Got this idea from another forum, figured I would see what you guys had been through.
So last year I was on the hunt for a sub 5k 600 SS. Pooling through all the morons posting their "serviced" and "babied" financial blunders was tough.
I came across a 04 ninja 636 about an hour away and the bike looked clean in pictures. Said it had been dropped once since he owned it, and in doing so he scraped up the brand new two bros pipe he just put on it. In the ad it was at 4500.
Got into contact with the guy and we worked opposite schedules. Told him I could make the hour trip in a day or two.
Get off work around nine pm the day I was set to go look at the bike. Get to my house at around 10 then start the hour trip with two of my roommates so someone could drive the car back if I purchased it. I had really wanted a 636, and although I was looking for an 05+ I figured I could negotiate with the guy - the nada value was around 4k.
We get there, middle of BFE (awesome riding roads, was getting extremely hopeful this was the one just for the ride home) and despite texting and calling no response. So I go up to the house and knock, some lights are on. Stand there for about a minute or two before I see some younger broad poke her head around the corner. She comes and opens the door and I explain I'm here to see the kaw. She was super quiet and submissive, but told me to come inside.
I turn the corner and her bf, the seller, is passed out on a couch. She wakes him up and with another awkward moment were out to the garage.
So, this guy was country. I guess you could say redneck. Very young too, obviously younger than me (I was 25 ). I notice through his thick draw that he's either slow or drunk while opening the garage door. Here's where it gets weird.
The bike is surrounded by tools toys and crap. Totally surrounded. He straddles it by the front, with his crotch on the headlight and starts to upright the bike to attempt to pull it out.
He drops it on himself. It's at this point that I realize he is sloshed.
At this point one of my roommates had gotten out of the car and was walking up the drive right as this happened. Apparently I just jumped grabbed the bike up off of him and said 'come on man you got to be careful with these things!"
At this point I was mad. Dude was drunk and stuttering. I started hinting at this point his bike was worth no where near what he was asking. Noticed multiple drop scratches and neglected simple cleaning. Asked him about service he said he knew nothing. Had owned the bike for less than a month.
At this point I was getting ready to spit out a offer at less then half of what he was asking, but I felt I needed to ride it.
He met me with a little hesitation. I just said I wanted to go half a mile down his street.
He couldn't get the bike out of the driveway because it was a single and full of cars. So drunk as a skunk he fires it up and with no hesitation rides it jarringly off a curb into the street. I'm just shaking my head at this point.
I return from my minute test ride and offer 2k. Unfortunately he didn't accept. Proabably for the better though.
So last year I was on the hunt for a sub 5k 600 SS. Pooling through all the morons posting their "serviced" and "babied" financial blunders was tough.
I came across a 04 ninja 636 about an hour away and the bike looked clean in pictures. Said it had been dropped once since he owned it, and in doing so he scraped up the brand new two bros pipe he just put on it. In the ad it was at 4500.
Got into contact with the guy and we worked opposite schedules. Told him I could make the hour trip in a day or two.
Get off work around nine pm the day I was set to go look at the bike. Get to my house at around 10 then start the hour trip with two of my roommates so someone could drive the car back if I purchased it. I had really wanted a 636, and although I was looking for an 05+ I figured I could negotiate with the guy - the nada value was around 4k.
We get there, middle of BFE (awesome riding roads, was getting extremely hopeful this was the one just for the ride home) and despite texting and calling no response. So I go up to the house and knock, some lights are on. Stand there for about a minute or two before I see some younger broad poke her head around the corner. She comes and opens the door and I explain I'm here to see the kaw. She was super quiet and submissive, but told me to come inside.
I turn the corner and her bf, the seller, is passed out on a couch. She wakes him up and with another awkward moment were out to the garage.
So, this guy was country. I guess you could say redneck. Very young too, obviously younger than me (I was 25 ). I notice through his thick draw that he's either slow or drunk while opening the garage door. Here's where it gets weird.
The bike is surrounded by tools toys and crap. Totally surrounded. He straddles it by the front, with his crotch on the headlight and starts to upright the bike to attempt to pull it out.
He drops it on himself. It's at this point that I realize he is sloshed.
At this point one of my roommates had gotten out of the car and was walking up the drive right as this happened. Apparently I just jumped grabbed the bike up off of him and said 'come on man you got to be careful with these things!"
At this point I was mad. Dude was drunk and stuttering. I started hinting at this point his bike was worth no where near what he was asking. Noticed multiple drop scratches and neglected simple cleaning. Asked him about service he said he knew nothing. Had owned the bike for less than a month.
At this point I was getting ready to spit out a offer at less then half of what he was asking, but I felt I needed to ride it.
He met me with a little hesitation. I just said I wanted to go half a mile down his street.
He couldn't get the bike out of the driveway because it was a single and full of cars. So drunk as a skunk he fires it up and with no hesitation rides it jarringly off a curb into the street. I'm just shaking my head at this point.
I return from my minute test ride and offer 2k. Unfortunately he didn't accept. Proabably for the better though.
