Allow me to rant for a minute, but I've been looking at my local Philadelphia Craig's List lately (curiosity, not really looking for anything) and I'm constantly amazed at the prices some people are asking for their bikes these days. Two examples: First ad-

1983 Honda CB 100 Custom - $3000 (NEPhilly) [hr] Reply to: sale-656620565@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-04-25, 11:11PM EDT
Running and inspected. Many many extras.New tires new brakes new voltage regulator new starter clutch new turn signals front and back. Pictures tomorrow. Email any questions.PRICE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE TRADES CONSIDERED. (end of post)

Now I'm assuming that this guy means CB1000, not 100, but still.... To put things in perspective, while I never owned a CB1000 Custom, I did own 1982 CB900F that I purchased in 1990 for, I believe, $1200, and that had low milage and was in absolutely pristine condition. I loved that bike until it was stolen a couple of years later. When I got it back a week or so later the thief had f**ked it up bad. Love affair over.

Second ad:

1987 VT700 Honda Magna - $3800 (Lancaster)
Reply to: sale-656148159@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-04-25, 4:01PM EDT
Yes this is the classic bike that has everyone talking. It is blue with 28,000 miles. I just last week had new tires and brakes put on the front and back. It has a stock sissybar (near impossible to find) and a windshield. The bike runs perfectly and does not use any oil. I get alot of offers on this bike so first serious buyer gets it. call 717-575-2148. (end of post)

I assume that people are talking so much about this bike because Honda never made a VT700 Magna. They did make a VF700 Magna, and does anyone here ever hear anyone talking about that bike? Again, I never owned a 700 Magna, but I did own an '85 VF700 Sabre (same engine, different body style) that I paid $500 for in around 1998 and sold for $700 maybe two years later. I replaced my 700 Sabre with a V65 Sabre (1100 cc) around 1990 that was in great condition cosmetically and had minor issues mechanically that took very little labor and a $1.00 can of carb cleaner and about 10 cents worth of spray lube on the shifter linkage to get running great. I paid $800 for that bike (a great deal) then totally thrashed it for a couple of years and finally sold it for $1100 to afriend of mine.
In 02 I bought a brand new 02 Kawi ZRX1200 (sorry guys, I'm a Honda guy but that ZRX was more bike for less money than Honda's 919) that I paid $7,100 for out the door. A year later, that bike was also stolen- the only good (or bad) news was the thief killed himself when he clipped a car doing 150 (according to the cop I spoke to) on I95. The bike was destroyed.
Which brings me to 2003, when I bought my 95 1000F. I got it off of ebay for $2000 and with 12,000
miles on the clock. The engine and trans were and still are in great shape (maybe 33,000 miles now) though I do have the typical CCT rattle when the bike is cold. The bike did have some cosmetic issues. OK, truth be told, the bike did look hideous in the pictures on ebay. The owner had obviously dumped the bike and had it painted yellow and put flame stickers all over it along with a boatload of bling bling lights- the thing lit up like a Christmas tree. Anyhow, I pulled all the stickers off, lost the bling lighting, put a fair amount of labor and a few hundred dollars into it, and it now looks decent and runs great.
Anyhow, sorry for the long post, but I felt the need to rant. Also, after reading the Craig's List posts, I'm now considering selling my bike. It is one of those very hard to find yellow models that everyone is talking about. The price is $15,000 and is NON-NEGOTIABLE.

 

Just make sure you buy another CBR1000F PacoJoseph......maybe three or four for that kinda money !!

 

I paid 2,000 USD for mine, it's been dropped (though repaired for the most part) and I'm redoing the clutch whenever it arrives. I think I still got a great deal for what an amazing bike it is.

 

I really like reading Craigslist, some of these people are out of their gord.
Here's aspecial one from the Denver Craigslist
http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/656697693.html
This one's nice
http://denver.craigslist.org/mcy/654603477.html

 

Think yourself lucky! i just payed £1.15 per litre for petrol $2.30? [&o]

 

That's right, consider yourself lucky. If you'd be living here in BA, you won't have the need to rant... you'll have the need to shoot yourself in the head.

Let's put things in perspective here:

'87 Magna.. yeah, not VT, but whatever... I owned one and they go for $7.000-$8.000. Mine went for $8.000 this year (talking USD, YEAH USD!!), and I got the '92 1000F for $7.200.

Let's say I want to buy a 2006 ZX-12R, used of course... no less than $16.000.
http://www.motocare.com.ar/veraviso.php?id=26209

Hell that's too much you say... then go for a Yamaha R6 new... $16.900
http://www.motocare.com.ar/veraviso.php?id=26673

A USED ZX-14 2007... for $19.000!!!
http://www.motocare.com.ar/veraviso.php?id=25153

Do you STILL have the need to rant??

 

Daniel_Arg, are your prices so high because of ridiculously high tax rates- I have read on this board that some of our Euro buddies are paying something like 200% tax on their bike purchases (here in Pennsylvania USA the rate is 6%). If that's the case, it explains a lot. Maybe we can go into business together- I'll buy used bikes here and ship them to Argentina and you can sell them and we'll split the profits. As far as an 87 VF700 going for as much or more than a 1000F, that's just insane. My Vf700, although a decent bike, was not half the bike my 1000F is.

 

Ha! you don't know the entire story then... guess what, we can't bring used motorcycles into the country!! not the legal way at least... but there isn't other if you want to ride it.
Otherwise, we'll be doing business right now, trust me
Here the tax rate on new bikes is insane... so bad that they cost the same or more than an average car.
Of course there is an option if you want an affordable motorcycle here... buy chinese crap!! the streets are plagued with them. Even those are expensive, a crappy 150cc "cruiser" goes for almost $2.000 USD, but for the average consumer, that's their only option, given the high price of used bikes.

Ah damn, I ended up ranting myself... hehe sorry