New vs Used

[ismunday]

I'm planning to upgrade my bike around April time. I'm pretty set on getting a CBR600RR, but my dilema is whether to buy new or used. I wouldn't buy private, simply for my peace of mind.

For example, DK Motorcycles expect to be selling them new for around £6699 at that time of year, compared with about £5500 for a 2 year old. The new comes with a 2 year warranty as standard, but they'll extend it to 3 years if I always do my servicing with them. The used comes (I think) with a 3 month warranty,

Pros of buying new:

* It's new - no concerns about its history
* 2-3 year warranty
* I get to choose the colour!

Pros of buying used:

* Price
* I avoid the biggest depreciation hit if I decide to get rid of it in the first 2 years.
* Don't have to run it in
* 3 month warranty

What do people think?

Anyone had experience with DK Motorcycles?

[iCraig]

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BUY FROM DK MOTORCYCLES!

There aftersales is shoddy to say the least, and they do the bare minimum to get bikes out in my experience.

Alot of people on here have had problems with them aswell as me!

[ismunday]

[Kickstart]

[craigs23]

I'd buy used. There's enough around to pick your own colour; you can choose who you want to buy from (so can get the best deal/condition), it's better value for money, tried and tested, may still be on its warranty, had some extras put on (hopefully with original parts as well), nicely run in, might even have had its first major service.

I'd check the private sales as well, I've been put off buying bikes from salesmen.

[G]

I would generally go private. You can get much better deals.

If you are really worried by the warranty, a lot of the firms that do warranties for shops will also do them for private sales if they can check 'em over before you apply.

[satans_BIG_helper]

[Shaun]

If you buy a new bike from DK it will have a foreign headlight fitted, so it dips the wrong way and other drivers get blinded by it so blind you with their high beam.

Upon discovering this you will return to DK who will try and charge you £50 for a headlight trade, you will then be forced to visit trading standards and send a letter to DK, then after a week or so you will get your headlight.

I've heard several stories of DK mechanics doing wheelies on other peoples bikes and one of someone going in for a tyre change and the mechanic practising his rolling burnouts before changing it.

Don't buy from DK in my opinion, I did once but never again.

[MattEMulsion]

Well you have summed up the main pro's and con's really. Its entirely up to you, because only you know what your head and heart are telling you and what your financial situation is.

If it was me I would buy the brand new bike (an official UK bike not an import). It is a nice feeling to ride/drive something that no-one else has and you are also getting the benefit of a two year warranty. Obviously a new bike is just that, brand new, and so there is no worrying about looking round loads of second hand bikes and checking for signs of being mistreated and dropped etc. On the downside it will cost you more to buy (do you have the extra cash to play with?) and you will take a hit on the depreciation. Also consider that on a new bike the insurance will probably be more expensive and things like having an alarm fitted and datatagging will all cost extra, something that a 2nd hand bike may have already. But a new bike will be a more up to date model and in another two years it will only be two years old and not four years old. It depends on how long you intend to keep it for as to whether this really applies or not. As for the running in, it has never been a problem for me. I have used the running in periods to 'get to know' the bike properly and learn how it handles/behaves before I am able to give it a fist full of throttle. It doesn't take long to run in and at least you will know it has been treated right from the word go. So to sum it it really is up to you but I'm sure if you buy a brand spanking new bike you won't regret it.
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[TOM M]

[Wave2k]

ive always wanted a new bike, but i just cant justify spending that much on a bike.
maybe when i get a bit older and of course richer maybe then.
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[T1z3R]

i voted used...new bikes depreciate so badly that i'd die thinking about it
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duck my sick!

[dotti]

From experience I have learnt to buy used. The money you save from buying a used bike, as opposed to a new bike, can always be used if things do go wrong. If things don't go wrong then you've saved yourself a lot of cash. It's also easier to pick up parts for a used bike, rather than having to buy new parts.

Obviously you have to be a lot more thorough when checking out an old bike, as opposed to a new one, but if you take your time, and investigate the bike thoroughly before deciding to buy it, you will probably come out okay.
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Dangerous traffic offences spotted on 50-minute trip: Lost count after 100. Number of traffic cops spotted: One, sitting by a speed-trap camera

[mrchips]

Used every time. Apart from anything, the hit of depreciation is too will wipe the smug grin off your face for telling people its new.
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Northern Irish? www.nibikers.com

[Black Knight]

All I can say is

BUY PRIVATE PRIVATE PRIVATE

Dealers are there to make a money from YOU. They will cut every corner to do this. At least with a private sale you'll get what you pay for.

E.G When Doddsi bought his Bandit, there was a shitty rusty high milage 97 model in a local dealership for £1800. 'Its quality he says, will run forever' 'Does it have a waranty I ask?' 'Yeah sure' he says 'i'll put a month on it' -Cheeky bastard!

Got a 2004 model S in immaculate condtion in the end for about £1700 IIRC. Private sale, of course

If you're that concerned about buying private, get someone knowlegeable to go along with you and check the bike over.
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Where does a turn end? 'Where you can do anything with the gas you want to, where you are brave again, where your attention is free from the turn, where you are sure you can do it better next time; that's the end' - Keith Code.

[syl]

[ismunday]

Cheers guys - appreciate people's views. Kinda the balance new vs used I was expecting.

My aim is to keep the next bike I buy for 2-3 years, so I think I'll be happy to bear the depreciation over that length of time. And as MattEMulsion says, there is something rather nice about owning something brand spanking new!

I was aware DK imported bikes, but didn't really know what that meant in real-terms, e.g. about the head-lights. Thanks to Shaun who pointed that out. I did wonder about the aftercare at DK - I got the impression they pack in the volume sales. Aftercare is important to me.

Out of interested, has anyone else dealt with Avonvale Honda in Solihull? Opened mid-2005. I do need the trade-in value, and because I bought my current bike from Avonvale last summer, the trade-in value they offered is better than that offered by DK, which I guess goes someway to offsetting the slightly higher cost of buying through Avonvale.

I'm going to get a test ride of the CBR600RR and the CBR600F to compare riding postions. It'll be used everyday for commuting, but no more than 30 mins each way. I occasionally take pillions, which did sway me slightly towards the F, but then I came to my senses and realised it'd be me forking out all the money so I'm gonna buy for myself. From what I've read, there's virtually nothing different performance (speed) wise between the F and RR, and in fact the F is easier to ride as it's more forgiving. If this is just down to a different suspension setting though, I guess I could tweak either to characterise it more like the other. I'm talking sense aren't I?

[Dom_]

If you are buying new, then i'd get it from DK, their new bike prices are some of the lowset i've seen, and now they do swap the headlights over for free. All digital clocks are converted from kmh to mph and any analogue clocks will have a new face fitted. Just make sure if you want the newest model (e.g. k6 gsxr) then make sure you ask for that, else you may end up with a late registered k5 for example.

As for 2nd hand bikes, they do seem to be over priced.

[Shaun]

Dom sleeps with the owner of DK btw.

It's either that or cleans bikes for him as a part time job in the summer, one or the other not sure.

[Stevie GooGs]

it really all depends on how much you want to spend on a bike, if its 3k + which it is i would buy used from a dealer, that way if anything goes wrong you have that little peace of mind that you have consumer law, sales of goods act etc.
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[dainesefreak]

Seems like everyone likes to mention depreciation on new bikes, which is true to an extent, but if you use your common sense there are some great deals out there. After my trading in my last 2 bikes, both bought new with sales\discounts, I only paid £3.3k for my new Blade.

I've had full dealer warranties on official UK bikes, big discounts and actually made decent amounts of cash out of some of the deals. Use your head and it's easy to save money buying a new bike and you get the peace of mind that you are the only one to abuse it.

[kawashima]

I always buy new bikes, sell them within 2 years, and lose much.
But I like new bikes(I buy cheap used cars though).

[Finglonga]

I bought from D&K and never again, had trouble getting the headlight sorted and the speedo converted....they think giving you a sticker kit is good enough to fix the KPH/MPH..Er NO! Got ithe light sorted in the end but it took months of persistant complaining! As for the speedo, Fixed that myself by putting a uk model one on it.

The new prices are not that much cheaper now as most the big guns have reduced the pricing to combat the growing import market. Re-sale value is crap also, NOBODY wants to buy a second hand import for a decent price. Sold mine 4years ago to a bike shop and it is still there now.

I said i would never buy another new bike as I lost so much on the one above. But i did, a BMW R1150GS, I had to wait 4 months for it, hardly any depreciation in the first couple of years because of the waiting list. Even if there was I wouldn't mind as I don't plan on selling it for quite a while.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[kawakid]

Depends on the bike, I bought mine 2nd hand , but to be honest with all the extra costs, it might have been better to buy new.

ie my ER5 cost me £1100, I immediately needed a new tyre at £90, new chain & sprockets £110, Then I required a 15K service at £150, i've had the throttle cable snap recovery fix at £60, plus after 2K miles I needed a rear tyre at £85.

At the end of this month i've got an MOT due, to be honest I think I will fail on the exhaust (making weird noise), a replacement is £200 , plus fitting say £50.

Also its coming up to 18K so I will need to get the regulator changed ie £100

Add this all up 1100+90+100+150+60+85+200+50+100 = £1935, I can get a new ER5 for £2800, with 2 year warranty, new tyres, exhaust etc.

Thus I will be buying new next time.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[MarkyPancake]

I have owned two bikes so far and both were used; advantages are reduced price compared to new and you don't have to worry about breaking it in, etc.

I would buy new though depending on the situation, money, etc.

As for the CBR600RR I've read that the 2005 model is much improved over the previous ones with better midrange, improved suspension, and it's lighter.