Would you purchase a bike sight unseen?

[samboss260]

The is a bike, non-jap, that is over 21 hours drive away and a bit hard to get to, ie either 21 hour drive or long flight plus 4 hour drive. So it will cost me at least $1,200 to get to inspect it. Price is very good, but just toying with the idea of buying it sight unseen.

Dunno... It's in the back of my mind. And it is a 2004 Ducati.

[viperg]

Yes, I just purchased this late winter a 79 GS1000SN in CA from the original owner. He actually interviewed me first to pre-qualify me as a buyer. Not did I have the money, but why did I want the bike? When he asked me; "why do you want to own a GS1000SN?" I knew I had a good seller and the bike turned out far better than he described. We did several face time live video conversations for the bike inspection, start up and test ride along with a number of high res pics. I found a shipper 10 miles from the sellers house and had the bike delivered 4 days later.

[Chris G]

Bought both my bikes that way, it's all about getting to know the seller first, I spend as much time sussing the seller out as I do the bike, that way there should be no surprises.

[850 Combat]

I have purchased 4 1000G, 1, 1100G, 2 1000E, and 3 850G sight unseen. All were as expected. I purchased 2 RD400, and an RD350 sight unseen, and my 650 Seca was also sight unseen. I have purchased 2 Lotus Elites sight unseen. One was bogus. I have purchased numerous dual sports sight unseen. One of my RDs was worse than expected. One of my dual sports, a DT400, had a blown head gasket. I bought my Scirocco sight unseen too.

You can tell a lot from talking to the seller. I won't buy from someone who doesn't trust me over the phone for instance. I like to know why they are selling, why they are selling, how much they used it, etc. I don't like to buy from people who don't know anything about what they are selling, but if the money is right, I will. I bought a house sight unseen. That was a bad idea, but I still like the place.

[samboss260]

Thanks guys. Interesting thoughts......

Still don't know about this particular bike though.

[Montanaman]

I bought my '82 GPz1100 sight-unseen, all the way across the country, because they don't exist here, and I wanted THAT BIKE.

I wanted one for 30 years.

I saw it on EBAY, get 'sold' for $5k, then it re-appeared, because I guess he was running up the bids, and I made a deal to have it shipped to my door from Florida.

Yes, I paid too much.

Yes, I did have to put some serious coin into it.

But my grin hits both sides of my helmet when I'm out riding.

[fishnetter]

Yes, I just purchased this late winter a 79 GS1000SN in CA from the original owner. He actually interviewed me first to pre-qualify me as a buyer. Not did I have the money, but why did I want the bike? When he asked me; "why do you want to own a GS1000SN?" I knew I had a good seller and the bike turned out far better than he described. We did several face time live video conversations for the bike inspection, start up and test ride along with a number of high res pics. I found a shipper 10 miles from the sellers house and had the bike delivered 4 days later.

Thanks for the kind word Sean(viperg)! appreciate it. haven't heard from you in a while, but i did tell you i would leave you be for a while to do what you have to do with the bike. i hope is is coming along well, and close to being completed! give me a hollar soon. are you taking it to the show in Indy next month? like to hear from you when you have the time. i'm working my tail off right now!

[blowerbike]

just bought one from miami area and shipped to ohio for my brother.
wired the cash and waited for over 30 days for delivery..
it all worked out...326 miles on the bike and all is happy

[robertbarr]

Just sold a Bandit that way a few hours ago. Shippers are due here shortly. Buyer has seen one photo, the one in my sig (which now needs updating). Buyer's getting a really nice bike.

OTOH, I do have a reputation here. For better or worse. So I'm not exactly an unknown entity.

[bwringer]

Bought my V-Strom sight unseen from a guy in Michigan through an ad on the ADVrider.com Flea Market.

I talked to him on the phone, and saw four photos. That weekend, I drove north with a cashier's check and a friend to drive my car back and rode it home.

I knew the bike wouldn't be perfect and that was perfectly fine, since I paid a rock-bottom price. I was quite happy with the transaction overall.

[Griffin]

I bought a GS550ES off and ebay ad in 2003 for $1,100, shipped. The bike came from Vermont and was delivered via freight truck to my house. It was from a dealership, so I wasn't too worried about getting ripped off, but he had put it in a motorcycle shipping crate, so the driver, myself, and one of my neighbors had to slide this big assed, 500 lb. box down a makeshift ramp of 2x6 es to get it on the ground.

I was a little disappointed in the bike, it definitely looked better in the pics than in person. I won't say I got ripped off, but I probably would have offered him a couple hundred less than I paid for it if I had seen it in person first.

[Octain]

Not a bike but I did buy a truck. Ebay. Asked the seller to send me pics of the worse areas of the truck. He did better than that. He gave me his password to his picturetrail account so I could see pics of the restoration process. Must have had at least 500 pics. I've tried to access his account since but I'm assuming he changed his password.
It was a good deal and I've been offered almost twice what I paid and turned it down.
Had it shipped to my driveway. Cant remember how much to have it shipped but I'm thinking it was around 500 bux.
Still own the truck today.

[JEEPRUSTY]

Sigt unseen means that you have not seen it in any way.
I would never buy something without seeing it in person.

[850GT_Rider]

Sigt unseen means that you have not seen it in any way.
I would never buy something without seeing it in person.

Exactly on point. The original question said "Sight unseen". That means no photos, no nothin'.

"Did you ever buy a bike without viewing it in person?" is a whole 'nother question.

[83GS1100E_Tornado]

I have never bought a bike sight unseen, that's just a recipe for disaster.