Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)

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Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)
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Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)

Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)
999 euro motorcycles

What do you get for less than 1000 euros? MOTORRAD wanted to know and incognito bought four very different used bikes. But this is only the beginning.

Stefan Gluck, Holger Hertneck, Thorsten Dentges, Michael Schroder

03/29/2007

Nine hundred and ninety euros should be enough ?? this is our self-imposed default. For that you have to find something sensible on the used market. It should be four motorcycles, from different classes: a big bike for traveling, a model from the chopper / cruiser segment, an enduro and an everyday roll. They should also be found using different procurement channels: newspapers, the Internet, dealers. Four MOTORRAD employees were busy looking for ?? and found what they were looking for within just a few days. Since then, four “new” machines have enriched the editorial fleet.
On the following pages you can read what the buyers experienced during their 999 euro research and which models they ultimately chose. You can find out whether and what consequences the purchases have in other issues of MOTORRAD throughout the year. In the next issue an initial balance will be drawn and initial experiences with the used vehicles will be reported. Have the previous owners withheld something important? Do hidden defects suddenly appear? Are there any problems with the TuV inspection, the AUK or the re-registration, and what are the costs? In addition, we report on initial adjustments, maintenance and repair measures that inevitably have to be carried out on older motorcycles.
The machines should therefore provide entertainment. And MOTORRAD provides the information. Where do you get cheap spare or used parts from? How much do restoration measures such as rust control on the exhaust, swing arm and frame cost, how expensive are partial painting or bearing replacement? Which work makes sense, which is still financially worthwhile, what can you do yourself, and where does a specialist workshop have to help? The colorful life with used motorcycles. From now on completely in purple…

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Suzuki GS 500 E. – “We’ll still have a lot of fun with the small, reliable GS”


Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)

Why I choose a Suzuki GS 500 E have decided? Quite simply: positive memories of 1991. At that time I was still working as a temporary worker at MOTORRAD. One of the first tasks was: with three other student assistants on four Suzuki GS 500 E from Stuttgart to Granada ?? Wear rides for a tire test. At first we could hardly move, even though the GS should have 46 hp. The bikes only ran just over 130 km / h. Two and a half thousand kilometers there and back again ?? that could be cheerful. At some point, we were almost in France, someone figured out why it was. “Just shift down two gears and turn the engine off.” No sooner said than done. Suddenly the Suzuki were running with a slight tail wind and with the driver stretched out at the speedometer 200. And we had a lot of fun.

The fact that the GS 500 E is considered a reliable motorcycle encouraged me to choose it. The first interesting offer was snatched from right under my nose? the second time I called to announce my visit, she had just changed hands. Damn.

So continue studying advertising papers. Bj 92, 26 tkm, 25 kW, GaFzg, windshield, lowered, slight scratches, TuV / AU 6/08, VHB 990 euros. Does not sound bad. The only disadvantage: the GS is near Frankfurt. Anyway, I’ll call you first thing in the morning. The information (no accident, well-kept condition, sales due to the addition of the family, conversion parts for series performance and chassis included) are convincing. This
I don’t want the offer to slip through my fingers again. “I would like to stop by around lunchtime and maybe take the motorcycle with me.” Taking a deep breath at the other end of the line: “So fast? I have to let my wife know first, I’m on the road myself. In addition, the GS no longer has a TuV, it was wrong in the advertisement. But I would still do it. ”I reply that that is not so important to me; if the machine was in good shape, I would show it to the TuV in Stuttgart.

At 1 p.m. I am in the VW bus in front of the address given. Great: fifth floor without elevator. A two-meter giant welcomes me upstairs. The husband has apparently provided for his pregnant wife to be escorted. All together right down and by car to the garage one kilometer away. Besides the Suzuki, there is an old Honda and a new Triumph hidden in it? a good sign.

Not too much was promised on the phone. The GS 500 E looks neat and starts immediately despite the icy cold engine. Even during the test drive, it doesn’t make any complaints. All gears can be shifted through, the brakes and lighting work, and then there is no telltale oil on the engine housing. It’s okay, I think to myself, and we agree to 900 euros without long hiccups.

So again five floors up, sign the contract and go back to Stuttgart ?? to find out in the editorial garage that the effort was worth it. I park the Suzuki next to the three other 999 euro bikes and, no question about it, “my” GS simply looks the best. It remains to be seen whether this will also prove to be true in terms of function in the course of the year. Whether the Suzuki might even find its way to Granada, too. It would be nice.

Technical data Suzuki – Suzuki GS 500 E (Bj. 1992)

engine
Air-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead camshafts, two valves per cylinder, carburetor, contactless transistor ignition, no emission control, electric starter, six-speed gearbox, chain.
Displacement 487 cm3
rated capacity
34 kW (46 hp) at 9200 rpm

Max. Torque
39 Nm at 7800 rpm

landing gear
Double loop frame made of four-
square steel tube, telescopic fork, two-arm swing arm made of steel profiles, central spring strut, front disc brake, rear disc brake, tires 110/70 H 17 front, 130/70 H 17 rear.

mass and weight
Seat height * 760 mm, weight with a full tank * 187 kg, payload * 193 kg, tank capacity 17 liters.

measurements
(MOTORCYCLE 1/1992)
Performance
Top speed 171 km / h
acceleration
0 100 km / h 6.9 sec
consumption
5.9 l / 100 km (test average), normal

Newspaper Search – Pros and Cons

Admittedly, the used motorcycle search by newspaper advertisements now seems a bit out of date. However, there are still some arguments in favor of it. Especially in newspapers and (trade) magazines, which charge fees for advertisements, almost without exception serious offers can be found ?? because who spends money on offers that are not intended first? But free advertising papers like »Bulky waste«, »Flea market« or »The hot wire« are also suitable as a search basis. The only problem: the limited offer. In the media that ten or 20 years ago there were still pages of used motorcycles romping around, nowadays there is only a very small selection. But this? and that is very convenient ?? usually refers to the regional area. After all, what good is a Flensburg resident of a used offer in Passau??

Honda CX 500 C. – “Such an impulse purchase is really fun”


Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)

Logical: for 1000 euros you can’t even get a Harley as an accident scrap heap. For casual cruising, I would still like a large-capacity Vau-Zwo. Unfortunately, wish and Ebay reality are far apart at this price limit. In the clear search engine, there are no more than 1000 cubic centimeters and only a few offers such as Kawa-saki Z 550 LTD or Honda CB 650 Custom for “501 to 750 ccm”. Well, not particularly groovy, this four-cylinder. So, ?? click, click ?? another try willy-nilly in the league below. Hit! Honda CX 500 C in night blue. Not exactly my dream machine, but hey, that’s how I made my cardboard A at that time. Driving school Niehoff, for 350 marks. Those were the times, I almost cry!

The soft chopper is now available for 995 euros at the “buy it now” rate, while the minimum bid is 850 euros for a higher price. And the seller advertises that if you buy it now, the delivery costs to your front door are only 70 euros. I prefer to buy it now anyway, because I have a curse at auctions. All of the items I’ve been involved in lately were harshly outbid at the last second.
(A hideously painted 80s racing bike, an antiquated Danish stroller, a tattered travel guide ?? Damn it, who else wants something like that?) So play it safe now: The spontaneous liaison with the Honda is as good as closed . Meanwhile, an inner voice warns: Quiet, the Prussians don’t click that fast! It is better to first inspect the machine virtually in detail: On the digital photos, it looks reasonably well-kept, 26 years old, almost 63,000 kilometers, ready to drive with Tuv, no accident, but signs of use. The seller from the Ruhr area has 100 percent positive ratings. That gives hope.
I am sending an email with questions about the condition of the motorcycle and delivery and asked for his phone number to clarify further details.

The answers come promptly, but the telegraph is short. On the phone, the provider is more open-minded and says that he collects old pieces from the seventies and eighties and then hits again when the barn gets too full. When asked whether he was a dealer, he replied in the negative: “No, everything private and such.” The offered cardan chopper is, as far as he can see, in its original condition. “Maybe you have to do something to start up, that’s normal with old motorcycles. The thing works, I’m not worried about that, ”he assures? and the voice sounds chummy. In two days he will have another transport south, so I could have the CX on the weekend if the money was transferred immediately. That sounds busy.

After the phone call, I check again comparable offers on the Internet. One can be picked up 400 kilometers away for 1,000 euros, the other for 1,300 euros even further away
a dealer ?? too expensive, too stressful. So then: risk buying without a test drive and trust the Ebay seller rating. A split second later, the 500cc Honda is mine. Quickly to the bank to make an express transfer and hope that the machine will actually be delivered to my doorstep as agreed.

She will. The messenger? according to his own information, a friend of the seller who acts as a hobby freight forwarder with a VW transporter and trailer ?? arrives after a delay due to traffic jams (which he had reported by phone while on the road) with two scrap iron, one of them the CX, in tow. Unloading, signing the sales contract on the passenger seat, comparing the chassis numbers with papers, handing over the keys, a few non-binding words, have fun with them ?? and then: bye. Oops, that was quick. Too fast?
I circled the motorcycle to test it, taking a critical look at the exterior. Some rust, a few scratches, but overall as described. A look inside the tank: wow, almost full! I sit on the motorcycle, get off again, look at it from a certain distance, go closer again. And I can’t help myself: I’m looking forward to this goat, which I thought was lost in the depths of my subconscious. A red number is available for the first trip. Key to the right, my thumb excitedly fiddling with the starter button. The engine is alive, let’s go! I’m cruising on a small country road towards the sunset. It’s cold and the 27 hp won’t tear you away. But under my helmet, I have to giggle and giggle and giggle as if someone had put something in my tea. And I feel I feel very good.

Technical data Honda – Honda CX 500 C (Bj. 1991)

engine
Water-cooled two-cylinder four-stroke V-engine, a camshaft below, four valves per cylinder, carburetor, contactless transistor ignition, no emission control, electric starter, five-speed gearbox, cardan.
Cubic capacity 496 cm3
rated capacity
37 kW (50 PS) at 8500 rpm
Max. Torque
46 Nm at 7000 rpm

landing gear
Single-tube frame made of steel, telescopic fork, two-arm swing arm made of steel, two spring struts, disc brake at the front, drum brake at the rear, tires 3.50 S 19 at the front, 130/90 S 16 at the rear.

mass and weight
Seat height * 780 mm, weight with a full tank * 216 kg, payload * 202 kg, tank capacity / reserve 11.2 / 2.7 liters.

measurements (MOTORRAD 16/1979)
Performance
Top speed 159 km / h
acceleration
0 100 km / h 6.0 sec
Consumption Not determined for “C” model, for CX 500 (MOTORRAD 2/1980): 6.2 l / 100 km (test average), normal

Buy on Ebay – Here’s how

Even an extremely cheap used machine should not be bought unseen and without a test drive. And certainly not transfer the money in advance. This also applies to Ebay, unless you use the escrow account offered by the Internet auctioneer. There are always black sheep, but a quick check of the seller profile helps to avoid trouble. What kind of items does the seller have in previous auctions?
offered, does a dubious dealer disguise himself as a private seller in order to circumvent the warranty obligation? How are his ratings? A trustworthy seller should show at least 95 percent positive ratings for many transactions (more than 50), which ideally are supported by meaningful comments (for example: »Goods as described, problem-free payment processing ?? gladly again«). In the case of motorcycle models, which are known to be grandfather clocks, a conventional auction is worthwhile because there may be great bargains with a small number of bidders
are to be made. More popular machines, however, achieve at the end of the
Auctioning usually at a price that is normal or even higher on the used market. Is it recommended for you? if offered and
the price for one is okay ?? the option »buy it now«.

Yamaha FJ 1100 – “Mind is more important than sentimentality”


Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)

As an avowed friend, owner, keeper and mover of vehicles that are too old for MOTORRAD and too young for MOTORRAD CLASSIC, it was clear to the writer of these lines from the beginning that this would be an exciting story, especially since he had the pleasant task of looking for a big bike over the dealer network. Nowadays this is done primarily on the Internet, as the dealer offers in the remaining national and local advertising papers have little or nothing to offer in the targeted price range.

Surprisingly, the online offer turned out to be astonishingly diverse at first glance, although most of the offers could not withstand closer inspection. The numerous Honda Bol d’Ors are structurally much closer to a classic car than to a modern bike. Not the best prerequisites if you want to stand in front of drivers in everyday life who always have the latest from the latest under their bum. The same reason was also offered quite often Yamaha XJ 900 victim. Not to mention various completely tinkered or otherwise battered former young man’s dreams.

Slowly but surely, the Kawasaki GPZ 900 R and the Yamaha FJ 1100/1200 emerged as potential objects of desire. Both models were ?? like the author ??? Mid to late eighties in their prime and real dream objects. A good twenty years later, the circle of lovers has shrunk here and there, but in the case of the Kawa it is still large enough to snatch two absolutely worthwhile specimens from under my nose. Things are looking a little better with the FJs. One offer attracts with astonishingly low mileage for their age, but there is no statement about TuV. A phone call brings clarity. Reimport from Italy, there are no German papers yet, but are not a problem. So, so, I think to myself, but whoever wants to should do this war of nerves, especially since not even the German importer could say when asked whether and if so how an Italian 1986 FJ differs from a German one.

And suddenly it appeared from the depths of the large Internet portals in full format on the screen: FJ 1100, first year of construction. The original model. Red White. Not tinkered, not lifted, not made up. Exactly as it was often three streets away back then. How I would have loved to swap. I just don’t know whether it was more the FJ or his girlfriend, for whom I envied the owner. Probably both. In any case, looking back, it can be said that the FJ was in principle already bought at this point, because my heartbeat accelerated the first time it saw it on the screen.

In the photos, the FJ made the best visual impression compared to all other offers in this price range, although the ad text dampens the emerging euphoria a little. On the one hand, it came first-hand, on the other hand, 95,000 kilometers are no big deal. After all, it was decided that the engine was running.

A call to the dealer is astonishing. Whether you really want to buy the motorcycle, it is already old, has many kilometers, and the carburettor is clogged due to the many years of inactivity, which is why the engine can only be started with manual supply of highly explosive substances such as start pilot. In general, it is actually intended for export, because of warranty and such. Well, a dealer for his potential customers
messing up your own products, that’s new. However, the friendly seller cannot ignore the argument that the Yamaha should be exported from Bavaria to Baden-Wurttemberg and agrees to a viewing appointment.

On site, 300 kilometers east of Stuttgart in an inconspicuous shed full of more or less delicious treasures, the FJ runs the next day, as promised, only with a start pilot, but very committed and mechanically soothing, with little background noise. FJ connoisseurs have long known that the drive is actually unbreakable, and a retrofitted oil thermometer suggests a warm-up driver that is gentle on the material. We can’t get the engine to run on its own in a hurry, which is why the secretly hoped-for drive home is canceled. Would it be anyway, because the front brake has no function despite sufficient fluid and the presence of all components, which in addition to a price reduction of 900 euros brings the addition of a Kawa brake cylinder. Could fit, says the dealer. An unusual solution. Well we’ll see.

Technical data Yamaha – Yamaha FJ 1100 (Bj. 1985)

engine
Air-cooled four-cylinder four-stroke in-line engine, two overhead, chain-driven camshafts, four valves per cylinder, bucket tappets, constant pressure carburetor, electric starter, no emission control, transistor ignition, five-speed gearbox, O-ring chain.
Displacement 1097 cm3
rated capacity
74 kW (100 PS) at 9000 rpm
Max. Torque
87 Nm at 7500 rpm
landing gear
Double loop frame made of square steel tubes, telescopic fork, two-arm swing arm made of aluminum, central spring strut, double disc brake at the front, disc brake at the rear, tires 120/80 V 16 at the front, 150/80 V 16 at the rear.

mass and weight
Seat height * 780 mm, weight with a full tank * 261 kg, payload * 189 kg, tank capacity 24.5 liters.
measurements
(MOTORCYCLE 7/1984)
Performance
Top speed 221 km / h
acceleration
0 100 km / h 3.7 sec
consumption
7 l / 100 km (test average), normal

Buy from a dealer – In the back room of an export dealer

Nothing works today without the Internet. This is especially true for the trade in used vehicles. Businesses in particular rely fully on this medium in order to reach the largest possible group of interested parties. In fact, we would have in another way
probably never found out about the existence of this FJ 1100, which was near Munich, very close to the border to the province, at a dealer specializing in suspended material, together with a Honda VFR 750 that was also heavily used. In general, since the law of obligations reform in 2002, commercial dealers have been reluctant to sell motorcycles that are significantly older than ten years. After all, the retailer has to stand up to private customers for so-called material defects for a year and, if in doubt, prove in the first six months that the damage was not present at the time of purchase. The likelihood that an old motorcycle will show defects that it did not have at the time of purchase increases disproportionately with age. Which is why our FJ was declared a hobbyist’s vehicle because it was not ready to drive. The disclaimer of liability for material defects stipulated in the sales contract is not a carte blanche in an emergency. Whether it will stand up in court is decided on a case-by-case basis. But if you are not ready to bear a certain residual risk yourself, you should perhaps add a few hundred and look around for a younger copy.

Yamaha XT 600 – “An enduro of the old style”


Cheap used and the consequences (part 1)

Clear thing ?? it has to be an enduro. My favorites: Suzuki DR 600 R Dakar and Yamaha XT 600 (model 2KF). Both real heroes of the eighties. Long-legged, reduced to the essentials, robust. Wonderful. Not even an electric starter can break on these motorcycles? there is no. All later XT and DR series, on the other hand, act like toys.

It quickly becomes clear that the online search for the Suzuki is in the sand, not a vehicle for less than 1000 euros. The cheapest DR should cost 1250 euros (fixed price), there are only six copies nationwide. Pity.

With the search term “Yamaha XT 600 to 1000 Euro” the world hardly looks brighter. Three scrap iron ridden down. Only number four sounds tempting: built in 1984, 34,000 kilometers on the clock, good condition, for 950 euros, but for almost a year without a TuV. Location: almost 40 kilometers south of Stuttgart. The hand reaches for the receiver, a friendly gentleman answers and willingly provides information. That he only drove 300 kilometers last year. Because of the children. “You know, there’s nothing left from the weekend.” No, but it shouldn’t be a problem. Test drive? Well, let’s see if the goat starts after almost a year of standstill. Tomorrow evening is fine. “

The first contact: dim garage light caresses the 23-year-old, reasonably red and white paint. My impression: There is a real Enduro there. Small tank, powerful engine protection, long suspension travel. Fantastic. “Five previous owners, but everything is original,” the seller swears. I nod, simply overlooking the purple “special paint” of the XT logo on the tank. Especially since the tires still have a lot of profile and the engine runs after three heavy kicks? if a little reluctantly.

“Today I filled in fresh fuel and charged the battery.” The spark jumps over, even without a test drive. Because outside a deluge is pouring over the Swabian pampas. Does not matter. One or none, that much becomes clear quickly. Especially since the typical hammering of this single cylinder brings back old memories. A good 30,000 kilometers were covered in the saddle of such an XT 600 in the mid-eighties, the first long journey ever to the edge of the Orient. I’m curious what’s going on this time. We agree on 900 euros.

Technical data Yamaha XT – Yamaha XT 600 (YOC 1984)

engine
Air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke engine, an overhead camshaft, four valves, double carburettors, contactless ignition, no exhaust gas cleaning, kick starter, five-speed gearbox, O-ring chain.
Cubic capacity 595 cm3
rated capacity
32 kW (44 PS) at 6500 rpm
Max. Torque
49.5 Nm at 5500 rpm

landing gear
Single-tube frame made of steel, telescopic fork, two-arm swing arm made of steel profiles, central spring strut, disc brake at the front, drum brake at the rear, tires 3.00 S 21 at the front, 4.60 S 18 at the rear.
mass and weight
Seat height * 850 mm, weight with a full tank * 154 kg, payload * 201 kg, tank capacity 11.5 liters.
measurements (MOTORRAD 24/1984)
Performance
Top speed 146 km / h
Acceleration 0-100 km / h 5.8 sec
consumption
5.6 l / 100 km (test average), great

Internet Search – Huge Choices

Nowhere is the selection of used machines as huge as on the Internet. At www.mobile.de, www.motoscout24.de, www. quoka.de and all the other sales platforms have tens of thousands of used machines. Practically all of these Internet addresses offer search functions so that specific offers can be filtered out. Are you looking for an XT 600, built in 1984, with a maximum of 50,000 kilometers for less than 1000 euros in the vicinity of Cologne? Enter criteria, press Enter and ?? zack, all suitable offers appear. What is annoying occasionally: provider information that has not been activated. This is often only available in return for a chargeable phone call.

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