- This topic has 5 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 11 months ago by eternal05.
New or Used
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May 28, 2009 at 7:00 am #2904EliasParticipant
I was reading a different thread and they got a bit sidetracked about whether buying new or used is better…so I thought I would start up a dedicated thread.
As some of you know, I got a job today, and am looking at buying my first bike. My friends (and instinct) tell me to buy used, but I think I can get a really good deal on a brand new 650R ($6k) so I think it might be worth it. I know the pros and cons of buying used and new, but maybe the pros outweigh the cons of one more than the other.
Go…
May 28, 2009 at 10:51 am #19001MunchParticipantPros of new: You know the history of the bike…. Warranty….. You know where the person that sold it to you works! If the dealer offers, you can get a maintenance program (for a nominal fee ofcourse) to take the headache out of break in check/oil change and any minor issues that pop up along the way. Saved my rear on my V500 when I bought it new.
Cons: Financing…always costs more in the long run. Insurance… depending on type of financing insurance required will be more then what a used will. Break in and de bugging. No bike is really perfectly set up on delivery, sometimes you may have to go back a couple of times to work out some of the little quirks that pop up.
Used: Pros…pricing, broke in (hopefully not just broke) If you don’t like the color…..won’t hurt you to paint it. Insurance…if not financing relatively cheaper
Cons: A lot to list and I am late for work….to be continued….May 28, 2009 at 9:54 pm #19021EliasParticipantI concur with most of this, but disagree with the cons of buying new, and it might just apply to me. This is because I am going to pay with cash, so there will be no financing. As for the break-in and debugging: I agree, the break in might be lame, but as it will be my first bike I don’t think I will have a problem following the break in recommendations. I think that debugging will happen on most every bike. In fact, I think it will probably occur more when buying a used bike. I think “debugging” is actually a benefit of buying new, because the bugs will most likely be under warranty.
Yes, at this point I am leaning toward buying new. But the reason I started this thread is because I have never bought a brand spanking new vehicle, and have always been told to buy used. But as I weigh the two options, it seems like buying used will only save me like $500 at the most…at least for the bike I want (2009 650R). This is because there are very few (I can’t find any) used 2009 650R’s on the market.
I’m thinking maybe I’ll buy a used 250 or 500 for now, and then sell and move up after there are a few used 2009 650R’s on the market.
May 29, 2009 at 12:04 am #19019SantaCruzRiderParticipantI bought my bike well-used and am enjoying it at least as much as my last bike — which I bought new.
My bike is more than 10 years old and I got it for less than 20% of the price of a new one. In fact, the purchase price was probably equal to what the tax, prep and license would have been for a new one.
I’ve got no argument with the benefits of new, but there’s nothing on this bike that could break and cost me more than a fraction of what I’ve already saved. Even more importantly, it’s a model I really like and that fits my needs.
I think a big factor that will change whether new vs used is for you is how flexible you are on which bike you want. With new bikes, you have a fairly limited number of bike options, but whatever you see you can have (if you have the $$$). With used bikes, you have many more possible options, but the red-2003-with-optional-ABS that you lust for may never come up for sale in your community. Also, as you’re seeing, certain models keep their value and this reduces the amount you’ll save.
One trick I’ve often used with buying used vehicles is to read bike comparisons that pit your dream bike against similar rides. The top rated bike is often only marginally better than the 2nd and 3rd place ones. But this can result in lower resale for the also-rans. A few years later, the also-rans may be found for significantly less than the bike that beat them. And the real-world differences may be minor.
But one final word — unless you’re broke, don’t buy a bike you don’t love just because you can save some cash. You’ll have wandering eyes and end up wanting to dump in a few months.
May 29, 2009 at 5:45 am #19031EliasParticipant“But one final word — unless you’re broke, don’t buy a bike you don’t love just because you can save some cash. You’ll have wandering eyes and end up wanting to dump in a few months.”
There in lies the problem. I really like what they did to the styling of the 2009 650R as compared to the 2008. Minor cosmetic changes, yes, but to a graphic designer aesthetics are just as important as practicality. I would definitely buy used, but the used bike market is starving of 2009’s because they are so new. So, let’s pretend I was willing to go for the 2007 or 2008…they cost about $4500-5k and are almost just as hard to find as the 2009’s. If I can get the 2009 for $6k, is it worth it?
Yes, this is a question I need to answer on my own. I’m just trying to get someone to give me some concrete rationality that $1k more than a 2007 to get the 2009 won’t be worth it. Why? Because I’ve never bought new before and it’s the first time that it seems like a good deal to me (which contradicts my traditional purchasing sensibility).
I’m so weird…thanks for putting up with me
May 29, 2009 at 9:17 am #19035eternal05ParticipantThese are perfectly reasonable questions. You should ask them of others and think about them yourself.
If I were you I’d buy new. $5K to $6K is an 18% difference, but dropping to $5K you also lose your warranty and your assurance that the bike hasn’t been shot to high hell. Other things to consider:
1) This is your first bike. You won’t be able to discern some problems right away by simple virtue of having nothing to compare to. Having no warranty makes that trickier.
2) Unless I’m mistaken, you’re no mechanic. While what SantaCruzRider says is true, it’s mostly true only for somebody who either has the hook-up or who works on their own bike. A couple of costly issues can easily rocket a used bike above a new bike’s price if you’re paying somebody else to fix them.
3) Break-in restrictions are good for you. If you have the willpower to adhere to them, they will force you to stay within your limits when you first get going.
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