Dire need of advice on buying a used bike | GTAMotorcycle.com

Dire need of advice on buying a used bike

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dolphin browser

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Hi folks,

Sorry for this silly question but this is my first time purchasing a bike. I looked up a used bike it's a 84' Honda CM 250 which looks incredible in the pictures that the owner put up on kijijii. It has roughly 30,000 kms on it. I'm going to see the bike tomorrow. He initially put it up for $900.

I'm bringing cash with me and if the bike looks as good as it shows in the ads I'm looking to seal the deal. However, my question is how much cash should I show him? As a noob rider I've been saving for months to save this cash and want to save as much as I possibly can. I was thinking of showing him $850. This would also include the sissy bar and possibly a wind breaker that goes in the front. He said he'd throwing in these items if I give him $1000 flat. Would $850 be very cheap, because I don't want to low ball him either.

Please provide me with your input on what's the most appropriate mode of action here. And when should I simply walk away provided that he doesn't settle for $850?

Lastly, should I bring bills of $50...$100 or $20 to make said cash more appealing?

Side note: seller wants me to purchase uvip myself as well as the price of the safety when I transfer ownership. The bike currently has safety on it. He's only willing to provide me with signed registration and bill of sale.

Sorry for this stupid question. Thank you :)
 
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dolphin browser said:
Side note: seller wants me to purchase uvip myself as well as the price of the safety when I transfer ownership. The bike currently has safety on it. He's only willing to provide me with signed registration and bill of sale.
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The only stupid questions are the ones not asked.

On a purchase that small $20's are fine. Anything larger and I would be suspicious.

On a bike that old there's likely to be no surprises like lien's etc, on the UVIP, so no worries that he's making you spend the $20 on one, it's common practice.

Why not pick up a rashed up 2007+ CBR 125? New ish, fuel injected, reliable as snot, retarded cheap on insurance! I've seen descent ones go for $1300, pretty beat up ones for $1k! http://toronto.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-motorcycles-sport-bikes-2008-Honda-CBR-W0QQAdIdZ516463968

That was just the first ad that came up in the search, I think it would be a much smarter investment. If you don't have that much cash then save up a little longer. It's a great time to buy a bike because people don't want to store it for the winter, so keep your eyes open as you build up a bit more cash.

Don't forget that unless you qualify for statefarm (they do monthly payments, even on a credit card) you'll be required to fork over some $$$ for insurance up front!

Daniel at Heritage Auto will have the best price on a safety for it, and can pick up and drop off if required as well. Put your location in your profile so we can recommend stuff more specific to your area.
 
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Thanks a lot for the quick reply. I'm going to waterloo to pick up the bike from Toronto. Unfortunately, my budget would only allow me to spend $1000 at most. I did look at cbr125s but I feel uncomfortable with the riding position. And my back and wrists hurt a lot after I rode it during the training course for my m2. I really like the style of the cm250, just hoping to get a good price that does justice to the seller as well as myself. I'll change my location right away in my profile. Thanks :)
 
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By law, the seller has to get and provide you with the UVIP. It's only $20 though so not a big deal if the two of you negotiate that as coming out of your pocket.
 
Riding motorcycles isn't particularly cheap.
Have you thought about gear, insurance, crashing, fixing etc?
Not trying to be a downer, but you said you could barely scrape together $900.

I am pretty sure he will sell for $850. If you're really set on buying it, you could always use those mind tactics where you bring a stack of 20's, tell him to hold on to $500 of it while you look over the bike. The theory is, once its in his hands, he'll want to keep it so you'll have a slight edge. Tell him seller is supposed to provide the UVIP, and that if he doesn't provide it, drop $20 off the price to subsidize your time and money going to get one.
 
Make sure it has both side panels and they have all the mounting tabs. Check inside tank for rust. Check fork tubes for rust or pitting. Run your hands on the tubes feeling for bumps. A brillo pad can knock pitting to small pin holes you can't see easy.

also check if is the belt drive model. $300 but you can't buy them anymore.
 
I think you should be able to get it for less personally. Its an '84, its getting to the end of the season, they probably don't want to store it over winter. I bought my first street bike ('89 XV535) when I first started riding (18ish years ago) for much less.

As stated above legally the seller has to provide the UVIP, not a huge deal but a point of negotiation.

Things to be aware of......

-It is a 30 year old bike. Parts will be getting hard to find.
-It is a 30 year old bike. Make sure you can insure it with you insurance company.
-It is a 30 year old bike. You will be replacing bits (seals and hoses at the very least). Either be ready to spend cash at a shop or be comfortable with wrenching and have tools to do so.

As other have stated, seriously look at how much this is going to cost. If you were struggling to scrape up $1k to buy a bike how are you going to pay for insurance? gear? tires? brakes? almost impossible to find drive belts?
 
$900-$1000 is a fair price for that bike if it is saftied/can be saftied, and it has both side panels and is in good condition. Are the tires 3 years old or newer? Can you verify the maintenance over the past year or so? I had to do all sorts of work to my CB 750 to get it up to snuff because of deferred maintenance from the previous owner.

Thanks to ebay, on line forums, and cycle salvage yards you will be able to find the parts you need. Some will be easy and some will be a PITA. A side cover can be a $60-$200 part. I would verify that the side panels are there, fuel tank is not rusty and in good condition etc.

There are a ton of bikes out there and time is on your side now because people do not want to store their rides for the winter. $850 is a fair deal and if the seller refuses it I would leave your # and walk away. Odds are he/she will call you back and it will be yours.

Nice bike to start with. Should be dirt cheap to insure and once the maintenance stuff is up to snuff it should be a reliable ride. :)
 
I don't think you'd want the extra parts-sissy bar etc. Hand him $750 cash and walk away if he says no to the deal. Lots of old bikes around. Don't get target fixated on one.
 
If you don't have much money, stay away from a 30 year old bike. A lot of potential issues. You'll end up spending more cash and riding less.

If you decide to go for it - negotiating 10-20 percent lower price is normal. So 800 bucks shouldn't be too difficult. I wouldn't worry about the bar, tell him to keep it if he wants extra. He'll probably give it to you anyhow. Bills? Doesn't matter what denomination, unless the guy is a dimwit. Personally, I don't even pull out money out of my pocket until the deal is made.

Oh yeah, and tell him not to screw around and give you the safety for free. It expires in 36 days so he will throw it away unless he sells the bike soon. As for the UVIP, it is true that it should be the seller's obligation, however not a deal breaker. Honestly, I don't know why are people so lazy. You can obtain UVIP via online reqest. Couple of business days. It is nice to see one prior to purchase in order to confirm all the info.
 
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So you only have $1k max to spend and you are buying a really old bike what likely needs work.
Good luck with this.
People tend to buy the old bikes as a hobby bike.
 
-D- said:
So you only have $1k max to spend and you are buying a really old bike what likely needs work.
Good luck with this.
People tend to buy the old bikes as a hobby bike.
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+1 Could not agree more.

OP, i'd reconsider. Come a perfect sunny summers day and the bike wont start... you will regret not taking the advice above.
 
Desperate people need to do desperate things sometimes. If you're super tite for spendola this could turn into a real heartbreaker should things go wrong with the bike. If you're light on feet and supple of mind maybe you can deal with disasters as they happen. Or you could lose large chunks of riding seasons. I take it you're hard up to ride. I know the feeling well. I'd go full YOLO on this one, you're not going to lose to much if it all goes south.
He put it in for 900 so you know he'll take 8 for sure and that's only 100 away from 700. It's late in the season(hurts to type that) $700, final offer. Be nice about it.
 
The regular maintenance parts are still readily available, body panels, not so much. This bike has been on kijiji for a while, offer $700, when he wants 800, agree if he throws in the windscreen and backrest. Don't worry too much about the uvip, I just registered an 85 goldwing, no uvip register on bikes that old.
Two pieces of advice on an old bike purchase: start finding parts now, you won't get hosed when you need them. Start making friends with guys who work on old bikes, and watching utube for maintenance tips. It never hurts to know the right end of a screwdriver when you ride vintage iron.
 
Have it checked out, it's an old bike and so much can be wrong that can send you way over your budget. I find it weird that he says he has a safety but he won't give it to you.
 
-D- said:
So you only have $1k max to spend and you are buying a really old bike what likely needs work.
Good luck with this.
People tend to buy the old bikes as a hobby bike.
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Clarification: Non profit hobby. You could spend thousands making the bike mint and get no more for it than what you paid. You will upgrade sooner than you think.
 
nobbie48 said:
Clarification: Non profit hobby. You could spend thousands making the bike mint and get no more for it than what you paid. You will upgrade sooner than you think.
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This makes sense. A first bike is almost always, and as a wise choice, a smaller displacement learner bike. After a season or two most people will want a larger bike.

I've gotten myself some vintage bikes, but not as my first bike, which was a Honda CD175 that I kept for 2 seasons.
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