New or Used

[bwarbiany]

Hey all,
If you were to buy another bike, would buy a bike new from the dealer, or buy a used bike?
I think if I had to do it all over, I would definitely have bought a 2-3 year old used bike, because I'd rather someone else cover that initial huge depreciation...

How about you?

[Knightshade]

Already did it...bought new!!

[Jarasco]

New is good 'cause you know exactly how the bike has been treated all it's life. However, give it A LOT of thought if it's the first year of it's generation.... I wished a number of times that I had bought an 02 instead of an 03 SV.. I'm ok with it now cause the parts are actually available now.

[bwarbiany]

I'm actually a bit surprised by the response here... I've watched how much bikes have improved in the last three or 4 years, and that 6 lbs of weight reduction and additional 7 hp they're putting out is not worth buying something at brand-new cost, which from the bike market I've seen, can sometimes be 2x for a reasonable mileage, low or no damage bike... I won't be able to make use of that HP advantage, and I'd be better served by losing 6 lbs of myself...

[killstealer]

I don't trust anyone other than a respectable mechanic to tell what someone has done to their vehicle, including the seller, and that includes a dealership. (I could say a lot about dealerships...) If I had a mechanic for a friend, I'd be set, but I'm hesitant to pay for an inspection, wasting my money to prove it's a lemon. It would make sense for the seller to pay for one, but I've yet to find anyone that respectable. They act like I'm wasting their time... (Carfax is not a basis for logic.) 8-}



Incoming rant... :rolleyes:

Honeslty, what the f#^k is up with people not taking care of their vehicles? They avoid spending one penny on the damn thing until it breaks. Then they get pissed off, pay just enough to get it running again, and try to dump it on some poor sap for way more than it's worth. Maybe if you kept your g*dd@mn tires inflated and bothered to find a decent mechanic...

(This is where I give up. :D )

[smokescreen]

I'll pick up a used bike i think.... simply because i don't think i will be able to afford a new Griso, before i get a new bike, but i will want to get a Griso, as soon as i can get one..... or something..... and i don't trust people i don't know to sell a well maintained bike.

[Deuce]

My next bike will likely be new, but the SV I just purchased was used. Agree with the general sentiment that I'd rather have a new one if only because I know what's been done to it, how it was broken in, etc. However, I would buy a used bike if it's different from what I've been riding. I bought a used dual-purpose bike a few years back, just to see how much I'd ride off-road. Learned some lessons about what I'd really like in that type of motorcycle and bought a new one a few years later. Same with the SV; everything I'd heard told me that I'd like it, but if I find that I just don't get to the track very often, I'll probably sell it. In both cases, I hunted down a good deal so that it wouldn't bother me at all to unload the bike if it didn't work out.

Unfortunately, sometimes you just don't know how much you'll like or ride a particular style/type of bike until you have one in your garage.

[clydesdale]

motorcycle is not a life time investment to me, unlike a good musical instrument... so I consider it disposable. I don't collect bikes, I use it as transportation and sometimes I ride for fun, so I'm ok with buying used motorcycle.

although, i wouldn't buy used from dealer. I don't think dealers are going to be more honest with you then private sellers. at least with private sellers you get to talk to the actual previous "rider" of the motorcycle to see if he's BS'ing you or not. with dealers, I'm not going to say they're BS'ing you ALL the time, but I think they are more likely to withhold information or they simply dont know the whole truth about the used bike they're selling.

[SVTard]

Either: we could all wax on ad nauseum the benefits and detractors of each ... is this a real situation for you, or just an out-of-the-blue hypothetical ?

If real - what bike are you are you considering ? This weighs considerably on which path to follow, and specific suggestions I can offer to address your questions.

Buying used, avoiding the advice of any/all brothers-in-law, and perhaps even your "best friend" is prudent. If you don't know bikes that well, its always good to solicit the aid of someone who you can trust (who does know bikes), to help you evaluate what you're considering. Most people get emotionally caught up in the prospect of a new (to them) toy, and its often the subtleties that indicate a motorcycle's true condition that get overlooked. An expert pair of objective eyes never hurt.

And like a used car, it never hurts to have a qualified professional mechanic give the bike a thorough going over assuming the seller is willing. If the seller isn't willing - consider it a flag. Considering what parts/repairs can cost, its a small investment ($100-$150) to make in avoiding what might be a pretty pile of junk.

Buying new - well, its all about getting the best price. Not much to say here. You're only as good as you negotiate. Places like OTD have taken much of the pain out of the process for us in SoCal (and wreaked havoc on many stealers' pricing positions and other BS).

Also when considering purchasing new, first-model-years of any bike (particularly non-japanese) can have some pitfalls, as defects and design flaws that didn't emerge in factory testing start turning up. Most often, these are corrected in subsequent model years.

In either case - being financially prepared to buy before you shop is invariably advantageous. That means having the money and/or credit immediately at-hand to do the deal. The easier you make the deal on a seller/vendor, the better price you'll be able negotiate. Don't screw around, don't be wishy-washy: know what you want, and be prepared to deal. Try to be objective and non-emotional through the process. Remember - its your hard-earned money !

Good luck !

[live2suck]

Wow, voting on this 4 year old poll this morning revived the thread!

Hooray to boredom 8-}

[Mac]

Its like Frankenstein "IT'S ALIVE"