For sale, a horror story.

[Guest]

Copied from my for sale ad.

What would you do?


So I sold Red, my 82 1100E last Sunday to a guy locally that seems to be the guy that will finish up what I never got around to doing with Steve's bike. Polish the aluminum back up. I think it went to a good home, he's retired military, currently flies helicopter and just returned from Kuwait. That and he said his OCD will kick in on the bike. Sorry Norm, I know you were interested in it, but I really wanted to get that Bonneville, which I did. I would have rather sold the 1150, but that didn't happen.

So I had a potential buyer in Ft. Myers and tried to get him to meet me half way in Sarasota. It's actually closer to him than me, but I was already going the for the Bonneville any way. Well I guess he wasn't serious enough, because he didn't make the trip. So I contacted a guy in NC that said he was interested in it and told him the other guy flaked out on me. Well he had a buddy that lived near me and I agreed to take it to him on Monday to check it out. So my son and I rode it and my new Bonnie to where the guy works at. He looks it over asks questions and we go for a ride. He says it seems the carbs may need to be synced and I agree that they could be better. I mention that I just don't have time to work on my own bikes anymore except for regular maintenance. It's like anything, once you do something for a living, it seems as there is no time for your own, plus I really have too many bikes and projects. So he says he'll tell his buddy what he thought and the guy would contact me. Next thing I get is a text saying that he's on his way from NC and would like to check it out Wednesday.

So he came over tonight to look it over. Instantly I should have just called a halt to it. He starts mentioning that he was looking for something smaller, he already had a bike similar to this, blah blah blah. He's nit picking this and that and I told him that it wasn't a show bike, just a nice survivor. Yes it could use some attention here and there if you want a show piece, but it's nice enough that I always get comments on how nice a bike it is. Well he asks me to fire it up and it does like always and then want's to take it for a ride. It's getting really dark now and I say get your helmet and we'll take a ride like I did with your buddy. The bikes are warmed up, with me on the Bonnie and him on the 1150. I should have stopped right then and there. He can't even get the kick stand up. This guy is mid sixties, 250ish and 5'6".

I tell him to just follow my line and we'll make a 2-3 mile loop. Immediately he stalls it, second clue I should have acted on, but he fires it right back up and it's no big deal, his buddy did the same thing a couple of days earlier. So I pull out of my drive way and think I hear something over my exhaust. I look back and there is a headlight down at ground level. Crap, I whip around and there is the 1150 on it's right side at the end of my driveway. The kid he brought with him, the son of his buddy and him are trying to pick it up. I help while asking if he's alright. He says yeah and we look over the bike. The right front turn signal, the mirror, the ignition cover and a small area on the exhaust has scuffs. Great. He says he going to pass on it. It's not as nice as he expected.

What, are you kidding me? Mind you I'm an even keeled kind of guy, so underneath I'm ready to explode, but I don't. I say something about it would have been nice to have said that before you dropped my bike. He mentions that the damage isn't nothing anyone will notice. If it was day time, you might have been able to see steam coming out of my ears, but I hold it in and say I don't agree, but I'm done and going in, good bye.

So that's the last test ride unless I'm holding cash in hand, with the point made that if you drop it you bought it. I should have said that. That's what the guy with the Bonneville said when he let me test ride it. Now I'm still upset with the whole ordeal that I don't know what I should do. I guess look and see what parts I can get that's in better condition on eBay and replace them and just eat the cost or talk to his buddy to see if he'll put some pressure on his friend to step up to the plate. IDK.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Hey Rick, you may want to check the color on that as it's hard to read

With that said, I selected the text and could read through it. I am sorry this happened to you and I agree. When I bought the Bandit last April, the guy asked me if I wanted him to ride it up to the road (he had a gravel driveway) but I said no as I could handle it. And so I thought I could until pulling out at the road I gave it too much throttle for the gravel, fell, and busted the left turn signal and mirror. We continued our ride and though he tried to apologize for not insisting on taking it, I assured him I was still buying the bike and gave him the money once we got back. Obviously I still have it today.

More people need to be honest like that and up front especially if they can't handle even getting it off the side stand. Hopefully the damage really isn't that severe and you can sell the bike soon.

 

[Cipher]

So I sold Red, my 82 1100E last Sunday to a guy locally that seems to be the guy that will finish up what I never got around to doing with Steve's bike. Polish the aluminum back up. I think it went to a good home, he's retired military, currently flies helicopter and just returned from Kuwait. That and he said his OCD will kick in on the bike. Sorry Norm, I know you were interested in it, but I really wanted to get that Bonneville, which I did. I would have rather sold the 1150, but that didn't happen.


So I had a potential buyer in Ft. Myers and tried to get him to meet me half way in Sarasota. It's actually closer to him than me, but I was already going the for the Bonneville any way. Well I guess he wasn't serious enough, because he didn't make the trip. So I contacted a guy in NC that said he was interested in it and told him the other guy flaked out on me. Well he had a buddy that lived near me and I agreed to take it to him on Monday to check it out. So my son and I rode it and my new Bonnie to where the guy works at. He looks it over asks questions and we go for a ride. He says it seems the carbs may need to be synced and I agree that they could be better. I mention that I just don't have time to work on my own bikes anymore except for regular maintenance. It's like anything, once you do something for a living, it seems as there is no time for your own, plus I really have too many bikes and projects. So he says he'll tell his buddy what he thought and the guy would contact me. Next thing I get is a text saying that he's on his way from NC and would like to check it out Wednesday.


So he came over tonight to look it over. Instantly I should have just called a halt to it. He starts mentioning that he was looking for something smaller, he already had a bike similar to this, blah blah blah. He's nit picking this and that and I told him that it wasn't a show bike, just a nice survivor. Yes it could use some attention here and there if you want a show piece, but it's nice enough that I always get comments on how nice a bike it is. Well he asks me to fire it up and it does like always and then want's to take it for a ride. It's getting really dark now and I say get your helmet and we'll take a ride like I did with your buddy. The bikes are warmed up, with me on the Bonnie and him on the 1150. I should have stopped right then and there. He can't even get the kick stand up. This guy is mid sixties, 250ish and 5'6".


I tell him to just follow my line and we'll make a 2-3 mile loop. Immediately he stalls it, second clue I should have acted on, but he fires it right back up and it's no big deal, his buddy did the same thing a couple of days earlier. So I pull out of my drive way and think I hear something over my exhaust. I look back and there is a headlight down at ground level. Crap, I whip around and there is the 1150 on it's right side at the end of my driveway. The kid he brought with him, the son of his buddy and him are trying to pick it up. I help while asking if he's alright. He says yeah and we look over the bike. The right front turn signal, the mirror, the ignition cover and a small area on the exhaust has scuffs. Great. He says he going to pass on it. It's not as nice as he expected.


What, are you kidding me? Mind you I'm an even keeled kind of guy, so underneath I'm ready to explode, but I don't. I say something about it would have been nice to have said that before you dropped my bike. He mentions that the damage isn't nothing anyone will notice. If it was day time, you might have been able to see steam coming out of my ears, but I hold it in and say I don't agree, but I'm done and going in, good bye.


So that's the last test ride unless I'm holding cash in hand, with the point made that if you drop it you bought it. I should have said that. That's what the guy with the Bonneville said when he let me test ride it. Now I'm still upset with the whole ordeal that I don't know what I should do. I guess look and see what parts I can get that's in better condition on eBay and replace them and just eat the cost or talk to his buddy to see if he'll put some pressure on his friend to step up to the plate. IDK.

 

[Cipher]

letting a fat *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ butterball ride yer bike that is rounder than queen Victoria was at her ignominious end should be a lesson to everyone.
A nice 250 honda rebel would be more appropriate.

 

[Guest]

Hey Rick, you may want to check the color on that as it's hard to read

With that said, I selected the text and could read through it. I am sorry this happened to you and I agree. When I bought the Bandit last April, the guy asked me if I wanted him to ride it up to the road (he had a gravel driveway) but I said no as I could handle it. And so I thought I could until pulling out at the road I gave it too much throttle for the gravel, fell, and busted the left turn signal and mirror. We continued our ride and though he tried to apologize for not insisting on taking it, I assured him I was still buying the bike and gave him the money once we got back. Obviously I still have it today.

More people need to be honest like that and up front especially if they can't handle even getting it off the side stand. Hopefully the damage really isn't that severe and you can sell the bike soon.

Sorry Scott. I can't tell when it changes color. I use the black back ground option so there isn't as much eye strain from all the white. When I copy text, I can't tell if it changed from black to gray. All I see is white text. I hope that fixed it. Now I'm going back to the black screen.

 

[Guest]

letting a fat *@%^$*@%^$*@%^$*@%^$ butterball ride yer bike that is rounder than queen Victoria was at her ignominious end should be a lesson to everyone.
A nice 250 honda rebel would be more appropriate.

Lesson learned. Cash in hand and if the bike doesn't remain as it was before the ride, the cash stays in my hand. It looks like I can get a good turn signal on eBay for under $40 and a cover from Bikebandit for just under $60, but I'll have to source a new label plate. The ones on eBay are blank with no plate. The mirror I may be able to sand out the scratches, but then I'll have to paint them both so they will match. They are nowhere to be found. The exhaust isn't bad or it didn't seem so. I'll take a better look at it tomorrow with a clearer head. I'm glad there is no fairing damage that I know of.

 

[Cipher]

Sorry you had to endure this Rick. Its a real downer. Ultimately any guy who ever rode a bike should know more or less how a bike will handle. Asking to be a test pilot is rude and shows that they have little skill or respect.

If they doubt the the quality of the bike let em ride pillion and flog it to the point they scream for mercy. But test ride no way.

I bought my k sight unseen no test drive from a known vendor. First drive was the one home with it in my name and insured without a avenue for a weaselly back-out.

Also wow a mid 60s clearly incapable jackass on a bike that probably was more than he could handle at 18 yrs of age is frightening.

 

[Guest]

Sorry you had to endure this Rick. Its a real downer. Ultimately any guy who ever rode a bike should know more or less how a bike will handle. Asking to be a test pilot is rude and shows that they have little skill or respect.

If they doubt the the quality of the bike let em ride pillion and flog it to the point they scream for mercy. But test ride no way.

I bought my k sight unseen no test drive from a known vendor. First drive was the one home with it in my name and insured without a avenue for a weaselly back-out.

Also wow a mid 60s clearly incapable jackass on a bike that probably was more than he could handle at 18 yrs of age is frightening.

I was told by his buddy and him that he has an 81 CBX Supersport and a Kawi ZRX, these are bikes that should give someone enough skills to leave a driveway. What really erks me is his attitude, not the lack of skill. I about lost it when he said casually, he was gonna pass on it. Which he should have said long before he even sat on it. I think most of his talk was his way of trying to set me up for a low ball offer. I've done it myself with non running project bikes, but with the Bonnie, I went there with full intention to buy it if it was what I was expecting. I understand if my pictures aren't close and may not give the best look at it, but his buddy took pics and gave him a verbal condition report before he even left NC. It must have been good enough to drive through four states.

 

[dorkburger]

What a S- show. Sorry.

Your bike looks to have an older ignition cover on it. The 1150 one is shallower and has Suzuki cast into it, no sticker plate thingy.

 

[Baatfam]

I've never let anyone test ride a bike I was selling, and they still sold.
The only bike I ever test rode before buying, was at a dealership, where I showed up on a bike, wearing full gear.

 

[roeme]

Were I to break others' property, I'd pay for repairs - I mean, that is absolute, common decency, is it not?! The mind boggles.

Rick, maybe make sure that a potential buyer has personal liability insurance (which in my country, basically everyone has) instead...personally as a buyer, I wouldn't carry around thousands in cash just for a first look, and wouldn't consider such ads.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Dang, Rick!

You were too nice and trusting.

Next time, go with your intuition. You were so eager to sell that it clouded your judgement.

My honest opinion...you must feel like crap...and this is a hard enough lesson to learn.

Definitely, no rides when selling a bike...unless full cash in hand.

Good luck in the re-engagement process.

Ed

 

[Guest]

It could have been worse, but still........

It could have been worse, but still........

What a S- show. Sorry.

Your bike looks to have an older ignition cover on it. The 1150 one is shallower and has Suzuki cast into it, no sticker plate thingy.

I really don't know. Here is a pic of before from the Cycle Trader ad and after.

 

[dorkburger]

This is the 1150 cover. The price is laughable.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Suzuki-Ign...er-Contact-Breaker-Original-New-/352760548663

 

[Griffin]

I would have called the cops and asked them to come by for an accident report. If he bugged out before the cop arrived, you know how to get hold of your buddy who knows him.

Odds are the jokester didn't even have a motorcycle endorsement on his license.

 

[Redman]

Sorry you had that trouble. You took a chance being trusting, and lost on that occassion.
Other occassion it could make the sale.

If you do allow test ride (cash or not) I suggest you ask to see license to verify if have cycle endorsement, when he shows you, you reach for it, take it, look at it, then stick it in your shirt pocket.
wiether you feel a need to do that or not, is fun to see thier reaction.

 

[GSXR7ED]

Redman,

You just reminded me of when I sold my first bike to a 35+ year old...he salivated at the Y2K Gixxer/Superman bike and revved it while on side-stand. He lit up a cigarette and said, how much?

Next thing you know, I'm getting 100s put in my hands for my asking price...didn't even negotiate!

Two weeks later, that young man crashed that bike and lost his life racing away from Dover PD.

Ed

 

[GS1150Pilot]

"Young man," Ed?

 

[Guest]

I would have called the cops and asked them to come by for an accident report. If he bugged out before the cop arrived, you know how to get hold of your buddy who knows him.

Odds are the jokester didn't even have a motorcycle endorsement on his license.

I was too pizzzed at the time. Also it's not my buddy that knows him, but his. His buddy said they have known each other for decades and were riding buddies when he lived down here. He told me the guy had a CBX supersport and a ZXR1200, so he should have been capable of handling this bike. :indecisiveness: I texted him a little while ago and he's already driving back to NC. Said I misrepresented the bike and I need to have the carbs and clutch fixed. There is nothing wrong with the clutch, it more than likely has Barnett springs as it is a little stronger than normal. The carbs could probably use a through cleaning and a sync, but it fires right up, idles and powers through to red line. They could be better, I'll admit that, but that had nothing to do with him dropping it. His buddy rode it and also stalled it the first time he tried to leave, but didn't do it again once he got the idea of what pressure it takes to separate the clutches. The only comment he made was about the carbs might need a sync and I agreed.

 

[Guest]

Sorry you had that trouble. You took a chance being trusting, and lost on that occassion.
Other occassion it could make the sale.

If you do allow test ride (cash or not) I suggest you ask to see license to verify if have cycle endorsement, when he shows you, you reach for it, take it, look at it, then stick it in your shirt pocket.
wiether you feel a need to do that or not, is fun to see thier reaction.

My wife tells me all the time I'm too trusting and honest. It is what it is, I learned a lesson, I'm hoping this other guy isn't turned off now. I let him know what happened and he said they are minor issues, but hasn't said if he's out or not. I got my Bonneville, so I'm in no rush, but I would like to make some more room in the garage, especially when I don't ride it very often.