Dilemma: New or Used??

[dxh24]

Still on my search for best deal for a nice FZ6.... anyways i came across two bikes an 09 with 5000 miles on it for $4900 or a new 09 with nadda on it for 6300, i could afford either i guess, paying it off longer but hey, anyways what do u guys think, get the newer one the used one or wait for a better deal? still new to the market so any advice on a good deal for one of these machines will be greatly appreciated! Thanks ahead of time!

 

[rjo3491]

...as a rule, I buy used - let the other idiot take the financial hit for making the new purchase. That said, one must be careful not to purchase another persons problem.

 

[Kazza]

If you can afford new, buy new.

Not been abused by anyone else and doesn't have any "hidden" problems.

We once bought a 2nd hand ZX6 - had a crack in the frame!

 

[jonnylikesvtwins]

Absolutely buy used! Having owned more than 25 motorcycles in my life, but having only bought 1 of them new, I have some great guidelines for your purchase:

1) Avoid buying a used motorcycle from a dealer (the dealer either had to purchase the bike outright from an auction, insurance company, finance company, or the owner himself/herself), that means that in order to survive, the dealer MUST mark it up. So, buy a used bike from the owner.
2) Make sure that the owner has kept ALL of the service/maintenance records, and make sure they have the title "in-hand". If they have not, then pay them substantially less than they are asking for the bike. It is always helpful to try to judge the previous owner's attitude toward the bike & condition of it. Never buy a bike from someone who does not care for it. Peoples' attitudes toward their possesions reflect greatly on their "care & feeding" of them.
3) Spend at least 10 minutes carefully looking over the bike; bring a flashlight & expect to crawl around on the ground. Look in every dark nook & cranny. Look at the frame, exhaust headers, underside of engine, sidecases, forks, brakes, rear shock, grips, under the seat, tire wear,etc. Actually, I try to look at so much stuff that the owner begins to feel nervous. Here's a tip: the longer that it takes the owner to feel nervous, the higher likelihood that the bike is in top shape.
4) Test ride the motorcycle where you can get up to at least 40mph in a straight line & let go of the handlebar to see if the bike pulls to one side strangely; if it does, WALK AWAY Test condition of brakes, shocks, steering bearings, etc while riding.
5) Show up with cash & make them a cash offer for 10%-15% less than what you are willing to actually pay for the bike, but please remember that your cash offer should be reasonable & respectful (but, who knows, you just might get it for that). There is something very difficult about refusing a cash-in-hand offer. Please, please, please do not insult the seller with an offer that it substantially less than fair-market-value.

If you have done these things, you are very likely to get a fantastic deal on a great used bike.

As for me, I just picked up an 08 FZ6 with 5,600 miles on it that was immaculate for $3,700!! (It was sooo clean that I was willing to pay $4,000, but they accepted $3,700 which allowed me to purchase & mount a set of new Michelin Pilot Powers) AND I LOVE IT!

 

[Erci]

Absolutely buy used! Having owned more than 25 motorcycles in my life, but having only bought 1 of them new, I have some great guidelines for your purchase:

1) Avoid buying a used motorcycle from a dealer (the dealer either had to purchase the bike outright from an auction, insurance company, finance company, or the owner himself/herself), that means that in order to survive, the dealer MUST mark it up. So, buy a used bike from the owner.
2) Make sure that the owner has kept ALL of the service/maintenance records, and make sure they have the title "in-hand". If they have not, then pay them substantially less than they are asking for the bike. It is always helpful to try to judge the previous owner's attitude toward the bike & condition of it. Never buy a bike from someone who does not care for it. Peoples' attitudes toward their possesions reflect greatly on their "care & feeding" of them.
3) Spend at least 10 minutes carefully looking over the bike; bring a flashlight & expect to crawl around on the ground. Look in every dark nook & cranny. Look at the frame, exhaust headers, underside of engine, sidecases, forks, brakes, rear shock, grips, under the seat, tire wear,etc. Actually, I try to look at so much stuff that the owner begins to feel nervous. Here's a tip: the longer that it takes the owner to feel nervous, the higher likelihood that the bike is in top shape.
4) Test ride the motorcycle where you can get up to at least 40mph in a straight line & let go of the handlebar to see if the bike pulls to one side strangely; if it does, WALK AWAY Test condition of brakes, shocks, steering bearings, etc while riding.
5) Show up with cash & make them a cash offer for 10%-15% less than what you are willing to actually pay for the bike, but please remember that your cash offer should be reasonable & respectful (but, who knows, you just might get it for that). There is something very difficult about refusing a cash-in-hand offer. Please, please, please do not insult the seller with an offer that it substantially less than fair-market-value.

If you have done these things, you are very likely to get a fantastic deal on a great used bike.

As for me, I just picked up an 08 FZ6 with 5,600 miles on it that was immaculate for $3,700!! (It was sooo clean that I was willing to pay $4,000, but they accepted $3,700 which allowed me to purchase & mount a set of new Michelin Pilot Powers) AND I LOVE IT!

Agree 100% :thumbup:

Bikes are very different from cars when it comes to buying used. Cars (unless exotic) are nearly always used for transportation. Original owner will either be leasing it (and not caring too much about it) or buying it and driving it until it either has too many miles or develops issues. So when you buy a used car, no matter how well you inspect it be prepared to deal with an issue or three.
Bikes, on the other hand, are very often purchased new by someone who *thinks* he really wants to ride a motorcycle. They then get ridden very little and the person decides, for one reason or another, that the whole riding thing is just not for him. What you end up buying is a bike that's just about brand new and for 2-3k less than what the dealer will charge you.

Now.. I'm not saying that no one should buy new. Of course someone should! .. so I can later buy it from them for a lot less :sinister:

 

[Nitrag]

Absolutely buy used! Having owned more than 25 motorcycles in my life, but having only bought 1 of them new, I have some great guidelines for your purchase:

.........

As for me, I just picked up an 08 FZ6 with 5,600 miles on it that was immaculate for $3,700!! (It was sooo clean that I was willing to pay $4,000, but they accepted $3,700 which allowed me to purchase & mount a set of new Michelin Pilot Powers) AND I LOVE IT!

You. Are. My. Hero.

This is the most sensible and clear cut advice I have heard in a long time. This is exactly what I was hoping to find coming to these forums and I had found it in only a few days. Thank you sir for your wisdom.

:thumbup

 

[dstaffx]

I wouldn't shrug off buying new so quickly. If its new you should get a good warranty with it, and if you're not mechanically minded getting a second hand bike fixed can be $$$$$.

I would consider buying a new bike myself with no problems. (My current ones are all second hand bought but they had with less than 1000 Klms on them).

 

[FIZZER6]

OP: Maybe you need to drive south to buy a bike!

I bought my 2006 brand new in January 2007 from a dealer trying to drop them quick for $4,899...it was $5,500 OTD including tags, title, taxes and fees. It had 1 mile on the odometer.

Unless the prices have significantly jumped on FZ6's in 4 years...

If I did not find that kind of steal on a new one I would have absolutely saved myself $2,000 and bought one with 5,000 miles and never dropped.

 

[Erci]

I wouldn't shrug off buying new so quickly. If its new you should get a good warranty with it, and if you're not mechanically minded getting a second hand bike fixed can be $$$$$.

I would consider buying a new bike myself with no problems. (My current ones are all second hand bought but they had with less than 1000 Klms on them).

Ah.. interesting point. Let's put it to a test http://www.600riders.com/forum/fz6-general-discussion/36926-warranty-ever-used.html

 

[MHS]

Very useful information. Thanks!

My parents have never once purchased a used vehicle, and forced that on me with my last car purchase. Even though I want to break that habit, every time it comes down to pulling the trigger I wind up going new. It sucks.

 

[FinalImpact]

Keep this in mind -

Used:
Title and registration
Tags update?

New from dealer:
Title
Registration
Plates // Tags
Import fee
Setup fee
Taxes
Dealer markup
blah blah blah . . add another 600 +++ or so the price listed. . .

Used makes sense to me! Yes, you could get burned, so if inspecting is beyond your means, take it some where or have a friend look too! New does get you a warranty so you have that for you. . .

 

[SirIsaac]

Keep this in mind -

Used:
Title and registration
Tags update?

Where I live you have to pay taxes when you purchase a used bike also. Lower price means lower tax, but still a significant amount (e.g. would be $320 on the used, $400 on the new in this case.)

New from dealer:
Title
Registration
Plates // Tags
Import fee
Setup fee
Taxes
Dealer markup
blah blah blah . . add another 600 +++ or so the price listed. . .

In my opinion, Import fee, Setup fee, Dealer markup, or other BS fees like "documentation" or "freight" are negotiable. Offer $6200 (or whatever number you like) plus tax and title. If the dealer balks or comes back with above described BS fees, walk out the door and buy the used.

 

[ScoobieDee]

I bought a brand new 09 FZ6 (blue) for $6150 OTD (incl tax and everything). KBB says retail value for a 09 FZ6 in good condition is $5150. Add Michigan tax and we are at about $5500. I'm no mechanic, I am a "Do-it-yourself" type though and can learn as I go, but i just do not have the knowledge to check each and every detail of a used motorcycle to ensure they aren't trying to hide something. The extra $650 for a new one with warranty gives me the peace of mind to know that I am not going to be buying someone else's problems that could easily cost more than that to fix.

 

[ScoobieDee]

Where I live you have to pay taxes when you purchase a used bike also. Lower price means lower tax, but still a significant amount (e.g. would be $320 on the used, $400 on the new in this case.)



In my opinion, Import fee, Setup fee, Dealer markup, or other BS fees like "documentation" or "freight" are negotiable. Offer $6200 (or whatever number you like) plus tax and title. If the dealer balks or comes back with above described BS fees, walk out the door and buy the used.

Exactly, if you ever hear a dealership mention any of those fees, you are doing it wrong. Do research, find the fair market value, and place a reasonable OTD offer (including tax/title). Let them worry about how they are going to divide up the money.

 

[Bates121]

Absolutely buy used! Having owned more than 25 motorcycles in my life, but having only bought 1 of them new, I have some great guidelines for your purchase:

1) Avoid buying a used motorcycle from a dealer (the dealer either had to purchase the bike outright from an auction, insurance company, finance company, or the owner himself/herself), that means that in order to survive, the dealer MUST mark it up. So, buy a used bike from the owner.
2) Make sure that the owner has kept ALL of the service/maintenance records, and make sure they have the title "in-hand". If they have not, then pay them substantially less than they are asking for the bike. It is always helpful to try to judge the previous owner's attitude toward the bike & condition of it. Never buy a bike from someone who does not care for it. Peoples' attitudes toward their possesions reflect greatly on their "care & feeding" of them.
3) Spend at least 10 minutes carefully looking over the bike; bring a flashlight & expect to crawl around on the ground. Look in every dark nook & cranny. Look at the frame, exhaust headers, underside of engine, sidecases, forks, brakes, rear shock, grips, under the seat, tire wear,etc. Actually, I try to look at so much stuff that the owner begins to feel nervous. Here's a tip: the longer that it takes the owner to feel nervous, the higher likelihood that the bike is in top shape.
4) Test ride the motorcycle where you can get up to at least 40mph in a straight line & let go of the handlebar to see if the bike pulls to one side strangely; if it does, WALK AWAY Test condition of brakes, shocks, steering bearings, etc while riding.
5) Show up with cash & make them a cash offer for 10%-15% less than what you are willing to actually pay for the bike, but please remember that your cash offer should be reasonable & respectful (but, who knows, you just might get it for that). There is something very difficult about refusing a cash-in-hand offer. Please, please, please do not insult the seller with an offer that it substantially less than fair-market-value.

If you have done these things, you are very likely to get a fantastic deal on a great used bike.

As for me, I just picked up an 08 FZ6 with 5,600 miles on it that was immaculate for $3,700!! (It was sooo clean that I was willing to pay $4,000, but they accepted $3,700 which allowed me to purchase & mount a set of new Michelin Pilot Powers) AND I LOVE IT!

Fantastic advice for anyone looking a buying a used bike Thanks!!!:thumbup:

 

[PoorSSJ]

I'd been looking at a used 07 with 1321 miles on the odometer for 4999.
Then I found a new 08 for 5400 at larsenscycle.com
they have another 08 in black if you are interested