[IanDoohan]

Be fair: in anyone's opinion, as a serious buyer in the market for a restomodded 93 900RR, professionally maintained with several add-ons and trick parts, and presumably less than 15k miles (probably only less than 2k on refreshed motor from 2014)....... what should it fetch?

Thanks

 

[nigelrb]

Very narrow market as you're aware, Ian.

Classic case of over-capitalisation. Whilst it would be the best of the bunch, my 'guesstimate' in the UK market would be £6,000 tops. No offence or sarcasm here, and I'm sure our fellow members will offer widely varying opinions.

I might also point out that the Erion can doesn't necessarily 'add value'.

 

[IanDoohan]

I’ll be honest Nigel, that’s about double what I think someone here would offer. I totally understand, it was built to suit my personal preference at the time and would cater only to an enthusiast of the same caliber and/or taste. I appreciate your high estimate however, I feel without bodywork the value will be much lower, despite its cleanliness and overall “coolness” 😎😉👍🏻. I’m curious to see what others may believe.

Thank you 👍🏻

 

[nigelrb]

I think knowing a bit of its history and its owner allows me to load the price a bit. If it were in UK a couple of months ago, I would have willingly paid five and a bit for it - and I'm serious. As stated many times, 'I'm a fairings and clip ons guy' but your bike is the pinnacle of perfection, cleanliness, and bling appeal.

Sounds surprising from me, as I'm traditionally an OEM purist, but your bike has all the grace and poise of the Kardashian girls, and the mouthful of bite of Chelsea Clinton . What more could a guy want?

 

[IanDoohan]

I think knowing a bit of its history and its owner allows me to load the price a bit. If it were in UK a couple of months ago, I would have willingly paid five and a bit for it - and I'm serious. As stated many times, 'I'm a fairings and clip ons guy' but your bike is the pinnacle of perfection, cleanliness, and bling appeal.

Sounds surprising from me, as I'm traditionally an OEM purist, but your bike has all the grace and poise of the Kardashian girls, and the mouthful of bite of Chelsea Clinton . What more could a guy want?

 

[dualheadlamps]

The reality of the situation is there are two types of buyers out there for this thing.

One type of buyer assumes such a heavily non-traditionally modded bike is most likely a basket-case, and therefore worth 3K at the very high end. But probably not, but thinks it could be a fun gamble. Tax return money in hand ready to burn, "money I wouldn't have had anyway."

The other type of buyer that would consider paying more than that, goes "Ooh, shiny red motorcycle, I want!", and is mechanically impotent. Therefore, would never commit to buying the thing. He'll tell you all about the extended warrannties and accessories Honda is going to sell him.

No-one knows the quality of work and care that you MAY have put into building such a thing. Buying a used vehicle is always glass half full.

 

[IanDoohan]

@dualheadlamps You’re abosolitely right. If there is one thing I’ve learned in 30 years of building bikes, there are those that know, and those that know shit.

I have to decide if it’s going to get me the money I think I need, which would be the only factor of selling, otherwise I suppose it’s mine forever.

Then there is my 99 track bike. Cool period correct bits on that too, but also dedicated to the track unless the buyer is savvy enough to want to invest in a wire harness. At least that one has fairings 😉😂

Thanks for the replies thus far 👍🏻

 

[nigelrb]

No-one knows the quality of work and care that you MAY have put into building such a thing. Buying a used vehicle is always glass half full.

That hits a nerve with me because I believe anyone looking at the bike WILL accept that every care, emotion, AND expense has been put into the bike and they would not even think of hearing a rattling bag of bolts on a smokey start up.

Sure, we know there are bikes and cars dressed up to hoodwink the prospective buyer, but this example clearly doesn't fit the mold.

 

[dualheadlamps]

Sounds like you WANT to sell, for whatever reason. Then sell.

There is a third type of buyer, but they are an outlier. They're the type that want exactly what you built, and have the knowledge, and funds to purchase your bike. They can come around next week, or next year. I have waited for this buyer on more than one occassion, and though they did come around, it was never the next week.

Here's what I would do.

Take off the money parts (upper triple, shock, etc.). At the end of the day, they won't affect the overall SALE value of the bike much at all.

Go get your state smog/safety certifications done. This is a BIG factor for many buyers.

Price it accordingly to your market. Not sure if you're in a big city, or in the boonies, but that makes one hell of a difference.

Word of mouth would actually sell this bike easier than local classifieds, put the word out in the community. Track days, meets, etc. Enthusiasts will appreciate the bike in person. Internet trolls will well, internet troll you, go figure.

A proper enthusiast is more likely to buy your bike than a mid life crisis-er with their tax refund, but the enthusiast will pay enthusiast money, we both know what that means. I consider myself an enthusiast.

I wouldn't price it higher than $3500 asking, you'll get $3000. That's the largest cash bankroll the minimum wage McDonalds employee can come up with. They are looking at bikes for $4000 with $3000 in the bank. No-one is financing this thing, any more cash and it gets scary to spend.

Market really is a big factor. For example, here, in Toronto, your bike would never sell, ever. Insurance rates on superbikes requires bank robbery every 2-3 weeks. Anyone who's willing to shell out that kind of coin to insure a superbike isn't going to spend it on something that doesn't look like one. And no-one is buying such a pretty bike for the track.

Market is everything, you know your market better than anyone else. Accept the fact that you may lose some blood, sweat, and tear equity in the process. Just find comfort in the fact that your "enthusiastness" (spelt cheapness) gets you close to breaking even, or perhaps some profit. You didn't pay someone for labour, that's where most people lose, and they lose hard.

If you want to sell for presumably something else you'll never be happy with not selling. That's my two cents.

I've never lost money on a vehicle, and my count is well over 40. Knock on wood.

 

[dualheadlamps]

That hits a nerve with me because I believe anyone looking at the bike WILL accept that every care, emotion, AND expense has been put into the bike and they would not even think of hearing a rattling bag of bolts on a smokey start up.

Sure, we know there are bikes and cars dressed up to hoodwink the prospective buyer, but this example clearly doesn't fit the mold.

I have to agree and disagree with you.

That requires a buyer to see it in person. Bikes are no longer sold by perusing dealer lots. They are browsed hundreds per hour on a 5" telephone screen. You know, that thing that used to have to be connected to the wall? It has internet now.

 

[IanDoohan]

This is all proper knowledge. The one who bought this bike from me had ZERO knowledge of the difference between the 893cc stamp on the engine case to the actual 1024cc displacement it had.

BUT, for some reason, he wanted it, and 6 years after ithad its first sale at about 10k out the door, he spent $11500 on it because he wanted to learn to ride and take it to a track. I had close to 28k invested with parts and labor (and my own labor). He was a local trauma surgeon. I was ecstatic to get that price. He didn’t know a thing about that bike, yet understood that he wanted “different”.

Red Rocker is not without flaw, as she has some scratches on the tank from its life without my ownership, a dent in the swing arm from the crash that brought us together, and some other minor cosmetic scars. However, functionality is 100%.

We’ll see what the future brings. There is no need to sell today or tomorrow but, I believe my focus for fun is evolving, and if it continues the current course, I will have to sell it to make the other path a reality.

I appreciate the discussion, and continue to entertain everyone’s opinions.

 

[dualheadlamps]

Tax refund to a blithering idiot, 10K to a trauma surgeon, same difference.

Ian, would this this evolving focus for fun happen to be on two wheels?

 

[nigelrb]

I have to agree and disagree with you.

Quite okay and accepted.

That requires a buyer to see it in person. Bikes are no longer sold by perusing dealer lots. They are browsed hundreds per hour on a 5" telephone screen. . .

Yep, and in the past 12 months I have purchased many by such a method. And this is where the old 'picture tells a thousand words' comes into its own. I enlarge/zoom the pic and do my mandatory rear shock, inside of swing arm, header pipes, and triple tree check, and if they're spotless I know I'm looking at a bike with a passionate owner.

Here's what I would do.

Take off the money parts (upper triple, shock, etc.).

And your 'etc' is bound to include the Erion can.

Shall I work out international postage yet?

 

[IanDoohan]

Ian, would this this evolving focus for fun happen to be on two wheels?

Negative.

 

[dualheadlamps]

Yep, and in the past 12 months I have purchased many by such a method. And this is where the old 'picture tells a thousand words' comes into its own. I enlarge/zoom the pic and do my mandatory rear shock, inside of swing arm, header pipes, and triple tree check, and if they're spotless I know I'm looking at a bike with a passionate owner.

Yes, but you and I are an exception (ie: outliers). Most buyers are not as meticulous. I come from a heavy car background, and know exactly what you mean. I can have a car summed up about 95% before I even go see it in person, it's always funny how it freaks out the seller. I'm sure you're the same way with bikes.

Can you honestly say most bike buyers are you like? Also, to be completely honest the US market is VERY different from the UK market. General bike common knowledge seems to be much more prevalent in the UK, whereas in the US it's more of a disposable income hobby type deal. For the most part, the market just wants the latest and greatest, there isn't much appreciation for the older stuff. Compromise in that regard is usually due to budgetary constraints. US bike culture is definately not UK bike culture.

And your 'etc' is bound to include the Erion can.

Shall I work out international postage yet?

I'll be honest, I just quickly skimmed Ian's video (missed the can). Only now have I started to go through his thread. There are a lot of nice parts on this bike, but at the end of the day it's a street figher, and it will have street fighter value. Albeit it's a nice one at that.

Negative.

Interesting. It it capable of leaving the ground (by design😋)?

 

[IanDoohan]

I had a delusion that a C5 Corvette was the next item for the garage 😉. Not happening this year, but that would be future goal. My cousin in Michigan did something that I could kill him for. He let my wife and I take his last month for a ride to the coast. Oh, and it’s a convertible 👍🏻

 

[nigelrb]

I had a delusion that a C5 Corvette was the next item for the garage 😉.

Huh?

You're getting old?

 

[IanDoohan]

Huh?

You're getting old?

No doubt!

 

[oldbastard]

Well as my user name suggests, I am officially 'old' (now in my 70th year) but I think the capacity to have fun never goes away, it just depends a lot on your flexibility, both physical and mental.
Agree with all that dualheadlamps said in his last post about marketing and pitching the bike at the right market.
On the other hand, if we're talking about fun, most of the fun I have these days is in building stuff (but I'm not sure whether its fun or just a meditative trance I get into. I like it, anyway). Especially since the amount of state busybody-ness seems to be increasing exponentially. Here in NL recently the government for the first time used a private persons GoPro footage to prosecute someone. Deservedly in this case, but its a dangerous precedent and you can see where its going...insurance scammers forcing everyone to get dashcams, and there you go.....
But I get where you're coming from Ian, I recently had to expend an enormous amount of effort in repairing my wife's Saab 9-5. Everything was [email protected]#^#ed, turbo, cat, fuel pump, fuel pressure regulator, air flow meter and much else. After I'd fixed it, just for shits and grins took it to a chip tuner who knows his stuff, and he brought it up to 240bhp from 150. Now I can remember what fun in a car feels like. But.....I also am aware that fun from this kind of thing is a transient phenomenon, much like a heroin high. Keep building.

 

[nigelrb]

Can't say I've experienced the 'heroin high'. I guess the closest I've ever got to that was ogling Caitlin Jenner on Instagram!.

Not far off the 70th year myself and totally agree with you that although age is a 'state of mind' it also helps if we're healthy and flexible to pursue our chosen hobbies/interests. Like me, I'm sure you're astounded by the number of people with their: 'Oh, you're still riding at 70,' type comments as if life suddenly stops after we enter our sixties.

Always wanted a Saab 9-5 but got no further than my 1986 900 EMS. Not the world's prettiest car, but wow, they were great to drive and reasonably optioned for their era.