Would you give a shit what happened to your old bike?

**TonyB** · 1st October 2006, 18:53

Me thinks I'm gonna get some stick for this.

Meh.

If my cunning plans are indeed cunning and do go infact to plan, then my FZR1000 will be for sale soon. Its a fairly rare bike, as it was more expensive than the GSXR1100 and the 'bigger is better' theory meant most people went for the Suzuki. It's made even rarer because it still wears it's original fairings- there are still a few FZR's around, but most of them have done some tar surfing at some stage, so they have had a respray.

At Ruapuna on Saturday I told a few locals about my cunning plans, and the fact that the FZR will be sold if it all pans out. During the day a sidecar engine went up in a cloud of blue smoke- apparently a condrod decided to have a look at the outside world. Some time later Joni came up to me and said that I may have a buyer for my bike, he'll pay a good price etc etc. COOL I thought. Then I was told that the buyer would be the guy whose sidecar had expired, and he would be pulling the engine out of my bike and selling off the rest...

The idea really doesn't sit well with me. Its a nice bike, it goes great, and its RARE. I mean Tony Rees made a point of coming over and talking to me about it! A 17 year old bike! The original FZR1000 was the first open class Japanese bike to use a twin spar frame. This FZR1000 was the first open class bike to use a valve in the exhaust to increase the spread of torque by doing loads of complicated shit to the returning pressure waves etc. This FZR was the first open class Japanese bike to use 17" wheels- Suzuki carried on using an 18" rear for another two years. I really would rather not see it deliberately destroyed. Funnily enough my wife agrees. Can anyone else see my point of veiw?

**Karma** · 1st October 2006, 18:56

Well it depends, which is worth more, the cash, or the knowledge that the bike has gone to a good home.

To be honest, unless you sell it to a museum or something then chances are it's gonna take a spill at some point, so take the cash and look forward, not back.

**Colapop** · 1st October 2006, 18:59

Is it a one off? The reality is, once it's sold, it aint your bike and the new owner is free to do as they wish. If you cared that much, you wouldn't sell it.

**Bonez** · 1st October 2006, 19:03

Do you want to get rid of it or not? If so sell it if the price is right. I'm sure the new owner will appreciate the performance of the engine in the "chair".

**beyond** · 1st October 2006, 19:06

You can and do get attached to things but at the end of the day, it's still an inanamite object, just a piece of metal, plastic and parts. Even if they weren't going to use it for a race bike or whatever, anyone that buys it off you today, could write it off tomorrow anyway, no matter how much they were prepared to care for it.

**TonyB** · 1st October 2006, 19:33

Originally Posted by beyond

You can and do get attached to things but at the end of the day, it's still an inanamite object, just a piece of metal, plastic and parts. Even if they weren't going to use it for a race bike or whatever, anyone that buys it off you today, could write it off tomorrow anyway, no matter how much they were prepared to care for it.

True, but there is a difference between selling it knowing it's going to be parted out, and selling it to someone who wants to look after it but bins it.

Funnily enough, I'd love to see it go pre 89 racing. I'd prefer to keep it till pre 89 kicks off down here, but thats likely to be years off and money is tight as always.

**Mr. Peanut** · 1st October 2006, 19:33

I don't like the idea of someone dying on a bike I sold em. Wouldn't sell it to someone without a clue.

**fazer** · 1st October 2006, 19:34

Got rid of a yam fazer 1000 (in uk) for a BMW1200GS, biggest mistake I ever made.

bmw a crock of shit!

**erik** · 1st October 2006, 20:47

A bike's gotta die eventually.

But...

I think it's perfectly understandable to refuse to sell it to someone that's planning to pull it apart if you can afford to wait to find a buyer that says he'll keep it in one piece.

**sunhuntin** · 1st October 2006, 20:53

i wish id kept my old bike...so i could scrap it and sell the parts to members on here. would have got more in the long run. but i sold it, and it was fixed up and is being used as a farm bike from what i know.

but my current bike...unless i write it off myself, id rather give it to dad, who i know will ride it well, than sell it to someone i dont know who would likely ride the shit out of it.

**Big Dave** · 1st October 2006, 20:58

Nope - they are just machines. No sentimental value at all.

**pritch** · 1st October 2006, 21:07

Not long after I sold my BMW K100RS it was written off. Later it was rebuilt and resprayed a different colour. Not the greatest spray job either.

It was no skin off my nose, but I was just a little saddened to see it in its somewhat reduced circumtances...

**Motu** · 1st October 2006, 21:15

I've found parts of my bike on a wreckers floor,ready to be dumped.A bit sad,maybe some bits are still around getting good use.

**Pathos** · 1st October 2006, 21:20

nah but only because I've trashed the old girl so badly myself.

Previous owner wasn't happy when he saw it after the first bin :/

**Kickaha** · 1st October 2006, 21:21

Originally Posted by Colapop

Is it a one off? The reality is, once it's sold, it aint your bike and the new owner is free to do as they wish. If you cared that much, you wouldn't sell it.

What he said, personally I couldn't give a toss what happens to any of my bikes once they're sold, to me they're just a machine

looks like he may already have a motor on the go anyway