Pondering a purchase: 1995 RF900

[cracKness]

OK, here's another one. I found a guy looking to sell his 95 rf900 for "cheap." I gave up on the crashed "naked" cbr900 i was looking at a few days ago .

What I know so far:
Guy has lost the title, lost the key. 1995 RF900, approx. 22000 miles. Original paint, looks clean, no signs of a lay down or anything. Bike has been sitting for at the very least since november of last year. Guy says he can get title (and I told him i'm not touching it without one).

I'm a little torn. I know the bike will need work. I want to know what you guys think. I know for a fact it'll need tires (right? because of flat spots?), battery, new key set, and a full tuneup. What are the chances that this bikes engine/internals are shot to heck? I'm not thinking it could be too bad, but again, I don't know. What I will say, is that the guy put it up for sale first back in november of last year (where I first replyed to him), then he contacted me again in february, and now I hear from him again.

Considering he was only looking to get 1000 for it back then, and being that this is florida where even a broken bike would be bought up if it looks good, to be repaired - I have the feeling it's been sitting because the guy's got better things to do than ride it (and sell it), as opposed to it sitting because the engine blew. Being that the guy doesn't reply quickly, i'm left to ponder these things on my own until he replies. (Also, forgot to mention he said he's looking to get less than that now because he needs it gone)

Thoughts? Can anyone tell i'm bored and miss my old triumph?

[Clint]

I'd agree with about everything you said. How do you plan on dealing with the lost key? That's not something I'm familiar with.

[cracKness]

Originally Posted by RowdyRed94

I'd agree with about everything you said. How do you plan on dealing with the lost key? That's not something I'm familiar with.

If i'm lucky (and I probably won't be ), i'll be the only person needing a key set for an rf900 in the next 2 months... found one on ebay i'm watching like a hawk

If i don't get that, i'll figure something out. I wouldn't be surprised if i could use one from a gsxr of the same era.

Here's one of the pics he sent me:

[Clint]

So you'd change the ignition switch? Is that what you're calling a "key set"?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by cracKness

Guy has lost the title, lost the key.

Bike has been sitting for at the very least since november of last year.

I'm a little torn. I know the bike will need work. I want to know what you guys think. I know for a fact it'll need tires (right? because of flat spots?),

What are the chances that this bikes engine/internals are shot to heck?

Considering he was only looking to get 1000 for it back then, (

Here's the deal:

Do you have ~ $1000 to throw away? The "seller" has had 9 months to get a new title and get a locksmith to make keys. Why hasn't he done that? BIG RED FLAG.

Tires don't "flat spot"......any perceived flat spot will work out in a few miles or riding. Been watching a lot of Nascar ??
Check tread depth and sidewalls for cracks.

Nobody with any sense at all would venture a guess at what condition the engine and tranny are in........and YOU shouldn't either.

Do not buy anything without a test ride; this time especially. Call him back and tell him that when it is RUNNING and he has a title to call you; not before.

Or you could take a ~ $1000 gamble. I think your odds would be better putting the money on a horse at the track.

[cracKness]

Well, here's the deal: Back in nov. (back when he first posted it), he was looking for way more, supposedly all it needed was a battery cuz the one it had was dead. He had title, had keys, and so on. I didn't get an email from him that first time.... I got an email from him in jan/feb saying that the previous deals fell through. Told me he'd sell it to me for 1000 cuz he didn't have the time/desire to try and get it running. We got stuck on setting up a time to go check it out (at that time, he told me to bring a battery and feel free to turn it on and check it out). After another email or 2, didn't hear from him again.

Fast forward to a few days ago, I see a posting on craigslist for an rf900. Turns out it was the same guy, and I told him i was the same guy, and he apologized and told me he had a bunch of stuff come up. Still has the bike, and will make me a better deal since he needs to sell it. I'm not paying 1000, i'm looking to give him something like 500, maybe a little more, for that bike. Is it a risk? Yeah, it is. So was buying my last bike... guy wanted 1200 for a 1997 Triumph Trident 900. He needed to get out of it quick, because he was moving. Turned out to be the best bike, and I sold it earlier this year for 3 grand.

I don't have a lot of money to spend on a bike....but I do have time to play and tinker on one. And I'm still not sure i'm buying it, I want to look at it first and get to talk to the guy. But the guy is not fast on his email replies, and I'm not quite ready to call the guy - don't want to give the impression I'm that interested :p

But I do appreciate all replies and points of view. $1000 may be a bit over the top for a bike that's not running, but really, is it? What about $800? What about $500? If the engine was completely shot, would it be more than another 1500 to fix the problem? I would think that number's exaggerated, but that's why I ask the lot of you. If i buy a pos bike for 800 bucks, and spend 1000 fixing the engine.... are you saying that the bike, fully functional with a perfect engine won't be worth 1800? [edit: just checked KBB.com... that bike according to them is worth 3300]

I know I don't want to spend that kind of money, but I'm assuming that would be worst case scenario. Pleeeeease feel free to advise further but seriously...where am I going to find that kind of bike, in any condition, for that kind of money?

OH, and to answer rowdy's question... the set i found on ebay is the complete set of locks.... ignition, gas tank, seat lock, and so on...

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by cracKness

supposedly all it needed was a battery cuz the one it had was dead. He had title, had keys, and so on.

he told me to bring a battery and feel free to turn it on and check it out).

But the guy is not fast on his email replies,

I know I don't want to spend that kind of money, but I'm assuming that would be worst case scenario.
...

It sounds to me like we are having a "Don't confuse me with facts; my mind is already made up" discussion but I'll give it one more shot.

You are, IMHO, being entirely too trusting in this negotiation. I think you are blinded by the light.

He "told" you that all it needs is a battery; you don't know that.
He "told" you (or you assumed) that he had keys and title; you don't know that either.

Feel free to turn it on......??????? At what point and under what circumstances did BOTH the title and keys disappear???

He REALLY wants to sell it but is slow to respond to your emails????

The worst case senerio is that you end up with a junk bike and a forged title....OR you go to see it and 4 guys with guns jump out and jack your car.

This deal smells worse than a 2 week old dead fish!

[cracKness]

My dad's an immigration lawyer, it's in my blood to ask for advice and then argue the points right back

You replied but you didn't really answer my question of 'is it worth it, if the engine was shot up'. I'm going to just assume your answer is no. Fair enough.

Your questions? I'd say in the 6+ months that have gone by it's easy to have lost a set of keys, if you can't find the time to respond to an email about something you're selling. I think if he had no bike and was looking to jump me, I don't think he'd be looking for that low amount of money, and advertise a non running bike. This is coral springs florida, not south central, or miami :p

Can we stick to the topic at hand? how did we go from advice about a non running bike, to warnings about getting jumped and carjacked?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by cracKness

You replied but you didn't really answer my question of 'is it worth it, if the engine was shot up'. I'm going to just assume your answer is no.

You're not getting a good answer to the question "Is it worth it" because the answer is a personal matter. Nobody else knows if it is worth it TO YOU or not. You are the only one that can answer that question.

Originally Posted by cracKness

Can we stick to the topic at hand? how did we go from advice about a non running bike, to warnings about getting jumped and carjacked?

You opened the can; some worms just crawled out!

These are things that happen almost on a daily basis somewhere in the country. Depending on your level of "savy", it might be redundant addressed to YOU but I have no way of knowing that.

Cheers and good luck.
I quit.

[cracKness]

Anybody else wanna chime in? Would one of the mods rather move it to a more populated section where such a question might be answered by more than 2 people?

And warning is great and all if it's warranted, but I believe nothing I said gave anyone reason to think I might lack the "savvy" of making a person to person purchase. The savvy I lack is in the department of non-working bikes. Please, any and all, feel free to advise on that topic

[Clint]

This isn't a question that can be answered over a the internet, which is why you aren't getting many responses. You need to take the good advice you've been given and make your own decision.