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Interesting old thread to resurrect... but worth discussing.
Let's look at some of my history:
2 bikes - advrider.com (V-Strom DL1000, sold on ADVrider.com, and FJ-09, still own)
2 bikes - CrackList (VX800 #2 sold to a friend, KLR650 #1, totaled)
1 bike - CrackList found via http://www.bikefinds.com/ (KLR650 #2, still own)
1 bike - Cycle Trader (VX800 #1, sold via CrackList, IIRC)
2 bikes - Newspaper classified ads (GS850, purchased on consignment from a small independent shop in 1997 back when newspaper classifieds were still a thing, still own, wife's Honda 1981 CM400T, sold to a friend)
3 bikes - personal contacts (1978 GS400, sold to a friend, 1978 KZ650 sold via classified ad a long time ago, 1979 GS850, parted out)
I also found my van (2010 Toyota Sienna, still owned) and my wife's last car (2004 Camry, totaled with family sale pending, which sucked) on CrackList. Her current car, a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, was purchased from Carmax after a few extremely bad dealership experiences.
We've also purchased a few cars through our credit union's auto buying service - if this is available to you, this is by far the best experience.
I do think the CrackList era is completely over. It's 95% scammers and the rest are small-time dealers masquerading as private party sellers. The signal to noise ratio is overwhelming for both buyers and sellers.
As far as selling bikes, I've had the best results from ADVrider.com -- it's mostly "adventure" and dual-sport focused, but it's a huge worldwide audience of motorcycle enthusiasts, most of whom own multiple bikes. All kinds of motorcycles are welcome and free to post. That said, there's a lot of activity and you can only bump your ad every two weeks or so; it takes patience.
The guy I bought my FJ-09 from posted on ADVrider.com because he wanted to make sure it was purchased by an experienced rider. It's a powerful bike, and he just could not have lived with himself if some yahoo in his 20s bought it and then went out and splattered himself. When we first spoke on the phone, it was something like a job interview where we discussed my training, experience, etc. I kinda get that... they're not kittens, but you do want them to go to good homes.
I've never really figured out why selling bikes here on the GSR forum doesn't work better.
For example, Larry D's fantastic GK has been up for sale here for a month or two at an amazing price with no nibbles. Can't figure that one out.
Here's the link: https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...-84-gs-1100-gk
One huge factor is that this is the most frugal, tightfisted bunch of two-wheeled tightwads I've ever seen. I love you all like brothers, but damn, many of you make KLR riders look like drunk lottery winners. I've seen people miss months of prime riding time because they won't buy a $5 multimeter, or skate around all summer on glass-hard ancient rubber because they can't bring themselves to spend $120 on a set of Shinko tires. How many people have wasted entire riding seasons because they insist on farting around with low-rent petcock rebuild kits instead of just ponying up for new petcocks, or won't skip a few lattes and buy intake boots or a stator?
Or maybe it's that a lot of folks here already have a GS and don't want another. That's the category I fall into, I suppose.
Let's look at some of my history:
2 bikes - advrider.com (V-Strom DL1000, sold on ADVrider.com, and FJ-09, still own)
2 bikes - CrackList (VX800 #2 sold to a friend, KLR650 #1, totaled)
1 bike - CrackList found via http://www.bikefinds.com/ (KLR650 #2, still own)
1 bike - Cycle Trader (VX800 #1, sold via CrackList, IIRC)
2 bikes - Newspaper classified ads (GS850, purchased on consignment from a small independent shop in 1997 back when newspaper classifieds were still a thing, still own, wife's Honda 1981 CM400T, sold to a friend)
3 bikes - personal contacts (1978 GS400, sold to a friend, 1978 KZ650 sold via classified ad a long time ago, 1979 GS850, parted out)
I also found my van (2010 Toyota Sienna, still owned) and my wife's last car (2004 Camry, totaled with family sale pending, which sucked) on CrackList. Her current car, a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport, was purchased from Carmax after a few extremely bad dealership experiences.
We've also purchased a few cars through our credit union's auto buying service - if this is available to you, this is by far the best experience.
I do think the CrackList era is completely over. It's 95% scammers and the rest are small-time dealers masquerading as private party sellers. The signal to noise ratio is overwhelming for both buyers and sellers.
As far as selling bikes, I've had the best results from ADVrider.com -- it's mostly "adventure" and dual-sport focused, but it's a huge worldwide audience of motorcycle enthusiasts, most of whom own multiple bikes. All kinds of motorcycles are welcome and free to post. That said, there's a lot of activity and you can only bump your ad every two weeks or so; it takes patience.
The guy I bought my FJ-09 from posted on ADVrider.com because he wanted to make sure it was purchased by an experienced rider. It's a powerful bike, and he just could not have lived with himself if some yahoo in his 20s bought it and then went out and splattered himself. When we first spoke on the phone, it was something like a job interview where we discussed my training, experience, etc. I kinda get that... they're not kittens, but you do want them to go to good homes.
I've never really figured out why selling bikes here on the GSR forum doesn't work better.
For example, Larry D's fantastic GK has been up for sale here for a month or two at an amazing price with no nibbles. Can't figure that one out.
Here's the link: https://www.thegsresources.com/_foru...-84-gs-1100-gk
One huge factor is that this is the most frugal, tightfisted bunch of two-wheeled tightwads I've ever seen. I love you all like brothers, but damn, many of you make KLR riders look like drunk lottery winners. I've seen people miss months of prime riding time because they won't buy a $5 multimeter, or skate around all summer on glass-hard ancient rubber because they can't bring themselves to spend $120 on a set of Shinko tires. How many people have wasted entire riding seasons because they insist on farting around with low-rent petcock rebuild kits instead of just ponying up for new petcocks, or won't skip a few lattes and buy intake boots or a stator?
Or maybe it's that a lot of folks here already have a GS and don't want another. That's the category I fall into, I suppose.
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