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What is it about the Bandits?

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AlgoaTX

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Aug 27, 2005
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Location
Alvin TX
I`ve got no clue!!
I have been tiring to sell my 07 Bandit
(only 2k one owner miles) for months
now and so far not one serious inquiry.
No I`m not giving it away, but it`s a
very good price w/ some extras.
I`ve been able to sell my G-wing in
the same time frame.
So what is it? Is this such a unpopular bike
or is it a deep-dark secrete??
I know it`s not the fastest gun in the west,
BUT it`s not a rock either.
So what`s the deal?
 
I don't think people realize what a good all around bike the 1250 Bandit is. I also have an 07 w/Givi bags and topbox and I use the bike for all types of riding. Everytime I have let someone ride it, they are amazed at how good the bike performs. My 08 FJR and 07 Tiger spend more time in the garage than the Bandit. Hang in there and someone will come along and take it off your hands.

Steve

08 FJR 07 Bandit 07 Tiger 07 DRZ400S
 
There was a time when the 1200 Bandit was known to be the least expensive way to make the most power. "Value", when measured by "bang fer yer buck" was Bandit 1200 all the way.

When the 1200 was replaced by the 1250, and a new 1250 was the least expensive way to buy the most cc's, "value" became the new 'torque monster'..... in a word, the cover charge to get into the party was "cheap".

"Inexpensive", "cheap", a good "value"...... simply isn't as trendy as designer names, will not gain you the attention that 'conspicuous consumption' does, won't attract the chicks, isn't manly, and will not attract as much of a following as the fastest, the baddest, or the coolest.

The Bandit 1250 is vanilla ice cream in a world of exotic flavors, it simply doesn't stand apart from the crowd, it's merely 'functional' yet fully capable. Just because you can pick one up cheap, new OR used, doesn't mean it's a bad bike..... it's simply not a memorable bike.

All that having been said, the economy sucks right now and nothing is holding it's value anymore. Not only are expensive toys, when sold used, are cheap, but inexpensive toys are even cheaper. There is less "extra money" in peoples' pockets, fewer people are buying things, and toys are not fetching what they used to. As the economy gets progressively worst, I wonder if people will be willing to give up the big bucks for a machine that gets 40+ mpg.... I wonder if our Bandits will be seen in the light of the value that they are.... I wonder if people will even HAVE money enough to buy a good "value"?

It's gonna get worst before it gets better, the best of times are gone, the worst of times is on our doorstep. We're lucky if we can find a buyer for anything these days, let alone a "recreational vehicle".......
 
So how much you asking? If I decided to sell my 07 with factory hard bags, trunk, HID lighting and a few other mods I would hope I could pull $5000-$5500 from it but with money as tight as it is maybe not.
 
I'm pretty sure alot of it has to do with the economy...A friend of mine who's been selling bikes for many years told me he's never seen it this slow....EVER.
 
I'll throw in my thoughts here...

A lot of it has to do with this bike's predecessor, the 1200 is an incredible value in motorcycling. Take a look at this on CL right around the corner:

http://austin.craigslist.org/mcy/1817632474.html

IMG_6987.jpg


Stunning '05 1200, only 9k miles. $4,200. :eek2:

Now, if someone is specifically looking for a 1250, they probably don't care. But to Joe Buyer, he sees a bike which seems very, very similar for very, very cheap.

Take my '07 as an example. I've got full bags, HID lighting, wired up for all kinds of stuff, ABS, very well maintained. But, with 47,000mi, what's my best case scenario? $4,200? I think just about anyone would jump for the bike with 1/5 of the miles for the same price, even if it is a couple years older. So... $3,500? Ouch.

You don't have the miles working against you, but how much of a premium will someone pay for what pretty much boils down to FI, ABS (?), an extra gear and smoother motor?

That's my theory on why, at least in part, the used 1250 market is a buyer's dream. I've seen more than one low mile, very clean '07 model go for ~$5k. You can get prestine 1200 models for ~$3k all over the place. The Bandit (old and new)is the best bang for the buck in motorcycling if you ask me -- that's why I bought mine.

No big deal for me, I toy with the idea of moving on every now and then, but since I can't get my hands on an equally incredible bike for < $5k... I'll just keep riding and riding :rider:

trey
 
Sorry to hear about the slow sale. Just keep it out there on the forum sites. Good thing about the internet, lots of exposure and posting it for sale is free.

whitesands said:
I'm pretty sure alot of it has to do with the economy...A friend of mine who's been selling bikes for many years told me he's never seen it this slow....EVER.
Click to expand...

It was even worse for motorcycle dealers in the mid/late 80's, great bikes were gathering dust. Baby Boomers weren't buying. They were busy with mortgages and kids.

I bought a new 1984 Honda CB650SC Nighthawk for dealer invoice in 1986. The dealer just wanted it outta his shop. Good for me, break even for him.

Then came the motorcycle sales boom of the 1990's/2000's. Well, good times don't last forever.
 
Blame the economy and high unemployment . . . not the bike, unless you are asking too much, but I would not know.
Good luck with the sale.
 
One thing is you can't hardly find new Bandits for sale..I've looked at several large shops in my area and none of them have new bandit 1250's and haven't had them for at least two years...If they did have them within the last two years they must have went quick because I go in the shops pretty often to look around and haven't seen one except for 1 used one several months ago...And I'm talking about huge dealerships that carry lots of bikes.
 
Yeah, the shop where I bought my 07 1250 will only have one Bandit in at a time. They have used bikes, GSXR's, and dirt bikes but really not a lot of inventory to speak of.
 
I hate to say this, but I've seen a lot of low mileage 1250's for sale for a lot less than $6,500, and no offense but the mods you have aren't really that substantial enough to warrant the price your asking.

The bottom line is even with only 2,000 miles on it, it's still a 3 year old bike and when a lot of people only paid $8,000 OTD or less for their 07, your probably going to have to lower your price at least a $1,000 to start or maybe a little more to start getting interest in it, as unfortunately money is tight right now.
 
Mine has about 14,000 miles on it but is in "better than new" condition and maintained better than any shop could dream of, but realistically it's still a 3+ year old Bandit and will go for about the same price as a normally cared for Bandit with whatever on the ticker. It's just not a high value bike when it comes to selling. But it's a great high value bike when it comes to owning and riding.

More than likely, this bike will sit next to the 1198S coming soon and share the garage. Great all around bike and I will enjoy it in the stable 10 years from now too. You're going to sell it at a loss would be my guess, eh?
 
I decided about a year ago to just wear mine out. They are not worth anything sad but true. I have 30k miles on mine and it runs as good as I can tune it to run not perfect but it gets the job done. I am heading out in the morning for a short ride, 2000 miles or so :mrgreen: just got finished packing. It just got brand new Pilot Road 2's mounted, front brake pads, oil, plugs, air filter and TB sync.
 
It could be that Sport Tourers have cooled a bit and Dual Sports are taking off, I see where a lot of folks are selling their STs and buying DSs, I traded my 1250 in for a DS retail for retail which is not the best way to go for sure but it allowed me to get rid of it and get what I wanted, since then I purchased the old Concours {which can be had pretty cheap}to fill the void left by the 1250s.
 
If you're serious about selling it, price it to sell. If you set your price half way between KKB trade-in (3725) and KKB retail (5410), it should sell. That would be about 4600 in your case. I buy used bikes for that price point all the time with low miles and add-ons too. If you want to make more off of it, remove the aftermarket bits and sell them seperately. Most people won't pay extra for those if they are already on the bike.
 
I stripped my last bike before trade in. Sold all the farkles at about 60% of what I paid for them. Now days, you're lucky if you can get wholesale price for them.
 
David_Thompson said:
you may be asking too much. my local craigslist has a 07 with 5k miles for $4500 negotiable
Click to expand...

Your right I might have to take less, BUT that bike in NC
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/mcy/1805448658.html
has some serious issues.
My bike would be a bargain if not for the economy
I`m not in a position that I have to sell.
All I`m saying is that there does not seem to be
any interest in even making a quarry offer.
 
you can search the mega thread and see how much i paid for my bike, who i bought it from, and the after market on it. i thought at the time, i was getting a really good deal. now i'm finding that it was just a Ok deal.
 
Its a cult bike just like my vfr. Most sport riders around here are youngsters like me and they want "fast" and "sport." The bandit doesnt scream that to the young crowd. Most older riders here go the cruiser/HD route.

I feel like im the only factoy nakid bike owner in a 400 mile radius. LOL. Theres a bunch of street fighters, but theyre all hack jobs.
 
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