- Joined
- Sep 13, 2010
- Messages
- 3,589
- Reaction score
- 156
- Location
- I would rather be in Great Brak...
- Bike
- Honda CRF-1000L Africa Twin
Bare with me as I have spent quite some time thinking about this post as it does not effect me directly; the "will I, won't I" kinda dilemma - but ultimately, if just ONE other person spends 30 extra minutes on his next DS purchase, thoroughly checking it over before purchasing it, then this post is well worth the effort.
It's of no use to mention names of who bought what from whom here ... that's not really the central issue of this post, it is about the hidden "surprises" that eventually come to light when one has taken ownership of the bike that is the issue here and just a little "up front" honesty would certainly have made a lot of difference to the first time, young guy DS customer, no doubt the bike would still have been purchased from the seller, perhaps even at the advertised amount too.
So, the bike is a KTM 990 Adv S, built between 2006 and 2008 and was for sale on this forum in the Southern Cape. A quick search is done and we find that she has been for sale before in 2012 but no takers for it in the upper R70k advertised price range. Early in 2014 it is again for sale in the R70K range and our man, lets call him Dinosaur Jr from the NW is keen to do a deal. Contact is made and the two gents agree on an upper R50k price ... subject to financing ... this takes awhile but is ultimately granted. Dinosaur Jr cannot make it down to God's own Southern Cape to view the bike as he has holes to dig in gold bearing rock but the seller makes an effort to send photo's and even a video ... all looks cool. The gents agree on the bike being delivered on a trailer to Jr in the NW and so be it.
Now, it is important for me to state here and now that Jr has two older mentors that have been around bikes for an accumulated 70 years and that Jr will be doing his maiden Botswana and Namibia trip with us on this bike in Aug so we are all involved in the discussions about this bike, for him it's a big deal, first big bike and all and then a 7000km adventure to follow, we point out what to look for and what to expect and no, I do not mentioned the mileage done deliberately as this is not about an ex-owner witch hunt.
Anyway, within a month we find the following; some of which is fair enough for a 7 - 8 year old bike, some certainly not:
1) clutch - master cylinder leaks, clutch plates worn unevenly and rubbers disintegrating - R740 repair,
2) oil leak at the slave cylinder - R130,
3) tank - tank to tank by-pass tap missing. Hole filled with Pratley Steel as is the insert that the pipe fits on to,
4) rear disc - bolts worn so badly that the disc wobbles, it's been overheated to permanent blue colour and is at service limit,
5) rear brake light - not working, wiring shows clear signs of fault been hunted for previously but to date still not working,
6) engine oil - almost empty,
7) air filter - caked with mud,
I will not make much of an issue about the missing fairing bolts or the bad battery, that's simple wear and tear. We did find it ... ah, "not lekker" that the bike arrived without a license disc, being the law abiding gents they are they pushed it to the roadworthy test center and to the license dept ... no, the bike was ridden there of course!
The point that I hope comes across to new buyers is this; ask questions, many questions, look carefully in interesting places, test ride if possible for more than 15 mins and if things don't feel right they most probably aren't.
... then again, I recently purchased a 37 year old classic from a WD member in the EC, sight unseen only going by the photos he posted and those he emailed me. We did not even speak on the phone. I paid by EFT within 12 hrs of agreeing to buy the bike. She arrived in perfect condition, precisely as advertised on the day he said she would by the guy he said would deliver her, she runs well, was spotlessly clean, had a new battery and seat cover ... all as advertised.
I dig this forum stukkend.
8)
It's of no use to mention names of who bought what from whom here ... that's not really the central issue of this post, it is about the hidden "surprises" that eventually come to light when one has taken ownership of the bike that is the issue here and just a little "up front" honesty would certainly have made a lot of difference to the first time, young guy DS customer, no doubt the bike would still have been purchased from the seller, perhaps even at the advertised amount too.
So, the bike is a KTM 990 Adv S, built between 2006 and 2008 and was for sale on this forum in the Southern Cape. A quick search is done and we find that she has been for sale before in 2012 but no takers for it in the upper R70k advertised price range. Early in 2014 it is again for sale in the R70K range and our man, lets call him Dinosaur Jr from the NW is keen to do a deal. Contact is made and the two gents agree on an upper R50k price ... subject to financing ... this takes awhile but is ultimately granted. Dinosaur Jr cannot make it down to God's own Southern Cape to view the bike as he has holes to dig in gold bearing rock but the seller makes an effort to send photo's and even a video ... all looks cool. The gents agree on the bike being delivered on a trailer to Jr in the NW and so be it.
Now, it is important for me to state here and now that Jr has two older mentors that have been around bikes for an accumulated 70 years and that Jr will be doing his maiden Botswana and Namibia trip with us on this bike in Aug so we are all involved in the discussions about this bike, for him it's a big deal, first big bike and all and then a 7000km adventure to follow, we point out what to look for and what to expect and no, I do not mentioned the mileage done deliberately as this is not about an ex-owner witch hunt.
Anyway, within a month we find the following; some of which is fair enough for a 7 - 8 year old bike, some certainly not:
1) clutch - master cylinder leaks, clutch plates worn unevenly and rubbers disintegrating - R740 repair,
2) oil leak at the slave cylinder - R130,
3) tank - tank to tank by-pass tap missing. Hole filled with Pratley Steel as is the insert that the pipe fits on to,
4) rear disc - bolts worn so badly that the disc wobbles, it's been overheated to permanent blue colour and is at service limit,
5) rear brake light - not working, wiring shows clear signs of fault been hunted for previously but to date still not working,
6) engine oil - almost empty,
7) air filter - caked with mud,
I will not make much of an issue about the missing fairing bolts or the bad battery, that's simple wear and tear. We did find it ... ah, "not lekker" that the bike arrived without a license disc, being the law abiding gents they are they pushed it to the roadworthy test center and to the license dept ... no, the bike was ridden there of course!
The point that I hope comes across to new buyers is this; ask questions, many questions, look carefully in interesting places, test ride if possible for more than 15 mins and if things don't feel right they most probably aren't.
... then again, I recently purchased a 37 year old classic from a WD member in the EC, sight unseen only going by the photos he posted and those he emailed me. We did not even speak on the phone. I paid by EFT within 12 hrs of agreeing to buy the bike. She arrived in perfect condition, precisely as advertised on the day he said she would by the guy he said would deliver her, she runs well, was spotlessly clean, had a new battery and seat cover ... all as advertised.
I dig this forum stukkend.
8)
