Don't you hate to give a bike away?

[BrotherJim]

Over the years and the 25-30 bikes I've had, pretty much all of them have ended-up being a short sell.  All of them were purchased to ride and enjoy, not to make money.  The only bikes I've ever come close to breaking even on have been of the off road variety.

[Mayor_of_BBQ]

What do you consider 'giving it away'?

Sad to say, but i'd guess the market will only bear about $2-2,500 for a Sport 2008 with 68k miles.... And that might take a while.

Hell, I only paid $3.8k for my 2007 breva and it had 9k miles on it (bought in 2013)

I do agree with the mileage scaring many buyers off... most people think any bike over 20k miles is "high mileage"

Good luck with your sale...  I don't think I will ever sell my Breva, it's the most trouble-free and easy MG I've ever ridden... By a large margin!

I have been considering sending it to GT Moto and having it tarted up and re-worked into a 'new' bike instead of purchasing something new!  Of course that will depend on the v65 staying out of the shop for a few months straight to I have something to ride! 

[larrys]

I bought my Cal wrecked, for $1500 in '01. Cost me $1500 in parts to make it perfect. Probably lucky to get $2K for it today. But I don't care, I'm still very happy with it. I looked at the new Guzzis at the dealer demo in Bethel last month. They're real cool looking and all, but I found somewhat to my surprise that I wasn't the least bit interested in riding one or buying one.
Larry

[steven c]

 I sold an ST1100 ABS Honda this spring which had 80000 miles on it. If you know these bikes they will go north of 200K if taken care of. I had a couple of people call and say my ad was wrong because the photo of the odometer read 8000, I guess they couldn't read numbers. Sold it to a guy who researched it, knew what it was and the mileage didn't faze him. A lot of bike for $1900, Corbin seat. works shock, Heli bars. Had one guy was going to drive 1000 miles to get it  but I think his wife talked him out of it. He wanted a spare St1100.

[wirespokes]

I didn't realize the newer guzzis went so cheap! Too bad I'm not into FI.

Up until 1990 I'd always had a bike, but never got really attached to any of them. In fact after I'd sold the Virago (wanted a drive shaft bike) I figured it just wasn't practical having a bike in rainy Portland Oregon. But then I got the R90 and everything changed. Those things grabbed me and wouldn't let go. And it's been the same with the Guzzis since having them.

Yes, they're inanimate objects, but if it's just a 'tool for the job' then you'll have about as much attachment to it as the fridge. Charlie makes a good point - working on your own bike makes a difference, but I've always worked on them. It took the right ones to connect. I got into the R1100S almost 20 years ago and did a lot to that bike, even rebuilt second that was totaled, but it never connected like the airheads. It's a great tool, but to me has the emotional attachment of a fridge.

[swooshdave]

Right now 1995-2005 vehicles are bottoming out on the depreciation curve. You see this all across this market. It's not your bike alone. This curve is very predictable and shouldn't surprise anyone.

Now some vehicles will come up (more desirable ones, Corvettes) and some never will (1998 Cavalier for example).

You can get a V11 Sport for almost nothing (there's a LeMans for $2800 on CL right now).

Now which ones will go up in the Guzzi world? The 1100 SPOTS are already climbing. I expect the V11 Sports will soon (probably the Greenies, ahem, and the Scuras). The 1200 Sports are interesting, the SPOTS were very sporty, the V11 Sports less so and by the time of the 1200 Sport it's, well, not really sporty.

In the end you sell stuff for what you can when you have to sell. I tend to take a bath on every sale and I celebrate when I break even.

But there are worse hobbies.

[ohiorider]

"Sport" was a really bad choice of name for the Breva 1200 with small fairing and seat cowl.  But I think it excels on the main roads and sweeping mountain roads.  If one likes some relatively smooth air passing their helmet and shoulders, it seems to be in it's element.  To me, it's a heavy but capable sport tourer.  I bought the Bike in Oct of 2009 from Eddie's in Swanzey, NH over the phone.  Before simply taking the order, Eddie said that he had a couple of Norges and 1200 Sports in stock at nicely reduced prices, than asked me a couple of basic questions.

- what bikes over the past 25-30 years did you keep the longest and enjoy most?  Answer, BMW K and R RS models (and the R100GS)
- which ones did you get rid of quickly?  Answer, Honda ST 1300 and BMW K1100LT.

At this point, I was leaning toward the Norge, because of simply how lovely it looked in silver, and the fairing was less intrusive than those on the ST and LT.

A few more basic questions, and Eddie said "......... If I were you, I'd go for the 1200 Sport.  It's a v twin version of past bikes you've enjoyed and hung onto for a long time.

Thanks, Eddie!

[cookiemech]

"Giving a bike away" was literally what I did with my 2007 Road King. It was utterly perfect, and utterly stock (other than the Mustang seat, but I gave the original away with the bike). But it had 50K miles, which meant that it was undesirable to a dealer for trade-in, and unattractive to all but bottom-feeders on Craig's List. No one but me EVER touched it for maintenance or repairs. I wanted a new one and didn't need or want two of them (I have plenty of bikes). So I gave it to a friend who has ridden Harleys (Sportsters) since he was a teenager and who always wanted a Road King, but couldn't really afford one.

I would always have been irritated at the low trade-in price I would have received for it, given my level of attention to its maintenance. But instead I have the satisfaction of seeing someone I know well enjoying it.

This program only works if money isn't an issue at all.

[blackcat]

When one totally rebuilds a motorcycle himself - hands on every single piece - one tends to form an emotional attachment.

So true.

[Lannis]

Jokes aside, you don't need the key to see the mileage. Just press the trip meter button on a Harley that's not running with no key in the ignition and the odo lights up for a few seconds and shows the miles.

Just make sure the owner's right there .... sometimes if a guy sees you pushing buttons on his bike in a parking lot, it could be hazardous to your health!    

[ohiorider]

Strangely, with the exception of Griso's and big tank Stelvios,  all the CARC bikes seem to be about as popular as rat sandwiches! I really can't work out why as they are certainly among the very best to ever leave Mandello.

Pete, were the CARC bikes inspired by Aprilia?  I always felt that Guzzi management wanted to build a family of bikes that competed favorably with (at the time) BMW bikes.

Bob

[SED]

When one totally rebuilds a motorcycle himself - hands on every single piece - one tends to form an emotional attachment.

True for me.

[Tusayan]

Were the CARC bikes inspired by Aprilia?  I always felt that Guzzi management wanted to build a family of bikes that competed favorably with (at the time) BMW bikes

The CARC chassis and styling was designed by Aprilia.  Guzzis design and product management capability had been dismantled by then.  Aprilia's somewhat naive idea was to compete head on with BMW, an unwise strategy given the financial resources of BMW and its ability to bury the Breva/Norge, and the fact that the Aprilia strategy ignored marketing Guzzi as a marque on its own very real strengths.  They've seemingly learned a bit since then, even if it took 15+ years.

The powertrain, meaning chain driven OHC engine when used, new gearbox, new shaft drive etc was developed by Piaggio HQ.   

[Rough Edge racing]

 Every bike I want to buy cost more than it's worth...Every bike I sell is worth nearly nothing..Why is this ?   

[JohninVT]

1200 Sports are a hard sell.  A lot of people(including many Guzzi people) think it’s just a tarted up Breva but it’s not.  They have quite a bit more power, adjustable suspension, better brakes and the cat is in the exhaust instead of hanging like a colostomy bag under the bike.  They should sell for a premium over a Breva but they don’t seem to. 

[twodogs]

My motto, buy high and sell low has always worked for me 

[Chuck in Indiana]

When one totally rebuilds a motorcycle himself - hands on every single piece - one tends to form an emotional attachment.

Machines take on the life of the builder to some extent. <shrug>

[willowstreetguzziguy]

I've put about 30,000 miles on my 1200 Sport since I bought it in Nov. 2013. I love it because it reminds me so much of my long gone '75 BMW R90S.  It has the character and feel of the R90S but with more power, modern and upgraded components. Riding position is very similar but with more comfort at the expense of 100 lbs. more weight which I am willing deal with for now. I find it to be a bike that excels in most types of riding I want to do. And since probably only ~100 examples of them made it to the states, much more rare.

[LowRyter]

I grow attached to them.  Once I set them up, modify them, work on them, keep them going, it gets personal.   It's not like a car where you adjust the seat and mirrors and set the radio station and go; it's a all you do to set up the suspension, to adjust everything to fit,  when you have to purchase and install more stuff, all the general maintenance and inspections you do before and after every ride, and how personal it is to ride them and build confidence braking and cornering and the differences and feel that you get from every bike is  unique, each bike has a personality. 

Actually, when I read that, it's crazy talk.  So I am not quite sane.

[wittangamo]

Just a tool, a mechanical device?

Then why do I touch it affectionately every time I walk through the garage, get a big smile on my face when it does my bidding on the road, and silently thank it every time it brings me home safely?

I tend to buy new, like marrying a virgin, and miss them when they’re gone like burying a pet. I tend to be a tightwad, except where bikes are concerned.

Guess I’m just a sentimental old loon.

[Chuck in Indiana]

each bike has a personality.

Actually, when I read that, it's crazy talk.  So I am not quite sane.

Only a little crazy, John.. me, too.  "Some" machines.. and I'm talking about machines where the operator has the machine in his or her hands.. have a sort of personality. I see it with motorcycles and airplanes. I could see a sailboat being that way, too, but have *very* limited experience with them.
Pilots know that airplanes of the same type fly a little differently. It has to do with the last guy that put them together. "Feel" of torque, cable tensions, rigging, that sort of thing.
When we were at the Virginia rally, Ron K told me the AeroLario said, "Don't F with me" when Dorcia and I were leaving the rally site. It *is* a snotty little booger. 

[swooshdave]

My motto, buy high and sell low has always worked for me 

I live by that motto.

[Motormike]

A few weeks ago, I attended the BMW MOA rally in Lebanon, TN.  Sat in on a "sales" seminar on how to best market and sell your motorcycle.  It was well attended, with standing room only.  They started off by asking how many people in the room were selling a motorcycle.  Virtually everyone in the room raised their hands.  Then they asked how many people were wanting to buy a motorcycle.  Maybe 3 or 4 people raised their hands.  And there-in lies the problem. 

[LowRyter]

A few weeks ago, I attended the BMW MOA rally in Lebanon, TN.  Sat in on a "sales" seminar on how to best market and sell your motorcycle.  It was well attended, with standing room only.  They started off by asking how many people in the room were selling a motorcycle.  Virtually everyone in the room raised their hands.  Then they asked how many people were wanting to buy a motorcycle.  Maybe 3 or 4 people raised their hands.  And there-in lies the problem.

Makes me wonder if the next question would be, "who wants to trade motorcycles?"   Then you might see most of the crowd raise their hands.

[Darren Williams]

1200 Sports are a hard sell.  A lot of people(including many Guzzi people) think it’s just a tarted up Breva but it’s not.  They have quite a bit more power, adjustable suspension, better brakes and the cat is in the exhaust instead of hanging like a colostomy bag under the bike.  They should sell for a premium over a Breva but they don’t seem to.

Agree. I rode a Breva at some mid point in my 1200 Sport ownership and remember it as very "meh". It just didn't have the same "ready to attack the corners" feel. The higher and narrower handle bars may have been a large part of it but it just wasn't as crisp and felt very pedestrian.

[Texas Turnip]

NO. Last year when I was laid up from the wreck I got rid of a 46 year collection of 20 Guzzis, loads of parts and accessories for $5K. It cost me almost that much in labor to round up the stuff from the barn etc.  My '71 that I bought new in '71 had well over 200K on it and the new owner got it running and was going to bike nights. Two '98 EV's had over 100K on them.

Why saddle my daughters with getting rid of this when I take a dirt nap? The chaplain from the hospital called Beaver because they didn't think I'd make it. The Guzzi stuff is mostly gone and I have no regrets as now someone else is enjoying it.

Tex

[sidecarnutz]

I think that all bikes go through a period of time where they are considered just old and dated and not worth much. Once they reach an age where they are considered vintage and collectible, their value goes up. I remember when you couldn't give an Ambassador away. They were old, and didn't have the power or appeal of an Eldorado. I bought a couple of decent ones cheap back in the day, and later sold them cheap. I'm amazed at the prices they get today.
Larry

Yes. This called the bucket curve. Stuff falls to a very low value and then after some time (Usually way after you sell it) value start to climb again.

[Darren Williams]

My philosophy is when I'm ready to get rid of a bike, it should be pretty well used up. At least that is for the ones I keep for any length of time. The others were undoubtedly mistakes that I should have never gotten, but was to too dumb to know it and the price paid is justified.

[Motormike]

Just tried and failed to sell a 2012 Road Glide on Ebay.  $2000 below so-called "book" and not one bid.  You think used Moto Guzzi are hard to get rid of, try selling a late model Harley Davidson!  On the other hand, my one-owner 1990 Low Rider just sold on Craigslist in two days for my asking price.  Don't think I want to wait 30 years to get rid of my Road Glide, though.

[Tusayan]

A few weeks ago, I attended the BMW MOA rally in Lebanon, TN.  Sat in on a "sales" seminar on how to best market and sell your motorcycle.  It was well attended, with standing room only.  They started off by asking how many people in the room were selling a motorcycle.  Virtually everyone in the room raised their hands.  Then they asked how many people were wanting to buy a motorcycle.  Maybe 3 or 4 people raised their hands.  And there-in lies the problem.

BMW is selling 160,000 motorcycles a year, not Honda volume but several times what they were selling three decades ago.   Club people aren’t buying them, they are now a mass market disposable...  and nobody seeking status buys used appliances.