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    #16
    Interesting old thread to resurrect... but worth discussing.


    Let's look at some of my history:

    2 bikes - advrider.com (V-Strom DL1000, sold on ADVrider.com, and FJ-09, still own)

    2 bikes - CrackList (VX800 #2 sold to a friend, KLR650 #1, totaled)

    1 bike - CrackList found via http://www.bikefinds.com/ (KLR650 #2, still own)

    1 bike - Cycle Trader (VX800 #1, sold via CrackList, IIRC)

    2 bikes - Newspaper classified ads (GS850, purchased on consignment from a small independent shop in 1997 back when newspaper classifieds were still a thing, still own, wife's Honda 1981 CM400T, sold to a friend)

    3 bikes - personal contacts (1978 GS400, sold to a friend, 1978 KZ650 sold via classified ad a long time ago, 1979 GS850, parted out)

    I also found my van (2010 Toyota Sienna, still owned) and my wife's last car (2004 Camry, totaled with family sale pending, which sucked) on CrackList. Her current car, a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, was purchased from Carmax after a few extremely bad dealership experiences.

    We've also purchased a few cars through our credit union's auto buying service - if this is available to you, this is by far the best experience.

    I do think the CrackList era is completely over. It's 95% scammers and the rest are small-time dealers masquerading as private party sellers. The signal to noise ratio is overwhelming for both buyers and sellers.


    As far as selling bikes, I've had the best results from ADVrider.com -- it's mostly "adventure" and dual-sport focused, but it's a huge worldwide audience of motorcycle enthusiasts, most of whom own multiple bikes. All kinds of motorcycles are welcome and free to post. That said, there's a lot of activity and you can only bump your ad every two weeks or so; it takes patience.

    The guy I bought my FJ-09 from posted on ADVrider.com because he wanted to make sure it was purchased by an experienced rider. It's a powerful bike, and he just could not have lived with himself if some yahoo in his 20s bought it and then went out and splattered himself. When we first spoke on the phone, it was something like a job interview where we discussed my training, experience, etc. I kinda get that... they're not kittens, but you do want them to go to good homes.


    I've never really figured out why selling bikes here on the GSR forum doesn't work better.

    For example, Larry D's fantastic GK has been up for sale here for a month or two at an amazing price with no nibbles. Can't figure that one out.
    Here's the link: https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...-84-gs-1100-gk

    One huge factor is that this is the most frugal, tightfisted bunch of two-wheeled tightwads I've ever seen. I love you all like brothers, but damn, many of you make KLR riders look like drunk lottery winners. I've seen people miss months of prime riding time because they won't buy a $5 multimeter, or skate around all summer on glass-hard ancient rubber because they can't bring themselves to spend $120 on a set of Shinko tires. How many people have wasted entire riding seasons because they insist on farting around with low-rent petcock rebuild kits instead of just ponying up for new petcocks, or won't skip a few lattes and buy intake boots or a stator?

    Or maybe it's that a lot of folks here already have a GS and don't want another. That's the category I fall into, I suppose.
    Last edited by bwringer; 08-17-2021, 10:31 AM.
    1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
    2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
    2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
    Eat more venison.

    Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

    Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

    SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

    Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

    Comment


      #17
      Facebook has disposed CL and ebay. I've seen weird scams on FB, like the same bike multi listings and addresses.
      Another weird thing, "for trade only" I don't get.
      How about a GSXR "will only trade for a Harley". How's that gonna happen?
      "Only fe' collected the old way, has any value." from His Majesty O'Keefe (1954 film)
      1982 GS1100G- road bike, body, seat and suspension modded
      1990 GSX750F-(1127cc '92 GSXR engine) track bike, much re-engineered
      1987 Honda CBR600F Hurricane; hooligan bike, restored

      Comment


        #18
        Craigslist charges for vehicle sales now, including motorcycles. Their reasoning is that it reduces scams. So around here anyway, craigslist is a wasteland and almost everyone uses Facebook Marketplace now.

        Which sucks because the FB interface is terrible for SO MANY reasons.
        Charles
        --
        1979 Suzuki GS850G

        Read BassCliff's GSR Greeting and Mega-Welcome!

        Comment


          #19
          I bought two Goldwings and a sidecar frame for the $5 the guy charged to list it :-) That was a fast $1500. I mean $1495.

          Originally posted by eil View Post
          Craigslist charges for vehicle sales now, including motorcycles. Their reasoning is that it reduces scams. So around here anyway, craigslist is a wasteland and almost everyone uses Facebook Marketplace now.

          Which sucks because the FB interface is terrible for SO MANY reasons.
          Tom

          '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
          '79 GS100E
          Other non Suzuki bikes

          Comment


            #20
            Pretty much everything I've bought has either come from this forum or the Adventure rider forum. I've fixed a couple of friends up with bikes off ADVrider too. It's the first place I look.

            1980 GS1000G - Sold
            1978 GS1000E - Finished!
            1980 GS550E - Fixed & given to a friend
            1983 GS750ES Special - Sold
            2009 KLR 650 - Sold - gone to TX!
            1982 GS1100G - Rebuilt and finished. - Sold
            2009 TE610 - Dual Sporting around dreaming of Dakar.....

            www.parasiticsanalytics.com

            TWINPOT BRAKE UPGRADE LINKY: http://www.thegsresources.com/_forum...e-on-78-Skunk/

            Comment


              #21
              "...One huge factor is that this is the most frugal, tightfisted bunch of two-wheeled tightwads I've ever seen. I love you all like brothers, but damn, many of you make KLR riders look like drunk lottery winners. I've seen people miss months of prime riding time because they won't buy a $5 multimeter, or skate around all summer on glass-hard ancient rubber because they can't bring themselves to spend $120 on a set of Shinko tires. How many people have wasted entire riding seasons because they insist on farting around with low-rent petcock rebuild kits instead of just ponying up for new petcocks, or won't skip a few lattes and buy intake boots or a stator?"

              Truer words have never been spoken (typed)

              Comment


                #22
                Craigslist wins for me hands down because it's local and the search and filtering works well. Facebook is useless to me, it has never brought up one thing I've seen that I think's a good deal, and I can't seem to filter much at all (or I can't figure it out?). And by the looks of it, it's scam city. I don't trust buying a bike by pictures. Even bikes I see have hidden surprises sometimes. I have and will continue to score deals on CL that I think are amazing,

                Sorry a bit of bragging but in just the last 15 months this skinflint has gotten

                A $150 Norton 750 desert sled which came with custom striped and lettered oil and gas tanks that are worth 3x that easily for the tanks alone, not to mention the complete bike in pretty decent restorable shape
                A Mr Turbo GS1100E with Bonneville history for $1k
                A sweet Honda '83 750 for $800
                A nice '79 GS1000E for $900
                An all original, running and fairly decent GS1100E for $500.
                Two free GL1100 Goldwings with a rare sidecar frame.

                There's no joining, no nonsense with social media scooping my data. Just be a bit sensible and you can figure out the losers. Oh and speaking of losers, I just lost out on a $1K '72 CB750 with original unrusted 4/4 pipes and beautiful bodywork because I was a dummy and didn't pounce fast enough. And I missed two GPz1100's that were very nice looking, an '82 and '83 for $1200, 2.5 hours away - the guy who called minutes before was on his way already from San Francisco. You have to be quick and smart, and sometimes I'm neither but I do OK.
                Last edited by oldGSfan; 08-22-2021, 11:43 PM.
                Tom

                '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                '79 GS100E
                Other non Suzuki bikes

                Comment


                  #23
                  Originally posted by oldGSfan View Post
                  ...Sorry a bit of bragging but in just the last 15 months this skinflint has gotten....
                  Then again, you're in Southern California, which has been the world epicenter of moto-culture for several decades. And I'm sure that's part of the reason you live there!

                  Here in the midwest, after you eliminate the 95% of ads that are bots or scams, it's tough to find anything that's not a Harley. There are a few roached/stolen/crashed sportbikes in there. Genuine ads for vintage bikes are fairly rare, and if the bike actually has a title it's the rarest of the rare, and a topic of excited discussion among locals.

                  As an example, earlier this year I was in the market for a modern bike (Yamaha FJ-09), and I ended up dragging a trailer 550 miles each way to pick it up when I finally found one within any sort of striking distance on ADVrider.com.
                  1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                  2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                  2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                  Eat more venison.

                  Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                  Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                  SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                  Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                    Then again, you're in Southern California, which has been the world epicenter of moto-culture for several decades. And I'm sure that's part of the reason you live there!

                    Here in the midwest, after you eliminate the 95% of ads that are bots or scams, it's tough to find anything that's not a Harley. There are a few roached/stolen/crashed sportbikes in there. Genuine ads for vintage bikes are fairly rare, and if the bike actually has a title it's the rarest of the rare, and a topic of excited discussion among locals.

                    Try it in Milwaukee ---

                    LOW mileage Harleys are everywhere -- but they are really proud of them and not cheap
                    Currently in the Stable :
                    2002 Honda Goldwing GL1800 Sunburst Pearl Orange
                    1983 Suzuki GS850 GL Blue & Black

                    " I am never lost until I run out of fuel...until that moment I am EXPLORING."
                    - Carl R. Munkwitz

                    Munk's Maxim: "There is no such thing as a cheap motorcycle"

                    Comment


                      #25
                      True, being myopic. Reminded me of the old line, Q: Why do you rob banks? A: Because that's where the $ is!

                      When I visited my dad up in WA, the last town before Canada on the I5, it seemed every other farmhouse had a dozen or more old cars rotting in the yard. I wondered if the barns contained motorcycles.

                      Originally posted by bwringer View Post
                      Then again, you're in Southern California, which has been the world epicenter of moto-culture for several decades. And I'm sure that's part of the reason you live there!
                      Tom

                      '82 GS1100E Mr. Turbo
                      '79 GS100E
                      Other non Suzuki bikes

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Originally posted by Wingsconsin View Post
                        Try it in Milwaukee ---

                        LOW mileage Harleys are everywhere -- but they are really proud of them and not cheap

                        "$5,000 invested in chrome!"

                        LOL.
                        1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
                        2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
                        2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
                        Eat more venison.

                        Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

                        Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

                        SUPPORT THIS SITE! DONATE TODAY!

                        Get "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at https://tro.bike/podcast/ or wherever you listen to podcasts!

                        Comment


                          #27
                          Kijiji, local, provincial or national.
                          1979 CBX, AW440 Maico, GS1150EF

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Originally posted by oldGSfan View Post
                            Craigslist wins for me hands down because it's local and the search and filtering works well. Facebook is useless to me, it has never brought up one thing I've seen that I think's a good deal, and I can't seem to filter much at all (or I can't figure it out?). And by the looks of it, it's scam city. I don't trust buying a bike by pictures. Even bikes I see have hidden surprises sometimes. I have and will continue to score deals on CL that I think are amazing,

                            Sorry a bit of bragging but in just the last 15 months this skinflint has gotten

                            A $150 Norton 750 desert sled which came with custom striped and lettered oil and gas tanks that are worth 3x that easily for the tanks alone, not to mention the complete bike in pretty decent restorable shape
                            A Mr Turbo GS1100E with Bonneville history for $1k
                            A sweet Honda '83 750 for $800
                            A nice '79 GS1000E for $900
                            An all original, running and fairly decent GS1100E for $500.
                            Two free GL1100 Goldwings with a rare sidecar frame.

                            There's no joining, no nonsense with social media scooping my data. Just be a bit sensible and you can figure out the losers. Oh and speaking of losers, I just lost out on a $1K '72 CB750 with original unrusted 4/4 pipes and beautiful bodywork because I was a dummy and didn't pounce fast enough. And I missed two GPz1100's that were very nice looking, an '82 and '83 for $1200, 2.5 hours away - the guy who called minutes before was on his way already from San Francisco. You have to be quick and smart, and sometimes I'm neither but I do OK.
                            Yes, Craigslist is still best. buying or selling locally. Facebook-meh. My experience indicates there's a lot of dreamers sprawled on their couch responding because it's easy. They are less committed to actually buying and can't seem to stoke their adrenal glands to read, comprehend, and make a real world connection to show up.

                            Comment


                              #29
                              Originally posted by nejeff View Post
                              "...One huge factor is that this is the most frugal, tightfisted bunch of two-wheeled tightwads I've ever seen. I love you all like brothers, but damn, many of you make KLR riders look like drunk lottery winners. I've seen people miss months of prime riding time because they won't buy a $5 multimeter, or skate around all summer on glass-hard ancient rubber because they can't bring themselves to spend $120 on a set of Shinko tires. How many people have wasted entire riding seasons because they insist on farting around with low-rent petcock rebuild kits instead of just ponying up for new petcocks, or won't skip a few lattes and buy intake boots or a stator?"

                              Truer words have never been spoken (typed)
                              Now, that's funny!

                              Everyone always talks about how cheap members here are...I can't remember seeing anything worth bringing up.

                              I've owned 3 bikes and all were from Craigslist. If they charge now, that's a turn-off...but I would probably fork over the $5 bucks so as not to appear a "cheapo", lol!!!

                              Ed

                              ****

                              EDIT: All the interaction with sellers on CL was great! You could tell who put good effort into trying to sell their bike.

                              1st Bike: Dover, DE to Sterling, VA
                              2nd: Glen Burnie, MD
                              3rd: Palmerton, PA
                              Last edited by GSXR7ED; 09-16-2021, 05:15 PM.
                              GS750TZ V&H/4-1, Progressive Shocks, Rebuilt MC/braided line, Tarozzi Stabilizer[Seq#2312]
                              GS750TZ Parts Bike [Seq#6036]
                              GSX-R750Y (Sold)

                              my opinion shouldn't be taken as gospel or in any way that would lead you to believe otherwise (30Sep2021)
                              Originally posted by GSXR7ED
                              Forums are pretty much unrecognizable conversations; simply because it's a smorgasbord of feedback...from people we don't know. It's not too difficult to ignore the things that need to be bypassed.

                              Comment


                                #30
                                I just got home from looking at a motorcycle for sale. It was a 1997 Yamaha FJ 1200. Dark blue with gold stripes. It was a beautiful motorcycle... when it was new! This one was a little to scratched up for me. I think it was stolen at one point in its life, and it liked it. It seemed to run good. The fellow selling it was nice. We chatted about motorcycle for a while... Oh, I found it on Craigslist Youngstown.
                                My Motorcycles:
                                22 Kawasaki Z900 RS (Candy Tone Blue)
                                22 BMW K1600GT (Probably been to a town near you)
                                82 1100e Drag Bike (needs race engine)
                                81 1100e Street Bike (with race engine)
                                79 1000e (all original)
                                82 850g (all original)
                                80 KZ 650F (needs restored)

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