Author Topic: ### Keep or Sell? ###  (Read 2155 times)

Offline Motor32

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### Keep or Sell? ###
« on: July 03, 2019, 02:08:52 PM »
Hey guys,

So I just retired and I'm moving from the Chicago area to AZ. Do I keep my first bike I ever purchased new, a '87 Concours??? I have it for sale on Craigslist (See attachment) but not sure if I should. It still runs great and looks new. Murph did the carbs, Sonic springs, Madstad windscreen, rebuilt brakes, New tires and it still fires right up. The cost to ship it is around $1,000 to $1,300 enclosed trailer. With the heat in AZ this may not be the bike to have anymore and then put the money towards a new bike. Any help is appreciated.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/mcy/d/frankfort-1987-kawasaki-concours/6922717415.html

« Last Edit: July 04, 2019, 06:02:05 AM by Motor32 »

Offline DC Concours

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #1 on: July 03, 2019, 02:25:58 PM »
The eternal question. Keep or not to keep. They were about 6500 when new. So it would be hard to sell that bike for more than 1200-1400 bucks and thus a big reason many just keep these bikes till the end. You can add some heat diverters to help with the heat issues. If it seems like that you have to reduce the price to 1200 bucks to sell, but you want 2300 for it, I feel it's best to pay the shipping and take it along.

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #2 on: July 03, 2019, 04:31:42 PM »
Hey guys,

So I just retired and I'm moving from the Chicago area to AZ. Do I keep my first bike I ever purchased new a '87 Concours??? I have it for sale on Craigslist (See attachment) but not sure if I should. It still runs great and looks new. Murph did the carbs, Sonic springs, Madstad windscreen, rebuilt brakes, New tires and it still fires right up. The cost to ship it is around $1,000 to $1,300 enclosed trailer. With the heat in AZ this may not be the bike to have anymore and then put the money towards a new bike. Any help is appreciated.

https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/mcy/d/frankfort-1987-kawasaki-concours/6922717415.html

Owning a couple "old" bikes, and reading your post.. all I can say is... man, you own the bike... you own it... and have since you bought it.  You won't get the asking price, by any means.. the market is flat, and price on that bike (as painful as it sounds) is about $1200-$1400 MAX... and then, it will be tough to sell... you own it... you kept it that long, and it's a great looking bike, with low miles...

don't get caught by the thoughts that selling it, and using the money to buy a "new" bike, once you move, will ever occurr.. bt/dt..

in reality, if you wanted a "new bike" you would have sold it long ago, so just admit, you love that bike, just as I love all of mine... move it with you... the cost is moot..
I've stored my '78 KZ1000Ltd, many years, in a storage facility, when I didn't have a secure garage; Moved it with me to Va., and back again to Ohio, (I will admit, I had more vehicles, than drivers on both moves, and as such, trailered one each way, and filled a rental truck with stuff that could not be "moved" by paid movers..so hauling a bike, or 5 was a non issue...) and it sits in my garage... why? when I paid about $3k for it when I bought it?, and over years paid 3x that, to store it...?
Because I love it, and it was my first "new bike".  You'll never get that back.
I pretty much regret selling every single one of the 30 or so that I did, in my life.. all of which I owned free and clear.. and pretty much never made any "profit" from any of them.. color me stupid.

jmho/ymmv

ride safe, and have a successful move.

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline just gone

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #3 on: July 04, 2019, 09:44:40 AM »
The cost to ship it is around $1,000 to $1,300 enclosed trailer.
  :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:

Leave her with a friend, relative someone trustworthy. If they'll start it once a month fine, if not, button her up, cover her up, and store with them until the fall. In the fall fly/train/bus up there and ride her back to AZ. Maybe do some route 66 stuff, maybe not. One of the great parts of retirement is you can do stuff like that and save around $800.00 in the process. After your ride to AZ the decision to keep or sell will be much clearer to you as well.

Congrats on your retirement!!!! I think you'll find it's the best job you ever had!

Offline connie_rider

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2019, 12:08:30 PM »
What you didn't say in your post was "do you ride the bike anymore"??

Ride safe, Ted

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #5 on: July 04, 2019, 07:43:16 PM »
What you didn't say in your post was "do you ride the bike anymore"??

Ride safe, Ted

I do still ride it, just not as much in the heat and humidity here in the Midwest summer.

Steve

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #6 on: July 04, 2019, 07:45:04 PM »
  :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:

Leave her with a friend, relative someone trustworthy. If they'll start it once a month fine, if not, button her up, cover her up, and store with them until the fall. In the fall fly/train/bus up there and ride her back to AZ. Maybe do some route 66 stuff, maybe not. One of the great parts of retirement is you can do stuff like that and save around $800.00 in the process. After your ride to AZ the decision to keep or sell will be much clearer to you as well.

Congrats on your retirement!!!! I think you'll find it's the best job you ever had!

Good point and something to think about. Thanks

Steve

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #7 on: July 04, 2019, 07:47:04 PM »
Owning a couple "old" bikes, and reading your post.. all I can say is... man, you own the bike... you own it... and have since you bought it.  You won't get the asking price, by any means.. the market is flat, and price on that bike (as painful as it sounds) is about $1200-$1400 MAX... and then, it will be tough to sell... you own it... you kept it that long, and it's a great looking bike, with low miles...

don't get caught by the thoughts that selling it, and using the money to buy a "new" bike, once you move, will ever occurr.. bt/dt..

in reality, if you wanted a "new bike" you would have sold it long ago, so just admit, you love that bike, just as I love all of mine... move it with you... the cost is moot..
I've stored my '78 KZ1000Ltd, many years, in a storage facility, when I didn't have a secure garage; Moved it with me to Va., and back again to Ohio, (I will admit, I had more vehicles, than drivers on both moves, and as such, trailered one each way, and filled a rental truck with stuff that could not be "moved" by paid movers..so hauling a bike, or 5 was a non issue...) and it sits in my garage... why? when I paid about $3k for it when I bought it?, and over years paid 3x that, to store it...?
Because I love it, and it was my first "new bike".  You'll never get that back.
I pretty much regret selling every single one of the 30 or so that I did, in my life.. all of which I owned free and clear.. and pretty much never made any "profit" from any of them.. color me stupid.

jmho/ymmv

ride safe, and have a successful move.

So true. The attachment to this bike is very sentimental for sure.

Steve

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #8 on: July 04, 2019, 07:48:59 PM »
The eternal question. Keep or not to keep. They were about 6500 when new. So it would be hard to sell that bike for more than 1200-1400 bucks and thus a big reason many just keep these bikes till the end. You can add some heat diverters to help with the heat issues. If it seems like that you have to reduce the price to 1200 bucks to sell, but you want 2300 for it, I feel it's best to pay the shipping and take it along.

I did lower the price, so I'll see if that helps move it. Thanks

Steve

Offline DC Concours

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #9 on: July 05, 2019, 12:56:21 PM »
Have you decided?

It is a very nice bike. Unfortunately people don't appreciate the bike as they should. For the price you will get I say keep it and when you cannot ride anymore pass it on to someone in your family.

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #10 on: July 05, 2019, 01:54:56 PM »
Have you decided?

It is a very nice bike. Unfortunately people don't appreciate the bike as they should. For the price you will get I say keep it and when you cannot ride anymore pass it on to someone in your family.

I haven't decided yet but the movers show up in five days on Wednesday. If it's not sold, on the truck it'll go.

Steve
« Last Edit: July 05, 2019, 02:53:20 PM by Motor32 »

Offline MAN OF BLUES

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #11 on: July 05, 2019, 02:39:51 PM »
I haven't decided yet but the movers show up in five days on Wednesday, so if it's not sold on the truck it'll go.

Steve

call your movers prior, and ask about it.. so you don't have any "surprises"...

when I "moved our home" via big rental trucks, first time it was a non issue.. I could carry anything, but "paid movers" get really picky, and won't allow a lot of things in the trucks.. like gasoline, oil, areosol cans, gunpowder (don't ask), solvents, etc.,
On our return trip 10 years later, with 10x more "stuff", I ended up renting a big truck, and trailer to haul my pickup, and bikes because my movers refused to carry the 4 bikes, or ammo, or other stuff..
After I/We preloaded my rental truck, and trailer, and the movers showed up, the guys doing the move told me "they would have loaded this all, and hauled it, no problem...", but I already had spent the money on the second truck.. live and learn.. oh well, ... that rental truck, and car hauler trailer, + fuel, costs on road, and a return rental car for the fellow I had "drive it up with us" to get him back home, cost me about $1100 iirc, it was a "one way rental", had truck/trailer for 6 days total.

46 YEARS OF KAW.....  47 years of DEVO..

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #12 on: July 05, 2019, 02:58:48 PM »
call your movers prior, and ask about it.. so you don't have any "surprises"...

when I "moved our home" via big rental trucks, first time it was a non issue.. I could carry anything, but "paid movers" get really picky, and won't allow a lot of things in the trucks.. like gasoline, oil, areosol cans, gunpowder (don't ask), solvents, etc.,
On our return trip 10 years later, with 10x more "stuff", I ended up renting a big truck, and trailer to haul my pickup, and bikes because my movers refused to carry the 4 bikes, or ammo, or other stuff..
After I/We preloaded my rental truck, and trailer, and the movers showed up, the guys doing the move told me "they would have loaded this all, and hauled it, no problem...", but I already had spent the money on the second truck.. live and learn.. oh well, ... that rental truck, and car hauler trailer, + fuel, costs on road, and a return rental car for the fellow I had "drive it up with us" to get him back home, cost me about $1100 iirc, it was a "one way rental", had truck/trailer for 6 days total.

I have a call into them. They said it wouldn't be a problem but as with everything "The devil is in the details".

Thanks,
Steve

Offline DC Concours

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #13 on: July 05, 2019, 03:59:28 PM »
good. take it with you. those cheap bastards will not give you anything for the bike.

Offline Conniesaki

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #14 on: July 06, 2019, 08:48:57 AM »
One way to help decide if you wanna keep something: Let's say the bike would actually sell for $1,500. Now let's say you didn't already own it and saw it for sale for $1,500. Would you buy it for $1,500? If not, sell it.

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #15 on: July 06, 2019, 06:39:23 PM »
Hey Guys,

After 32 years, I just saw someone else ride off on my bike. This is the weirdest feeling ever. I got $1,600 for it and I have a million dollars worth of memories with it. Thanks to all of you guys who have helped me over the years, it's been great!!!!!! Time to start thinking of my next one.

Steve

Offline DC Concours

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #16 on: July 06, 2019, 06:56:02 PM »
Congrats. What is your next bike going to be?

Offline Motor32

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Re: ### Keep or Sell? ###
« Reply #17 on: July 06, 2019, 07:22:59 PM »
Congrats. What is your next bike going to be?

That's the million dollar question. I think I'll take my time and ride a few different bikes for sure. Maybe the Ninja 1000, A BMW or a Gold Wing so we'll see.

Steve