Today's possible new bike purchase.

[JBCrabbypants]

When a dealer offers a trade-in value only $250 less than I'd sell the bike outright for, it gets my attention, and for some reason I don't understand, the ZX14R is $190 less annually to insure than the smaller-engined, less raw horsepower, and only slightly more money to buy, BMW S1000R I was seriously considering.

[Maggie]

That looks sharp!

[freak]

LOve it !!!!!

[redeye]

You youngsters and your crotch rockets...   Go for it!

[Greg]

The ZX14R is supposed to be a very good, all around motorcycle.  Loads of fun, good for long distance, and affordable.  Good looking, too.

[EZMark]

Is that the color you were hot after?

[JBCrabbypants]

Is that the color you were hot after?

Not at all, but it's what they have. I can get used to it.

[JBCrabbypants]

It's a 'done deal', ended up trading-in BOTH the Indian Vintage and Honda Shadow Aero on the new Kawasaki. Bringing it home tomorrow.

[EZMark]

It's a 'done deal', ended up trading-in BOTH the Indian Vintage and Honda Shadow Aero on the new Kawasaki. Bringing it home tomorrow.

Well, noone can accuse you of being one dimensional on your motorcycle purchases.

[redeye]

My recollection is you parted with your prior ZX-14 with more regret than other motorcycles you have owned and written about on this forum. Trading the Indian Vintage came as no surprise. Trading the Honda Shadow Aero was a bit more of a surprise, but overall, another chapter in your motorcycle ownership adventures.

We view motorcycling from two different perspectives in short-term vs. long-term ownership, but that's part of the pleasure. Best wishes for many happy miles on your new ride!

[minimac]

I give it a year, at best. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, though. It will make a nice companion to a scooter, in which case it might be a keeper!

[Dan]

Congrats and have fun with it!  Love to hear a Crabbypants review at some point.

[AKforza]

Congrats JB pics please!

[JBCrabbypants]

Congrats and have fun with it!  Love to hear a Crabbypants review at some point.

It will have to wait, the deal 'fell through' over a $500 discrepancy, an unexpected complication that had me returning home, still on the Indian. It was so close, that the Kaw was at the curb, serviced, gassed, and warmed up, just awaiting the temp paper plate, and the Indian was already moved inside to the sales floor. It's my credit union's error, not the dealership. The credit union told me that I would need to put $980 cash into the deal, and I brought $1000 with me, besides the credit union's check for the dealer. But, by the dealer's calculations, I would need something over $1450 to make it all work. I balked at that, and simply stopped the deal at that point, had them bring the Indian back outside, and went home.

Something is still likely to happen, but since then, I'm pretty certain I'll not trade the Honda in along with the Indian for the Kaw, and make a new deal with only the Indian as trade material. I really like that old Honda Aero, and would miss it too much to so easily get rid of it.
 


 


It's not entirely dead yet, however, but the next 'window of opportunity' for this transaction won't be until April 28-30.

[Greg]

Sorry the deal fell through.  There will be other deals, I'm sure.  Same thing happened to me several years ago when I was going to purchase a BMW R1100GS.  The bike was prepped, battery charged, and I was ready to go through with the deal, but then the dealer added some extra charges that bumped the price up too high, so I backed out.  Too bad, as I really liked that bike.

[Dan]

Well that stinks. Better luck next time.

[JBCrabbypants]

Well that stinks. Better luck next time.

I still might get the trade done towards the end of the month.

[sailingskier]

Best not to rush and not be forced into an up-sell that you may come to regret.  It is not like you have to make a deal ... so it will be on your terms.  Not the dealers.  The want to make a sale more than you want (or need) the buy.  Do they know your handle on here?  Let them know that nobody takes advantage of  Mr. Crabbypants !  Good luck with this JB.  It is great to be in the driver's seat for something like this.

[JBCrabbypants]

If I was rushed, I would have just come up with another $500 and rode out on the new bike.

The dealer is more than fair in their trade-in numbers, the fault for the last minute screwup lies with my credit union not getting their numbers right.

 

[minimac]

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. You now have time to make sure it's not an impulse buy, only to experience some buyers(or sellers) remorse later. You're lucky to have a dealer that is easy to deal with. It seems every time you walk in there, something strikes your fancy and follows you home!

[JBCrabbypants]

I'm starting to be a bit concerned about buying extremely fast and powerful motorcycles. I can't behave myself on Teresa's 125 hp1200 BMW, much less a 200 hp hyperbike.

I rode her BMW up to Deadwood for coffee today, mostly because I was running late, and it has heated grips. I ran the twenty-five miles up to Sturgis at 85-90 mph, then the ten remaining miles through Boulder canyon at 70-90 mph. I made it up there in record time, and only rode up behind an unseen highway patrol car once on I-90. Luckily for me, he either didn't notice my closing speeds, or just didn't want to bother with me right then.

I don't ride like a crazy bastard, but I do like to zip along when I can. 

[Maggie]

It was a sign :-)

[redeye]

I really like that old Honda Aero, and would miss it too much to so easily get rid of it.

Glad to read you are reconsidering the Honda trade.

[Carol]

I had the same thing happen years ago - had signed papers, had the title, was going to pick up bike on Sat.  Friday dealer called me.  He had offered zero interest from manufacturer.  We had done the deal on the first of the month and the manufacturer offer expired at the end of the previous month, so dealer talked to local bank who wouldn't honor the deal.  We couldn't come to agreeable terms, so I said no thanks. Problem was, we had already signed the manufacturer certificate and all the paperwork.  I didn't want to give them the cert with my name on it, and wouldn't get a title for a bike that I didn't own.  After talking with DMV and attorney, I kept the certificate and told them to get a new one.
Went on to get a different bike. 
A couple years later I meandered into dealer, saw bike, not realizing it was the same one.  I test rode and really liked it.  I went home to think about buying it.  All of a sudden I remembered the previous incident and realized it was the same bike.  The dealer couldn't do anything because he didn't have a certificate/title.  I still had it and the only miles on the bike were from my test ride.  We made a deal and I bought the bike.  When it came time to finalize the paperwork the dealer came clean that he didn't have a certificate/title, but would go to DMV with me.  Not sure if he realized I still had the original docs still.  I came clean after the paperwork was signed.

I ended up with a brand new two year old bike costing several grand less than it would have cost new.  And t was financed at zero interest.  He was happy to get rid of the bike and I was happy to have a new bike.  No problems at DMV.

[Greg]

I had the same thing happen years ago - had signed papers, had the title, was going to pick up bike on Sat.  Friday dealer called me.  He had offered zero interest from manufacturer.  We had done the deal on the first of the month and the manufacturer offer expired at the end of the previous month, so dealer talked to local bank who wouldn't honor the deal.  We couldn't come to agreeable terms, so I said no thanks. Problem was, we had already signed the manufacturer certificate and all the paperwork.  I didn't want to give them the cert with my name on it, and wouldn't get a title for a bike that I didn't own.  After talking with DMV and attorney, I kept the certificate and told them to get a new one.
Went on to get a different bike. 
A couple years later I meandered into dealer, saw bike, not realizing it was the same one.  I test rode and really liked it.  I went home to think about buying it.  All of a sudden I remembered the previous incident and realized it was the same bike.  The dealer couldn't do anything because he didn't have a certificate/title.  I still had it and the only miles on the bike were from my test ride.  We made a deal and I bought the bike.  When it came time to finalize the paperwork the dealer came clean that he didn't have a certificate/title, but would go to DMV with me.  Not sure if he realized I still had the original docs still.  I came clean after the paperwork was signed.

I ended up with a brand new two year old bike costing several grand less than it would have cost new.  And t was financed at zero interest.  He was happy to get rid of the bike and I was happy to have a new bike.  No problems at DMV.

A marriage made in heaven, as my friend, Steve likes to say.

[Greg]

I'm starting to be a bit concerned about buying extremely fast and powerful motorcycles. I can't behave myself on Teresa's 125 hp1200 BMW, much less a 200 hp hyperbike.

I rode her BMW up to Deadwood for coffee today, mostly because I was running late, and it has heated grips. I ran the twenty-five miles up to Sturgis at 85-90 mph, then the ten remaining miles through Boulder canyon at 70-90 mph. I made it up there in record time, and only rode up behind an unseen highway patrol car once on I-90. Luckily for me, he either didn't notice my closing speeds, or just didn't want to bother with me right then.

I don't ride like a crazy bastard, but I do like to zip along when I can. 

JB, I'm with you here.  There was a time when I liked to rally zip along.  Toward the end of my riding career I started simmering down and tempering my riding style a bit.  I still liked to charge the curves, but found that my attitude had change from how fast I could take a corner to how fast I could take a corner well.  I began concentrating on skill and technique, and found that doing a corner in the best, yet safest manner was still fun and exciting.  I doubt that would change if I ever started back riding again.  Oh, and as I got older I decided that my reaction times were probably not as good as they were several years ago, so I guess it was a matter of erring on the side of caution and safety.

[JBCrabbypants]

It's now between the ZX14, or a new Moto Guzzi Eldorado...



or possibly a...............?

[Dan]

I like Guzzi's.

[Maggie]

I love Moto Guzzi's!!