*shrug* It's January, might as well.
Ever find your old motorcycle for sale again?
- Thread starter Lightcycle
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*shrug* It's January, might as well.
This afternoon I went back through and did a thorough comparison of the photos of my old bike to what was left of the one I saw, and turns out, yeah, it's not the same bike.
Long story...but what made me think it might be the same bike is.... Well, about a year ago I got a phone call out of nowhere from the person who bought my parents last house sometime around 2005. Same guy still owned it and it had been (as I expected it would) converted into 2 income units. The basement was 3/4 finished into an apartment all along, but despite it having been such for nearly 15 years he was having zoning issues (a neighbour probably complained) and needed a letter from me to attest to the fact that the basement apartment was preexisting in order to have it grandfathered.
I agreed to provide such but asked for a visit for old times sake in exchange, which he gave me.
While out in the backyard for a quick walkaround (the house and the whole property in general was a sad mess, my parents would be rolling in their graves, it was kind of sad in that regard) I noticed what was left of an old 90's Yamaha basically stripped almost to the frame sitting out back.
What caught my eye was the engine - inline 4, classic 90's Yamaha YICS. Shaft Drive. Exact same engine that was in my old Seca 900.
Now, some here may remember that I shared a story of finding this same old bike still in my name a few years ago, despite having sold it around 1998 or so.
Still registered to that address where I then found the old frame.
I thought maybe it had somehow found it's way back due to the address thing. Yeah, I was grasping at straws in my head.
Anyhow, I got rushed out of the back yard at that point as one of the tenants arrived home, and all I got was a grainy photo from a long way away. But yeah, having compared that grainy photo to some Google Image Search photos of early 80's Yamaha Secas, there was indeed differences I could make out.
Not sure what other Yamaha models shared that engine.
I could see why you thought it was yours though. Same address, same kind of bike. I'd jump to that conclusion as well.
Big co-incidence, either way!
Oh I just remembered another bike I sold in South Africa. It had been all around the continent and the guy I sold it to was beating me up on the condition of the bike to get me to lower the price.
I was (and still am) a member of some of the South Africa Motorcycles And Parts For Sale groups on Facebook, and about a year or so later, I see my old bike posted up for sale again by the same guy I sold it to.
It only had a few hundred more kms on the odo, and nothing was done to the bike. Exact same condition as when I sold it to him.
The ad read, "Very Clean and Meticulously Maintained"
LOL!
I thought to myself, wouldn't it be funny to reply to his Facebook ad with this picture attached:
I was (and still am) a member of some of the South Africa Motorcycles And Parts For Sale groups on Facebook, and about a year or so later, I see my old bike posted up for sale again by the same guy I sold it to.
It only had a few hundred more kms on the odo, and nothing was done to the bike. Exact same condition as when I sold it to him.
The ad read, "Very Clean and Meticulously Maintained"
LOL!
I thought to myself, wouldn't it be funny to reply to his Facebook ad with this picture attached:
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Yeah. The brain always wants to find connections. Honestly, if it wasn't for one frame difference I was able to make out from the photo now that I spent some time looking at it and it DID match in the photos, I'd probably be curious enough now to have snuck into the backyard at some point and snap a photo of the VIN plate to rule it out.
This thread reminds me.. in the early 2000's I sold an early 90's Grand Prix GTP I'd owned for quit a few years. I loved that car, but I needed the space in the garage more as it was only a "fun" car for me and was otherwise parked and not driven 90% of the year, including all winter.
Anyhow, some kid bought it and then subsequently wrecked the engine (and then threatened to sue me, that was a whole other story) and low and behold, about a year later, on the front page of the old Trader magazine, there's my car again. The kid used MY photos again. The car still had my licence plates from a year earlier, and the photos were taken in my driveway. I LOL'd.
Anyhow, some kid bought it and then subsequently wrecked the engine (and then threatened to sue me, that was a whole other story) and low and behold, about a year later, on the front page of the old Trader magazine, there's my car again. The kid used MY photos again. The car still had my licence plates from a year earlier, and the photos were taken in my driveway. I LOL'd.
Yeah, some people are just lazy.
But not only that, some scammers use pictures from other ads to try to lure buyers in. If there's ever a suspicious ad on Kijiji, or Craigslist or Facebook marketplace, whatever... like the price is waaaay too good to be true, then do a reverse image search on the posted pics. Chances are, you'll the see the same picture stolen from another ad, or posted up on some motorcycle website or something.
Some scammers are so lazy, they'll even repost the original ad's verbage, word for word and just change the price. You don't even have to do a reverse image search, just do a search on the text and you'll find the original ad!
Not sure if it was just lazyness or the fact they were all actually pretty decent photos and reusing them was easier, plus he had them in digital format already back in an era when not everyone had a digital camera.
Maybe it wasn't in as good a shape as when I sold it by the time he sold it, either, so my pictures were preferable. Who knows.
I found the actual photo of the actual car in my photo library in my driveway. I think I still have those plates lol.
Some of the photos I see from people selling their cars nowadays makes me realize many still have zero photographic skill.
Honestly, you have 2 seconds to make a first impression on someone zipping through car for sale ads on FB or whatever, and THIS is the photo you choose to use as your primary image? (Scooped literally just now from FB Marketplace)
Relax
Well-known member
I've used original pics for an ad when reselling, as long as the item looks identical and the pic is representative. Saves me some time and effort, and if that's laziness, then I'm lazy.
As for the second pic, more often than not, people aren't stupid, so that's probably the best angle. If the side skirts and door frame are worn like that, imagine the front end. VW's and paint issues are common.
Relax
Well-known member
Not so much to keep running, but to get started and ready to ride. On another forum I'm in, this video popped up and is a good example. You can't always just start a Ducati. Sometimes you'll hit the starter button, and it will attempt to crank, then hang up for a second. If you didn't know better, you'd think something was wrong, but if you keep the starter held, it will eventually overcome the compression and crank normally. On a 998, sometimes you need to use the fast idle lever, and depending on the temp, you might need a little or a lot, just like a choke lever. Then you have to gradually back it off as it warms up, or it will stall. But once warmed up, it's solid.
bigpoppa
Well-known member
yeah I heard older ducatis didnt always start on the first try, especially in colder temps
Yep, my Trip9 was exactly like that. Fast Idle Lever, then Ka-Chunk... Ka-Chunk... Ka-Chunk... nada.
"Crap, is the battery dead?"
Key off then on to reprime the fuel pump and then "We have ignition!"
IMO, the Japanification of Ducati started with the 1098. Yes, no more fast-idle lever and it started up perfectly every single time, but also felt way more plasticky and lacked all the fit and finishing details like Dzus fasteners for quick work behind the fairings.
It signaled the beginning of the factory moving away from making race bikes to making street bikes.
Not a bad thing. Just a different thing...
Went into Ultimate Cycle looking for some parts and my old 350LC was sitting there in the showroom. 25 years later and it was still in my name. Shenanigans were involved, as my buddy who had bought it from another friend had been riding it at one point.
Mikedezo44
Well-known member
Saw my dads 2003 wr250f dirtbike on kijiji 4 or 5 years after he sold it. Same stickers I put on it and when I messaged on it it was still registered in his name.
My first road bike 2009 monster edition zx6r was sitting pretty at the January Toronto bike show I was drooling over it with the mods put on and cleanliness of it. Took some photos of it on my blackberry but was about 21 or 22 at the time and was waiting until the insurance drops at age 25... Saw it on kijiji years later with same mods and stickers that were on it and picked it up off the guy who bought it at that bike show. The guy also had a nice Yamaha R1. Rode for 2 seasons then state farm insurance got bought out and I couldn't find another reasonable rate so kept it in Garage just to look at. Still have it but haven't ridden it in about 5 years since I took a break from riding then picked up R1 a couple years ago when I turned 30 at the second insurance rate drop for riders over 30.
My first road bike 2009 monster edition zx6r was sitting pretty at the January Toronto bike show I was drooling over it with the mods put on and cleanliness of it. Took some photos of it on my blackberry but was about 21 or 22 at the time and was waiting until the insurance drops at age 25... Saw it on kijiji years later with same mods and stickers that were on it and picked it up off the guy who bought it at that bike show. The guy also had a nice Yamaha R1. Rode for 2 seasons then state farm insurance got bought out and I couldn't find another reasonable rate so kept it in Garage just to look at. Still have it but haven't ridden it in about 5 years since I took a break from riding then picked up R1 a couple years ago when I turned 30 at the second insurance rate drop for riders over 30.
First thing I do when I'm looking at a bike is feel the header pipe to see if we're starting cold or has he had to warm it up before I got there.
