$9,000 craigslist chopper

[1980 Special Twin]

This is a bike I saw on Craigslist a while ago. I didn't take a picture of exactly what upgrades it has, but supposedly has the best upgrades installed and tuned correctly. Still, I never expected to see an excess Chopper go for this much. It looked like someone was trying to flip it. It sat on Craigslist long enough for me to believe it went for well below asking, and I wouldn't be surprised if the mechanic barely broke even.
Does a "luxury xs" like this come up often in the market? Who buys these?

 

[Jim]

Choppers are as individual as their builders. Because of that, they appeal to them and them alone. Unless it's being made to order, you're always gonna lose money..... always. If he got $4000 for that I'd be amazed.

 

[Jan_P]

I gave $ 800 for my first .. And not knowing what has been done with what professionalism
This looks as anther one pretty much with one Zero to much on the price.
Does not look as a top notch paint job.
One sees them here also sometimes 4000 -- 6000 ish asking price.
I believe most people into choppers want to build themselves
and for $ 9000 you here can find very fine Motorcycles As new
I don't know the US prices but assuming the engine overworked and up to date
Receipts and workorders in the documentation From someone that knows his stuff
3 -4 --5000 range
Personally I would not give over 2 But I am in the last owner segment.
The story of everything is replaced is as old as the Bible ..

 

[JesseeS]

People who buy these have more money than sense. Generally people will build these with the “I know what I have attitude” while it sits for years collecting dust as they put it up for sale year after year. The fact it’s tuned correctly even has to be mentioned is pitiful. Shit for 9k it sure as hell better be tuned correctly and come with an evening with his Italian supermodel wife. 9k can buy a lot better bikes, and I’d be up for a bet I could take 9k build this exact bike and still have multiple thousands in my pocket

 

[46th Georgia]

Choppers are as individual as their builders. Because of that, they appeal to them and them alone. Unless it's being made to order, you're always gonna lose money..... always. If he got $4000 for that I'd be amazed.

Yup, Remember the "Big Dog" craze? 30-50k for a bike that went pretty fast in a straight line, couldn't go around a corner and made you pee blood. They were made to ride from the trailer to the bar and back to the trailer. They lasted about as long as Custer at Little Big Horn. Pure dick measuring as are the current "foo foo Baggers" I did 5k miles in 14 days going to Sturgis in '18. How many did I see on the highway? Rounded to the nearest number, zero. You can buy low mileage "Big Dog" types all day long in these parts for between 3500-7000.

 

[Jan_P]

Yup, Remember the "Big Dog" craze? 30-50k for a bike that went pretty fast in a straight line, couldn't go around a corner and made you pee blood. They were made to ride from the trailer to the bar and back to the trailer. They lasted about as long as Custer at Little Big Horn. Pure dick measuring as are the current "Fagger Baggers" I did 5k miles in 14 days going to Sturgis in '18. How many did I see on the highway? Rounded to the nearest number, zero. You can buy low mileage "Big Dog" types all day long in these parts for between 3500-7000.

English is not my first language but is that not high Quality Writing .. Whit a lot of interesting sociological and historical parallels as well as some comments regarding some riders sexual preferences. Good stuff...

 

[46th Georgia]

English is not my first language but is that not high Quality Writing .. Whit a lot of interesting sociological and historical parallels as well as some comments regarding some riders sexual preferences. Good stuff...

Not really about anyone's sexual preference, "Fagger Bagger" is just a general insult, but I can see where someone to whom English is their second language might interpret it that way. I use the term "dick measuring" as a way to describe someone who wants to display how big his bank account is. Most of those types have zero skills. They can write the big check (or in many cases, have enough credit) to impress people that they do not even know. Next year, they'll be selling it and buying the latest trend. Doesn't really matter, it's not my money. I just felt like going on a rant tonight.

 

[1980 Special Twin]

I do often get asked by bikers if I customized my own xs. Which is mildly insulting, but I don't look like your average biker so I don't take it personally and we quickly become friendly. How embarrassing would it be to tell a fellow biker that you bought your ride already customized and don't know the "mechanical stuff?" Or worse yet stuck on the side of the road without a clue where to stick a wrench?

 

[grizld1]

Individual? Jim, you're entirely too kind! That 9K machine is just another cookie cutter chopper--hard tail, no fender, itty bitty gas tank (keeps the owner in pushing distance of home), ape hanger bars. It's another stereotypical bar hopper that may have been a decent motorcycle once upon a time.

 

[toglhot]

Now, now, such negative vibes! It appealed to the guy who owned it, isn't that enough?

 

[46th Georgia]

Now, now, such negative vibes! It appealed to the guy who owned it, isn't that enough?

Yes it is, till you try and sell it.

 

[JesseeS]

lol. No negative vibes. It’s a nice bike, but it’s “custom” for 9k. Not in this lifetime. Unless someone with a pocket protector is trying to play chopper bad boy. This seller apparently added up his hourly rate for him getting it running right and building it for himself.

 

[46th Georgia]

lol. No negative vibes. It’s a nice bike, but it’s “custom” for 9k. Not in this lifetime. Unless someone with a pocket protector is trying to play chopper bad boy. This seller apparently added up his hourly rate for him getting it running right and building it for himself.

100% agree. It's been said before but to reiterate, when you build something to your tastes, you have a customer base of one. I'm building a street tracker. I don't care if I ever sell it. Hopefully that will be the grandkid's problem. If you don't start a project with that attitude, you will probably end up disappointed. People watch too much of those fake "reality" car shows and they believe it. I've had customers ask me what the best kind of car to restore/build is and my answer is always the same. The one you want to keep forever.

 

[grizld1]

Amen, 46th. You can modify a bike for the ride you want, or you can modify it for the image you want to project. One approach gets you a better motorcycle, the other gets you a fashion statement. I've written this bit of advice before, but I'll offer it one more time: If you want a fashion statement, buy yourself a Gucci purse. It's a damsight cheaper, and it will draw all the attention you can handle.

 

[cra-z1]

This guy started at 6k last year, still on Craigslist.
https://spokane.craigslist.org/mcy/d/coeur-alene-1974-honda-cb750k-chopper/7491878047.html

 

[toglhot]

This guy started at 6k last year, still on Craigslist.
https://spokane.craigslist.org/mcy/d/coeur-alene-1974-honda-cb750k-chopper/7491878047.html

Oh geez, I wouldn't give you $6 for that pile of crap. There were plenty of them around in the 70s, still as ugly today as they were back then. If you're going to do it, do it properly! Funny how some people think making a custom is going to make them money. I do everything myself on my build, but still it's cost me a lot of more than I'll ever get for it, even if I manage to find a wealthy idiot!
I suppose if you have a business like West Coast Choppers, have a TV show, have all the parts ready to bolt in place and the right clientele you'll make money, but not building one offs in a backyard shed.

 

[toglhot]

Here's some for sale in Australia. The ugly yellow vomit is $9,500. The 75 is $15,000. The orange chopper is $11,000. The 73 is $14,000. There is another very ordinary chopper for sale at $16,000 but it's the wrong format picture and I'm too lazy to use a converter. Call them crazy, but they'll more than likely get their money.
Then we have the last one, the poor sap who bought it paid $2,000 for this pile of rusted rubbish, wasn't even going, wasn't complete and it had a wrecked crankcase

 

[Tinker Taylor]

Now, now, such negative vibes! It appealed to the guy who owned it, isn't that enough?

But it didn't appeal to the owner, so he wants to recoup his lost time and sell it top dollar. That, or he wants his name spread word of mouth around his hometown so he can gloat in false pride whenever someone says, "Hey I saw that bike you built...amazing!" (hint). As he then just wags his head. In other words of silence, what some people will do is amazing.
'TT'

 

[grizld1]

Hadn't thought of that ad as an exercise in exhibitionism, TT, but that's a viable hypothesis for sure! I thought I had a dim view of human behavior, but you take the prize. Congrats!

Toglhot, if that kind of iron is really fetching those sorts of prices in Australia, I know how you can make your fortune. For every overpriced POS advertised in the USA there's two frustrated owners selling their POS cheap. If you can find a partner Stateside you can clean up importing those things.

 

[46th Georgia]

This guy started at 6k last year, still on Craigslist.
https://spokane.craigslist.org/mcy/d/coeur-alene-1974-honda-cb750k-chopper/7491878047.html

There's a lid for every trash can.