Author Topic: Selling high mileage Guzzi (Read 5332 times)

Bill · « **on:** January 29, 2021, 07:58:07 PM »

I've just offered for sale a 98EV in beautiful cosmetic condition and in ready to ride condition. I would trust this bike to ride across the country. But it has 133,000 miles on it. Seems it's dead... nobody wants it at $1500 even tho many know a cared for Guzzi can go easily to 200,000 miles. How can I find a buyer for this fantastic bike?... I'm not sure I could even give it away. I've never seen a better cared for EV than mine, but I guess it's not worth a damn thing now. Sad because I know it's got many more miles left on it.
Bill

nc43bsa · « **Reply #1 on:** January 29, 2021, 07:59:17 PM »

~~Where is it located~~?

Nevermind, I just looked in the Swap Meet.

wavedog · « **Reply #2 on:** January 29, 2021, 08:28:09 PM »

Hang in there, Bill. Someone will buy it and they will be glad they did. Keep the faith.

Turin · « **Reply #3 on:** January 29, 2021, 08:30:56 PM »

January may not be the best time of year to sell. Buyers are more motivated when the weather is nice.

Turin · « **Reply #4 on:** January 29, 2021, 08:33:00 PM »

And it's a Hot Dog and Mustard, an acquired taste. Wish I was close.

ozarquebus · « **Reply #5 on:** January 29, 2021, 09:03:49 PM »

the 98 ev11 was like one of the Guzzis that had no real problems right? good valves, good bores, only regular little Guzzi quirks. right?

bacongrease · « **Reply #6 on:** January 29, 2021, 09:09:35 PM »

i suppose......it would hep if we knew what country it is in...

Bert Remington · « **Reply #7 on:** January 29, 2021, 09:23:05 PM »

Bill -- BG has a point. You need to up your game a bit. Actually quite a bit. Assuming you've really made up your mind to part with your pride and joy.

Provide a full description. With no misspellings. With a minimum of 10 photographs, one of which is the gauge pod showing mileage. Provide service history, even if you did it yourself. Also describe what sort of rides -- commutes, tours, etc. Announce your offer not only on WG but also MGNOC as a minimum. Cycle Trader is a good forum. eBay has high fees. CraigsList can be exciting and frustrating.

I suspect you're a bit inexperienced with this since you didn't even include a photograph for WG members. Get a grandchild or neighborhood 10-year-old to help. It'll be fun to learn something new.

Sad for your loss. I gave my most of my stable to family. Less painful.

Mike E · « **Reply #8 on:** January 29, 2021, 10:36:41 PM »

If it was closer I'd be interested. Snow here in Chicagoland tomorrow.

twowheeladdict · « **Reply #9 on:** January 29, 2021, 10:57:09 PM »

I hope your bike finds a new home with someone who will cherish the bike as you have.

At 133,000 miles there are just so many moving parts that would be worn. At 23 years old there are many parts that would be aging. Definitely would want to know when all the bearings, axles, rubber bits, calipers, master cylinders, starter, on and on were replaced, refreshed, serviced, etc. And then there is the drivetrain.

Sometimes you just have to pass a bike on to a worthy person who has admired it for years. A relative, riding mate, young enthusiast, a neighbor who has helped you out over the years and needs a commuter bike. etc.

Some people say "I would rather keep it and let it sit than sell it cheap". Personally, I would rather it go to someone who will use it, cherish it, and enjoy it, than let it sit and rot.

Texas Turnip · « **Reply #10 on:** January 30, 2021, 06:40:33 AM »

IMHO your price is too high. I recently sold my "71 Ambassador with 200+K on it, $600 for a '98 EV that had 145K on it and spent half its mileage pulling a KwikKamp, 'and a number of other Guzzis that were one owner by me that had lots of miles. I don't worry about the money as the bikes are gone and someone else gets to enjoy them.

Good luck on your sale,
Tex,

twodogs · « **Reply #11 on:** January 30, 2021, 06:57:28 AM »

Hi Bill, I'm with TT on this, I would like to have it but being 1300 miles away (1way) I would have to get it for about 500 bucks to make it worth my while to drive down there and back to Ia. The mileage on the bike don't scare me as I would know it is in the latter part of its life and I would enjoy it till it quit

Bruce

n3303j · « **Reply #12 on:** January 30, 2021, 08:07:08 AM »

Wrong season to sell it.
Its an historically undervalued bike.
Paid $2K for mine 4 years ago at 36K miles.
Price is way too low for what I got.
Equivalent serviceability in a "desirable model" would sell for double to triple what EV brings in.
I won, seller lost.
Love my EV.

...but wait until the riding season returns for the majorities and your bike should sell. Maybe ask $2K (and bargain down to $1.5K. Let's the buyer see you value your machine.

Perazzimx14 · « **Reply #13 on:** January 30, 2021, 09:58:40 AM »

I think the elephant in the room is the asking price. While 15 hundy ain't a lot of guap EV's with 100K less miles do not bring a lot more money.

The pandemic thing is bunko too. Last March I thought the secondary motorcycle market would implode. Quite the opposite. The used bike market went haywire and still doing pretty good in the middle of winter.

I always get a kick when people post I guess there is no interest in something they are selling and wonder why. Honestly its not that is no interest in the widget it the price of the widget no one is interested in.

Several years ago I bought a Basa with over 100K on it for $400. That was about right.

wavedog · « **Reply #14 on:** January 30, 2021, 10:12:14 AM »

Bill, take off the accessories and sell them separately from the bike.

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #15 on:** January 30, 2021, 10:33:22 AM »

kballowe near StL sells bikes as fast as he can advertise them. He sold a Cali & a Jackal in the same week. I sold my KTM 250 to the 1st dude that looked at it. Don't give up, I don't think the bologna virus has slowed pre-owned MC sales one bit!

I would however "build it up" a little in your ads. Make the dependability and track record speak louder than the mileage.

usedtobefast · « **Reply #16 on:** January 30, 2021, 12:13:51 PM »

Other than the swap meet listing on here, where else have you advertised it?

I would assume in Tampa Bay the weather is still nice now and people should be buying bikes. Have you tried Craigslist? Or Facebook Marketplace? Or eBay?

As others have said, a number of nice pictures, some amount of recent major service items listed (Moto Guzzi guys would want to know that) ... like is it original clutch? Has motor/transmission been apart and typical oil leak spots addressed? And others mentioned like wheel bearings, drive shaft maint, etc.

If it is at 133K miles and nothing has ever been apart, consider all the money you saved not having to do anything to it!

But the next person will have to spend some $$$$ on it at some point.

For one of my "hard to sell" bikes ... had been on craigslist for ~3-4 weeks with no great interest ... I just started dropping the price $100 each week ... after a $600 drop, guy contacted me, came by, and bought the bike.

I took a quick look at craigslist in the Tampa area ... a lot of crappy bikes in the $800 range ... so not sure, but at some point, $1200? or $1000?, someone should jump on it.

EldoMike · « **Reply #17 on:** January 30, 2021, 12:58:13 PM »

"Moto Guzzi Bikes & Parts FS"
group on facebook has over 5K members...

ampm7 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 30, 2021, 01:12:23 PM »

I have sold a few bikes on Craigslist and the one thing I notice is that-other than the bike being very desirable-is that the ones that sell the fastest have the best pictures and quite a few. Plus, noting all the history as well as is known, will help a lot. It doesn't have to be pages of records but simple and to the point. I can't believe the amount of people that will take pictures in the dark and not rotate the picture to the correct attitude. Also, make the bike presentable to prospective buyers. Don't have it in a cluttered garage but out in the sunlight in the driveway. Guzzi's are somewhat of a hard sell but they do sell if the price is appropriate.

RinkRat II · « **Reply #19 on:** January 30, 2021, 01:20:11 PM »

Jack the price up $800.00, add more pics and all the history. Then advertise FREE SHIPPING to the cont. U.S.. Worth a try. My $.02

Paul B

ozarquebus · « **Reply #20 on:** January 30, 2021, 02:10:05 PM »

I have been scouring the want ads closely since simmer of 2019. I thought the virus would hurt prices. It has not. Prices appear stronger now than a year ago before the media war.

Tom · « **Reply #21 on:** January 30, 2021, 02:14:46 PM »

A quick look on the Swap Meet shows a '00 Jackal, 1/4 the mileage of your bike for not that much more. If you want to sell your bike now. Drop the price.

Bill · « **Reply #22 on:** January 30, 2021, 03:35:18 PM »

Good advice by all. I'll leave it lay for now. It rides well and I still enjoy it. Obviously if anyone showed the lest interest I'd provide any and all info they needed to make a decision. It's a lot of bike for $1500 but price is all about demand and I understand that. FWIW it had clutch replacement 45,000 miles ago,machine work on valve seats, new valve guides just a few thousand miles ago. No other problems have showed themselves. Next attempt to sell will be in the spring and I'll more aggressively advertise it.
Bill

Tom · « **Reply #23 on:** January 30, 2021, 03:36:35 PM »

Better timing & include more details with photos.

Bulldog9 · « **Reply #24 on:** January 30, 2021, 07:51:36 PM »

This is why I will likely never even try to sell my 79 XS1100. It had 123000 miles on it in 1997 or so when I bought my Concours and relieved it of daily riding. Returned it to mostly stock with a complete deep clean and have only put 10K on it the last 25 years. It will be on display in my retirement garage, get ridden a couple times a year end up in my estate. Just not worth it for me to sell.

Guzzidad · « **Reply #25 on:** January 30, 2021, 08:19:41 PM »

I know Bill's bike quite well as I have ridden thousands of miles with him. He's taken great pride in keeping his bike looking and running great. And it shows. I've also been a bit intimate with the bike when I replaced the clutch. A savy Guzzi guy would realize he could buy this bike and ride it 50,000 more miles and then part it out for more than he paid for it. Bill doesn't want it parted out. He wants someone to ride it and enjoy it like he has for the last 23 years. I'ld buy it but I already have two Guzzis and no more room.

Bert Remington · « **Reply #26 on:** January 31, 2021, 12:09:08 PM »

bill -- the eBay listing linked in this post https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=109123.msg1731838#msg1731838 is an excellent example how you should present your MG for sale. Chatty, informative, detailed, many high-resolution photographs in bright sunshine without shadows of someone holding a smartphone, etc.

twowheeladdict · « **Reply #27 on:** February 05, 2021, 12:43:37 PM »

Quote from: Bert Remington on January 31, 2021, 12:09:08 PM

bill -- the eBay listing linked in this post https://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=109123.msg1731838#msg1731838 is an excellent example how you should present your MG for sale. Chatty, informative, detailed, many high-resolution photographs in bright sunshine without shadows of someone holding a smartphone, etc.

Convenient that the odometer doesn't go to 100,000. Love the "it shows 23,XXX". I'll leave it at that.

Shorty · « **Reply #28 on:** February 05, 2021, 02:14:48 PM »

A couple pictures would help. You might list any books or extras included.

blu guzz · « **Reply #29 on:** February 05, 2021, 05:44:39 PM »

Dang, I was just in Tampa last weekend.

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Author Topic: Selling high mileage Guzzi (Read 5332 times)

Bert Remington

Bert Remington