Really and truthfully

Has anyone bought a motorcycle of e-ripmeoffagain-bay and been really
and truthfully happy with their purchase?
Local private or dealers for me in future!!!!

 

Jones says...

Looking at the pieces of shit you've owned in the past, I'd say buying
new would be your best option as you are obviously 'sans clue' when it
comes to motorcycles.

 

Yes. My NS400(now 500)R was exactly as described and had no faults (other
than the ones originally engineered into it).

The other NS, however, wasn't exactly as described (the lights were dodgy,
the oil warning sensor was bust, the spannies were Nikons, not the
swarbricks claimed, it was clearly a Jap import and restricted (wouldn't go
over 120mph on the way home...) etc etc), but it had taken me the best part
of 8 hours to get to it (fatal on the M25 left us stuck for about 3 or 4
hours near Gatwick) so I took it anyway, stripped off the bits I needed and
flogged what was left on, honestly, to someone else.

Well yes, but you try finding a rare 20 year old 2-stroke either locally
(anywhere) or in a dealer. I had to take what was available.

Dave

 

Yes.

 

Wotcha.

Yes - three times yes.
BSA B33
BSA B31
Two litre Ford trike - ok, so the last one ain't a bike.

The trick is to treat Ebay as you would any other kind of bike buying
venture.
Go and look at the thing, then decided how much YOU think it's worth, then
bid that much when you get back home.
I've phoned sellers before now and asked if they would come to some
arrangement should the bike fail to attract any bids on Ebay. . . that's how
I got my trike. The B31 was located a good three hours drive away, but I
still went and looked, then made the same journey a week later to pick the
bike up - it failed to attract any bids on Ebay.
I've never bought a bike 'blind' from Ebay, and never would.

Would you buy from a local seller, or even a dealer, without seeing /
hearing / feeling the bike first ? I certainly wouldn't.

 

Bought both of my current ones. The Harley XL883C was/is superb (if you
like that kind of thing) - even better than I expected and about £1000 less
than book price. The old Suzuki LS650 that I am using as a winter hack was
bought at a very good price without an MOT. It went straight through the
MOT without any work needing to be done and I have been riding it ever
since. Very happy with both. The golden rules for buying bikes on ebay are
1. Don't buy from people with little or no feedback
2. If it sounds too good to be true then it isn't true
3. Never bid more than your limit - there will always be other bikes at more
sensible prices

A good strategy when buying is to look for bikes listed with a rather high
starting price (but well below what the bike is probably worth) and no
reserve. many people are unwilling to bid a high amount immediately so
these auctions usually attract comparatively few bids. That was how I got
the my Harley - I made the only bid about 10 secs before the auction closed.
On the other hand, the ones that have a very low starting price and no
reserve often attract a large group of optimists who think thay may get a
bargain. These auctions often end up with a bidding frenzy in the last few
minutes and frequently the bike will end up fetching more than it is really
worth. OTOH the latter strategy is usually the best one to use when
selling!

 

Yes. Many times.

But then I guess I'm btter at buying bikes than you.

 

I have. In fact, I haven't previously inspected any of the bikes I've
bought on Ebay.

 

I have, i got a mint hayabusa & it is just that.
--
'nothing up top but a bucket & a mop & an illustated book about birds'

Nige

Subaru WRX (54)
Land Rover 101 GS/Ambi (Morph)
BMW 650 GS Dakar
2000 Suzuki GSX1300R Y Hayabusa
KTM 520 SX

 

When myself, having come over from Belfast, Christofire and FJ arrived
for the B12 custom I'd won on eBay it was an "Oh ****" moment. It was
much better than expected.

Talk to the seller, look at his feedback, make a common sense decision.

 

But be prepared to walk away if it is significantly not as described

 

Absolutely.

 

Yes thanks.

Yesterday in fact.

You've no-one to blame other than yourself if you're too ignorant to
suss when someone's flogging a pile of shit.

A clue: Ask plenty of questions *before* you bid.

 

Can we assume that sig is made up of historical rides? Why the ****
people need to list every fucking piece of shit they've ever owned is
beyond me. They always turn out to be obsessively anal cunts, so
don't bother with them. This particular idiot can't even spell
"Raleigh", ffs.

My ex-eBay Bandit is lovely, tyvm.

 

Suitably chastened I vow not to buy another motorcycle from ebay (until
the next one )
In fact it is only the last two in the list I bought from Ebay and
unseen as they were too far to go and see. I take all the points made
in response and will make the effort to go and look or at least ask
plenty questions before buying again. I will have to buy again... The
Kwaka EL600 is great fun, but the YamViragos are crap. SWMBO says I must
reduce from three to one so will trade in and buy from local dealer for
something big, bare, loud and reliable..... but not too fast as the
synapses are not sparking as quickly as they used to!!
Thanks to all for the slap..... I deserved it...again!

 

Oh shit...... will change sig forthwith. Get enough earache from
SWMBO.... Hold on a mo.. 'obsessive-idiotic-dyslexic-anal-****' just
about sums me up..... thanks for the new sig!

 

Still can't spell Raleigh though, eh?

Too ignorant to construct a sentence or use and ellipsis correctly
too. "Pillock" sums you up.

 

I don't think I'll comment..... [snigger]

 

Or Wisp.

 

Yes.