|
A lot of newer bikes these days really are just so good that there really isn't much to complain about, you'd really have to nit pick.
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:22
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 8, 2024 06:41 |
|
|
infraboy posted:A lot of newer bikes these days really are just so good that there really isn't much to complain about, you'd really have to nit pick. Me and TarzansPuma were chatting about that when he came to visit...the biggest issue with bikes these days is which one to buy, they're so drat good there are no losers in the group, really.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:38
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Me and TarzansPuma were chatting about that when he came to visit...the biggest issue with bikes these days is which one to buy, they're so drat good there are no losers in the group, really. Or based on price-points. I would prefer an R800GS, but I think I'll settle for a V-strom.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:50
|
|
|
 Behold! The CF Moto 650NK, having the honour of being the first chinese made large displacement bike to be sold outside of China for a long time. Swedish Bike magazine took it for a spin. But then again I guess you don't get it over there.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 21:50
|
|
|
Nidhg00670000 posted:
You know, I was just wondering this morning when we'd start to see other manufacturers start to catch up to (and eventually overtake) the Japanese big four, like is happening right now with Hyundai. How are SYMs these days? I wouldn't trust my life to a Chinese motorcycle just yet -- and that article doesn't inspire a lot of confidence -- but they sure are picking up steam quickly.
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2013 22:10
|
|
|
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/3776095298.html 17k motorcycle - uses a front stand as a rear stand. DUCATI 
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 00:00
|
|
|
Z3n posted:http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/3776095298.html
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:01
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:You know, I was just wondering this morning when we'd start to see other manufacturers start to catch up to (and eventually overtake) the Japanese big four, like is happening right now with Hyundai. How are SYMs these days? I'm riding a Hyosung/S&T 650 right now in Korea and although I'm still in the break-in I'm having a lot of fun. From what I heard on Wheelnerds Hyosung might be getting sold by Harley in the states sometime soon, so either we'll see some more of them show up in the states or they'll Buell and die.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:16
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:You know, I was just wondering this morning when we'd start to see other manufacturers start to catch up to (and eventually overtake) the Japanese big four, like is happening right now with Hyundai. How are SYMs these days? In the scooter world SYM is very well-regarded. They made Hondas for Honda for 40 or 50 years, so either they already understood good QC or they learned it. The Taiwanese makes (SYM, Kymco, and PGO, which is sold in the US by Genuine) are all making great scooters. The mainland Chinese bikes all still tend to be of the race-to-the-bottom variety, though, and I don't think we have much of a Korean presence here in the States.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:22
|
|
|
Ponies ate my Bagel posted:It's an '09 ABS model. I'm buying it from my grandpa, he bought it new in 2010. It will have a warranty until December of this year and I may see if it's possible to get the extended tacked on. My wife and I are flying across the country and riding it back to CA from GA. I presume you read the thread on COG? http://forum.cog-online.org/index.php/topic,27046.0.html Personally, I wouldn't bother at this stage. I haven't had to spend a dime on my 2010... which means none of them ever need work 
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 01:37
|
|
|
Z3n posted:http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/mcy/3776095298.html Clearly an SV rider who upgraded
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 02:19
|
|
|
Jim Silly-Balls posted:Clearly an SV rider who upgraded Beautiful on so many levels.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 06:41
|
|
|
I'm in need for a 4-6 speed transmission for a project I have in mind, doesn't have to take much power (<15hp). I've been looking at the old Triumph/BSA/Enfield Pre-Unit separate transmission but they are expensive. I also don't want a CVT because shifting is fun. If you were to take a common motorcycle and use a sawzall or something cut the engine part away leaving just the transmission how much work would need to be done to seal it up and get it working? I'm thinking a 2-stroke might be easier since the transmission is usually self contained. Is this idea horribly foolish?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:05
|
|
|
It's a terrible idea in the same way that all great ideas are terrible.  I'd be looking at a 125 2t gearbox and a sawzall blade. 
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:08
|
|
|
Found out yesterday my landlord owns a really big shop (3+ acres) with a lift and other nifty things. I'm seriously considering parting out and buying/fixing/selling bikes for a bit of extra cash. I'm in a college area and there are always wrecked bikes and college kids looking to unload stuff since they're leaving town. I've done it in the past and am doing it now with the VFR, anybody (Z3n) else that does this have tips/advice for someone looking to do it?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:21
|
|
|
I'd look into go-kart related parts for a transmission.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:23
|
|
|
Z3n posted:I'd be looking at a 125 2t gearbox and a sawzall blade.  and play with the sawzall for a day. n8r posted:I'd look into go-kart related parts for a transmission.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:44
|
|
|
NitroSpazzz posted:Ah shifter karts, good call. Shifter karts are motorcycle engines.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:48
|
|
|
To be totally honest - it's not really worth it. There's money in it, but you have to know the markets, you have to understand what you're getting into, you'll spend hours answering questions from people who don't buy parts, and most importantly, the money coming in is a slow trickle. There are some bikes that are easy partouts because they're really desirable in some ways or another, but for a variety of reasons. There's also a strange curve on parts availability - stuff 1-3 years old tends to be really expensive, stuff 4-10 years old tends to be bargain basement cheap, and the prices go up slowly up as supply dries up. The problem is that the number of buyers is hit or miss. Paypal, ebay, and shipping will eat up your time and spare cash. If you have a job where you sit in front of a computer for hours and can list, update, and reply to PMs, as well as manage a giant spreadsheet of people who are interested, etc, then you have a chance of doing well with it. Learn to love priority mail flat rate, I've probably shipped hundreds if not thousands of packages through them over the years, and they rarely gently caress things up. Get it with delivery confirmation. I have NEVER had them lose a package, I've had them be slow, I've had them dump packages in weird spots, hold them without notification at the recipients post offices, but they've only lost one package, and that was kinda my fault - a shittily packaged frame. At some point along the way, the machine ate a bunch of the packaging, and off it went. I also learned it's better to insure "myself", with the exception of really high value poo poo (aftermarket shocks, etc). You'll spend more money on insurance for small items then you'll get value out of going through the process. Basically, in a nutshell, it's going to look like this: Pros - You get to buy and sell a lot of bikes You get people's bikes back on the road/can be a lifesaver in a pinch You'll get really comfortable with different types of bikes/learn a lot about how they go together DRZ owners are the best to deal with. Cons - Shipping/packing stuff securely so it gets there safely takes a shitload of time. Ebay and paypal fees cut a lot of pure profit out, but are really the only good way to effectively receive money. You will waste a LOT of time on people who don't know what they're doing, don't know what they need, and don't understand what's going on. I once had a guy ask if he'd get more horsepower if he had both a power commander 3 and 5 on his bike. Related: GSXR owners are the loving worst to deal with. Out of everyone who has "money ready to send", one out of 5 will actually do it. The more questions someone asks, the less likely they are to actually buy something. You will spend a lot of time tracking dibs, PMs, and other poo poo, for nothing at all. There is no value in frames UNLESS you're talking about frames that will get people street plates (see DRZ frames). Streetbike frames are essentially worthless because so few people need to buy them. I've got a currently non-opped clean title SV650 frame sitting in my garage, had it for a year plus now. No one needs it. Fairings are the worst, don't even loving bother trying to sell them to anyone but local people. Expensive to ship, easy to break, people are loving anal as poo poo about them, and the $400 chinese replica fairing kits have destroyed any potential profit there. The best bikes have thrashed fairings with a lot of mods. In this line, ex-track/racebikes are good buys. You can extract a lot of value out of aftermarket parts. I started a thread about parting out bikes a few years ago. I can't find it with a quick search, though - anyone wanna dig? Basically, you can suport a motorcycle habit on parting out bikes, and if you look at it that way, as a way to pay for your bikes, it works out nicely. If you're thinking about doing it to support yourself, it's a terrible idea, the big warehouses with inventory, shipping drones, etc, will do it cheaper and faster than you can. You gotta either move big volume at low profit per part, or you have to know what you're buying and selling and make your money by knowing what you're getting into and what you can and can't sell. Z3n fucked around with this message at 18:55 on May 2, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 18:50
|
|
|
Z3n posted:To be totally honest - it's not really worth it. There's money in it, but you have to know the markets, you have to understand what you're getting into, you'll spend hours answering questions from people who don't buy parts, and most importantly, the money coming in is a slow trickle. There are some bikes that are easy partouts because they're really desirable in some ways or another, but for a variety of reasons. There's also a strange curve on parts availability - stuff 1-3 years old tends to be really expensive, stuff 4-10 years old tends to be bargain basement cheap, and the prices go up slowly up as supply dries up. The problem is that the number of buyers is hit or miss. Ok, that's awesome. Thanks for the info. I do work at a job where I can sit at a computer for hours and can manage sales from there. I'm not looking to do this as a way to support myself, just as a hobby/side gig. I've been using the different forums for the VFR, I was thinking about doing the same for other bikes. It's a lot to keep track of and manage, but it gets you right to your target audience. I *love* flat rate shipping. It's fantastic and I've used it at least 20 times in the past 2 weeks. I've found the same with insurance thus far. I remembered your thread, but I couldn't find it either which is why I brought you up specifically. I've been given the OK to modify my shop and house however I want by my landlord, so I was thinking about doing some parts shelves and a secondary work bench area. I can keep it small and in my garage for the most part and if I get more into it I can move the 3 blocks to his shop.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 19:06
|
|
|
All I can add is - Stay organized. Develop a system for what works for you to keep things labeled with year/make/model. Because a lot of the time you'll discover that people want parts to swap onto different bikes. Hawk riders love SV650 fuel pumps. EX500 riders loved ZX6E front ends. Knowing what year what came off of at a glance can get you a lot of biz. You're on the right track with going direct to the forums. Also, realize - you're on the internet, so work with respect to the echo chamber. My policy is generally for items under 50 bucks, if there's a problem, I just flat refund the cost of the item and don't even ask for it back. If it's something bigger, like a shock or something, I refund upon return of the item and eat the shipping cost. I've sold front ends, had rotors show up bent from mishandling during shipping, and paid for the replacement cost for them - guy said he paid 150 bucks for a set of ebay rotors, I refunded him 150 bucks. poo poo sucked, but giving up that 150 bucks (despite the fact that he only paid 100 bucks for my rotors) will keep my reputation intact and will keep me buying and selling parts for a long time to come. People will also come back to you if you do stuff like that. Also, if you get the feeling that someone is going to be picky about parts, take really good pictures and disclose EVERYTHING in advance. It's a much, MUCH better idea to take pictures, be over communicative up front, then to have to deal with partial refunds, shipping back, etc. etc. etc.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 19:48
|
|
|
I've sold off about a grand of poo poo on Triumph675.net over the past month - shipping ate into my profits but 9/10 people were gifting the money on PayPal, negating fees...
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 19:54
|
|
|
Which is why selling through ebay extra hurts...
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 20:08
|
|
|
Z3n posted:Which is why selling through ebay extra hurts... Right, I wracked up $6 in fee's via ebay and sold 0 parts. I definitely know about the echo chamber effect online and I do my best to make sure my buyers have confidence in what I'm doing. My wife enjoys working on bikes and she is currently unemployed/unemployable. She's got social phobia's and has issues working with other people, but she could do this and ship stuff etc. I'm trying to figure out the cost to start this up. I don't want to a dump a bunch of money into it and bomb, but I want to dedicate enough that I can safely buy bikes and what I need to get started. We won't be getting into it much before our trip, but after that I intend to jump into it.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 20:30
|
|
|
You don't really need anything besides basic tools. You shouldn't be spending any money on anything besides bikes to get started.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 22:04
|
|
|
Just realised I got my bike with 4.7k miles on it, and I'll be taking her up to 7.7k tomorrow. Six months and I've rode it more than the past three owners rode it in four years.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 22:08
|
|
|
I bought my 2006 bike in June 2012 with 14xx miles on it from the original owner. 4 months later it was at 5500. Double what the PO rode in 6 years. I'm not complaining, but why even buy a brand new bike if you're going to ride so infrequently?
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 22:14
|
|
|
Z3n posted:You don't really need anything besides basic tools. You shouldn't be spending any money on anything besides bikes to get started. I need a couple tools, basic things like a compression tester. Some shelves would be nice, organization will be important and a little label maker would be nice to have. The bikes are the main cost, I don't want to dump a ton of cash into anything. What are some bikes to look at with the idea of flipping/parting out? I'd think Ninja 250s, DRZs, gixxers, sv650s and the like would be good things to look for.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 22:35
|
|
|
Guinness posted:I bought my 2006 bike in June 2012 with 14xx miles on it from the original owner. 4 months later it was at 5500. Double what the PO rode in 6 years. They think it's going to be more fun than it is? Also, more dollars than sense. I'd doubled the 1100 miles on my Husky after only a few months of ownership, just using it as a commuter.
|
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 23:46
|
|
|
Guinness posted:I bought my 2006 bike in June 2012 with 14xx miles on it from the original owner. 4 months later it was at 5500. Double what the PO rode in 6 years. I really don't get it. There's a gen2 2009 vmax posted in the vmax forums that has a whole 192 miles on it. I don't undersrand what possesses somebody to drop 20k on a bike and then barely get a tank of gas out of it in 4 years. I would have to be comatose to allow that to happen. :edit: 152 miles actually. Link : http://www.vmaxforum.net/showthread.php?t=28487 In fact I'm going to post this in the bike sale thread because why not. Halo_4am fucked around with this message at 03:38 on May 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 2, 2013 23:54
|
|
|
Ponies ate my Bagel posted:I need a couple tools, basic things like a compression tester. Some shelves would be nice, organization will be important and a little label maker would be nice to have. The bikes are the main cost, I don't want to dump a ton of cash into anything. What are some bikes to look at with the idea of flipping/parting out? I'd think Ninja 250s, DRZs, gixxers, sv650s and the like would be good things to look for. Label maker isn't going to cut it. Get boxes, label them with the bike/year/date/box number, keep a spreadsheet of what is in what box. You can spend more time doing inventory then actually selling stuff if you're not careful. 250s aren't good part out bikes, too cheap. No one's going to spend 300 bucks on a bunch of parts when they could buy a parts bike for that. DRZ400S models can be, if they have titled frames and street running gear. SV650 is not a good part out bike unless you get one with loads of aftermarket parts, because there are loads of stock parts available due to the aftermarket already. Supersports are good if you can find them cheap with a lot of mods. All the money in bikes is in the stuff that's damaged in an accident that is model specific and mods. So radiators, peg assemblies, clipons, subframes, headlights, etc.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 00:05
|
|
|
It'd be tough for me to double my mileage in a year, having picked up the Uly with 37k miles on it. Up to 48k now with a 4400 mile trip planned with the wife next month. I'll be racking it up this summer. The wife doubled hers in the first couple years; now she's put more miles on it than it had when she got it. 25k -> 52k on the R without a hiccup except when her air filter gets all clogged with sand and bugs, then it likes to stall when it drops down to idle... I've never seen an air filter that gets so completely shitted up over 6000 miles. e: not double posting... Got on the Uly after work a few minutes ago and was momentarily confused when I was flat-footing it. Turns out:  gently caress you, some sort of 3" long piece of rusted metal. clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 01:11 on May 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 00:08
|
|
|
You can probably get away wirh parting out a bike or two but if you're thinking of doing it as a business you also have taxes and maybe depreciation, licensing etc. You're also going to be generating, storing and disposing hazmat (mostly used fluids) which are way more hassle as a business than as a regular shlub. A lot of this is going to be specific to your town / region. And sure, you could run it out of a shed / basement / storage unit and pretend it's a hobby and ignore all the extra regulatory crap but the IRS is increasingly using ebay / Paypal paper trails to track stuff like that down. If you're serious about it you can ask in the business forum or have a chat with a no-poo poo small business lawyer.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 01:32
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:It'd be tough for me to double my mileage in a year, having picked up the Uly with 37k miles on it. Up to 48k now with a 4400 mile trip planned with the wife next month. I'll be racking it up this summer. The wife doubled hers in the first couple years; now she's put more miles on it than it had when she got it. 25k -> 52k on the R without a hiccup except when her air filter gets all clogged with sand and bugs, then it likes to stall when it drops down to idle... I've never seen an air filter that gets so completely shitted up over 6000 miles. Buy one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Go-International-Tubeless-Tire/dp/B0018EUDHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367266053&sr=8-1&keywords=plug+gun Plus this: http://www.amazon.com/Portland-Desi...ds=co2+inflator and some threaded CO2 cartridges (carry 3-5 of the small ones), and that'll be enough to get you to a gas station or home, plus they all fit in a convenient little case that you can toss at the bottom of your backpack or in your tankbag or whatever. After my first flat in like, 8 years of riding, I don't go anywhere without it.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 02:37
|
|
|
Anyone ever get a tire bad from the factory? I replaced my 9000 mile worn mefo super explorer with a new one and at certain speeds it hops like one of those Canadian tires on South Park. I've dismounted and remounted and rebalanced it twice, even had a shop check it out to no resolution other than "your tire is probably hosed." Rim appears true, nothing changed when this started besides the new rubber. The mefo importer is sending me a new tire for free but I'm in the middle of a 3500 mile trip and it sucks rear end to lose confidence in a bike you have to keep riding for 1500 more miles. At least it's not the front, I guess...
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 03:34
|
|
|
I just changed jobs recently and I just met coworker here who commutes in on a 2008ish Kawasaki concourse 14. I strike up a conversation about riding and turns out he says he's been riding for like twenty years. He apparently still rides at the track and invited me to come along if I'm up for it. I havent ridden since October last year due to the really hot weather and boring straight commute. I always wanted to just go exploring on the back roads but I would need a GPS. My phone can do GPS but it eats the battery like crazy. So I would need to do like a charger mob but I got tired of modding my bike. I bought my bike back in 2010. Now I've always wanted to ride at the track but I've also been lazy figuring the logistics to get my bike there via a truck or trailer as well as figuring out fees. I'm definitely going to take him up on his offer but I need to get my bike back up and working outta storage. I might actually end up at the track this year. woooooooop! Now, I just need to hit up gnarlycharlie and to teach me to clean out and install a jet kit.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 07:30
|
|
|
The guy I bought my Multistrada from had a side business of breaking BMW k- and r- bikes for parts. It was lucrative enough that he was selling up all his spares and renting studio/warehouse space with his business partner up north to do it full time. Apparently with the money BMW charges for new parts, a lot of money can be made from things like ABS modules, etc. on the second hand market. He was really excited about it and gave me a full run down on how his business was doing. He certainly loved what he did, doubly so because he hates BMWs and loves that he can destroy them for profit.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 09:30
|
|
|
Well my motorcycle just died, panel lights where flickering and it let out a few farts before shutting down for good. I checked the electrical components, all the fuses are ok and no smoke or burnt electrical cables. So either the battery suffered a castasthropic failure (unlikely) or the bike is just dead 
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 12:02
|
|
|
Regulator?
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 12:16
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 8, 2024 06:41 |
|
|
theperminator posted:Regulator? R/R looked fine too, no smoking, no disconected wires, bike is not even turning on now. All i know is that i was entering the interstate, started to accelerate her, the bike started to freak the gently caress out and died. ElMaligno fucked around with this message at 12:25 on May 3, 2013 |
|
#
?
May 3, 2013 12:21
|
|