buying a non runner, ebay?

[richie....]

Came across a hyosung rx125 on ebay close to me, 2003, down as a non runner. Is it worth a punt as worst case senario would be a new engine? I was saving up to buy a new sym xs125 but im worried about loosing my job (as im agency) and getting board after 2 month and wanting to do my test.

I dont know a great deal about bikes but i am the type for taking things apart to fix them, its only a £100 quid so far and cant really grumble for that (if it stays that much).

Least if i owned my own bike, theres no finance should i loose my job.

Cheers lads..[/quote]

[Rogerborg]

Worst case, you could probably strip it down and sell it for parts and make a profit on it.

However, that's not a particularly common bike, so there may not be a market for it, which also means that you might have issues finding parts or a replacement engine.

It's a bit of a gamble, to be honest, you might end up with an expensive paperweight.
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Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Teflon-Mike]

Non-Runner's are non-runners, and £100 ENT all that 'cheap' for one that may need a new engine you just cant get.

'Cheap' 125's rarely aren't. Trust me.

Every-one and thier dog wants one; you can pay as much for a non-running fixer-upper 125 as a running road worthy 'big-bike'... "Just needs Fork Seals for Test', its a cliche; explains why the bikes not taxed & tested, and ready to go, makes it sound a 'bargain' to know-no-better newbies with more optimism, enthusiasm and money burning a hole in thier pocket than know-how and sense, and its only six weeks later, the true story unfolds and 'Just Needs Fork Seals' is revealed to mean, "Needs complete renovation, the bikes a wreck WELL beyond ecconomic repair, BUT its a 125, but looks shiney, and sounds like a quick fix, and there's a mug born every minute"

For Hundred, two hundred quid, there are plenty of 'safer' bet bikes you could go for.

My DT12/75 was only £225, and that was a runner, though lacking a lot of street gear; I have paid under £250 for at least two CB125 Super-Dreams, taxed & tested with 'non running' engines; one that was truly dead and needed completely rebuilding or replacing, another that simply needed a rebore and the valves grinding.

Not ones I'd imedietly suggest hunting out as a 'project-bike', but much more viable and less risk, having far more readily available spares back-up.

BUT, point is, for same ball-park there are much 'safer' bet bikes you could get.

HOWEVER: think hard. I do this for fun, and taking a typical Learner-Legal 'fixer-upper' that has been variousely thrashed, crashed, and trashed by a succession of newbies who dont know how to ride it, dont know how to look after it, and seldom know how to fix it, the maledies you start finding on bikes that have degenerated to teh state they dont work and people are flogging them in that state rather than trying to make them work, is pretty dire.

And fixing them up to any sort of reasonable state; even with thirty odd years of doing it; seldom do I get a bike to the road, for LESS money than I could buy one already there...... Learner Legal or NOT!

What I do end up with, for my money and effort is a bike that tends to be in much better condition, looks better and goes better, than I could buy for the money, BUT....

If I simply wanted a bike to 'get me by' I wasn't going to get value for my investment back from using the thing, would NOT be worth while.

Fixer-Uppers are significantly a mugs game, and while some may get lucky, the majority do not, and the project becomes a money pit, NEVER getting a decent bike out of it no matter HOW much money or effort is chucked at it, especially the less experienced a mechanic is doing it, often fumbling in the dark, making more problems than they solve, spending money doing stuff they dont need, or more money than they need to do stuff badly, etc etc etc.

If ALL you want is a 'cheap' bike?

DONT buy something that needs work.

Or Chinese Branded.... even new.

Yes, low buy price, but sub-standard quality and performance, to be suffered to take a BIG hit on resale price which is negligible, making the cost of ownership, often far more, than a similarly priced second hand Jap brand bike, that offers more performance, better finish, better reliability and less hassle, in the time you own it...

And the shorter time you plan on keeping it, more true that becomes.

My advice; save hard; maybe even borrow money, to get a 'decent' second hand Jap commuter, YBR, simply on the numbers being the top choice, use it wisely to get test, and flog on to repay loan, get big-bike.

This time of year, you can pick up a three-four year-five year old YBR for around a grand; get on, get trained, get tested, and be 'done' with it, and come March, probably flog it for MORE than you paid, as sun starts shining.

Buy a fixer upper, come march you are as likely to still be scratching your head trying to remember what was 'wrong' last time you messed with it, before it started snowing.....

You are likely to buy a bike for £200-£300, that doesn't work, and IF you get it working. unlikely to get it 'road legal' taxed and test costing £50 on project cost, for much under £500-£600... if you are lucky..... to sell when you are done, if you are lucky, for what its cost you....

More likely scenario is it will cost you double what you expect, and a £500 project is likely to end up running to near a grand, for a bike you could have bought and can only sell, for maybe £500... IF you actually see it to the road, and possibly only three out of twenty manage even that....

Short answer; STEER CLEAR is my advice.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[P.]

Any idea WHY its not running?

I bought a 2000 Honda Cityfly on ebay for £200.
Really wasn't looked after at all... but spent about £150-£200 on it and sold for £600

[grahamd1]

I thought my cd200 was a bargin, and also thought like you, hey worse case an engine, but in my case it was the frame, knackered...resulting in having to scrap the old frame and get another (with V5)
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XV1100, XV750
CD175 (Rebuild)
CF70 (Chaly - Rebuild),

[paddlesat16]

Hey Tef

one or two lines would suffice you know i'm sure all your replys are generally a small paperback size

Regards
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I once saw a bloke shagging a donkey.... in Saudi arabia. Theory Test Passed 26/10/09 Mod 1 Passed 26/4/10, Mod 2 Passed 7/6/10 Current Bikes Suzuki GSX1400 K5, Aprillia Pegaso 650, Suzuki DR350T.

[Rogerborg]

[BIKEVIDDER]

Electrics ?? small cheap part but impossible to find
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GROWING OLD DISGRACFULLY

[richie....]

Im going to give that ebay bike a miss. Kinda got my heart set on the sym (there korean btw) but im now thing, sell the scooter and get a cg n do test, its just shifting the damn scooter .

[Teflon-Mike]