Trading in a bike - to service or not to service....that is the question.

[noggythenog]

I've got possible options for next year......keep my thou.........or trade in the thou for something else.

If I keep it then i'll be wanting a big'ish service done just for peace of mind as I have very limited service history and the state of the old air filter was worrying....the oil is still squeaky clean though. So that's oil, coolant, Valve clearances...plus I need new tyres.

If I trade the bike in then I'm thinking I still need new tyres and i'll get an oil and filter change (already just got a K&N and a new battery)....i'll run the bike for half of next season after it comes outta winter hibernation.... to get my moneys worth and enjoy the bike a bit before chopping it in.

my main conundrum is this - if I do trade the bike in with a dealer and I've got basically no worthwhile service history....is it better for me to get a dealer service done anyway prior trade in (oil, coolant, valves checked) or am as I suspect very much not likely to recoup this money anyway and just get bottom book price on the trade in?.....are dealers likely to hum and ha about my lack of service history or will they be more likely to bite my hand off because they're getting another deal?


I only paid £3500 for the bike but it has 35k miles so I'm not realistically expecting too much for it as trade in...im thinking ill end up getting along the lines of £2500 for it no doubt one way or another because lets face it they'll want a profit on it and maybe sell it for circa £3300 via their forecourt IMHO.

[ChristoT]

Oh foc, here we go again.... 

[noggythenog]

Oh foc, here we go again.... 

oi...more answers

do I service it or not?

I guess not

[unfazed]

Service it an keep it for another year 

[slimwilly]

Noggy are you bored ?


 


Try writing a book ,,,or   knitting,,,yes try that

[ChristoT]

Noggy are you bored ?


 


Try writing a book ,,,or   knitting,,,yes try that

Do both! Knit a book!

[noggythenog]

only asking coz ive only ever traded in cars before and my last car was fully serviced, still in warranty etc etc, the salesman didn't seem all that arsed about the details really,

my bike isn't the usually low mileage, totally standard, 1 owner example so I can appreciate that it isn't exactly dealer territory but would 1 bit of recent history make any difference to them, surely they'd do their own servicing anyway before punting it on?

[midden]

I don't think they'd care diddly squat about your one recent. So I personally wouldn't bother.

[Fazafou]

A dealer screws you either way and FSHs and extras mean little to them in terms of pert-ex value. They do however make it easier for them to sell them so you can barter more, but I wouldn't worry too much. Decide on if you want a change first, and if so give it a good wash and take it to see what they'll offer.

[noggythenog]

cheers chaps, the trade in is always the easy option isn't it and I'm no bullshitter so if I was to sell it private I'd either be getting everything tickety boo with a dealer stamp or I'd be pointing out every little blemish and thing I've noticed while owning it....it's tough being self critical but it's much better than being delusional I reckon.

the truth hurts but here it is.....I got duped by the previous seller and I broke all my own rules when I bought it......so it isn't the bike I want....it could be quite easily....but that'll involve more dosh...& how much I'm willing to spend based on my original outlay is different to what someone else will be willing to spend on it if they get a good deal from me because they wont have that original tarnished feel about it......and how good a deal the dealer gets....well I don't really give a foc about any dealers as they'll always make money on it at my expense.

I either sell it cheap now or I put on new tyres and burn some more rubber next summer before moving on to pastures new.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Or put it away for the winter and sell it for a bit more come next spring. No point shooting yourself in the foot now. If trading with a dealer, don't go pointing out all that you think is wrong with it. If they don't spot things, that's their lookout. And don't bother servicing it (as long as it all runs ok, starts ok, and is as clean as you can get it) cos they'll do that before they sell it (if they're a half decent dealer) and you can't hide the fact that it's missing service history, if that's the case, by doing one now. Sounds like it's a good, clean bike, so I wouldn't worry about it.

So what will you be getting next? Have you actually made up your mind   

[pilgo]

nog,im guessing you got the bad starting issue's sorted ?
 
if so,id put it away for the winter,spend the next 4 months gathering all the service items/tyre's together and next spring spend some money on getting her sorted to your liking-you rode the tits off it when i was with ya in wales,you seemed quite happy with the handling/stopping/sound so why lose a chunk of dosh on it AND make the bloody stealers rich? makes no sense to me     ( not forgetting the micro nog will keep you busy next year !! )
 
but,if you do swap it in,no,dont service it
 
just imho mate.....

[mickvp]

I wouldnt bother mate. 1 recent service will still not recoup the lack of service history, so they probably wont alter any trade in offer much if anything based on it.

They will be able to service it at a lower cost than you would, which they can use as a selling point to sell it on though, but leave that upto them to do and eating into their profit margins rather than yours .

[Hedgetrimmer]

There's an echo in here 

[mickvp]

Sorry Nick. I only read the first page in tapatalk so never saw your reply

[fazersharp]

Oh foc, here we go again.... 

 
 
 
Buy back all your bits from your 600 and put that back together.
 
 

I wouldnt bother mate. 1 recent service will still not recoup the lack of service history, so they probably wont alter any trade in offer much if anything based on it.

They will be able to service it at a lower cost than you would, which they can use as a selling point to sell it on though, but leave that upto them to do and eating into their profit margins rather than yours . 

   Like said before-- When they buy stuff from you they dont give a FOC about service history but when they are selling to you they make a big deal about it. Ok service it but DIY it, 

[noggythenog]

Sound advice from foccers as expected


& i know what bike i want......but it's a secret........i'd hate this thread to draaaaaaaaaaag


Unless someone dangles dosh with minimum shenanigans now then ill give it an oil change after the winter & get some nice new tyres and take it from there.......ill maybe squeeze on a set of Renthals but that'll involve a garage doing it as im scared of foccing up all the heated grips etc which ill ask them to take off carefully so i can flog them on....i put renthals on the 600 myself ok but i really cant be arsed with the hassle again.


The straight handlebars are by far my biggest complaint with the bike......i really do hate them.......maybe just maybe a nice set of Renthals will maybe transform it for me...could be a cheap option even with getting someone to do it for me.


Ill enjoy it for a while then & give it a chance and maybe chop it in half way through the season.

[lew600fazer]

Maybe try and move it on now before the real onset of winter. Do not get to greedy on your asking price. Come the deepest depths of winter you might get a gift of a deal from a dealer especially if you have no trade in, as they will want to move some bikes on.
Or if you decide you want to get it serviced , new tyres etc! again wait until the depths of winter and a dealer just may have a winter special service deal going. Lets face the last thing  dealers want is to be paying workshop personel for sitting on their backsides doing bugger all.

[JoeRock]

Have I missed something Noggy, or are you actually selling a bike because you don't like the stock handlebars?

if that's the only thing you're not a fan of, just change them! will be a damn sight better than taking a pretty big loss on trade in!

[noggythenog]

Have I missed something Noggy, or are you actually selling a bike because you don't like the stock handlebars?

if that's the only thing you're not a fan of, just change them! will be a damn sight better than taking a pretty big loss on trade in!

It does seem like that ......but i think i just want something else..........but im willing to give some bars the benefit of the doubt and say that i gave them the chance coz who knows.


Ill see what i can do to the bike this winter getting it up to scratch, a few small cosmetic issues to sort out and ideally i need a new tank which will then need spraying, my belly pan also needs spraying, & ive got a small crack on my front fairing underneath the indicator (not that bad but i know its there), the lugs on my rear fairings ive noticed are all cracked where someone has overtightened them so i want them sorted out which is either plastic welding or new panels....maybe spraying again......then theres my intermittent starting problem which is probably just a bad connection somewhere so this winter if it ever stops raining ill methodically go through all of them.


So although small jobs i could end up spending a fair bit to get the bike to the standard that id like it in. & if i went to that hassle then id be tempted with nore of a custom spray as id struggle to get any sprayed parts to properly colour match the rest so that's yet more money.......it would be a nice bike for sure then.......and thats mainly what is playing on my mind, especially when some nice new machines are out there (next years funds permitting)

[Hedgetrimmer]

Not really happy with the bike. Lots of minor cosmetic problems that could cost a fair bit to tidy. Starting issue. Keep thinking about trading/selling. Fancy an MT-09/whatever.

I think if I were you, I'd get shot and put it down to experience. I don't think you will ever be happy with this bike.

Kinda just thinking aloud really.

[noggythenog]

Not really happy with the bike. Lots of minor cosmetic problems that could cost a fair bit to tidy. Starting issue. Keep thinking about trading/selling. Fancy an MT-09/whatever.

I think if I were you, I'd get shot and put it down to experience. I don't think you will ever be happy with this bike.

Kinda just thinking aloud really.

Thats about the just of it Nick i think.......& to top it off since buying it i keep seeing much cleaner FZ1 coming up for sale at the same money......thats what happens with buying and selling & id much rather stick to dealer approved ie something a year old with some come back.


Some of the things are just not the type of things you notice when going for a test ride or giving the bike a look over, crack underneath, cracks behind plastics......i mean who thinks of opening up the fuel filler when buying a bike?.........equally they'll also be not instantly obvious to a stealer either so thats the way ill likely go.


There could be some truth in what Lew says about trading in during the quiet season but i've got to sort out the starting problem because that will be a big deal breaker if the bloody thing doesnt start during a trade in so i need to get to that pronto going through all the connectors until it is resolved.


In the meantime if anyone wants to present me £2500 for it then thats still a bit of cheap fun for somebody if they arent arsed about the little niggles.

[pilgo]

get it knicked,get the insurance money-sorted !!     

[noggythenog]

get it knicked,get the insurance money-sorted !!     

You're an evil man pilgo


I like it


I think for £2500 it is a good bike.......like i say based on what i paid it isnt quite worth doing all the work......ok so i can pick up a tank pretty cheap and the bellypan isnt essential......the starting glitch i can get sorted out.......but no i think it's true that ill bever quite be happy.

[ChristoT]

get it knicked,get the insurance money-sorted !!     

but no i think it's true that ill never quite be happy.

We already knew that from your last monster post!