New bike or second hand.

Kirmit · Nitrous Nuisance Joined: 28 Oct 2004 Karma :

So here's the problem, everywhere I look I see adverts for 0% interest on new bikes and I'm very tempted to go and get one.

I passed my DAS in Febuary and bought a Bandit 600 for £2600 with 18K on the clock. I've already done 7k miles and expect to do about 18k a year (300 miles a week commuting rain or shine).

If I buy a new bike for £4000 at 0% over say 2 years (@18k miles per year) it could be worth £1500-£2500 trade-in value.

If I buy another secondhand bike for £2500-£3000 at say 15k miles again after 2 years it would be near 51K and would be worth less than £5.

I'm sure there must be plenty of you out there in the same predicament.

So what would you do?
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When riding fast, think fast. When riding slow.. speed up.
Grey Honda Cityfly 125 || Red Suzuki Bandit 600 & Blue Suzuki SV650SK5|| Red Honda VTR 1000-F2

stu_m · Crazy Courier Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Karma :

keep the bike you have got

craigs23 · Mr Muscle Joined: 08 Jun 2005 Karma :

Second hand for me, it's what my budget allows (depreciation is a 'witch on many new bikes, plus you've got to run them in). Atleast you have the option to go for a 'tried and tested' bike, and searching around comes up with some great second hand deals (just become an expert on model specifics of what bike you're looking for, good way to catch out dodgy deals). Besides, you can't buy the bikes that I like to ride new anymore.

Zoffo · Brolly Dolly Joined: 01 Feb 2005 Karma :

stinkwheel · Bovine Proctologist Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :

I will never buy a brand new bike again. It is not worth the hassle.

I forked out over £150 each time for dealer servicing to keep the warranty good. I now know that all they ever did was change the oil and filter, having seen the remarkable lack of any tool marks on the tappet covers of my mates bike that was serviced in the same place (You are not telling me that anyone, no matter how good their tools, can remove a cadmium plated hex head without marking it at-all).

It came up that I had to claim on this warranty when the engine blew. Four bloody months they took to fix it! Evil or Very Mad

Had it been a second hand bike I would have saved around £750 over the two years servicing it myself (6 services at £24 worth of parts each rather than £150 a pop) which would have bought me a good second hand engine with change left over. I would have been back on the road in a week with overall more money in my pocket.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.