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One Less Bike

Posted: Sat Jun 08, 2019 5:47 pm
by Flack
My son sold his motorcycle today.

Recap: Oklahoma is one of several states in which you can get a license to drive a motorcycle at the age of 14. In addition to attending a state-sponsored training course, riders under 16 are also limited to 250cc. Shortly before Mason turned 14, our next door neighbor's son turned 16 and was looking to sell his Suzuki TU250X. We purchased it for $2,000, which included a pair of saddle bags and a helmet.

I want to say Mason was about 5'4" when he bought the bike; today, at 17 1/2, he's 6'1". He hasn't ridden it since he got his full driver's license, and so, like our old neighbor's son, he was ready to part with it. I made him a deal that anything over $2k (my investment) he could keep. Always a planner, he listed it for $4,500 on Craigslist and got zero replies.

This week he relisted it for $2,900, and got a counter offer of $2,500. In the end, they agreed on $2,200 for the bike without the saddlebags or the helmet.

The buyer was a 54YO man who had just taken the same training course, and we discovered they use this exact model of bike, which is how he had found the ad. The guy was so uncomfortable around the bike that when I asked him if he wanted to sit on it and start it, he said no. In fact, after he paid for the bike and we had signed the title over, he asked Mason to ride it from the bank (where we made the transaction) to his house. There was one awkward moment when the man got lost leading us back to his house, but my wife had already left with the money so the worst he could have done was... steal his own motorcycle? Anyway, things worked out fine. We delivered the bike, he asked a few in depth questions (which is the brake and which is the clutch?) and then we were on our way.

So, Mason got to ride a bike for 3 1/2 years and made $200 profit; not bad. He says after he saves up some money he may buy a bigger bike in the fall when prices are low. For now though, we're back to one bike in the garage (mine).

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Re: One Less Bike

Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:27 am
by Tdarcos
I'm disappointed, everybody around here is getting rid of bikes. I only gave away a leg.

Re: One Less Bike

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:08 am
by Jizaboz
And you didn’t even have to get into a terrible accident on a bike to do it!

Re: One Less Bike

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:45 am
by Tdarcos
Jizaboz wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 1:08 am And you didn’t even have to get into a terrible accident on a bike to do it!
You could say I lost my leg in a wheelchair accident. Man those power chairs can be brutal at high speed!

Re: One Less Bike

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:51 am
by Tdarcos
Flack, since your cycle buyer didn't want to ride it, IMNSHO he is not licensed to ride a MC and/or does not know how to ride one, and is doing the same thing you did: buying it as a gift.

Re: One Less Bike

Posted: Wed Jun 26, 2019 7:56 am
by Flack
Tdarcos wrote: Wed Jun 26, 2019 3:51 am Flack, since your cycle buyer didn't want to ride it, IMNSHO he is not licensed to ride a MC and/or does not know how to ride one, and is doing the same thing you did: buying it as a gift.
He had his license, but had only ridden a motorcycle on the state's test course and not on city streets. The area between his bank and his house is a pretty busy part of town, so I can understand him not wanting to make that his first official trip on two wheels.

It was also a matter of logistics; the guy had come alone, and had no way to transport two vehicles back to his house.