82 GS650G Value?

[windrider68]

Hi all. I'm new to this forum and I'm here basically to feel out what kind of interest there is in older bikes like mine. I'm interested in selling but have no idea of what kind of value or market there might be for a very nice 82 GS650 G. It is ruby red, with a matching Windjammer fairing. I have the original headlight and turn signals. It has less than 10,000 miles and is in pristine and complete condition and all stock except for the fairing, case guards and luggage rack. Obviously, I haven't ridden it a lot but it has had the carbs rebuilt and it does run just fine, although it is cold blooded and prefers warm weather. It has Metzler tires that look good with lots of tread although they're pretty old. The bike has never been dropped or damaged in any way and has always been stored indoors. I will follow with some pics if there is any interest but for now any input from you guys who know about this would be appreciated. By the way, I read a post from someone mentioning poor mileage to go with the 3.5 gallon tank. I agree that great range is not its best attribute but the last time I checked mine got over 50 mpg.

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[Easy Rider]

Hi all. I'm new to this forum and I'm here basically to feel out what kind of interest there is in older bikes like mine.

This is not a really high volume forum so it might not be a good gauge of "interest"
.
Have you checked KBB and Edmunds and NADA ??

Things like new tires and no rust just tend to re-inforce the "blue book" price rather than making it any higher.

You're not really going to know until you advertise it in your area........next spring.

[windrider68]

Thanks for replying. It's just a starting point to try to get some guage. The mechanic that did the carbs couldn't believe what he was seeing and thought it would be worth quite a bit more than I was thinking based on stuff like KBB etc. He believed there is a bigger market for it than I may have thought. It's a 30 year old bike but he said he'd never seen one close to this condition. I bought it new and have cared for it and protected it all these years and finally I think it's time for it to go to someone who will use it. I'll put out an ad in a few months but still trying to get an idea of a realistic price. I'm not interested in caring for it all these years and then just dumping it like some beater. I'm thinking more of qualifiers to make sure it goes to a worthy new caretaker who will not waste all my efforts.

[Easy Rider]

to make sure it goes to a worthy new caretaker who will not waste all my efforts.

You're never going to know that for sure.......but putting a high price on it and sticking to it should help in that regard.......but will take longer to sell, probably.

Take the KBB etc. high price and add a grand. Any more than that would probably be a real stretch.

[windrider68]

You're never going to know that for sure.......but putting a high price on it and sticking to it should help in that regard.......but will take longer to sell, probably.


Take the KBB etc. high price and add a grand. Any more than that would probably be a real stretch.

All true.

That makes as much sense as anything I can think of. This is hard. The more I look into it the more I want to keep it, but it would be nice knowing someone would love it as I have and would ride it as it should be. Thanks for your input.

[DrBob]

Keep it. I can tell from your posts that you have an emotional attachment to the bike. So it is worth far more to you than to anyone else. It has zero collector value because it is not rare or valuable, so whoever buys it is going to buy it to ride. 30 year old small displacement japanese bikes do not end up in museums or private collections, they end up going to newer riders or people on a low budget who can't afford something newer and bigger. I've seen very nice gs650s go for $1200, and perfect low miles ones go for $2500. Sadly, they usually get wrecked by some new rider or chopped up and painted flat back by some kid who really wants a cafe racer or bobber. Sounds to me like the bike is worth more than that to you, and that is not the fate you want for it. Just keep it. If you are not going to ride it, store it properly and hand it down to a family member.

[windrider68]

Keep it. I can tell from your posts that you have an emotional attachment to the bike. So it is worth far more to you than to anyone else. It has zero collector value because it is not rare or valuable, so whoever buys it is going to buy it to ride. 30 year old small displacement japanese bikes do not end up in museums or private collections, they end up going to newer riders or people on a low budget who can't afford something newer and bigger. I've seen very nice gs650s go for $1200, and perfect low miles ones go for $2500. Sadly, they usually get wrecked by some new rider or chopped up and painted flat back by some kid who really wants a cafe racer or bobber. Sounds to me like the bike is worth more than that to you, and that is not the fate you want for it. Just keep it. If you are not going to ride it, store it properly and hand it down to a family member.

Those comments pretty much mirror what I have found and decided after talking to several people in the business. I might be willing to sell it for $2500 if I was convinced that the buyer would take good care of it and not do the things you mentioned. Obviously, this is a judgement call and probably a moot point but otherwise I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. It is stored in proper manner; dry, indoors, no battery or gas etc. Thanks for commenting.

[DrBob]

LOL! The thing is, anyone who buys a 2500 bike is probably on a budget and is not going to be able to keep it up like they should. Once it is out of your hands, its sheltered life is over. Even worse, it will probably very rapidly become a bike they become frustrated with. There is nothing worse for a machine than a sudden increase in usage. If they take a bike that has been basically sitting for 30 years and driven an average of about 6 miles a week, and then actuallyride it even a modest amount EVERTHING is going to break or wear out on it very quickly. I've seen it a hundred times: be it grandpa's motorcycle, grandma's car, or any other old & seldom used machine, as soon as some youngster gets their hands on it for everyday use the poor machine goes to hell almost instantly.

[TNM50]

Man, either sell the bike or get on it and ride it! If you are not going to ride it then it is just rotting down. Sell it to some kid who wants to get into riding and needs a smaller bike that doesn't cost much so he/she can eventually move up to something bigger and sell the small bike to somebody else wanting to learn how to ride. A 30 year old Jap bike is no different then a 30 year old toyota car that is in good shape. It may look nice and run good but nobody is going to pay a premium for it.