Trading Advice

[shcabbeh]

Well, my 1988 GSX-R isn't able to get a warrant. Coleman's Suzuki won't even look at it, it's just too old.

Despite the fact it only has around 65k on the odometer, someone threw an aftermarket exhaust on it before I bought it and I'm guessing that's the reason it's giving me grief now. I've just had the battery replaced but it's making a hollow kind of sound on revving and the guy at the shop basically told me my only option was to try and get as much as I can for it on trademe.

Anyway, I've never sold a bike before and was wanting some of your opinions on what kind of price I should list it as. It would probably only be useful for parts, but I want a realistic idea. At the moment I'm in danger of getting fined for having it parked where it is so I'd like to get this sorted ASAP.

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks.

[Sniper]

$800 to $2000 (if lucky) as a parts bike.

[Colapop]

Post some piccies of it that'll go a long way towards what people will think about it. List the things that you know about to get it up to standard. Be prepared to answer a shitload of stupid questions.

[Ixion]

Why can't it get a WoF? If it is only noise that's easy. Stuff some Pink Batts down the zorst, and take it to an AA or VTNZ shop. Couldn't possibly be noiser than Petal, and they bitch about her but pass her.

The Batts will quieten it down (y' may need to shove a bit of chicken wire in to stop them being blown out).

Ride there gently, coast in with the clutch in. Local AA shop doesn't even test with the motor running.

Bike has to be jolly rough to be too far gone to bodge up for a warrant, there's just not much stuff on a bike, and they can't easily test what there is.

If it's more than zorst , post what it failed on , and someone will advise how to fix it or bodge it. I'm assuming the REAL safety stuff is OK, ie you have brakes and such like.

[Nitzer]

I was in a similar situation with my old CBX 750, I stuck it on Trade Me with as much (honest) info as I could supply and 3 decent pics. I stuck it on there with no reserve for $500. Lots of people asked to see the bike before the auction ended (which is good). I ended up getting $1700.

Good luck with the sell, then you can have fun choosing a new bike!

[shcabbeh]

Why can't it get a WoF? If it is only noise that's easy. Stuff some Pink Batts down the zorst, and take it to an AA or VTNZ shop. Couldn't possibly be noiser than Petal, and they bitch about her but pass her.

The Batts will quieten it down (y' may need to shove a bit of chicken wire in to stop them being blown out).

Ride there gently, coast in with the clutch in. Local AA shop doesn't even test with the motor running.

Bike has to be jolly rough to be too far gone to bodge up for a warrant, there's just not much stuff on a bike, and they can't easily test what there is.

If it's more than zorst , post what it failed on , and someone will advise how to fix it or bodge it. I'm assuming the REAL safety stuff is OK, ie you have brakes and such like.

Well, the brakes are dodgy but the guy at Coleman's Suzuki reckoned it wouldn't pass a WOF and that they wouldn't even look at it for one because it's old. It's making a hollow kind of whirring sound when it revs, it's a bit hard to explain.

The guy reckoned the carbs were "probably screwed" from having the aftermarket exhaust on there.

There's a pic of her on my profile image but I do have some more floating around somewhere, I'll have a look.

Cheers for the responses.

[Ixion]

The brakes may be dodgy but the "guy at Colemans" sounds dodgier.

Firstly, there is no way on earth that an after market exhaust will "screw the carbs" (probably or otherwise)

The "whirring" sound does seem a bit ominous. And it is possible that what the guy at Colemans meant was that the aftermarket , less restrictive exhaust, if not accompanied by rejetted carbs, may have made the motor run lean , and caused internal damage.

But the proof of that is in the running. Does it perform OK? Start OK ? No smoke? No oil leaks?

I'd suggest taking it into an AA or VTNZ place . Cost only $25 or so, and if y'can get a WoF , then even if you do wnat to sell it, it will increase your sell price quite a lot.

Brakes is usually easy to repair. Are they leaking? Pads worn ? Discs worn (AA wont usually notice those , they don't understand bikes) .

I find it hard to believe that a GSXR is a writeoff after only 65000 km. Is that the aircooled engine? Because they were as tough as the US Marines.

And 88 is a callow youth. It's 15 years younger than my bikes.

[White trash]

Oil/Air cooled GSXRS had a habbit of eating the hardening off the cams and followers. Funnily enough, when they reach the supposedly "soft" metal beneath the hardening, they'll run rattly like that forever.

But to help you out, I'll swap you a mint 88 CBR600 that already has a warrant.

Fuck I'm a good cunt.

Edit: Actually, fuck I'm a dumb cunt. Just saw you're taking about a two fiddy. Water cooled, yucky things. Ixion, anything that's gone 65000km at 18000rpm could possibly be rooted.

[SlowHand]

Sounds like colemans is too busy?

my bikes on trademe now at 450reserve. 5hrs, kazillion q's and hit 500. you could always take a hit on the wallet like I am and bite the jandal, and eat the passsion fruit, suck the juicies etc etc

[Ixion]

..

Edit: Actually, fuck I'm a dumb cunt. Just saw you're taking about a two fiddy. Water cooled, yucky things. Ixion, anything that's gone 65000km at 18000rpm could possibly be rooted.

Oops - For some reason I read it as GSXR750

But, whilst a 250 ENGINE might show signs of wear by 65000, that shouldn't affect a WoF. Actualy, less of an issue on a 250, cos it's lighter.

Still not clear what the Coleman's guy is getting at.

[shcabbeh]

The brakes may be dodgy but the "guy at Colemans" sounds dodgier.

Firstly, there is no way on earth that an after market exhaust will "screw the carbs" (probably or otherwise)

The "whirring" sound does seem a bit ominous. And it is possible that what the guy at Colemans meant was that the aftermarket , less restrictive exhaust, if not accompanied by rejetted carbs, may have made the motor run lean , and caused internal damage.

But the proof of that is in the running. Does it perform OK? Start OK ? No smoke? No oil leaks?

I'd suggest taking it into an AA or VTNZ place . Cost only $25 or so, and if y'can get a WoF , then even if you do wnat to sell it, it will increase your sell price quite a lot.

Brakes is usually easy to repair. Are they leaking? Pads worn ? Discs worn (AA wont usually notice those , they don't understand bikes) .

I find it hard to believe that a GSXR is a writeoff after only 65000 km. Is that the aircooled engine? Because they were as tough as the US Marines.

And 88 is a callow youth. It's 15 years younger than my bikes.

Perform ok, nope. Start ok, never really has. The guy mentioned something about a bit too much smoke coming from the exhaust now that I think about it, that's where he went on about the aftermarket thing.

After the first six months or so it'd fluff around a bit before catching up and getting to speed. It acts like the choke is on all the time...at times it gets to
the point where it seems like someone is lightly tapping on the brakes while I open the throttle. It's very annoying.

[geoffm]

Sounds like carb jetting, or just dirt in the carbs and a good clean and setup.
It is not a WoF issue, so you should be able to get a WoF for it.

[Ixion]

It sounds like it is well worn and a bit tired. Smokey exhaust probably means some degree of engine wear. Not surprising, it is 18 years old, and 250cc sprotsbikes get a hard life.

The aftermarket exhaust thing is irrelevant.

None of these things should in themselves stop it getting a warrant.

I'd suggest you have two options.

Do the minimum needed to get a warrant (go to an AA or VTNZ place, not a bike shop) . Put it on Trademe, list its condition honestly ("Running, WoF, smokes a bit but not too bad , etc etc").

Or, run it into the ground, just keep it going long enough to get you through to your full licence, then junk it. But I've known vehicles run for astonishingly long periods in such condition - worn, old and tired, but they keep on going. It depends a bit if you have mechanical sympathy or not, I can usually nurse a failing engine along for a long time without disaster, but some people seem to break them quickly.