[GoonerYoda]

Thoughts? I'm currently getting my Daytona 675 ready to sell. I've always wanted a Bonnie and when I test rode one 3 years ago, I told myself "I should have bought this bike instead of my SV650". I no regrets on the SV. Learned a lot and moving to a D675 was night and day in terms of power, brakes, suspension, etc.

But alas, my inner hipster wants a Bonnie.

Any particular years to avoid? Minor issues that may pop up to watch out for? Any and all advice welcomed!

 

[eric nyc]

Thoughts? I'm currently getting my Daytona 675 ready to sell. I've always wanted a Bonnie and when I test rode one 3 years ago, I told myself "I should have bought this bike instead of my SV650". I no regrets on the SV. Learned a lot and moving to a D675 was night and day in terms of power, brakes, suspension, etc.

But alas, my inner hipster wants a Bonnie.

Any particular years to avoid? Minor issues that may pop up to watch out for? Any and all advice welcomed!

I'm a new owner myself so I can't tell you very much. But I will say that I got INSANELY lucky. Foudn a guy selling his 2008 Bonneville on Craigslist. Had always kept it garaged and had only put 3000 miles on it since riding it out of the dealership. Had Staintune pipes put on and the carbs jetted, custom paint. The thing is practically showroom new with at least 2 g's worth of work put into it and I got it for a steal because he had just had a baby and his wife was making him sell it.

That being said, dude had absolutely zero maintenance records on the thing. It had clearly never been dropped and it runs perfectly, but god knows if he has ever even changed the oil. I know for a fact the battery is the one that it came with from the factory, so I'll be replacing that in short order. It is running fine for now and I'll be putting it up for the winter in about 10 weeks or so, but when I'm waking her up in the Spring I'm going to have a mechanic go over her with a fine tooth comb and make sure everything's in order. My guess is it needs some basic maintenance (new filters, oil change, new battery) and possibly some suspension tweaking and aligning and balancing the wheels. From what I can gather, these things are pretty much indestructible unless you straight up wreck them. If it's a late model that hasn't been dropped, starts up fine, and runs smoothly then it's probably in pretty decent shape. At most it might need a good tune up but if anything significant is wrong you should be able to tell on a quick test ride.

 

[norton74]

I'm a new owner myself so I can't tell you very much. But I will say that I got INSANELY lucky. Foudn a guy selling his 2008 Bonneville on Craigslist. Had always kept it garaged and had only put 3000 miles on it since riding it out of the dealership. Had Staintune pipes put on and the carbs jetted, custom paint. The thing is practically showroom new with at least 2 g's worth of work put into it and I got it for a steal because he had just had a baby and his wife was making him sell it.

That being said, dude had absolutely zero maintenance records on the thing. It had clearly never been dropped and it runs perfectly, but god knows if he has ever even changed the oil. I know for a fact the battery is the one that it came with from the factory, so I'll be replacing that in short order. It is running fine for now and I'll be putting it up for the winter in about 10 weeks or so, but when I'm waking her up in the Spring I'm going to have a mechanic go over her with a fine tooth comb and make sure everything's in order. My guess is it needs some basic maintenance (new filters, oil change, new battery) and possibly some suspension tweaking and aligning and balancing the wheels. From what I can gather, these things are pretty much indestructible unless you straight up wreck them. If it's a late model that hasn't been dropped, starts up fine, and runs smoothly then it's probably in pretty decent shape. At most it might need a good tune up but if anything significant is wrong you should be able to tell on a quick test ride.

I wouldn't wait until spring to change the fluids. Any contamination in the oil will have all winter to do its worst on the innards of your bike. Follow the directions in the owners manual for prepping your bike for storage. The nice thing about doing it now, is that you can get riding in the spring a lot faster instead of waiting for a dealer mechanic that is trying to get through a flood of bikes that need serving in the spring.

 

[eric nyc]

I wouldn't wait until spring to change the fluids. Any contamination in the oil will have all winter to do its worst on the innards of your bike. Follow the directions in the owners manual for prepping your bike for storage. The nice thing about doing it now, is that you can get riding in the spring a lot faster instead of waiting for a dealer mechanic that is trying to get through a flood of bikes that need serving in the spring.

Oh I'm going to do the whole winteration prep. I just read most places to do the oil change in the Spring. But maybe I'm just remembering it wrong. I'm actually going to do a workshop at a local shop where I'm going to be putting it up so they'll have master mechanics there walking me through everything. THe other nice thing about this place is if you store it there for the winter (common in NYC to store in mass garages) then you get on the advanced list for spring and they give you a massive discount on a tuneup. Basically you tell them what date you want to get it out when you put it up and they guarantee it will be ready and serviced by that date. Pretty sweet deal, and not all that pricey all things considered with NYC real estate. A single car uncovered parking spot outside in this city can cost as much as some people's mortgages in smaller cities.

 

[wenzel850]

Look for maintenance records, or at least when was the last oil + filter change done. What type of oil did he use, not important but nice to know. Any mods done to the bike. Has the bike been in storage for along time ? If it has then the carbs probably will need a good cleaning. Look for dry rotting on the sides of the tires especially if its been sitting along time.

Is the bike clean and at least look like it was well kept.

 

[scottslob]

Look for green paint... The green ones are the fastest.

 

[eric nyc]

Look for green paint... The green ones are the fastest.

+1000. I went a step further and looked for green with a racing stripe.


Sent from my iPhone using MO Free

 

[GoonerYoda]

Salvage title due to theft?

 

[norton74]

Salvage title due to theft?

Have you considered buying a new one?

Advanges:

You don't have any title or registration hassels.

No one else has had the chance to screw it up.

The tires, batter, and all fluids are brand new.

You get to pick the color.

With resale prices for used Bonnies so high, are you really saving that much buying used?

You'll make a dealer very happy. Friendly dealers can be a owner's best friend.

You get to buy when you're ready, not when someone just happens to want to sell the model you're interested in.

 

[GoonerYoda]

Used is my only option right now.

 

[norton74]

Used is my only option right now.

I hope that you find a good one.

 

[eric nyc]

Have you considered buying a new one?

Advanges:

You don't have any title or registration hassels.

No one else has had the chance to screw it up.

The tires, batter, and all fluids are brand new.

You get to pick the color.

With resale prices for used Bonnies so high, are you really saving that much buying used?

You'll make a dealer very happy. Friendly dealers can be a owner's best friend.

You get to buy when you're ready, not when someone just happens to want to sell the model you're interested in.

I considered buying new. Yeah, the sticker price might only be about $2k more than a used, but throw in an extra grand for sales tax that you can probably get around if you buy person-to-person. $3k is a lot of money. Triumphs are so durable and so easy to maintain that as long as they haven't been wrecked, the most you might have to do is take them in for a tuneup at a mechanic. That $3k was the difference maker for me. Wouldn't be riding today if I hadn't found a used bike in great shape.

Also, the fact that they retain their value so well is a huge plus. If you think you might want to buy a new one someday but don't have the cash now and still want to ride, find a used one in good shape, take care of it while you squirrel away a couple of grand over a year or two, then sell it to another excited rider in the market for a used bike for practically what you paid for it. With some TLC these bikes can be like money in the bank - not like a car or a boat that loses half its value the moment you drive it away.

 

[neuroboy74]

Used is my only option right now.

I've had nothing but good luck (knock on wood) with craigslist. I'm on my third bike bought used on craigslist and all have been in great shape. if you're patient and wait for the right bike--and are willing to drive an hour or two to see it--you'll find what you want. this isn't your first bike, so you know what to look for. there's really not anything about the bonnie that, in my experience, has been different than other models/makes.

look for quality bits and accessories added that are non-stock that would indicate that the owner's spend time thinking about and spent money on their bike. also, i find just talking to/sussing out the owner is helpful for determining if the bike has been babied or thrashed or somewhere in between. not offense intended to anyone here, but watch out for very young guys, too.

 

[GoonerYoda]

Issue is, people seem to be asking, IMO, way too much for a 6 year old bonnie.

2006 Triumph Bonneville T100 for sale, $6500

7200 miles
865cc

Extras:
- Wind Screen
- Grab Rail
- Triumph Saddle Bags
- Fork Gaiters

I could care less about the accessories. I think $4500 is more than fair. And removing them wouldn't put it only a couple of hundred bucks less.

Don't really care what the "market" is doing as a buyer. As a seller, sure, I'd want to get the most. But come one, it's a six year old bike man. I wish I can get $5500 for my D675, but I know that's not going to happen.

 

[eric nyc]

Issue is, people seem to be asking, IMO, way too much for a 6 year old bonnie.

2006 Triumph Bonneville T100 for sale, $6500

7200 miles
865cc

Extras:
- Wind Screen
- Grab Rail
- Triumph Saddle Bags
- Fork Gaiters

I could care less about the accessories. I think $4500 is more than fair. And removing them wouldn't put it only a couple of hundred bucks less.

Don't really care what the "market" is doing as a buyer. As a seller, sure, I'd want to get the most. But come one, it's a six year old bike man. I wish I can get $5500 for my D675, but I know that's not going to happen.

$4500 is probably a bit of wishful thinking. IMO I'd say $5500 is pretty fair. MAYBE $5000, but the fact of the matter is he HAS put the money into the accessories so it is what it is. If you don't want to pay for the accessories, you have to find a used bike without the accessories. 7000 miles is nothing. THat's basically little old lady who only drives it to church territory. So it doesn't even really matter how old the bike is as long as its had it scheduled maintenance. Blue book value for an '06 T100 in excellent shape is $5100, and he's got a couple hundred worth of gear installed. If he's asking $6500, he'll take $6000 and you just might be able to get him down to $5500 if you're good enough. If that's too rich, keep looking because that's not a bad price for that bike.

 

[Bron-Yr-Aur]

Just my opinion, but I agree with Gooner. I didn't care about the market either. When new is so inexpensive, who wants to give $6500 for used? I'd sooner drive a little to get a better deal. It seems the market is very localized also. Out west people pay. Out east, well, I haggled. My '06 PO started out asking $5900. I got it for $4600. It was beautiful with only TORs, a seat and a screen. Low mileage.

I'm a terrible haggler, but I just said "listen dude, I love the bike, but it's just not worth what you're asking." He just said "I know, but I can always come down, but never go up." So, ya never know what the seller is thinking till you ask.

For the record, if I'm ever interested in another Bonnie, it's back to Craigslist. I'm ecstatic over my experience. I only drove 2 hrs, but I would've gone 5 hrs. It was the first Bonnie I saw on Craigslist. Guess I got a gift with that.

 

[norton74]

One can always look for the previous year model at a dealer. They usually go for less, have a full warranty, and are not that much more than a used bike.

 

[steve betts]

Not trying to be a jerk, Gooner, but what something is "worth" monetarily is always uncomplicated: it is worth precisely what someone is willing to pay. The only complicating factor is that wanting a motorcycle is an inherently emotional experience. One can just as easily get "the one that got away" remorse as "buyer's" remorse. Both are a complete waste of energy.

 

[conchscooter]

If I wreck my 2007 beyond repair I will look for another carburetted replacement with zero engine mods beyond AI removal. They are all low miles, less than 20,000 so miles don't interest me, but I don't want exhaust and engine modifications. Luggage and windshields I can buy to my specifications. I will be prepared to pay for the right machine.
If $6500 is too much how much would you pay for mine? 68,500 miles dropped once no service records and runs perfectly? Hmmm value is relative like the man said, except mine's not for sale.

 

[norton74]

Issue is, people seem to be asking, IMO, way too much for a 6 year old bonnie.

2006 Triumph Bonneville T100 for sale, $6500

7200 miles
865cc

Extras:
- Wind Screen
- Grab Rail
- Triumph Saddle Bags
- Fork Gaiters

I could care less about the accessories. I think $4500 is more than fair. And removing them wouldn't put it only a couple of hundred bucks less.

Don't really care what the "market" is doing as a buyer. As a seller, sure, I'd want to get the most. But come one, it's a six year old bike man. I wish I can get $5500 for my D675, but I know that's not going to happen.

It's not about what you think is a fair price. It's about what the market will bear. If $6,500 is too much for you, try looking at an older Bonnie. You could always look at Meridians. They typically sell for less than $6,500 However, you are looking at bikes that are 30-40 years old.