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I need your OPINION ASAP!!!

1K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  Easy Rider 
#1 · (Edited)
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how much do you think an 09 GS500f bike is worth with 15k miles? i dont know to much about bikes but i can trade one straight up with a dirt bike that i bought for $650. he says it runs good just the 2 carbs need to be synchronized, it also has brand new tires. any info will help!
 
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#2 ·
View attachment 29454 how much do you think an 09 GS500f bike is worth with 15k miles?

he says it runs good just the 2 carbs need to be synchronized,
There is no single one answer for that question. It depends.............
On where you are
And if it REALLY is in good condition or not.

Check KBB, NADA and Edmunds for used bike prices (one of them doesn't do bikes, don't remember which).
Then check Craigs List and Ebay Motors for similar models.

BUT......don't take ANYBODY'S word for anything.
You GOTTA see it start cold and test ride it yourself.
Also you have to see a clean title in the sellers name.

"It only needs......" means that he doesn't really KNOW what it needs
or it would be fixed already.

Why is he selling it ????

I'm thinking that is should be worth a bit more than your dirt bike.

The story leaves me a little uneasy.
 
#4 ·
Not if it is not in good running condition it isn't.

Then that would put YOU in a position of trying to pass a dog onto someone else.

Either:
He should fix whatever is not right with it before he unloads it......
OR....
You should commit to getting it fixed yourself before YOU sell it.

Passing crap down the line is not a good habit to get into.
At some point in your life, your reputation will catch up with you.....good or bad.
 
#5 · (Edited)
A 2009 GS500F has a book value of around $2750 in a private sale. Even a dealership would not charge more than $75 to sync the carbs,an independent shop more like $50. So that means that if the seller is telling the truth and the only thing wrong with it is the need for a carb sync, then the bike is worth about $2700.

So you have to ask yourself why anyone would trade a perfectly good $2700 motorcycle for a $650 dirtbike. The obvious answer is, "THEY WOULDN'T!"

For starters, one good reason why someone would make this lopsided trade is that there is something wrong with the bike. A bike with $15,000 miles on it would not need a carb sync unless they have been poorly removed from the bike and not installed again properly. A bike with out of sync carbs will still start and run, but you will have poor engine power and more and more vibration as engine RPM increases. So unless the bike starts from dead cold just fine, and runs just fine at low RPM, it needs more than a carb sync and the seller is lying.

Another reason someone would make such a lopsided trade is that there are legal issues with the bike. Like it isn't theirs- tell the seller you need a photo ID and make sure the name is the same as on the title and registration. Maybe an ex lover, or ex roommate, or relative left it there, or a friend gave it to them as collateral for a loan, or whatever, but if the bike is not titled and registered in their name then it is not legally theirs to trade you.

Or maybe they flat out stole it, or bought it and after found out it was stolen and are now trying to get rid of it. Make sure the title, registration, and VIN on the bike all match.

Or maybe they owe money on it and are just trying to get rid it- which is the same as stealing it. Make sure that the title had no liens against it, and it clear and free. If they have any kind of story about why they do not have the last registration and an actual physical title IN THEIR NAME in their hands, assume the bike is stolen or they have an unpaid loan- either way, the police are going to take it from you when you try and title it so you can resell it.

Or maybe it was a flood vehicle, or a rebuilt wreck. Run the VIN HERE and make sure it is not wrecked or stolen. If the seller has only a bill of sale, or a certificate of destruction, or certificate of salvage then the bike is worthless.

Do you se where I am going here? There is really no reason why a legitimate and legal owner of a perfectly good motorcycle worth thousands that needs only a $50 repair, would ever trade it for something worth 1/5th as much. Assume the bike is stolen until he proves otherwise. Assume it is a non-running piece of crap with a blown motor that will cost $3000+ to repair, until the seller proves otherwise Assume the bike can not be legally registered, titled, or resold until the seller proves otherwise. Sure, there is a tiny chance that the seller is actually telling the truth, and they are just such an idiot that they are willing to throw away $2700 on $650 dirtbike. But chances are far, far more likely that BEST CASE you are about to get hosed, loose your dirtbike, and get stuck with a bike that either is not worth fixing, or worst case has you facing criminal charges when whoever buys it from you tries to register it and tells the police where he bought it.

What's that old saying about if it sounds too good to be true....?
 
#6 ·
he said he paid the bike off from a friend and he has the title but its in his friends name he said that hes going to go to his friends house and have him write up a bill of sale. if i do end up getting this bike im going to talk to the guy who's name is on the title and get his story and see if they match up. by the way i bought my bike $650 but i got a real good deal on it so its worth about $1100 but thats still less then what the other bike is worth.
 
#7 ·
basically i'd get a copy of the owners drivers license when they hand the title over. i would not take a bill of sale from some guy who's name is not on the title. have the guy who's name is on the title sign it over to you. and then you can sign your old bike over to whomever.
 
#9 ·
OK so you have thought that part out................
But what about this "carb sync" thing ??
Does that mean that it is not running quite right ??

Carb sync is almost NEVER the only problem.

The message we are trying to give you here is:
Be careful. The stars in your eyes over this "fantastic deal" might turn to coal.

And personally I would insist that the present owner DO what he should have done
in the first place; that is, have the previous owner sign the title and have it transferred to HIS
name. If that processes OK, you pretty much know that it doesn't have a lien and has not been reported stolen.

P.S. Be sure the VIN on the title matches the one on the bike.
 
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