Bike breakers: anyone up for a witchhunt?

[ducatiz]

OK, I am not coming down on folks who are buying junked/wrecked bikes and parting them out.  They are running a (IMHO) legitimate business.

However, I am sick of seeing fully functional bikes on ebay being parted.  OK, I don't care about the 9 millionth Honda CBx bike getting scavenged, but when I see older Ducatis etc being parted, when all that was wrong with them was needing an engine rebuild, it boils my blood.

Every bike out there is worth more as parts, but it just sickens me.

Tar and feather party?

[TiAvenger]

OK, I am not coming down on folks who are buying junked/wrecked bikes and parting them out.  They are running a (IMHO) legitimate business.

However, I am sick of seeing fully functional bikes on ebay being parted.  OK, I don't care about the 9 millionth Honda CBx bike getting scavenged, but when I see older Ducatis etc being parted, when all that was wrong with them was needing an engine rebuild, it boils my blood.

Every bike out there is worth more as parts, but it just sickens me.

Tar and feather party?

What if parting it out gets say, 6 non runners running?

You've now take 1 non running classic, and made it into 6 running ones.

[ducatiz]

What if parting it out gets say, 6 non runners running?

You've now take 1 non running classic, and made it into 6 running ones.

doesn't matter.  wait for a wrecked one to come along.  if you own an old bike, you should just deal with it.

it is no different than taking organs from a mostly healthy person.

there is a guy parting an old ducati on ebay right now.  i know for a fact it was whole and fixable, i know the guy he bought it from -- and told he would get it running and ride it. 

[TiAvenger]

doesn't matter.  wait for a wrecked one to come along.  if you own an old bike, you should just deal with it.

it is no different than taking organs from a mostly healthy person.

there is a guy parting an old ducati on ebay right now.  i know for a fact it was whole and fixable, i know the guy he bought it from -- and told he would get it running and ride it. 

That is a different issue.  I believe there is a Code of Honor, when you buy a bike with promises to fix it.

[Popeye the Sailor]

That is a different issue.  I believe there is a Code of Honor, when you buy a bike with promises to fix it.

That's nonsense. If it was that important to the seller to make sure that bike saw the road, they should've fixed it.


I bought a '61 Chrysler that ran and drove. It needed quite a bit. I promised I would fix it up.

And I did-every single part I scavenged off of it to make *my* '61 Chrysler work was fixed up nicely before I bolted it on my car. There was no way I was going to wait for one that was wrecked.



Typically when you see something that "just needs a few things" it needs a *lot* of things. It's probably sat for years-so while they may tell you it just needs a rebuild, it may need a lot more than that. The majority of people I see with old restorable (or even not restorable) cars and bikes typically have half a dozen of the dang things around, claiming that "I'll get to them someday". They don't-they just sit there, never get to it, and let the poor vehicle rot. It's better to let them be parted out, to people who would actually use those parts.

[ducatiz]

Typically when you see something that "just needs a few things" it needs a *lot* of things. It's probably sat for years-so while they may tell you it just needs a rebuild, it may need a lot more than that. The majority of people I see with old restorable (or even not restorable) cars and bikes typically have half a dozen of the dang things around, claiming that "I'll get to them someday". They don't-they just sit there, never get to it, and let the poor vehicle rot. It's better to let them be parted out, to people who would actually use those parts.

that is relative.  mid 70-80s bikes are simple things.  rebuilding them is easy.  very little wiring and the engines are usually quite forgiving.

as far as i am concerned, if all the pieces are there, it doesn't matter if the pistons are rusted to the cylinders (which doesn't happen to ducatis).  the bike is fixable and rideable.  i am not talking about showroom condition, i am talking about keeping a bike on the road.  a rare bike at that.

and like i said, i knew about this bike before it landed on ebay in pieces.  i had considered buying it myself, but with 10 bikes in the garage, the wife is going to scalp me if i take her parking spot.

[Popeye the Sailor]

that is relative.  mid 70-80s bikes are simple things.  rebuilding them is easy.  very little wiring and the engines are usually quite forgiving.

as far as i am concerned, if all the pieces are there, it doesn't matter if the pistons are rusted to the cylinders (which doesn't happen to ducatis).  the bike is fixable and rideable.  i am not talking about showroom condition, i am talking about keeping a bike on the road.  a rare bike at that.

Sure it's fixable. Technically anything is fixable if you want to put the effort in. Sure it might keep one bike on the road, but what about the other bikes that need fixing?  Waiting for a wrecked bike is just not an option, IMO. My classic for example-the parts I needed simply are not made, and the forum I'm on for said cars, I haven't heard of a wreck of one. Why? Because it wasn't one of the high-end models-no one kept them-there are very few on the road. I've seen one other on the road, in 15 years. I still would not have my car on the road had I not bought the other one. This being for a restoration started in 1993. Do you really think someone trying to bring a minty old duc on the road should wait?

The parts have to come from somewhere.

[toaster]

the biggest reason to part something out is that you can get more for it in parts than you can as a whole.  ive met people that will buy brand new bikes and part them out for more than they paid for the bike.  im currently parting out a bike (95 zx11) that i picked up for $300 that needs a new motor, and im about to break even with a handful of parts, and i havent even started major disassembly yet.

[wbeck257]

Yeah! make the beast with two backs capitalism!



Or. I have the part you need. I'm going to sell it to you.
Or. You got the part I need, I gots the cash.

It isn't like these people are buying parts to part them out.
They are buying it so they can get their bike on the road.

[Speeddog]

When the price of repair plus the owner's perceived investment is greater than perceived selling price, the bike usually gets parted out.

Some folks step up to the plate, and get it fixed anyway.
Some don't.

If it bothers you *that* much, start a business of rescuing the bikes.

As an alternative, start making 160/60-16 tires, I've got a customer with a Paso desperately in need of one.

[ducatiz]

When the price of repair plus the owner's perceived investment is greater than perceived selling price, the bike usually gets parted out.

Some folks step up to the plate, and get it fixed anyway.
Some don't.

If it bothers you *that* much, start a business of rescuing the bikes.

As an alternative, start making 160/60-16 tires, I've got a customer with a Paso desperately in need of one.

i've tried to save all the Alazzuras I can.. My garage is full -- 10 bikes right now..

i would love to make some 16" hoops..

you need to get Avon on board.  find all the paso owners and the hondas that had the same tires and get a petition, surely they would make a single run if they could sell %60 off the press?

i am just pissed when someone buys rare bikes solely for the purpose of parting them when there is nothing wrong with them.  i could give a shit if the bike is common. 

it's just sad, go figure, i'm sentimental.. rofl

[Popeye the Sailor]

i am just pissed when someone buys rare bikes solely for the purpose of parting them when there is nothing wrong with them.  i could give a shit if the bike is common. 

it's just sad, go figure, i'm sentimental.. rofl

I'm so sort of with you.


The majority of my restorations have been on cars typically considered too far gone to save. I'm just stubborn like that.


But...my hobby is supported by the parts of these other cars so.....

[ghostface]

I go back and forth with parting my bike out (wjen I do decide to dump her) versus selling it out right. In my eyes, I will never take less than $5k for my bikes. I had $18k miles on an M800 with tons of goodies and tastefully done and I was getting lowballed like nuts.

Now with the S4, I'd gone back and forth and some people have hated me for being undecided (hey, I'am a good thinker) concerning parting her out. But as a whole I was still getting offered under $5k.

In comparision, if I need a part the guys who sell parts rule becaue OEM is just nuts.

In the end I never want to sell a bike again. But the new bikes and technology is sooo fooking tempting. But older is cooler.

I'm on the fence with you.

[Desmo Demon]

Every bike out there is worth more as parts, but it just sickens me.

I feel the same way, but that's the nature of the beast.....I picked up my '87 Ducati Paso 750 as a $900 non-runner because I wanted to "save" it from being parted out on eBay by whoever was to have purchased it. I spent two years and another $1500 getting it on the road. I was tickled to save this bike, but it was quite an undertaking and most people with bikes needing work don't have the mechanical nor electrical ability. It was like a spare-parts '88 Paso I picked up. The guy sold some bodywork and the front suspension and the swingarm by the time I had heard about it. He decided to part is out because of an electrical issue he couldn't cure. I'm positive I could have fixed the electrical issue, but by the time I heard about the bike, it was too late. I thought about buying it as he had it, but knew I've just want to restore the bike. Instead I wanted to attempt something different with the spare parts I'd accumulated, so.....I helped the guy find a buyer for the engine (who needed it to get his Paso back on the road), and I bought the rest of the parts, mainly for the titled frame.

A couple of years ago, I saw a complete, running, and rideable 851 with some bodywork damage sell for around $4000. I really, REALLY wanted to buy it and "save", but I wasn't done with the Paso. The guy who bought it had full intentions of parting it out instead of repairing it. Within two weeks of him buying it, he had it parted out and was selling the parts on eBay.....I wished I'd had the money to have "saved" it.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Oh this thread is great.


I'm parting out my bike, unless one of you sentimental folk want to buy it