late summer or early spring?

[piccolo]

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Hey Guys,

I'm looking into getting a used ninja 250 (off kijiji), 2008 model and up, with enough Km to know that the engine seems to have been broken in, so I can spend a good year learning on it, as well as dropping it a few times along the way.

The question is, when is the best time to buy a bike on the cheap? late summer/early fall, when the riding season is nearly done and riders want to offload their bikes instead of winterizing/keeping them OR in the early spring, when there's actually a market of buyers and the prospect of selling it seem easier and upgrading to something else, possibly.

when did you guys buy your first bike, late summer or early spring? and does it matter?


I'm about to leave Toronto, to start a job in Calgary on sept 1st, so I was wondering, if its worth getting the bike first, save some cash and over the winter, use the money to get a head start on buying gear and getting the license+taking classes.

 

[KarGo]

I'd say keep an eye on it throughout fall and winter. I bought my 2nd bike for dirt cheap, a 2000 ex500 for $800 in nov/dec, sold it a couple months later for $1550+ a new phone($400). Bike outside the gta are generally priced lower.

 

[daisoman]

Fall should be the cheapest all year.
Spring on the other hand will be the most expensive time of year. Seems like a no brainer

 

[piccolo]

Thx for the advice,
I'll hold off on the buy till the weather turns and Christmas specials start to air. Hope to get lucky.

 

[Ninja10]

Winter is the best time to buy, people have their bikes packed and stored away and know they cant ride it, also gotta remember not every bike gets sold when it wants to be sold...so usually if they are selling late summer / fall and dont get the chance to get rid of it, usually theyll drop the price down in winter because it becomes a pain in the *** for them to get rid of

 

[RudyTransylvanianCanadian]

I was following the prices for a Suzuki Boulevard C50T for about 2 years (have to wait -financially-for my kid to finish university)
I noticed that in both bike shows - in February and late March - the promotional prices are lower with at least 7-10% than the lowest price all over the year. Say - a C50T now in summer time is roughly $9,000, it was $6,900 in the motorshow - and the lowest I saw in a dealer showroom ever was $7,200.
I'd say it's worth waiting out the winter and give it a try in the motorshow - in case you want a new one - or a good trade-in. You could save - a big chunk of the tax part of it.
Anyone else had the same impression about the price dynamics ?

 

[Sliq]

What price do good condition 08+ ninja 250s generally go for around fall/winter? Below $2500 I hope?

The lowest I have seen them so far is the $3000-$3300 range..

 

[Torcida]

What price do good condition 08+ ninja 250s generally go for around fall/winter? Below $2500 I hope?

The lowest I have seen them so far is the $3000-$3300 range..

Below 2500 is gonna be tough, unless the bikes been dropped or has extremely high km's. You should be able to buy a decent 250 in the fall or winter for just under 3K. Probably even cheaper now that new ones are going for 3999. But as stated in the previous posts, without a doubt it's cheapest to buy it then as opposed to most expensive in the spring. Good luck!

 

[phil_si]

You won't find a 250R in "good" condition for $2500. Realistically for that price you should be looking for a pre-gen. Budget for a 08-12 should be 3000-3500, and don't believe the bs people tell you about rashed up fairings that can be replaced for $200 or whatever. Chinese ebay fenders don't fit properly, ie. you will have gaps, and the colours are usually off. Kawasaki OEM are around $500-700 each depending on colour.

 

[flaminllama]

I can definitely vouch for end of season prices on a used bike. I just picked up my first bike last night and got a great deal on a 2011 Ninja

It really seems to be a buyers market right now - I've seen tons of great deals on Kijiji and Autotrader.

 

[leon_nerd]

I can definitely vouch for end of season prices on a used bike. I just picked up my first bike last night and got a great deal on a 2011 Ninja

It really seems to be a buyers market right now - I've seen tons of great deals on Kijiji and Autotrader.

How much did you pay?

 

[malim]

I can definitely vouch for end of season prices on a used bike. I just picked up my first bike last night and got a great deal on a 2011 Ninja

It really seems to be a buyers market right now - I've seen tons of great deals on Kijiji and Autotrader.

Yes, please do share. The prices on Kijiji are as wacky as always.

 

[flaminllama]

I got a 2011 black ninja (bought new March 2012) with 5200km for $3200 (including safety and delivery to my house). It's completely stock and in mint condition.

I was looking specifically for a Black ninja. There are some red ones with good prices as well. There's one in Markham right now with 13k, but comes with a ton of extra's, and all for $3250.

 

[malim]

I got a 2011 black ninja (bought new March 2012) with 5200km for $3200 (including safety and delivery to my house). It's completely stock and in mint condition.

I was looking specifically for a Black ninja. There are some red ones with good prices as well. There's one in Markham right now with 13k, but comes with a ton of extra's, and all for $3250.

What was the list price on kijiji though ?

 

[flaminllama]

What was the list price on kijiji though ?

Original list was $4000, then dropped to $3500. Settled on $3200.

 

[Fins]

I sold my 2010 ninja 250 with 7200km and small rash on shifter and footstand for $3250 and I included a stand, asking price was $3300... about a month ago.

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