http://humboldt.craigslist.org/mcy/2209616874.html for 3000
vs.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/mcy/2236952363.html for 3300


what do you guys think?

 

i offered him 3000
is that a good price for this bike with the extras it comes with?

i keep buying bikes too fast. this will be my 4th one in 2 months.

he has receipts of all the maintenance, and a book logging all of it meticulously, down to everytime he put gas in it (he wrote how much and where)

good investment?

 

Around here that might be a tad high for an F4.. you are in F4i territory (albeit a lower grade one). You are Cali I believe.. where bikes command a higher price than other parts of the country. How many miles are on it?
It seems to be in great shape with a lot of extras. If you get it, you will love it. F4s are awesome bikes.

 

i live in rural northern california.
very poor selection here.
are the extras that come with it enough to justify another 500 over kbb?

will i be jealous of fuel injected bikes?
is it a big deal?
bike has 25 k

 

I can only speak for my bike.. but even though it has a choke lever (sarcasm) it feels great. My last Ninja 250 was very cold blooded and needed a lot of choke to start cold and then I had to keep it on for a while during warm up. My F4 starts up with choke only when its really cold.. but after about 5-10 seconds I can turn it off.
Do I wish my bike was FI? Yeah sure... mostly because I know FI much better than carbs.. plus you can play with things like power commanders instead of jetting..
having said that... I have zero issues with my carb'd CBR.

 

Let’s look at this in a couple of ways… Bike value vs bike value + “extras” value.

At his $3,500 asking price, its overpriced...especially for 25k miles...regardless of his extras. KBB Retail = $2,410.

There are "extras" that add to bike value & "extras" that don't. Is there anything in his description of the bike that warrants a significant increase in value over KBB? I don't think so.

The aftermarket exhaust is nice but not special...neither is the FE or other "extras" that are actually on the bike. Those may add a little value but not significantly. Its not as if the bike has Marchesini wheels, Ohlin's racing setup, or Brembo brakes, etc.

Sure, he might want more for the stands, seat cowl, extra parts, etc, but those things are just fluff to sweeten the pot [for him]. Either they go w/ the bike or not but they don't add value to the bike. As long as you acknowledge & understand that up front, you can make a better informed decision.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying the bike if that's what you want to do. The F4s are great bikes. That's why I'm in this forum. My 2000 F4 used to look almost just like the one pictured in the ad b/f I did the split seat conversion. The one in the ad looks nice. I also like that there are maintenance records for it & that its seemingly been well taken care of.

Back to the original question though… “Is 3k a good price w/ the extras?” Now that you’ve gotten another viewpoint w/ quoted KBB, you’re better informed to answer that for yourself. Answer… its worth what you are willing to pay.

If you are seriously considering buying it though, please do yourself a favor & ask the seller to meet you at a factory Honda shop for an inspection. The shop will do a thorough & complete check of the bike & let you know what it may need. You’ll pay for it (about $85) but it will be a huge peace of mind.

Good luck.

 

what about the stage 2 camshafts?
is that a significant upgrade?

is it silly to spend 500 over kbb on a bike?

 

For any engine "upgrade"... I would say, *show me the paperwork*...receipts for parts, receipts from mechanic who did the work, & dyno readout. Does he have that? How long ago was the work done? Otherwise, any added value would be negligible. You will have to decide what that value is - to you.

Its not "silly" if its worth it to you. You have to answer that question for yourself. In your mind, do the extras equate to spending that much more?

Spending a little more for something if you really want it, isn't necessarily a bad thing. You just have to decide if its right for you. As long as you know exactly what you are getting & are willing to pay, then its your decision.

Let me put this in context a little more. If I was really looking for a "mint" F4 & this one filled the bill for me, I might would I spend a little more than book value for it...as long as I fully understand what that means. I would factor everything into the purchasing decision in addition to book value BUT keeping in mind that the bike will never be worth significantly more than book value w/ these extras on paper.

Also, you mentioned that selection is slim in your area. I'd think about that as well. If you're not willing to broaden your search to say the greater Los Angeles area, then that's also a factor to consider as well. Would you be able to find another one in mint shape like you want? How long would you have to search? What would that cost? This bike is right there & ready to roll (hopefully) but costs a little more. This is called 'convenience cost'. Being willing to pay a little more for it being right there & ready could be worth a little convenience cost. Again, your decision.

The intent of my first post was just to point out that as long as you understand what you are getting, you have to decide if its "worth" $3,000 to you. Is the convenience cost, extras, & bike value equal $3,000 to you? If so, go for it brother.

 

I would find out service records on the valve adjustments and see when the next one is. But those cams can't be easy to find so I would pull the trigger especially if you can get it for $3,000. It would be a whole lot of fun sneaking up on some new 600's and possibly 750's with that powers got to be pretty damn good.

 

thanks for your patience and the informative responses.
after thinking about it I might feel better about waiting and spending a few more bucks.

The only thing about traveling 6 hours to san fran to buy a bike is I have less lee-way as far as negotiation (less time to see the bike in person and make an informed decision). What if i find the right bike, just to go down there and find out it isn't what they said it would be,

The ONLY thing I don't like about the f4 im looking at is the banana seat, and the fact that it's carbed.


ANd he does have all papers and receipts. DYNO readout as well.

You said those cams aren't easy to find?
stage 2 cams a big power difference?

I know this is a noobie question that I could research myself,
but as far as being an "old" bike... how would it stack up to newer 600s?
will i be envious of them besides their digital guages and FI?

The guy selling it treats it as a collectors item.
It's hard to tell if he's just playing hardball, or if he really holds the bike in such high esteem