What is it worth? 81 kz1100

Yea, buying and selling is an interesting transaction. For the KZ650, he agreed to the price in full, went to guard duty for 12 days and came back and paid. If he hadn't, a duplicate title would have cost me 20$ and I would have been a $1000 richer on the NR deposit. I am with ya. it helped that I knew OF this person and that they were basically honest and employed. I would not have given a stranger the same consideration. BTW in those 12 days, i rode the crap out of it. Great bike.

R

:woohoo:

dom2570 wrote: I called the guy an hour before showing up letting him know I was on the way with cash. Told him I would be taking it home, wasn't going to drive that far and not. I asked if he had any other appointments set up, he said no. Told me 4:30pm was the soonest he would be available. I pulled in at 4:15 and watched the bike leave on another trailer. Drove a good 45 miles too, Absolutely hate sellers like that.

I have had that happen so many times to me, as I buy and sell vehicles as part of my living. I've arrived at several places to find someone else is on a test drive or when it was a bit further, doing the paperwork. I'm always very straightforward in expressing my opinion of them I've found to get anything that's a good deal, I have to be driving straight there with the cash, there's no time to go via the bank even, I keep cash in my safe. I've had people tell me many times they won't be home until this time and then some how get there earlier for someone else, lost a KZ1000 I really wanted like that. What I find weird is people don't even call you, if I was doing something like that, I'd rather let them know by phone before they arrive.

I'm a big believer in what goes around comes around, many times I've had people offer me more to try and get something out of turn, but so many things come down to chance in terms of deals you get and what is, or isn't wrong with stuff I'd rather have things on my side by treating others fairly - plus that's how my parents raised me.

Getting money down is essential, in 14 years we have only had 3 people walk away from a $200 down payment. I have a saying though, "it isn't sold until you've had the money and spent it". Some of the people who seem the keenest evaporate into thin air, while others who seem like the hate the vehicle just say "let's do the paperwork" and have the cash in their pocket.

And some it's a game to them. I listed it as best offer. If he were to ask, I'd tell him I got $800 for it and watch the fireworks go off in his head. :evil:
I've been there too. I put some money down, didn't get paid when I should have and didn't go sniveling back for my money.
Some are raised to think the world owes them and I like the look on their faces when they don't get what they want. :whistle:
Steve

This reminds me of a Honda my elderly neighbor has in his garage....shopping for my first bike 5 months ago. It was on it's side in a pile of garbage, well the whole garage was filled with garbage. The guy would NOT give me a price on it no matter what angle I asked him from. So the bike looked ok, on it's side, both flat tires, and the guy doesn't have a key or a title. Looked to be a mid 80's Honda 250 to 500 and had been probablly unmoved for at least 15 years minimum.

So I'm thinkin' to myself new tires, definate carb cleaning, possible electrical issues, and a laundry list of possible issues as it wasn't possbile to even start the bike. I offered him $50 for it and he pretty much laughed in my face. I thought I gave him fair face-value of an offer though, as I probablly would've needed to pour well over what the bike was actually worth just to get it running again. Another old cog thinkin' his junk is worth money.

I'll bet he glares at you when he sees what you have now. :lol:
Steve

Some old bikes really aren't worth anything, unless you are buying them for spares. So often you find if you add up just the parts cost, never mind your time, and then add in a bit of paint, chrome etc. you may as well just buy a good one and be done with it. The best money ever spent on a restoration is the previous owners, IMO, If you're lucky you can find examples where people really over spent on nice modifications and aftermarket parts and yet the bike is selling for a fraction of what was put into it, or even what it would cost you to do on a shoestring budget.

I had an hilarious discussion with some old guy trying to buy his beloved car he'd had from new, to help out a friend recently. He wanted more than it booked for and it had some issues like only 1 of the 4 electric windows were working, when I tried to get him down on the price, his answer was "I could just live with it like he'd done". He also said where are you going to get another car like this from, no one else has a low mileage car this old - "except me" I added as I pointed to mine," in fact mine has lower miles" You can't fix stupid, not even with duct tape or JB Weld.

Looks like I'm not the only one who was butt hurt about missing out on the buy. This popped up on Craigslist today.
wichita.craigslist.org/mcy/5369614565.html

What is he getting out of it?
Steve

redhawk4 wrote: Some old bikes really aren't worth anything, unless you are buying them for spares. So often you find if you add up just the parts cost, never mind your time, and then add in a bit of paint, chrome etc. you may as well just buy a good one and be done with it. The best money ever spent on a restoration is the previous owners, IMO, If you're lucky you can find examples where people really over spent on nice modifications and aftermarket parts and yet the bike is selling for a fraction of what was put into it, or even what it would cost you to do on a shoestring budget.

I had an hilarious discussion with some old guy trying to buy his beloved car he'd had from new, to help out a friend recently. He wanted more than it booked for and it had some issues like only 1 of the 4 electric windows were working, when I tried to get him down on the price, his answer was "I could just live with it like he'd done". He also said where are you going to get another car like this from, no one else has a low mileage car this old - "except me" I added as I pointed to mine," in fact mine has lower miles" You can't fix stupid, not even with duct tape or JB Weld.

And with thinking like that you get folks parting out complete H2's Z1's and even indians on eBay. 99% of bikes out there need a good mechanical hand and a little TLC, if you can't or won't learn to lay down a good 2 stage paint job, old vehicles aren't for you; if you cannot learn to use a sewing machine to cover a simple seat, old vehicles aren't your thing. If you didn't want the bike, and only wanted to break it for spares, it wasn't for you. I have brought back so many old "heaps" that were all "to far to bother with" for less than what "okay" shape ones would cost. And I see nearly everyone who buys a good "rider or driver" just tears into it and changes nearly everything anyway.

Look at the world of car restoration now. I have seen folks take something nearly all "hobbyists" would junk and restore it into a like new machine. Want all old bike prices to skyrocket and become a rich man's game. Go ahead junk everything that isn't immaculate, or choose to look around on sites like THIS one and see they all are savable.

The bike in my AV was a frame and a motor when I started, total cost is under $300, paint shot by me, switches and gauges by me, engine by me, and when I get the time the seat FOR that bike is a rusty pan I have laying around and some foam.

Will it be a show stopper? Nah, but it just goes to show it can be done cheaply and right.

I had some jerk hounding me trying to convince me my bike wasn't worth over $500. I finally started a ad telling everyone what kind of crook he was. He even called me to ask me where I park it. I told him I had a 44 lead pill just for him.I was testing the waters. That's when I decided to restore it.
Steve

The guy got it for less than $700, posted it less than 12hrs later for $1650.