price to 2999 for brand new.

You are looking at a 1200 to 1400 dollar bike.

[SpiritOaks]

Thanks Jerry, exactly what I was thinking! I'm amazed at the price for new. O_o

[alanmcorcoran]

What JWR said. They may just not know that they are overpriced. The $1000 drop retail was not expected and isn't well known.

[SpiritOaks]

I just want to approach it in a delicate manner so that they don't say, "nevermind, we'll sell it to someone else then". lol I have a feeling they won't though.

[geezer]

let em know yor gonna go look at a new one and mention the new price they might end up not letting you leave and drop the price down, id buy it for 1600 easy, with the little extra touches its got, i have mine for sale for 1600 its got 5000 miles on it

[alanmcorcoran]

If they have the sissy bar and the saddle bag supports thats worth a 150 - 175 extra. Add another $100 if they have a decent windshield.

[SpiritOaks]

Yep, good windshield, no sissy bar (would remove one if it was there lol) and the saddlebags that he just put on are nice, brand new hard ones. :biggrin:

[SpiritOaks]

Well hopefully she will be coming home tomorrow night...if the out of state title transferring goes smoothly. Yeah, they have been here for 2 years and have never transferred the title...from Ohio to Florida. So now that adds a few extra steps and dollars to the process...which he is taking off of the price (the difference). We settled upon a price of $1500...and he has gotten two pieces of jewelry from me and I ordered a helmet for him when I ordered my own....those all take $115 off the top as well.
So the add ons are brand new hard saddlebags, "chrome" edge trim, windshield (not sure if I want to remove it or not), new rear tire...it's been well cared for, garaged, 9400mi....and I have gotten to put about 60 miles on her before even paying for her and bringing her home! :rawk:
Wish me luck at the tag office tomorrow!! :popcorn:

Oh and I forgot...I want to shave the seat...lol I work with leather, so I am already scheming on what to do. :hide:

[geezer]

not a bad price my girl :2tup:

[blaine]

Good luck at the DMV. :cool: :)

[SpiritOaks]

Thanks guys! Right now I'm fiddling with a pic of her that I took the first day I saw her (to add to my avatar)...of course once she is home, I'll be taking TONS of pics!! :lol:

[Water Warrior 2]

Hold off on seat mods until you have put some real miles on the bike. You may find it a perfect fit and a rash mod could upset your hind end. Looking forward to pics soonest.

[mole2]

Hold off on seat mods until you have put some real miles on the bike. You may find it a perfect fit and a rash mod could upset your hind end. Looking forward to pics soonest.

+1 on this. Different hinnies take to different seats. I have a V-Star 650 Classic and people say the seat is horrible. I added a back rest and can go for hours on that seat comfortably.


:)

[mrlmd1]

How old are the tires? You said it has a new rear? Look at the date stamp on the sidewalls for a little rectangular box - it has the week and year of manufacture of the tire. If it is 6+ years old it needs to be replaced regardless of how much tread is on them or how many miles they have..
Look at the front brake pads to see if they need replacement.
Has it had all the required maintenance, like valve checks, oil/filter renewal? It may be due for an oil change if not done within the last 3000miles.

[SpiritOaks]

Guess what guys?? I got my bike!!! :2tup: Guess what else??? Not the one I described above!!! :lol: There is a very long story behind the one described above...things got personal and the wife was/IS :crazy: ....so after a very long weekend of :biggun: , starting on Friday night, and it lingering on into last night, I was tired of :bang: & feeling like :puking: ....this afternoon I decided to NOT get the original one.
And besides all of that drama :popcorn: , nothing about ANY of this went smoothly before that either (other than the class , which :rawk: )...such as when I went to get my endorsement added...that was a nightmare (6 visits to DMV, 1 to SS office & 1 to Vital Stats....for 2 or 3 days)...ordering my helmet was a nightmare (1st place I ordered, didn't have it and didn't tell me for 7 days, second place didn't have it either, but luckily I asked right after ordering...then finally the third one had it...but I'm still waiting for it lol)...then the whole out of state title :facepalm:

You know when you want something SOOOOO badly, and work SOOOOO hard to get it...yet it's a cluster the whole way through...that when it finally comes time to actually getting it...you no longer want it? That was me. Every time I saw even OTHER GZs of the same color, it made me nauseous. So all I needed was to get reminded of it all every single time I saw the bike or wanted to ride it.
:poke2: :poke2: :poke2:

So....what I DID get....
A 2008 Silver GZ250, nearly the same exact miles (9453), brand spanking new set of tires, brakes, oil change (and changed every 2k mi), spark plug lol, and the guy only drove it from his house to work, which is nearly a straight shot, from his house, down a "country road" (US-92...old FL highway...no lights etc). Sold it because they have a gorgeous 8 month old baby girl to take care of now...he's also selling his bass boat. lol He was asking $2500...we "walked" away with it for $2100. :chop:
Took a few pics of it tonight when we got home...but it was almost dark and I will take more pics tomorrow I am sure...and will be sure to post some soon!!

Thanks again for all of your help...and this place kicks arse! I found some other great topics here through google searches lol...they always seem to lead back here. (Like 16 tooth Sprocket and Baffle removal) :tongue:

[mrlmd1]

This is your first bike, get used to riding it before you start modding it to death. And I mean death.
Remove the baffle and you'll be sorry and regret it every time you ride. Or turn it o
The resale value will also go way down when you start messing with the exhaust like that. It doesn't add any performance, it just makes it sound louder and much worse, and you may be changing the exhaust back pressure enough to make it run like crap.
See what kind of riding you do and how you use the bike before you change the sprocket.
This may be a starter bike for you and in 6-12 months you may get an irresistible itch to move up to a bigger, heavier, more powerful bike. Leave this one alone, keep it stock for awhile, or you may not be happy with the result and you may have a real hard time selling it or trading it in. Weren't you lucky and happy to find a clean, well maintained, stock bike?

[Water Warrior 2]

Maybe the first bike was never meant to be. You sound happy about the newer bike so it's all good in the long run. Umm, the bottom of your post is signed Susan, yet you talk about a wife. Should I ask or keep my mouth shut ? Not finger pointing just curious.

[SpiritOaks]

Yeah, can ya believe it? :biggrin: I'm not going to go boogering it up....the first bike I looked at had the baffles removed and I preferred the sound...but I'm sure if I do decide to do it...it will be a while.
As for the seat....I am an artist, sculpter and work a lot with leather and textiles...and for most of my working years, worked in the automotive field...paint and autobody.
Plus I have a "bad back" (all of that hard labor in the automotive sector lol and fibromyalgia that flares up for a week or so every month)....and the hours that I did get to spend on the other one...the ride wasn't terrible...but I'm uber picky about the comfort of a seat...and my back got crampy fairly quickly.
Oh and I am a perfectionist! ROFL So trust me when I say...if I do take on this task...it will be done with the utmost of care...I either do it right...or I don't do it at all. I work slowly and carefully..and if I DID happen to screw it up...I am sure there are plenty of replacement OEM seats out there. So I am a n00b, but not a n00b you could say. hehe

[SpiritOaks]

Maybe the first bike was never meant to be. You sound happy about the newer bike so it's all good in the long run. Umm, the bottom of your post is signed Susan, yet you talk about a wife. Should I ask or keep my mouth shut ? Not finger pointing just curious.


ROFL A PSYCHO wife who suspects every little thing, yet is out screwing around herself...knowingly...can't stand for any female to treat her husband like a HUMAN bean. lol (yes that was on porpoise). Having worked around cars so long...I am a...as my husband likes to say...a mans woman...allowed into secret societies of males that no other woman before has been allowed into. ROFL Seriously though...I am quite feminine...yet think like a man...what more could you ask for? :rawk:

[Water Warrior 2]

Have you thought about being cloned ?

[SpiritOaks]

Have you thought about being cloned ?

Actually YES! (Not seriously....I am not a *bleet-er* or would that be a *baaaa-er*? ROFL Mah name's not Dolly :neener: )

If this gives even more of an idea about me...think Angelina's character in "Gone In 60 Seconds" (although her looks wouldn't hurt either lol)....THAT is pretty much my personality and attitude. :rawk: Hell, my first car was my '69 Camaro...that I helped work on every single time (not just handing the tools over either)! :biggrin:

[alantf]

There is a very long story behind the one described above...

We've got all day :popcorn: and nothing better to do than sit on the porch listening to other folks' woes. :yes:

[SpiritOaks]

We've got all day :popcorn: and nothing better to do than sit on the porch listening to other folks' woes. :yes:


:crackup Let me catch my breath from it all and I will give the gory details. :crackup

[Strelok]

SpiritOaks~

When you first mentioned the couple you were going to
get the Bike from and they would be future Friends
I knew it was going to end badly. So don't
blame yourself. It was all them.

:)

[SpiritOaks]

SpiritOaks~

When you first mentioned the couple you were going to
get the Bike from and they would be future Friends
I knew it was going to end badly. So don't
blame yourself. It was all them.

:)


Thanks Strelok!! Well hubby and I are homebodies...and are very picky about who we call friends...so we honestly have NONE...other than less than one handful locally (who we rarely see) and another handful online (who we either have never seen in person or rarely get to see)...so we have been looking to find friends that we can actually spend time with. Our local friends that we currently have are old friends and we've all changed over the years, so the connections are less. I really thought that this couple would be people who we'd get along with, but instead, the hubby and I got along really well (NO not THAT way) since he works in a body shop and I spent years either mixing and/or delivering automotive paint or taping cars in body shops...lots to talk about...and he and I are carefree souls....but his controlling, negative, bitchy, psycho, uber jealous wife could not handle someone talking to him like he was a human being. Even though she spewed from her mouth that she didn't mind him having female friends...horse puckies...she drives them all away because of her accusations. And in this instance she nearly destoyed MY marriage in the process. NOT cool. Michael and I have been together for 13 years and married 11. About 5 years ago we almost split up, but worked things out and since that time have only grown closer...and MORE in love...it blows my mind that two people can be together for so many years and only love each other MORE every single day that passes...I never thought that was possible. That is not saying that we don't have our ups and downs...but we are still together, and still loving each other more as time passes. Yeah gushy I know. lol
The one good thing that has come from this, is that the guy's sister, and her hubby are AWESOME people. Bad part of that though is that they live in the house right across the street (a tiny, dead end, alley sized street) from the "trouble" couple. His sister and I are so much alike, only months apart in age, and her hubby and Michael get along famously! And that is saying a lot...Michael is generally not social :lol: and doesn't like too many people...so when he does, you know there is something really good about that person! :2tup: So I am hoping that once Michael gets his bike, that we can all four go riding together often...that the other couple do what they should have done years ago, and split (yeah not a happy thing to hope for, but it would be best for BOTH of them) and she move back to Ohio (she HATES FloriDuh and FlorIdiots as she calls it...nice eh?)....and we will be okay to even go to their house then.
I am just SOOOOOOOOO happy to have "my own" bike...not the bike associated with that entire nightmarish negative situation. And I am even happier to have found THIS place....'cause you guys and girls are da bomb!! Yeah, you young'uns won't remember that saying :crackup

[SpiritOaks]

This may be a starter bike for you and in 6-12 months you may get an irresistible itch to move up to a bigger, heavier, more powerful bike.


Howdy Boys! Long time no talkie. You were right on the money with these words. Bought the bike in the middle of May and maybe a month later was already feeling the itch. ROFL I do still have it though and am fervently window shopping for a bigger bike.
I love my little silver GZ, but it is just that...little. From the get go I have felt cramped on it...always riding the tank and constantly wiggling around in the seat trying to get comfy. And stretching my legs out as far as I can in front of me. I rarely sit still.
Hubby ended up with a sexy '03 Victory Vegas and he loves it. The shop that he bought it from has some used bikes and I fell in love with two that they had/have. An '01 HD Springer Softail that has been modded...fits me like a glove...and an '05 Honda VTX1300 in gorgeous pearl apple green....no mods, also quite comfy. I want my legs outstretched and my arms fairly straight...slight lean forward...that took the pressure off of my back immediately.
Recently I have come across one on craigslist that I realllllly like, an '04 Yamaha Midnight Roadstar....modded by a pro, the guy who owns it and painting bikes is his business...he does the "real flames". Beautiful black with blue flames...with touches of purple/green Mystic in them. There are a lot of other goodies too...clean looking and well done. I've not yet seen it in person.
Hubby has it in his head that I also need a Victory, since he loves his, but honestly, his is not comfy to me. The only one I've sat on that was, is the brand spankin' new High Ball...for just over $12k. Not. Worth it? Yes. What I'm budgeting? No. All of the bikes that I have been looking at have been between $3500 and $6500, most being right around $6000.
There are a few other Honda VTXs that have come up, and in fact today one came up identical to the green one at the shop...but 15k more miles, same price, but mods done...and THREE seats to choose from....if I can't get comfy on one of them...I'm a sad case! A few other good mods too.
I've heard people say the VTXs rock. Sarris said he adored his Yamaha Roadstar, and that was his recommendation (and truly is still my first choice). Hubby says NO HDs. After watching some Victory vs HD mechanical breakdown videos on youtube, I have to agree. lol
So much to weigh in on this....LOVE the look of the modded bikes...no back seat...cleaned up lighting, etc, non modded have the back seat (not for a passenger for me, but "things") and can take saddlebags if need be. We are talking about going up to NY next August for Michael's cousin's memorial ride...he says RIDE up...but damn that seems like a reallllly long ride! So, where would I put any of the stuff that I needed? I say trailer up...have the best of both worlds. He wants to ride in the mountains, but why not take the bikes out while we are in them and cruise around a bit, then reload and keep going? Right? Decisions, decisions....
Oh, I have also seen some Kawasakis that I have liked the look of, but he says his Dad had really bad experiences with ones he owned...many years ago...have they gotten better?
And before I forget...the BIG question...again, remember I was a speed demon motorhead in all of my driving years (no, not like stoopid crazy driver on the motorcycle, I'm EXTRA careful on it lol), so I'm not scared of power. Going from a 250 to a 1300, or 1700...or a 1500, if a Victory. Am I crazy for making that jump? I do have the two acres and 400'+ driveway to take baby steps on, back and forth before hitting the road....until I am fully comfortable.

[Water Warrior 2]

A VTX 1300 !! If that is the one I'm thinking of you had best run away. Most owners and I do know 2 personally got rid of theirs after discovering a big Honda design flaw. They have a built in vibration that is fatiguing and downright annoying.
Victory makes good bikes from what I have heard. My suggestion would be to lurk on different forums and learn about the bikes from actual owners. If they are working on them to keep them running they aren't riding them much.
A modern bike should be as reliable as a modern car.

[SpiritOaks]

Here's the link to the one that is the same as the one at the shop...

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/mcy/2573270606.html

This is one of the Vics that I DO like:

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/mcy/2533810430.html

and another Vic...

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/mcy/2572295136.html

And the one that makes me drool 'til the cows come home...anyone on here buy it out from under me, there will be hell to pay! Muahahahahahaaa!!! This is the one that I am most seriously considering...

http://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/mcy/2552795326.html

and another hot looking one...but just how comfy could it be? Plus it is beaucoup bucks....

http://tampa.craigslist.org/hil/mcy/2542711456.html

[Water Warrior 2]

All nice looking bikes you found. Just a personal opinion here and one I stand by with everything on wheels. Don't get a modified bike. Find a nice clean stock bike and change it to fit you and only you. Make it yours. Buying a modded bike is some one else's idea of the ideal bike. My Vstrom is changed for comfort and convenience but no engine changes or appearance changes just for show.
Lynda's bike has been changed for her personal comfort with different bars, drivers backrest, highway pegs, windshield, heated grips and a sheep skin seat cover. Her bike is an M-50 and I do like the way it rides. Suzuki has discontinued the C-90 but some used ones might be available to check out. Bigger and heavier with lots of go power. They are relatively trouble free with low maintenance too. If I could find a new one in a crate I would be hard pressed to keep the Vstrom as it is one very reliable and satisfying bike.

[mole2]

My only contribution is you really can't go wrong with a Yamaha cruiser. They are all pretty well solid bikes. I have a V-Star 650 Classic. My next door neighbor has a V-Star 1100. Another friend a V-Star 950T. You might want to check out the 950T at a dealer. It is a great bike that won't break the bank. The Roadstar et al have a really good reputation. Good luck with whatever you buy.

My Pearl White V-Star 650 Classic:

http://www.yamahamotorcycleforum.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/3/4/dscf0266small.jpg


:)

[Gz Rider]

...

[SpiritOaks]

Yeah go ahead and check it out at the dealer, but buy it from craigslist and save big time! After paying 250.00 for a "doc fee" that amounted to nothing other than noterizing the manufacturers certificate of origin and handing it to me, I'll never buy from a stealership again.

Yeah, not in the market for new...if I were I'd be trotting my happy ass right down to the Victory shop that hubby bought his 2003 Vegas from and snapping up that High Ball!! :lol:

[alantf]

I know just how you feel. Took my geezer in for the 20,000km service this morning. The equivalent of €56, including tax. Pride of place with the used bikes was a 2 year old shadow. Immaculate & gleaming. Problem was, it was the equivalent of $9,400. :poorbaby:

[Gz Rider]

...

[mole2]

Yeah go ahead and check it out at the dealer, but buy it from craigslist and save big time! After paying 250.00 for a "doc fee" that amounted to nothing other than noterizing the manufacturers certificate of origin and handing it to me, I'll never buy from a stealership again.

I agree. I bought mine used in 2010 (it's a 2009 that had 1200 miles on it at the time of purchase) from a guy who could no longer make the payments. I got a very good deal on it. But I did go to the dealer and sat quite a few bikes there to determine what I wanted.


:)

[SpiritOaks]

Not sure if this will work...we'll see...another post I made some time back, introducing myself...and just added a few recent pics of me on two different bikes...and the blue flames bike that I so adore.

http://www.gz250bike.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=4504&p=53957

[alantf]

By the way I'm sure if the sticker was 9400 that did not include all the little fees they like to tack on.

No, over here the price they quote is the price you pay, out the door.

And, there's a shortage of cruisers for sale. There are thousands of 50cc scooters, & thousands of crotch rockets, but cruisers are as rare as rocking horse shit. He had to search for my geezer, & eventually found it on one of the other islands, & had it shipped here. :)

[Gz Rider]

...

[SpiritOaks]

My only contribution is you really can't go wrong with a Yamaha cruiser. They are all pretty well solid bikes. I have a V-Star 650 Classic. My next door neighbor has a V-Star 1100. Another friend a V-Star 950T. You might want to check out the 950T at a dealer. It is a great bike that won't break the bank. The Roadstar et al have a really good reputation. Good luck with whatever you buy.

My Pearl White V-Star 650 Classic:

http://www.yamahamotorcycleforum.com/gallery/files/1/5/0/3/4/dscf0266small.jpg


:)


BTW...LOVE your bike! And it matches my xB....it's my Clone Trooper...lol

[mole2]

BTW...LOVE your bike! And it matches my xB....it's my Clone Trooper...lol

Thank you. She's somewhat different now in that she has a leather tank bra with studs, leather lever covers with fringe and Yamaha passing lights (for three headlights) on the front. If you want to see her now I'll take some pics this weekend and post in the pic section.


:)

[Water Warrior 2]

Hey Spirit, just to add to the list. Is the Suzuki S83 available in the U.S. ?? 1300+ cc's and a mean looking scoot. Light weight for the engine size and probably enough power to keep up with anyone sane or slightly insane. Air cooled and carbed so it is sort of old school among the FI bikes. Drive shaft so no chain to mess with.
The Can. website says there are still some new ones in crates from 07,08 and 09 so they might sell for a decent price. Check out a U.S. website to see if any are around.