1k bike or 4k bike?

[leolion]

Here's a situation.

Currently have a 4k (trade in bike) that needs nothing doing is 2 yrs old and for the distance i currently cover wont need any money spending on it for a very long time as its just a weekend toy and hardly gets used, no commuting use although this may change in the future due to office relocation to a city.

Would a grands worth of bike be better to have sat around the garage as the bike currently doing nothing 95% or would it end up costing more in the long run?

[G]

If you choose wisely, the £1k bike will likely do much better. Presuming the £4k is newish and depreciating, you might even be able to get a £1k bike that goes up in value.

[Polarbear]

Certainly if commuting is not involved and you like fiddling, a grand bike is perfectly feasible. Probably better as G said.

It's when it comes to reliability you might suffer. Not that a cheap bike can't be reliable but old components wear out and break.

When you involve commuting, as you are hinting will happen then you will need to keep on top of maintenance to be reliable.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Irezumi aka Reuben]

Just as a word of caution finding a bike that is 'good' for a grand is becoming harder and harder. At that price there is going to need something doing most likely although I'm sure there are still some bikes out there that are good to go and cheap.

As new bike sales have dropped it appears (to me at least) that second hand values are stabilising/going up as demand for them increases.
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Pictorgraphicalfantastical

[Nobby the Bastard]

Quite frankly, a 4k bike is 6 years old and most of the depreciation is done and dusted by now.

Unless it's a 125....
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Sprint ST 1050

[.Chris.]

How good are you at mechanics, and how well can you inspect a used bike?

As above, it's getting increasingly difficult (though not yet impossible) to find a good used 'big' bike for £1000. Anything at that price is going to be the best part of 20 years old and may well be knackered - are you going to be able to spot if it is? Even so, it'll be pot luck. At that price dealers and warranties are out of the question.

What you don't want to do is buy a bike for £1000, then a couple of months later find out it needs a load of work doing that you have to pay a garage almost the same again to carry out.
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Chris
1985 Kawasaki Z550F

[leolion]

So i might be best keeping the bike i already have as it would be cheaper in the long run?

[Ste]

Is £4k a price that you could realistically sell it for today?

£1k bikes which aren't money pits will sell very quickly so you'd need to be fast and decisive when one gets advertised.

To give this thread some context, what bike have you got?

[Pjay]

Unless the bike is earning you money (like for getting to work) or you can afford to lose money then the 1k bike is the sensible option. Bikes for 1k are thin on the ground these days though, even k1 GSX-R are fetching double that. A few years ago you could pick them up for 1k, so maybe finding a future classic is the way forwards.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/173828822730

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/202615819469

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273745308219

Those are all creeping up in price or staying stagnant over the last few years. It wouldn't be considered frivolous buying one for the odd weekend blast.

Oh and reliability isn't that much of an issue if you hardly use it.
A months commuting is 3 years of occasional blasts
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struan80 - I'll go first - satisfied tick 1

[leolion]

[GSTEEL32]

As said, I don't think decent £ 1K bikes exist anymore, certainly none with a good degree of risk associated with them.

I remember 6 years or so ago, you'd be picking up plenty of late 80s/early 90s stock which was in pretty good nick.

That's all gone, with everything now priced as a "classic". I think £2k would get you the back up bike you need, but if yours is worth 4k anyway, it's very much a case of diminishing returns. ....

[t121anf]

To me the cost/value of the bike is irrelevant*. I'd rather have the bike I want sitting in my garage for when I do go out.

By your figures you would get £3k back, do you need this for something? house deposit etc. Is the £4k bike on finance/loan which you can't afford but could with a £1k.




*within reason, there are plenty of bikes I'd rather have than my current GSXR, but I don't want to spend money on them. I could but I don't want to.

[Baffler186]

My rule of thumb is, I wouldn't have a 4k bike if I didn't have at least 4k of savings in the bank. I usually have a couple grand of savings max, so I tend to only sit on a bike that's worth 1500-1800
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Current: 2009 SV650 S, 1990 Kawasaki GT550
Previous: 2009 CBF125, 1998 GSF600, 2004 FZ6 Fazer, 1978 CB400a Hondamatic

[Ribenapigeon]

All the bikes i see for 1K are absolute dogs or project bikes that are going to need £k spent on them. Ive been looking around recently and have given up sticking £2k into any searches as its pointless as anyhting less than that is twenty years old. Bikes really do seem to be getting stupid expensive.

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

A long-term, reliable bike you're happy with versus a cheaper, unknown quantity? Unless you really need the cash I'd stick with the bike you have. Also, weekend riders tend to want a garage queen. Would a ratty £1k bike float your boat?

[DJP]

The bike you have is already the cheapest.

Would you really get £4k for it? (Probably not)
Would you really be able to buy something decent for £1k? (Probably not)

What would most likely happen is that you'd get less than you want for yours, pay more than you want for the "Cheaper" bike and end up maybe a grand better off but riding a shitty old bike.

Keep what you've got, it's really not worth changing.
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Suzuki Bandit 1250
https://deejayp999.atwebpages.com/index.html
That's http not https

[talkToTheHat]

You could be looking at £500 to £1k to get a 1k bike sorted. In 4 years your 1k bike might be worthless and have cost you a few k to keep running, Your 4 k bike will be worth how much?
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Bandit. does. everything.

[G]

[Ste]

[iooi]

Well unless the OP needs a possible £3K boost to funds.

Why risk a change.