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Thursday, February 17, 2011

Abundance of Used Older Bikes

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Having spent hours and hours scouring the Craigslist ads for our local area, the State of Oregon and even neighboring States, I have come to the conclusion that there is a plethora of older bikes coming out of the woodwork. I think the sunny days we've had in the Pacific Northwest have had people cleaning out garages. Maybe it is due to the economy, who knows.

I thought I would share some of the bikes I've found. Some are smaller cc and some are larger. Some are really neat, some maybe not so much. All of these listings I noticed within the last few days.

Here is a little Honda CL350 someone is selling in the Portland area. Not sure it is worth the $1,500 asking price though.....


For those people looking for a hobby and that like to wrench there is always a 1969 Maico. Apparently it does not run and has been sitting outside for quite a few years, but it can be yours for $900.



For the price of $3,000 you could be the proud owner of a vintage 1966 Vespa 150cc scooter. The ad claims it has a new motor installed.



Scooters not to your liking...... how about a 1977 Yamaha Champ80. Apparently this bike has had only two owners both in the same family. It is a 4-speed automatic that has never been down and has no dents or dings. It has 1,156 miles on the odometer and can be yours for $1,350.



Not enough power you say? What a bout a 1973 Honda CB500 four with 6,900 miles on it. It has both electric and kick start and can be yours for $1,800.



There seem to be a lot of Hondas out there for sale. Here is a 1966 Honda CT 90 Trail bike for sale. It is supposedly all original and can be had for $1,200.


Interested in something sportier? How about a 1984 Honda Interceptor VF1000F. Said to be flawless, all original and has 13,000 miles on the odometer and the asking price is $3,900.


And now for something completely different..... a 1979 Kawasaki KZ650C. Only 25,000 miles on the odometer all for the price of $1,400.



...or a 1975 Yamaha XS650. The ad doesn't say how many miles are on it. It does say it is complete, but does not run. You can still pick it up for only $600.



I wonder if this 1972 Suzuki TC125 could be the predecessor to my TU 250? The seller is asking $950 or looking to trade for a 49cc scooter.



For the Triumph fans there is even a 1972 Triumph Daytona 500. Mostly original condition (I'm guessing new paint) for $5200. Ah, the price you pay for vintage. Wonder if it has electric gremlins?


.... or the 1968 Triumph T100C. This is apparently a numbers matching bike for $3,000.


... or a 1967 Triumph Mountain Cub. This sweet looking ride is only $3,500. No idea of how many miles are on it.



Seems to be a lot out there for sale right now. Everything from not so bad, to real fixer uppers to snazzy old Triumphs. What kind of treasures or trash can you find for sale in your area?

On a side note regarding my hunt for a new ride.... we, and when I say we I mean Troubadour, discovered a Craigslist ad this morning from the Suzuki dealer in Salem. They have a brand new 2009 Gladius they are blowing out for $2,000 under MSRP. Now that tempts me even though it is black and not the white/blue combination I like. I still love the Street Triple but with the Gladius I can get into a new bike with basically the same ergos for half of the price. Now I have want v. need battling it out in my head with fiscal responsibility trying to referee. Who will win? Oh, what a cage match it is. Maybe I can drown the voices with coffee.

-Au Revoir

"A bargain is something you can't use at a price you can't resist."~ Franklin P. Jones
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10 comments:

  1. Trobairitz:

    wow, you have been a busy beaver. I think the Gladius is a fine bike, esp if it was discounted that much. I believe it is the same engine from the SV650. It is a great engine, lots of power. I used to have an SV650n and it was like a sports car.

    bob
    Wet Coast Scootin

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  2. On the one hand, I envy you have the money and space to find your next bike. On the other hand, I don't envy you the shopping and making the decision.

    I can't see how you could go wrong with either bike. I'm looking forward to the saga's conclusion and lots of happy trails . . . and photos . . . and your wonderful script.

    ~Keith

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  3. Wow!! What a great compilation of machines to entice. I've been thinking of a project bike for a couple years. How did you find these? Any special search keywords? Thanks for just starting that bug up again... :)

    -Lori

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  4. Wow, is it just me or do those prices seem high for the "classic" bikes in need of a lot of work?

    Need -vs- want. Until you get that straightened out, you may always second guess your decision...

    It sounds like it's time for a test ride....

    Richard

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  5. Agony and ecstasy...bike shopping.
    Good Luck, and sending lots of bike shopping mojo (whatever that is)!

    Have you had a chance to ride either bike? I know test rides are hard to come by, but it's nice to know how the bike rides. That was an advantage the Ninja had over other bikes. It was one I could test ride, and once I rode it I knew I would love it.

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  6. Thanks for the trip down memory lane - that Tiger Cub is a little beaut!

    Hahaha - the voices in your head.... love it!!

    Have you actually test ridden the Striple or Gladius yet?

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  7. @Bobskoot, it is based on the SV but the engine has been redesigned and tweaked to make it better, or so says the reviews.

    @CircleBlue - We are in a good place financially but only because we always decide on the frugal route. Our car is paid off - sure we'd like something bigger that would pull a trailer or haul a motorcycle but we are too frugal to sign up for a payment.

    @Beamergirl - I just scrolled through the listings. I did have to search Triumph to find those though. When searching I usually click on 'titles only' and 'with pictures'. Otherwise just on Craisglist in Oregon and some in Seattle.

    @Richard - I agree the prices do seem a little high. Oregon has a popular vintage motorcycle club so maybe that is the reason.

    @Bluekat - How was Bob's to deal with in Beaverton. I see they have a blue and white Gladius I could get for the same price as the black one in Salem. Although there probably isn't much dicker room on a new bike that is $2k under MSRP.

    @Geoff and Bluekat - still haven't test rode either bike. Not something the dealers all like to do around these parts unless they have specific demo bikes. I could ride the Street Triple in Eugene if the weather was nice enough. They don't like you to take them out on rainy days, not so much fear of wrecking with not wanting to wash them.

    I am odd when it comes to test riding. Performance anxiety I think. When we bought our 2001 Ford Focus new I didn't test drive it, was a passenger when Troubadour drove it. Same when we traded it and bought our 2007 Nissan Versa. Rode in the back to see how quiet it was. Quieter than a Ford but not that quiet. And with the bikes he has test ridden them for me, except the TU - we didn't even have an option to test ride it. They stored their bikes dry, no battery and no oil.

    I think we're going to head to Portland tomorrow to check out the Gladius. If the Mojo is right I just may ride it home. We'll see. I have a hard time paying $4k extra for a Triple even though they are gorgeous machines.

    Will keep everyone posted.

    Oh, and Geoff - the Mountain Cub was my favorite out of all of them too. :-)

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  8. I didn't go near the sales desk when Ron and Chris were going through the deal. Ron said they were all right to deal with. Chris made them an offer, they countered...He got the bike within a price range he wanted, and I think he got a good price.

    Beaverton let him test ride the bike, so that's a plus. It's a pretty quiet road right there, and he went down the road a bit then puttered around a big parking lot. It was a used bike, that might make a difference.

    I know what you're saying about performance anxiety. Ron had to push me to test ride, and I refused until I was real close to buying. When I tested the first Ninja I had a nice little audience of guys standing around the parking lot watching me. Fun times!

    I'm not so bad about test driving cars. I test drove a Matrix and like a commercial that used to run, I got pulled over for speeding (no ticket!). Again fun times. :)

    Have fun shopping/looking/maybe buying! Here's hoping the weather cooperates!

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  9. Good luck tomorrow in Portland. Looking to buy is way more fun than simply looking.

    Richard

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  10. I like the Honda 500 best myself, but, of course, I happen to own a 550 and they're not so different. They always seem to be coming out of the woodwork, and now is a pretty great time to find them. Winter is winding down and people want to unload those things that have been sitting for a while...

    Of course, I'd ride pretty much any one of those.

    Brady
    Behind Bars - Motorcycles and Life
    http://www.behindbarsmotorcycle.com/

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