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How to Buy a Motorcycle Online

64936 Views 159 Replies 34 Participants Last post by  acecycleins
I have run into 3 people so far who have been victimized by online vehicle sales. I see the scammers on just about every bulletin board, classified and auction site. Too bad we can't come up with a way to send an electrical charge down the lines to zap them out of existence.



BTW, did you realize your address and phone # are on the article?
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Exactly. The obvious upside is that you can usually find exactly what you want. And the truth is that sellers do have a vested interest in being honest. The scams make up a very small portion of the activity, and like I said above, you can usually spot them a mile away.



Note: I was looking for a bike for a friend and saw a 2002 Honda 919 with 2200 miles and a Two Brothers exaust listed for a Buy it Now price of $4850 (for the ebay unititiated, this means you can hit a button, buy the bike, and end the auction right there). And it's legit.



The only problem is that, after a few days, the seller saw that the bidding would probably exceed his B.I.N. price removed the B.I.N. option. The winning bidder will probably still get the bike for a little over $5,000. That's a real good buy.



But if my friend had pulled the trigger, he would have gotten it for $4850. Plus about $500 for shipping. You can't beat that.
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Economics...

First of all let me state clearly that I am not a republican. I hate republicans.

As for your statement on exporting jobs...

This is simply ignorance of basic economics. Don't feel bad though. People graduate every day with degrees in Economics that are just as ignorant.

When companies save money by producing things cheaper overseas, they sell them cheaper here. Also, as more and more companies go overseas, the cost of overseas labor increases, so it becomes less profitable for companies to do so.

This whole scam is ignoring the money that is saved and therefore spend, elsewhere in the economy. I get a cheaper stereo, then I spend more money on cd's.

What you are actually arguing for Kpaul, is higher prices.

WE SUPPORT HIGH PRICES ON GOODS!!!

See how far that get's ya in an election.
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Resale

If anyone was doubting the crappy resale value of Japanese bikes a 2002 with a nice exhaust $4850 pretty much explains everything.
Re: Economics 101 for idiots It's different this time around dufus

KPaul

I suspect mile_eater is from a part of the country that has very little high-tech jobs. I spent the last few months in Asia with visits to India.

Yes people should be concerned. These jobs that are being taken are high tech jobs. Jobs that won't be replaced.

Unfornuately, the current Bush Administration is under the false impression that the market will work this out or that training is the answer. The big quetion is what should people train themselves for.

In addition, other countries are not playing fair. China has pegged its currency rates at artificial level to dump products on the market to eliminate American firms from the market place. When there rates change there won't be any American firms around to competion.

Another key point that the article you cited raised is that American corporations are currently given incentives to ship jobs overseas. American CEOs have to learn that if they want all the advantages of being a U.S. company then they have responsiblities to this country. If they don't then one proposal floating around is to seperate these firms into "international companies" who can't bid for U.S. or State contracts. I wonder how large aerospace companies like Lockheed-Martin and Boeing would change policy if they weren't allowed to bid on government contracts.

I think that if the American worker is given a level playing field we will be alright. The problem is that we have been programed to think that there is something unAmerican to stand up for worker rights. i.e. play by the rules of economics. In this case the rules are stacked against Americans.

Tech workers becoming mobilized
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Re: Resale

Sad but true, and yet the crappy resale values create great buying opportunities for those who recognize a good bike at a good price. I actually bid on that 919 in Houston when it was at a lower price. I asked a few questions and got a nice note back from the owner, apparently he has a motorcycle restoration business there.
I knew it was too good to be true.

He's off his medication again folks.

It's interesting that the KPaul aliases put things in bold font just like KPaul!
Re: Resale

I was curious about litre bikes lately and looked up CBR954s and R1s. Since the newer versions are out prices have plummeted. It's amazing that if the previous squid owner polished his frame, the value just completely crashes.

I didn't buy one. I bought a Brutale instead.
I see your point. Here in CA, I can find ANYTHING in the cycle trader within a 2 hr drive so its not the same.
Re: Resale

When I see polished frame I move on automatically. I don't care how good the bike is otherwise.
And I see your point also. So now that we are engaged in this interesting moto-exchange, would you care to reveal to us the fruits of your Cycle Trader conquests?



I still may bid on that darn 919 in Houston. The auction ends in three hours......2472299016......If throwmaster wins that is me!
If I don't get the 919 I am going for this one.



2472522215



Oh, darn, I forgot summer is on the way, better to wait for fall to buy a furred out bike.
Re: I knew it was too good to be true.

Laugh if you want but he's right. The falacy of shipping jobs overseas benefiting U.S workers is classic Orwellian NewThink and ignores the basic economic reality that if you ship everyones job overseas they're not going to be able to buy your products.

"Oh, but we'll retrain you", for what? how much training is going to buy you a middle class lifestyle on minimum wage "service industry" jobs?

Chairman Mao was right, not only are we selling them the rope were paying them to build the gallows. Everyone of these capitalist bastards should be exported along with their companys, let them go rape someone else's economy.
Re: YOU WHAT ???

Good for you, buz, bring it over so I can ride it! (I will be merciful) Did you get rid of anything or just add it to the expanding buzglyd fleet?

I guess with the Ducati and now the Brutale you're going to have to change your name to Buuz-ia Glyd-a. With your black hair and Eye-tye rides you can put on a Rossi accent and get the hotties feelin' naughty.
Re: I knew it was too good to be true.

Now you just need to come up with an alias and agree with yourself. You also might want to throw in how handsome you are as well.

There's an MV Agusta in my garage now.
Re: YOU WHAT ???

The Duc and the Geezer Glide are still in the garage at the moment. I let my neighbor ride the Duc home from the Italian dealership today. He's totally under the ether now and is considering buying it if I'll let him keep it in my garage!

So let's see...he buys my Ducati and it stays in my garage with the keys in the ignition. I can live with that.
Re: Resale

Do I care what the resale value is if I'm buying low? Think about it.

If I want to sell it later, I still got my money's worth. It's all relative.

This is why I would rarely buy a NEW Japanese bike.

Make sense?

Oh, by the way, it is not normal for any depreciating asset, like a car or, say, a three-year-old Harley to sell for almost what you can buy a new one for. Harleys, or more "exotic" European bikes are extraordinary examples with extraordinary factors. You can't hold Japanese bikes to the same standard. Especially since the Japanese have built market share by advancing technology. Naturally, the introduction of today's latest, greatest Japanese bike is going to adversely affect the value of yesterday's latest, greatest bike.
Re: Resale

By the way, congrats on the Brutale (Oro?). They are really sweet. I'd like to get my hands on one, too.
Re: I knew it was too good to be true.

You scored!! Is it the 750?
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