Parting out bikes...
 

Who's done it? Ever get burnt? Worth it?

So in my quest to get my Tiller where I want her, I've been watching forums, craigslist, and eBay for parts... while at the same time selling off some stuff. I came across this: http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcy/2159188696.html

Now obviously this is an 'it all depends' sort of situation, but I'm curious about other's experiences... I'm thinking, depending on that condition it's in and what's all there/missing, I could buy it, use some of the parts, part out the rest and most likely make a couple of bucks.

Not worth the time usually.

In this case if the parts you need would cost as much as the asking price then go for it, then go on a bike specific forum and put up a parts for sale post.

Other than that, its just not worth the hastle, time and the little bit of money you will make off it.

Just from the description the parts worth selling, on that bike are probably already screwed anyway, plastics, seat, lights, side cases, foot pegs, handlebars, controls, guages and subframe are the big items that are worth your time and trouble, and a stunt bike has probably been dropped, which is why folks generally need those parts anyway.

I have tried to part out a few cars before, and people all want either the big parts that sell right away, or they want the small little bits that aren't worth jack, but they don't want them today, they will want them 6 months from now when they need them, not when you are selling them. I don't think I will ever try to part out anything again, I will always try and sell it as is missing 'these' parts or broken because of 'this'

Depends on the bike!

Like my BMW R1150RT could have made me about $10k if I wanted to take the time to part it. But I'm not a patient person, and I had a friend I knew wanted that bike. So I sold it.

The TLR does NOT have the demand that my RT did. Trust me....Been right in your shoes with MY tiller

http://www.troybaker.com/tlr/ouch4.jpg

Trying to part off a bike that had $4000 in upgrades, and lost my arse!

But it was because it was a low demand TLR. Had it been a gixxer I would have made out pretty well.

This, exactly.

YOu couldn't pay me enough to part out a motorcycle again. I parted out my '91 GSX-R 750, and it was a huge pain in the ass. I parted it out 10 years ago, and just last year I threw away a box with the few knick knacks nobody wanted. I lost my ass and it was way more trouble than it was worth.

Damn right I wanted it. I'm enjoying the hell out of it now that I've got it all put back together. :D (PS bags will be here next week, then it will be *done*!) :whatwhat:

I didn't realize your TL got wrecked.

OSP, on the parting out thing it is a pain in the ass. Going local on Craigslist or something takes time since you will be having hour long conversations with someone about a part you are selling for $5 and your market is limited. Going national with Ebay eliminates some of that but you will end up with at least one ass who complains about the condition of the part you sent them no matter how accurately you describe it. That is going to eat up anything you may make overall. Then you have the hassle of packaging and shipping everything.

LISTEN TO THESE GUYS!!!

I have had the unfortunate experience of parting a few bikes because of my racing adventures.

If the parts you want from the bike would cost less as a package then individually, I MAY do it.

Get the idea of making your money back quickly out of your head.

Also, prepare to sacrifice a good portion of your garage to shit you don't want.

If you feel the parts you need are worth $700 of the $850 price, do it.

It's a major pain in the ass. To get rid of the parts you don't want/need, you need to find an active bike (model specific) forum and hope somebody needs what you have within a reasonable time frame.

Ebay is another way to get rid of parts but the costs involved keep going up.

Search ebay for completed sales and see what the parts you'd get rid of actually sold for. Also, make sure you have enough in shipping to cover your costs but not too high to scare away potential buyers.

So, I got a pic of it... Total basket case... Wheels, tires, rotors, forks, triples, frame, subframe, rear suspension and engine only... Literally nothing else...

I told the guy in its condition he'd be lucky to get $300 for it... He responded this morning with, "I'll take $350"...

Fucking tempting to tell the guy he'll take $250 and like it... I just KNOW I can move it over time on the TL forums... Plus I could use the rotors and subframe if they aren't fucked... Keep talking me out of it guys...

Offer him the $250 cash for it. Either he accepts or you walk away.

Plus, that way it's cheap enough for what you want that it matters less if you sell other bits.

Leon bought a wrecked 02 GSXR 1k a couple years ago.....with a clean title.

He made really good money on it...i think he paid the dude like 200$

You can win but the circumstances have to be PERFECT! If the parts you need/want are more expensive or equal to the bike then okay. Otherwise, forget it!:panic:

Just like everyone else says, offer him $250 cash, and tell him that you will be glad to load it without any help. I'd buy almost any modern bike sight unseen for that price.

The following is just my opinion....based on my experience with TLR parts for 5-7 years



$150-200. Same as Gen I Busa, so you could market it that way and be a little better off

Unless YOU need them...good luck! The only used tires worth buying are track take-offs and THEN only from someone you trust or have SEEN scrub them in and take them off after ONE heat cycle

$25 unless you include them with the wheels, then you up the wheels value by about $50

$100

Worthless unless you sell them with the forks, and then it only ups the value a little

Worth VERY little. No one steals a TLR. If it were a Busa or Gixxer frame, it'd be worth a MINT (see Leon)

This is worth more to YOU, because you can butcher this one and KEEP your original!

If you get $10 for the stock rear suspension consider yourself rich!

Now here you could go broke trying to gather up some of the old Yoshi racing parts and make a sweet motor for yourself. But don't look to get more than 135hp to the ground out of the BEST mods.

OK. WTF. Don't lower your already low offer and put CASH after it. I mean, what were you going to pay me with before - fruit loops?

There was never an offer, OSP simply told the guy to be reasonable.

Sounds like the guy is coming around so no reason not to hit him low.

Cool... I think it was the "cash" statement that got me. :lol:

After recently selling a few bikes on CL, it was the "I'll pay you cash" statements that most cracked me up. How else are you going to pay me... Nigerian cashier's cheque? Especially when the amount is under $500 [in this case] why should you get special consideration for cash?

I hear ya.

The only time cash should get special consideration is if the other option is a credit card (additonal cost to seller).

Even on bigger ticket items, it is laughable. Often, the seller can make more financing the item than they can selling it.

Yea, I'm selling a couple cars and I get calls all day offering me "CASH!!!":lol:, usually for half the asking price...:panic:

When selling the buick id have taken four hundred dollars worth of fruit loops just for the pure spectacle of it

You know... you should fuck with them, Nigerian style...

Tell them to mail you a cashiers check for 1/4 of the asking price, then you'll sell it to them for half of that amount and refund the difference when you meet them. Then send them to some crazy location in the middle of nowhere at an awkward time. Like 2am on a Wednesday.

Right. Like saying they will pay in real money rather than monopoly money they should get a prize.

:lol: We're going to remember this...

The last bigish ticket item i tried selling I had plenty of offers, but while they all seemed genuine, none were offers I would have considered taking.

One guy offered me a postdated check so he could put money in the bank on his next paycheck. Another guy offered to sign over his next bonus, i was also offered a bank tellers promisory note, whatever the fuck that is. And those were the in person offers for a 10 year old car I was selling. The on line offers were even worse. I would have taken $500 less for cash, and thats off my $2000 asking price.

Sorry, but people need to know what form of currency I'm talking about.

No worries about this one... I offered the guy $250 and he said he just sold it for $400.

400 seems reasonable, depending on what parts the buyer needed.

But this thread did bring up some good thoughts on parting out vehicles. Once in a while we actually can have an adult conversation without boobs coming into play

Speak for yourself :boobs:

But yea, if I was looking for a motor or something, hell I mighta gave him the $850 (I certainly would have tried lowballing though)... For me I was interested in the subframe and the rotors (cause his were silver, mine are gold)...

Well be careful, buying parts only to change color can end badly, just ask Dlit...:lol:

you should send him a new message offering him the asking price and make him feel like an ass for selling too soon

In general I have done well with parting out bikes. Did a TL1000S and a CBR 954. But this was 5-6years ago. Sold everything on ebay, even the motors. Both were wrecked bikes and both frames went back to the owner whom I was parting out the bike for. One of those I think ended being report stolen after I had it (not my fault) and he double dipped it. The other guy... I don't know what he did.

A few years ago you could buy a beand new GSXR 1000 and part it out on eBay for a profit. I guess it depends on hom many noobs are crashing the bike your trying to sell.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/mcy/2197229455.html

And its back on craigslist... Looks like he didn't move it afterall. He just turned down my $250 offer again. Maybe he'll come around. :idk:

I sent him an email

Nice. Since I haven't emailed him though, he is probably going to think your email is me :lol: