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To sell or not to sell, how to get the most out of your bike and when. *Formula?

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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 11:24 AM
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Default To sell or not to sell, how to get the most out of your bike and when. *Formula?

I love my SVS650, and its a great all around bike, it does everything pretty well, but it's by no means a speed demon. So for next season im thinking of picking up something a little bit faster.

But here is the dilemma, to sell the SVS and get a little bit of money back, or keep it and keep riding it forever and pick up a second bike. Depends on which one is a smarter financial move.

If I sell the bike next year, I'll get the depreciated value, and all the money I've spend on it including the taxes, and the delivery, which is an obvious loss that comes with the sale. And I'll also not have the bike, but I'll get some money back out of the deal. So basically it would have cost me a few grand to rent a bike for a year... if to be put that way. Now if somebody asked me if I would like to rent it for a year for that much I would have probably said no.

So here comes the question, at which point is it worth keeping the bike instead of selling it.

After thinking about it for a while and trying to come up with one major factoid that would outweight the potential benefit of getting about 3/4K out of the bike I have come up with one... enjoyment/pleasure. Now people say you cant put a price on joy, but I have.

Joy will cost, hypothetically 10$ an hour, but instead of taking it away from you, it will add on. So if you use the bike for 100 hours, it's as good as getting 1000$ for selling it, but it's even better because you still have the bike and you can get more joy out of it.

Now in order for somebody who makes 10$ an hour to make the 3000$ he would potential get for the bike he would have to work 300 hours. So if I use the bike to get 300 hours of joy, to counter act 300 hours of work, it would be a better alternative to selling it, as I get to keep it whenever, and put as many miles on it as I can and still be able to sell it for 2 grand in peak season even with very high miles on it, because it is the bottom low of depreciation. The point at which the bike will barely go any lower no matter what happens to it.

I'm not sure how incoherent my ramble was or if anybody could follow it, but I'd be interested to see what you guys think of this.

P.S. It's kinda like the deal with my car its a slightly modded 1989 CRX Si, on the market it worth nearly nothing which is why I'll never sell it, It would be more benefitial to me to keep the car forever and have fun with it than sell it for 1500$.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 11:28 AM
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It's kinda a shitty time to sell now at the end of the season because:

A) it's the end of the season so no one will buy a bike for what it's worth

or

B) say you keep the bike until next season starts, well then you have to deal with it having more milage and being another year older.

It's a really tough situation you're in but just do whatever you feel is best.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 11:32 AM
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Default Re: (sup gurl)

Well im going to keep it.

But the whole situation is the exact reason im posting this.

If I decide to sell it, im loosing a ton of money and the bike, I mean that would mean that a year long investement on the bike would bring me only a 50% return, but when I keep it, I get to keep the bike and I do not lose the money on the costs that do not transfer over to the market price IE Tax's, running costs, mods, my own personal time put into it etc.

Maybe nobody will get exactly what I'm trying to say here, but It has worked out perfectly in my head which is exactly why I'm keeping it, its the smarter more economic desision.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 11:42 AM
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Default Re: (Vovchandr)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Vovchandr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Maybe nobody will get exactly what I'm trying to say here</TD></TR></TABLE>

Appears to be true.

Did you buy it new? It's pretty much impossible to justify selling at any point within several years 'cause you take such a large hit on depreciation. People do it all the time but those folks woulda been much better of buying used.

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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 11:50 AM
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Default Re: (Apocalypse)

Nope bought it used this year (its '03) model.

I just see these people all the time selling their bikes and buying new ones taking at least 3 grand pure loss for using the bike for maybe a year, and I just don't get it.

I mean I understand if they got an amazing deal to begin with and sell it for more then they got it for or the same, but most of the time its just not the case.

I'm basically coming up with logical financial reasons/excuses/justifications to keep the bike and add another one to the stable instead of selling this one to get it replaced with a new one. From what I have came up with the best way to get the most out of the bike is to put as many miles on it as possible, enjoy it as much as you can and as often as you can, and then sell it for bottom dollar depreciation, and get not too much less then if you would have sold it with 10K miles less. And that is 10K miles of fun you missed out on.

Plus there is nothing like having a great V-twin commuter paired up with a speed demon for trackdays, fun days, twisties.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 11:55 AM
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Who is selling their bikes for $3k less after a year? I'd like to meet these people... and buy their bike.

I bought mine nearly two years ago and I'm fairly certain I could sell it for ~$600-800 off what I paid for it.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 12:02 PM
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Default Re: (Apocalypse)

well lets see, an 8K$ bike will cost you almost 9000$ after taxes and reg and inpection and other random stuff. Plus in a year lets say he puts about 5K miles on it, so there is another grandso he'll probably list it for about 7500 but get about 7000 on an offer. Thats not counting other stuff like possible scuffs and scratches.

3K$ maybe is an over kill, but a 2K$ loss is very possible. So like I said you basically paid 2K to rent a bike for a year, in 4 years you just paid the bike in full. However if you keep a bike for 5 years, put 20K miles on it, you will probably still be able to sell the bike for at least 2500 (assuming its a supersport 600), so it cost you 6500 to use the bike for 5 years (1300$ a year no counting other expenses) and you got 20 thousand miles of fun out of it.

I guess that kinda sums up the point im trying to make ^
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 12:19 PM
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Default Re: To sell or not to sell, how to get the most out of your bike and when. *Formula? (Vovchandr)

Keep it for a commuter like you suggested.

I think I'm going to keep my 1000 for sport touring & long distance stuff, and get a middleweight (The Kawasaki 636 looks pretty good right now) for more sporty rides. My YZF still has alot of life left in it, but it is a clunky ride in town here where the speed limit is only 30 mph.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 12:26 PM
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Default Re: To sell or not to sell, how to get the most out of your bike and when. *Formula? (The_Head)

Who would have thought that having 2 bikes is a smarter financial decision

Not that im complaining.

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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 12:34 PM
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Yeah, definately a bad time to sell right now. But just throw it up on Craigslist and see if you get any bites. Who knows? Then you could pick up the bike you want now for cheap.

Personally, if I don't like what I'm riding/driving, I have to sell it and get something that I want. For instance, I sold my S2000 and bought a 4Runner, thinking that I could just have my bike as a fix for the "need for speed." But after a month, I'm going crazy driving that 4Runner. I'm almost getting to the point of having feelings of hatred towards that car. So as of a week ago, I'm shopping for an Evo.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 12:35 PM
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i think this is more of a personal decision than anything else. Cost vs benefit problem where you're enjoyment is a variable on both sides (thus no definitive answer ).

i guess it helps when you put the numbers down yourself, huh?

The only time i can see a good time to sell a motorcycle: when you can't afford it, when you can make a profit on it, when you're not happy with it/riding, and when you need the extra cash for something more important.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 12:40 PM
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Default Re: (Sijray21)

Nicely put ray.
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Old Aug 15, 2006 | 03:32 PM
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Default Re: (Vovchandr)

Maybe your joy for riding a different bike will outweigh everything else. Financially, sell last month, and buy in snowy season or right before xmas.
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 08:53 AM
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Default Re: (Mr. PengUIN)

The joy of having a new bike wont outweight a joy of having a new bike and keeping your old one, which is the smarter decision which is what i was getting at.
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 09:15 AM
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Default Re: (Vovchandr)

I'll take two bikes.

Heck, I DO have two bikes.

I want a third.

End of the riding season? What kind'a crack are you guys smoking? Get off it, it's not good for you.

A second mode of 2 wheeled transportation is actually a really nice thing to have. It'll keep you from behing stranded.
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 09:23 AM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Heck, I DO have two bikes</TD></TR></TABLE>

It doesnt count when it is half-assembled and has no hopes of ever running again.
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 09:29 AM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

It doesnt count when it is half-assembled and has no hopes of ever running again.</TD></TR></TABLE>

And then there's my car... which I also can't use right now.

But no really! There was progress made on the VFR last week!
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 09:30 AM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">There was progress made on the VFR last week!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thinking about it while you're on the ******* doesnt constitute progress.
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 10:05 AM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Thinking about it while you're on the ******* doesnt constitute progress.</TD></TR></TABLE>

LOL.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">End of the riding season? What kind'a crack are you guys smoking? Get off it, it's not good for you.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I believe they meant end of the sellers' market season.
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Old Aug 16, 2006 | 01:31 PM
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Default Re: (Apocalypse)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Apocalypse &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I believe they meant end of the sellers' market season.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, I caught the inference... I just had to make fun of it.
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Old Aug 17, 2006 | 06:23 AM
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Default Re: (ASteele2)

2 bikes FTW
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 12:06 PM
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Default Re: (Vovchandr)

i got it for you bro, the ultimate formula for your dilema. it even works on the stock market, drug dealin, retail sales, EVERYTHING. the key is....

"BUY LOW, SELL HIGH" you can't go wrong with that one!
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 03:12 PM
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Default Re: (ASteele2)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ASteele2 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">End of the riding season? What kind'a crack are you guys smoking? Get off it, it's not good for you.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you ride year round up there in NOVA? I tried that when I lived in Norfolk... you can do it but you have to be kind of tough. It can get down in the 20's. That's pretty brutal at highway speeds.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 03:38 PM
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Default Re: (The_Head)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The_Head &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you ride year round up there in NOVA? I tried that when I lived in Norfolk... you can do it but you have to be kind of tough. It can get down in the 20's. That's pretty brutal at highway speeds.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I rode the winter months this year (Dec-March). 20 min commute. Damn near impossible in the AM (~6am). Maybe if I had heated grips back then...not sure.
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Old Aug 22, 2006 | 03:52 PM
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Default Re: (The_Head)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The_Head &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Do you ride year round up there in NOVA? I tried that when I lived in Norfolk... you can do it but you have to be kind of tough. It can get down in the 20's. That's pretty brutal at highway speeds.</TD></TR></TABLE>

He does but I think it's only because he doesn't have a car. Those of us who are less daring generally take Decemeber through February off and the are people like me who supposedly only ride 4 months of the year.

The problem with the weather around here is it'll be really great in the moring, say like 65° and then be 90° by the time you get out of work. Conversely, if you wanna ride the days the high is 65° you're looking at 40° morning commutes.
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