I thought winter was a good time to buy a bike?....

[binge]

Well, I've moved a few things around, sold a couple of cars, and have a bit of spare cash to spend on a new toy now.
Really got the urge for another sports bike, or a Supermoto.

Smotos are more or less out of the question. No matter what I look at, Nothing will really compare to my YZF450, without spending mega money. That bike was mint, and insanely powerful!

But sports bikes.
What happened to the days of being able to browse the web / local paper, with 2 grand, and bring home a good nick, litre-sports bike within a few days?

Every single seller of a TLR1000 online, must be a daft cunt. They all want well over £3k for anything relatively clean. My old one was a 9k mile, MINTER, and I gave 2.4k for it, all them years ago.


Bikes on my wish list:

Hayabusa (Why, I have no idea, and probably out of my budget)
TLR1000
GSXR 1000
GSXR750 (Not an SRAD monstrosity)

Would consider a Blade, but it'd have to be something fairly new (I.e, Not an old Fox Eye), and have a good paint job. I cant help but find Honda sports bike extremely bland.


Budget, anywhere between £1.5k and £2.5k.
Dont mind a bit of a drive to collect for a cheap bike, as I'll chuck it in the van.


Just seem to be pissing in the wind atm looking at bikes.

[P.addy]

I've just listed my TLS up as I'm unable to ride, cheapest one on ebay too £1350 nets you a fairly tidy one with lowish miles

Just bought a 200 EXC though, plan to buy sumo wheels for it

It does look to command some high prices at the minute on the bike buying scene, there are bargains, but few and far between

[-Matt-]

I've been quite suprised browsing sport bikes [more for daydreaming purposes than anything] the last few months, my bike i got 3 years ago and have put nearly 20k miles on seems to of barely lost a penny, and the same for most others as i remembered the prices from thoroughly looking back at that time.

Can only presume its because of financial problems people have stopped going for the newer models and are snapping up the older ones in higher numbers driving the demand up.

[pits]

Winter comes people who want to buy bikes think, if I buy in winter there will be people chucking bikes away and I will get one cheap before Christmas.

Winter comes people who want to sell bikes think, if I sell in winter more people are looking for a bike as they will get it cheaper, when in reality I will sell it for book value, because that is what its worth, I may even add more to the price due to more people wanting to buy bikes and let them think they're getting a better deal.
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Stinkwheel: You have no right to free speech
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[Polarbear]

I've never really found it makes much difference to big bikes. Maybe commuters as the summer mob find the pain of winter riding is not offset by how much they save, but proper bikes, in other words, toys, no.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[dreamevil]

Yeah, when i said i wanted to buy a bike most people suggested to buy during winter. As most people probably listen to that advice the demand goes up.

[Nexus Icon]

It's a myth. Just like the myth that it's cheaper to buy a convertible in winter. It used to be true that all used vehicles dropped a little in value as you approached the annual new registration point but they even ruined that by putting in two new plates a year.
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Greetings from Shitsville!

[Shinigami]

Try looking in late January, people are still riding their bikes as the weather isn't really that bad yet apart from being a bit cold, when the full winter weather hits there'll be more to choose from and demand will be lower
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Current: Honda City Fly CLR125 2003 Honda CB600F Hornet 2008 Yamaha FZ6 S2 + 1991 Kawasaki GPZ500
"Once you realize what a joke everything is, being the Comedian is the only thing that makes sense.

[binge]

Just to clarify, I wasnt looking for a CHEAP bike. Just one reasonably prices. Rather than one stupidly inflated.

Paddy, can ya PM me an Item number dude?

[Aff]

[anthony_r6]

I had the same trouble when I was looking for a bike. Not necessarily cheap, just something reasonably priced. But had a lot of trouble finding something that fit that bracket. Everything seems really expensive at the moment.
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Ted : "Maybe he's agoraphobic."
Dougal : "Jack scared of fighting? I don't think so, Ted."

[P.addy]

[Rogerborg]

It's rot. There are just fewer bikes available, is all. You'll still find plenty of field / pit bikes and quads stinking up eBay and Gumtree, but nice ones are fewer and further between, and I've yet to be able to buy a bargain.

The good ones, you get sellers (from experience) putting them up at £XYZ then when you express an interest saying "Actually, mate, now that I think about it, I'll get more if I just hang onto it until the spring".

You might get lucky and bag a bargain in winter, but IMO you're more likely to get one in summer if you're patient and quick. You'll certainly have more to choose from.

If you're buying from a dealer then you might find them a bit more keen to sell at the end of a month or just before or after the Xebusmass shutdown, but honestly, I doubt it. My experience has been that dealers are happy to sit on their preciouses until spring, and get by (or go under) selling gloves and tank pads.

tl;dr version - buy a bike when you want a bike, don't wait for some magical, mythical sweet spot in the market. There's only one Paddy out there, we can't all rip him off.
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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

[MarJay]

Bike prices have gone up. Anything pre 2000 and vaguely 'cult' will be on the rise. Interest rates are low. People would rather 'invest' in a bike than in a bank.

Personally I'd be looking for stuff like the 1999 blade, pre 636 ZX6 etc which were really popular at the time but aren't cult. That is where the bargains are tbh.

TL's have shot up in value recently.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[MarJay]

[dydey90]

A few years ago when I was looking for a 125 I was advised to go in the week between Christmas and New Year because nobody buys a bike at that time.

Went to a dealership, got offered a Cagiva Mito for £900. They'd advertised it at £1700.
Bottled it and didn't buy it in the end though, I'll never know if they were trying to take me for a ride or if they were just so bored they wanted something to do.
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This post is probably not serious and shouldn't be taken literally.
Past: CBR125,ER6f NINJA 650, ZZR600 Current: VFR750

[ocatoro]

last winter, everything was cheap. this winter, everyone seems to be holding on for top top money.

still managed to get a bargain (i think anyway) zzr600 with 30k, excellent history, last owner for 10 years, stainless pipe, new mot, new tax, and new clutch. £600, delivered. all it needed was a front tyre, and a new chain. which i thought was fair enough, and didn't cost the earth and now my bike is good as gold for the time being, and the condition is well well above average.

made sweeter by the fact i sold my er5 for the same price a couple of weeks previous.
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CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[yampug]

[cbrtrxtdmvfrD...]

My big bikes are fully funded from buying 125cc machines from the big 4 Jap manufactures (including KTM now) - All out of season from 17 year olds who have either lost interest in them, try to modify them or just plain old break them - I simply wash them (lets face it most 17 year old's dont), repair as necessary at home and trailer away to get them MOT'd. They then get sold between about April to June the following year and i use half the money to upgrade my big bike to one of my choice for that year (while trading the previous one in), the other half gets put back for the purchase of 125's the following winter - of course i declare any earnings to the tax man, and i get to ride what i want !
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Right' O

[stevo as b4]

Well supply in spring should be good as many people want to upgrade bikes before the summer. They might have gone out and got their new one, and thus be desperate around Easter to get shot of last years bike etc?

Agree with Marjay though, in that the other side of Christmas is the better time to be looking/buying. If your into the myth thing, then wont buying one before Xmas be more expensive as everyone is wanting to buy people presents and maybe some people actually buy their loved ones sportbikes to unwrap on Christmas day!

The other problem seems the be the cult bike concept and the legendary bikes, like early Fireblades, 98 R1's TL000S, 04 ZX10R's etc. These older but notorious bikes will never become any cheaper and are rising fast as everyone wants a widow maker man killer monster.

There are cult bikes that are cheap, but these are things like RF900's, ZX9R B-series, and Thunderaces, never popular when new but stupidly good value now!

[DSK]

Stick with it and be prepared to travel. I have been after a 98 spec GSXR 750 SRAD in a certain colour scheme. I monitored and made a note on prices/miles etc towards the end of summer.

I recently got the perfect one owner from new, 20k on the clock minter for £400 - £600 less than the average price and with higher miles 3 months ago.
And it was from a dealer.

I'm glad I held out.
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Current Bike - 1990 CBR600 FL Benetton edition.