The Motorcycle Market Right Now

gene xs

XS650 Enthusiast
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Location
Houston
I'm in Houston and Craigslist has quieted down to a whisper. I have a couple of bikes that I would like to sell, but the middle of a combined pandemic and recession seems like a very bad time to sell. But the boss (my wife) wants me to sell before I buy.

How is the market out there? The only data point that I have is that my brother at the PA/NY/NJ border picked up a Katana for a song a few weeks back.

If I need to, I'll just hold on for a while but that's not my first choice.
 
I live up in Michigan and it seems more people are using FB Marketplace more than Craigslist. When I went to post a 79XS I had for sale a month ago, Craigslist wanted $5.00 for a 30-day ad. I think it used to be free. I had success selling that 79 on FB Marketplace. Super nice guy drove 5 hours one way from another State to pick it up.
 
I live up in Michigan and it seems more people are using FB Marketplace more than Craigslist. When I went to post a 79XS I had for sale a month ago, Craigslist wanted $5.00 for a 30-day ad. I think it used to be free. I had success selling that 79 on FB Marketplace. Super nice guy drove 5 hours one way from another State to pick it up.

Huh? I’ve sold a lot of stuff on Craigslist, now there’s a fee? Crap!
Edit: You know what , this might cut down on something that has been a pet peeve of mine.
Some guys post a new ad for the same vehicle every day to try and stay at the top of the page.
Some of these idiots have 20 ads for the same bike.
 
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I have a continuous ad on CL to buy a XS650. Market has completely dried up here in the Plains States. The eastern states are full on them. I don`t use any social media so FB is out for me.:shrug:
 
00t0t_1uCcEHA8iHW_600x450.jpg

https://portland.craigslist.org/mlt/mpo/d/portland-yamaha-xs-650-project-bike/7125390521.html
 
Getting on without a FB account is getting to be like getting on without internet.
It’s possible to limit you exposure. Don’t put the app on your phone. Give the minimum information and stay off except what you want and need. Even government entities are using it extensively.

Don’t be scared!
 
Don’t be scared!

Not fear that turned me off of Facebook, I just found people’s behavior on Facebook was off putting.

Now let me tell you about the unintended consequences of Instagram.

I Started an Instagram account that was just a photographic record of my XS2 build. I was rather surprised that my account started getting a whole lot of followers from all over the world, especially Japan. Being curious about the people who were following my accounts, I always looked at their accounts to see what they were doing. The Japanese are way into the vintage motorcycle scene, and not just Japanese bikes either, they are very very good at restorations, so I started following a bunch of them. I also noticed I was getting a lot of followers from Indonesia,
there is a big vintage bike scene going on there as well, mostly old Japanese bikes. So I started following some of those guys.
Now here is where things started going weird. Instagram tracks you, they follow what you look at and make suggestions for similar posts. As soon as you start following some people, they start following you and you soon get looped into whoever they follow and on and on. I never knew that Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim nation.
I have no problem with that, most of these guys looked like nice family oriented people. But then I started having some people following my accounts that came from what looked to me to be some radical Muslim accounts. Their accounts were laced with militant political language. If it was jut one, I could think it was just a fluke, but like I said, Instagram starts looping you in with anyone that follows you. It just grows exponentially. More militant Muslims.
I could’ve blocked them but I really didn’t like how this was looking. With visions of Federal agents busting down my doors and seizing my computers, I deleted all my posts and closed down my account.
It’s a shame, because there was really some great vintage bike stuff on there.
 
I did pretty good, dumping some stuff when the stimulus checks hit. :geek:
Yes FB has taken over.
CL is still best for buying.
Hint use the CL "motorcycle parts" category, listings still free there. ;)
This is one of my CL reply's to a motorcycle I had up for sale
am very much interested in this let me know if there is anything wrong with this so i can know what to fix when it is picked
1.) How much is your final asking price
2.) can you accept check as payment as i only have check as the payment option
3.) I am a military man in camp so i cannot come to see in person
Let me know asap and i will appreciate if you can accept my offer.
Scam all the way It's easy to pick them out
 
This is one of my CL reply's to a motorcycle I had up for sale
am very much interested in this let me know if there is anything wrong with this so i can know what to fix when it is picked
1.) How much is your final asking price
2.) can you accept check as payment as i only have check as the payment option
3.) I am a military man in camp so i cannot come to see in person
Let me know asap and i will appreciate if you can accept my offer.
Scam all the way It's easy to pick them out

Put it back on them..........

Ask for some social media links and military details for verification .............tell them the cheque will have to be banked and cleared before the bike is released + a refundable $ amount for holding the bike while cheque clears.....................

Wait for an answer or go on a world trip and then check if they get back to you............
 
Reporting back with an update....

I sold 3 bikes in the last month. All were good machines. A 1974 RD250 Cafe that I had resurrected from a basket case, a 1980 XS650 Special II that I had gotten running well, fettled and spruced up, and a 2008 KLR650. I listed them all on Facebook and listed the KLR on Craigslist (after paying the $5 fee). The Facebook ads got me a lot of replies - many were blind lowball offers which I fended off. Craigslist got me fewer replies, but they were more serious. I sold the RD and XS through Facebook. The KLR sold through Craigslist. I got what I think were fair prices for all three.

So it does seem like Craigslist is alive in Houston. The $5 listing fee means that the listings are solid bikes - I also appreciate that as a buyer.

Now I have a 3 motorcycle-sized hole in my garage. Once things get back to normal, I have a trip planned to visit my brother that should partially fill that hole with another 2 XSs. Life is good.
RD250 Basket After1.jpg 20200619_162923.jpg 20200620_124301.jpg
 
I seem to live in a motorcycle bubble (California) everything is extremely price inflated.

3/4 of the vintage bikes I purchase are from out of state and it’s a lot cheaper to buy them and have them shipped.

that being said - I sold a very nice cb350 ( on CL) for a good chunk of change about 3 months ago and picked up a CB500t (via CL wanted post) running project with title for $450 about 2 months ago that I’m currently building a little canyon racer out of - but the market has certainly slowed here as well.
 

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