just my opine obviuosly.
A secondhand bike has no less than six values I reckon. three lay with the seller.
1 what its cost/how much they have tied up in it
2 what its actual realistic value is
3 what you are actually gonna get dependant on factors like time of year/whether people are spending or tightening their belts/ desirability etc.


the other three values lay with the buyer
1 what its actually worth to you
2 how badly you want it
3 your budget


examples.
three years ago I wanted either a fazer thou or early vfr800 carbed. I had a budget of two grand. it was  November, snow on the ground. There was a nice vfr800 near me on ebay for 2500. I offered my 2000. got a bit of a snotty reply. then a fazer thou came up on here for 2200 I think, a long way away but nothing to spend, nice colours (black engine/frame, silver bodywork) nice condition, good extras (mct sorted suspension front and rear, Ti race can)
 again I offered two grand. Bloke agreed, drove straight over in me van, no fannying about or nit picking, he got his money, I got a brilliant bike I still have.
That vfr never sold, and every week it would be relisted on a seven day sale for 100 less. Eventually he messaged me offering it for 2k, but it was obviously two late It finally went over Christmas for 1800.
It goes both ways doesn't it.
I just sold my mint cb1300. the first value, the one it owed me, was 5800 and thats just the parts, not all the hours and hours of meticulous work. but that, as we all know, is totally fucking irrelevant.
the second value, what it was actually worth was probably closer to 4500. But its getting near the end of the season. and they dont sell that well. so again, irrelevant.
its third value, the one I was likely to get, was probably 3700-4000. so I put it on for 4300, and after over 1200 views finally got a solid offer of 4000 cash, which I snapped up. Despite losing a good amount I genuinely think I was lucky it went.
Anyhoo, now I was on the other side of the fence.
I initially wanted a second fazer thou, a real minty one. but...I know I would want a full mct set up with different spring on the stock rear shock (£660) and anew set of bt016s (£140)...so had to budget for eight hundred quid on whatever I bought. This put all the genuinely nice thous out of my reach, as I dint want to spend all the money I got for the honda.
So I decided either another FZ1 (simply because they are a brilliant bike that dont sell well for whatever reason) budgeting at around 2500, or back to why I really got rid of my cb1300 (I wanted carbs and aircooling) so a nice early bonnie or xjr13.
I offered 500 less on several bikes on e bay (the third value  ) and got knocked back every time until I contacted a feller with a last model (06) xjr in that nice shelby ac cobra paint with carbs and twin pipes that he had on e bay for 2500. again I went 500 less.
this bloke was very like me, meticulous with his three bikes, and he had spent a lot on the yam. new seat, new carb inlets and carb rebuild, new mirrors etc all genuine yam, then hagon shocks, new battery, new tyres, chain and sprockets yada yada yada. And like me, he understood the real value of stuff, ie its not what you think its worth, rightly or wrongly its what someone will pay for it.
He agreed a price we were both hppy with, I went straight over to Wolverhampton in the van last night (he as polishing it as I rocked up), no messing each other about and hes got money, ive got my bike sitting in the workshop next to my brother in laws 02 1300sp.
Im not gloating about it whatsoever...im far more out of pocket with the cb than I am in pocket with the xjr.
Just making an observation. And I would quite happily bet money that for the most the bikes on the bay I made an offer on will sit there as the season counts down towards the winter.
but then what do I know. apart from ive got a luverly xjr in the workshop so im happy 

I fitted a new front bt016 to the yam, and while I had the wheel out finally remembered to fit a decent 90 degree valve, As its finished winter commuting duties now, im changing or sorting corroded bolts etc as I go. the front axle pinch bolt was a simple swap for a stainless one, whilst I cleaned up the caliper bolts with a wire wheel, then done the old heat/oil thingy to rustproof and black them. Cleaning up the caliper, I found three winters have really taken their toll, despite regular maintenavce. One of the pistons was so tight, the pin the pads slide on was actually bent. I know from experience that no amount f brake cleaner/toothbrushing is gonna sort the problem; corrosion in the piston seal groove is pushing the buggers out, and they need stripping, cleaning and new seals.
So...ive never done blue spots before. Im assuming I gotta get a tool to unscrew the plug and the pistons pull out of the hole. what im not sure of is how this affects the piston seals when you re-assemble..ie normally you have the lip to the inside of the caliper..but how do I push the pistons back in from behind without damaging them if thats the case? Also, is Fowlers and genuine seals the way forward, or are the fleabay ones ok? all help much appreciated fellers....

picking up daves (dynspud) fazer 600 early tonight, and my 1000 let me down this morning. unless its summat simple ill be useing the 600 for a bit for my commute. Always loved those early bikes (got duffed up by one on my gixxer 1100 when they came out) so its kinda cool I finally get to ride one..

I do a lot of work on my missus family home for her brother who works away in Canada, and keep a youtube video log for him so he can see how its going. looking back through some old ones I found a clip of my old mt-01, which I used to demonstrate how big the base was for the workshop I was building for him at the time. wish I hadnt watched it, I really miss that bike now, it was a lovely old thing. https://youtu.be/ovpeb6QmOUg

me and dave taking his thou over in me transit for Darren to work his magic, and being as mine was done 25k and 9 years ago ive whipped the fork legs out and taking them too for a checkover and fluid change.
Cleaned my calipers up again whilst there off...cant believe how shitty they get commuting over a few weeks this time of year..

some of the nuts and bolts are letting the side down having been through a few winters and plenty of salt. 25 quids worth of Ti bolts cheered the discs up no end

went into Fowlers in Bristol today...biggest bike shop ive ever been in in my life! 1000 new bikes on three floors and another honda specific showroom next door. Fell in love with the lightest helmet I've ever tried (carbon fibre premier trophy nx vintage full face...stunning looking retro too)
Had a look at the cb1000r VNA has mentiond in another thread and as he says, photos don't do it justice...it is indeed absolutely stunning in the flesh. They've somehow built a bike with retro café culture cool thats also ultra modern looking and looks proper built. Think the black version edged it for me, but I could never own one, the missus used to moan about the FZ1 seat...
seriously pukka looking bike though (and I bloody hate the look of most new bikes). If honda are doing deals, thats gonna be a popular bike for 2019

well whipped the carbs out of the thou today. when I say "whipped" errr..
aint the easiest set of carbs ive got out. Disconnecting that back throttle cable is an utter bitch lol. bt there out, cleaned up, and after tea I have permission from my little gruppenfuhrer to use the kitchen table and do the carb mods in the warm... JIS scewdrivers rock when getting off float bowls btw..

one of the fellers on the cb1300 forum has painted his bike like a silver cbx1000. apparently hunts had four done from new by dream machine paint in derby, two in red, two in silver. The reds lovely too, but the silver works best for moi...more akin to the first naked one that came out. I love the standard red/white paint on mine, but if I could afford it, I'd have the silver jobbie..

My partners son is living in st albans now and working in London, and he needs a bike to commute. I cant personally think of a better one but anyone knows better..

it's a strange one. Thought I had a busted exup cable, but they are fine. The bike ( 04 fazer thou, well maintained, 37k) runs like a peach and pulls like that geordie feller Adam on "love island", but gets to 7500 rpm and it loses power and bogs, change up and it's back on song until it hits 7500 again..
I'm guessing it's got to be electrics or fuel, but it's just really odd because it's faultless until it hits those revs, even two up and loaded. It ain't been serviced since early last winter ( about 3000 miles back) as I picked up aa nekkid cb1300 at the start of summer and I've been useing that a lot, but I'll order a full service kit off eBay this week and get it done then try it see if it's any better. Anybody else ever had this? Ecu failing? Exup servo playing silly buggers? Damned if I know..😬😬😬

I'm thinking of changing both tyres instead of just the rear worn one and thinking wi th a two up tour coming up in early summer possibly going to bt023 s or similar, anybody got a recommendation for a decent grippy tyre that's good in the wet and will tour well too? Cheers fellers..