SPLIT: Salvage FJR

[Rider]

The second Salvage FJR I found has been on the road for some time, it's registered and loaded with sliders, GIVI trunk, seat back, and lots of smalls...

The seller sent me a text yesterday and is getting desperate to sell - I have no affiliation and am just passing on the info. I think he'll take $1500 in the end, maybe even less. It's under 50k miles on the clock.

Northern California

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/mcy/4730597313.html

 

[audiowize]

Man, none of that is particularly expensive to fix. What's the reason behind the title being branded?

I think you could pull the plastics and tank off it, sand them, and get an acceptable paint job for ~$1000. The minutes issue on the clock is probably a matter of popping the board out and cleaning it/reaheating some solder joints.

Are you looking at this as a flip? Now is an awkward time to buy a flip, I usually wait till January/February.

 

[Fred W]

I'd say the bike is in rough, rough condition 1 or 1.5 out of 10.

And it's an '03 with 2005 panels (not 2004 as buddy said). It's a real soup sandwich.

An '03 in known good condition is only worth so much, maybe $4000-3500? Put a salvage label on it that drops to half (or less). Add the apparently neglected condition and no warranties of condition, I think $1000 is about right. But I personally wouldn't want the headaches.

YMMV.

PS - Not sure why you are scouring the salvage ads, Rider. There are lots of great bikes around for sale at great prices that have clear titles.

 

[Rider]

I have no affiliation and am just passing on the info.

Since the guy was nice to me and I was entertaining a purchase, I felt I could try and help him out a little. I also thought that the price might be attractive to someone here looking for a thrasher or parts, assuming anything is usable.

p.s., the only other 2003 model in the area has a firm asking price of $5900 and it just goes up from there. I felt a new red one was worth twice that.

 

[91a2jettavr6]

Salvage label = half value? Not in my world. 20-30% tops.

 

[Fred W]

Thanks. Amended my post to say "half or less" which was what I meant to say in the first place.

 

[91a2jettavr6]

I suppose I should clarify as well, then. I meant that the salvage value will be 70-80% of the clean title value. Not sure if that is what you meant, though, based on your wording (as in: it's worth half as much or less OR it's worth half or more than half of clean title value).

 

[Fred W]

I wouldn't give you 80% of the value of a clean title bike for a salvage. Why would anyone do that?

No I meant what I said. 50% (or less) of the clean title. Maybe people feel differently in Minnesota, but out east here people run away from salvage titled vehicles like they carried the plague.

 

[91a2jettavr6]

I sell (quality) vehicles for a living, and have for years, and approximately 20% of my inventory consists of salvage vehicles. I have never sold a salvage vehicle for less than 70% of its corresponding clean title value and nearly all of my vehicles sell within 1 week. I choose vehicles carefully, then take pre, during and post-repair pictures. Half of clean title value is ridiculously low. Yet another reason not to live on the east coast .

 

[art miller]

Looks like a cat fight here. In CA it is not easy to deal with a salvage title. I have never bought a salvage vehicle and would not consider doing so. Perhaps in MN where the winters are long, cold, and abundant salt used on roads, it makes sense to buy salvage vehicles.

 

[91a2jettavr6]

Interesting that you brought CA up, actually. Thank you for your input! I sold salvage vehicles in CA as well, when I lived there, with the same ease/results. I think it makes sense to buy salvage in any state, regardless of the length and coldness of winter. Ultimately, savings are savings in any state at any time. Personally, I just feel that 50% off for a salvage brand is the expectation of a person or people who either A) would never really, ultimately buy salvage anyway, or #2) is or are afraid of the salvage brand to a degree where fire-sale pricing (aka: 50% off of normal retail) is expected in order to "pull the trigger". Those who have purchased salvage vehicles from reputable, ethical, knowledgeable sellers (like me

) have learned that, in those situations, they've represented nothing other than opportunities to save UP TO 30% on vehicles that looked and performed as though they were never damaged in the first place. No cat fight here...I just find it funny (and, honestly, also unreasonable) to expect to save such a large percentage. I've always thought of myself as more of a canine than feline anyway lol.

 

[Fred W]

Sorry, 91jetta, but I think that you are a little too close to this issue to discuss it objectively. You think it unreasonable that I wouldn't want to pay 80% of clean title value, and I think it is unreasonable to expect that much.

You may be able to sell vehicles at those prices to some people, but there are many more folks (including myself) that would not even consider it. So it is a limited market that you have, and the possible resale of those vehicles by the buyers would be limited even more since they are not "dealers".

For the buyer, it's simply a matter of risk vs. reward, and only they can make that decision. You'll have to admit that not all salvagers are as upright and ethical as what you present yourself to be There are just too many ways to lose out when buying a salvage titled vehicle to take that kind of risk for such a relatively small financial reward. And for sure, that's just my opinion.

No cat fight. Just presenting a view.

 

[91a2jettavr6]

No. Actually, I think it is unreasonable that you wouldn't want to pay 70% (at a minimum)...but...that doesn't matter because neither one of us is absolutely right. We just have differing opinions and, no matter how strongly we each believe ours to be best, they will never be more than what they are: opinions. Also, I consider myself to be more experienced in this than objective and that is certainly just as important. Years of experience, and positive results, with this issue have led me to where I am today. It is interesting to me, based on how incredibly easy it is for me to sell repaired and inspected salvage vehicles, that those buyers are apparently so grossly outnumbered. And, it certainly doesn't feel like a "limited market". Honestly, though, I don't care even if they are (outnumbered) because there has always been a copious supply of buyers who are A-OK with it and, based on even the most recent experiences, I don't think that will change.

 

[91a2jettavr6]

Additionally, I have purchased vehicles in the past that were deemed salvage, for example, due to a fallen tree branch that caused damage which required no more than a used rear windshield and $100 of PDR (paintless dent repair). As a result (using that particular vehicle), I repaired and sold a $5K car for 25% less than I would have otherwise and there was literally not a single thing wrong with it (original paint, panels and all but the the rear windshield). This would be a classic example of why salvage can represent a great opportunity to save money on a nice product and why I feel not all salvage vehicles should be avoided. Each one has a story and some stories are more ideal than others. I would say, to any person who had decided not to buy (and retain) that particular car simply because of the salvage brand and its implications, that they were missing a wonderful opportunity. I didn't have to do that, though, because that car sold in 2 hours.

 

[ionbeam]

Got an opportunity for ya to fix up. It's down in North Carolina.

 

[Ignacio]

This thread is about one bike for sale and diverted off from it's original purpose. If somebody want to buy it...great. If people don't want to buy it....great.

People want to divert off and debate to individual percentage point values of totals......off-topic. People then want to take the subject further off-topic with non-related motorcycles....excessively off-topic. If you really want to talk about something beyond this bike for sale...go start another thread.

Thank you.

The Management