What to ask for for mechanically solid 85 with tons of new parts and extras?

[overeasy]

I've decided to sell my 85 K100RS.  65K miles and considerable patina.  But I *just* had everything gone over - fuel pump, rear main seal, driveshaft and clutch seals, etc. etc.   Almost $1000 in parts and thankfully the labor was free.  Tons of spare parts too - many NOS or 0-mile takeoffs including a complete fairing that hasn't seen sunlight since 1984.   

Looks like the bike itself isn't worth much, but with all the mechanicals sorted out, it'd be a solid platform for someone's cafe build.  Or just to use as intended.

I suspect the parts are worth more than the whole, but I'd like to keep the bike together, and hopefully sell the whole package to someone.  From looking at similar ads, it's maybe a $1200 bike?  $2000 for the whole mess?  That's still tax return (or stimulus check) money here in Central PA and once we get that first warm 65 degree day anything with two wheels has a good chance of selling.   

I've been working on what I want to put in the ad here:  https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_5YVbgcpIQUUre2luna-434AWLVfUJq2JMADbf6_mJ4/edit?usp=sharing   Please offer feedback and what would be a good price to ask. 

There's a couple pictures at the end of the doc.    Thank you. 

[Laitch]

Is that a shop-door bell mounted on the left side of the radiator? Is that to repel bears when riding in the woods? 

I think you're in the ballpark with the moto's price.  A dented, leaking gas tank and a non-functioning speedometer are significant sales hurdles, especially if the prospective buyer lives in a state with rigorous vehicle inspection.

I think your ad is wordy, seems like over-selling, and is fatiguing to read. The fuel tank cap is installed backwards and that is a red flag indicating questionable maintenance skill level to some viewers. Mentioning that you might have done more than you've listed isn't useful.

I'd work at simplifying the ad, reducing it to a replaced parts list, a complete parts package list and a defect list. Make your photo profiles at seat height and include front and rear views.  Mounting the lower half of the fairing might make it a more compelling purchase for many viewers.

Over and out.

[overeasy]

Good catch. Thank you.  It was in the shop during the pandemic - most of it was completed when it hit in March, but the final few things were put back on after it sat untouched for 6 months, and likely by different people.  The gas cap must have been one of those.    It did get wordy.  I try to avoid answering a lot of the same questions over and over again.   

The little bell is some sort of good luck charm for bikers.  I think he picked it up somewhere in Europe.  I don't know what culture does that, but yeah - supposedly to ward off danger.  Or cattle. Or something?

Thank you :)

[Laitch]

I just discovered that the bell question has been answered by Bike Bandit but, personally, I don't trust anybody who claims to be a bandit.    Motorcycle bells.

[overeasy]

Excellent!  I guess they were indirectly a gift from my friend that sold me the bike.   He no longer rides.  I'll transfer it to my other bike. 

[kris]

I'm with Laitch. Too much verbiage. The bike looks pretty good in the photos. You sound like a good honest bloke and that does come through in your ad. Splines and running well would catch my eye. The fuel leak is a problem but probably an easy fix. Why not take that one on and then take it off the list. I would want to know if the tires are old - for budgeting purposes but not a big deal. Otherwise, anyone interested and intrigued by a 35 year old motorcycle should know there could be surprises. Caveat emptor. In for a penny, in for a pound! Good luck. Hope she goes to loving owner.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

You gotta be really wanting that bike to read the whole listing.  On the plus side, put your phone number at the end, if anyone reads far enough to get it and call you, they are probably going to buy the bike.

You've got at least 6 weeks before people start shopping.  Use it to put the original fairing on the bike.  If it's unused, it will make the bike a lot easier to sell.  Sell the Pichler fairing separately, if it's complete you could get a lot more for it than if it's on the bike.  Detail the bike well, put Mother's Back-to-Black on the black stuff, especially the cases, to make it pop.  Fix the tank leak and then forget about it.  Sell the bike as a ready to hop on and go to the West coast from your driveway touring bike. 

Just say the bike has been well maintained and have a printed list of the stuff that was done to show a buyer in person.  Print up a list of the new parts you have with their list prices(you can get them from MaxBMW).  List the used parts with prices 1/3 of list.  As far as your ad, just say that you have a large inventory of parts. 

Wait until you have someone to see the bike to get into details.  Stress that the bike will reliably run at least 150,000 miles and that through forums like Motobrick.com and the K100 forum there is a very deep pool of information and support for these incredible machines.  Point out how easy it is to do the routines maintenance so that the owner doesn't need to spend megabucks at the dealer.  Mention that outside of tires, annual maintenance cost is under $100 for up to 8,000 miles of riding.  These bikes are at the crossover point of technology(fuel injection, electronic ignition) and serviceability.  There is no need for the dealer's computers to service this bike.

As far as the speedometer, check that the sensor is bottomed out in the final drive and that the screw holding it is snug.  Just the other day a loose sensor caused intermittent speedometer readings on my bike.  Took 5 minutes to tighten up the sensor.   Also, check that the connector on the right side under the battery cover is tight. 

Take lots photos.  They sell the bike.  Take them from a low angle while kneeling on the ground, the camera shouldn't be higher than 3 feet(2 feet is better).  Stay back at least 10-12 feet and zoom to fill the frame.  That's how all the ad and magazine shots are taken.  Watch out for junky, cluttered, distracting backgrounds(get it the hell out of the garage), a white garage door makes a good background,  take your photos on a cloudy day to get the best detail and minimize shadows and glare.  Spend some time cropping them.  Increase the color saturation slightly as well as the contrast("Clarity" on windows 10 photo editor).  If using your phone instead of a camera, hold it horizontally not vertical.  Pictures are worth thousands of words.

Here's what I'm talking about:


DSCN2929.JPG (97.02 kB . 768x576 - viewed 350 times)

DSCN2932.JPG (68.39 kB . 661x576 - viewed 393 times)

[The Mighty Gryphon]

More Rambling.

Put the Pichler together on the bike and take some good photos of it before you take it off to sell it separately.  They will make it easier to sell compared to a pile of parts laying on the garage floor.

I noticed that you have an Ohlins shock on the bike.  If I were you, I would get an OEM shock off of eBay for cheap and sell the Ohlins separately.  It will get you an easy $300+ vs. the $0 it will get installed on the bike. 

[overeasy]

All good advice!  Thank you.  I'm going to have the tank leak and speedometer looked at.  I'll trim the ad down but keep the lengthy version to send to interested parties.  Bikes and boats are starting to sell here in central PA now that the snow is melting.  Tax returns + slightly warmer weather = time to list!

[overeasy]

More Rambling.

Put the Pichler together on the bike and take some good photos of it before you take it off to sell it separately.  They will make it easier to sell compared to a pile of parts laying on the garage floor.

I noticed that you have an Ohlins shock on the bike.  If I were you, I would get an OEM shock off of eBay for cheap and sell the Ohlins separately.  It will get you an easy $300+ vs. the $0 it will get installed on the bike.

It'd be sad to think, but when I got this as a non-running bike, I could have just parted it out and come out way ahead.  (It already had the new tires, shock)  The seller only took it out once a year to get it inspected at the dealer, replaced whatever they suggested, then put it back in the garage.   One year it wouldn't start because of the fuel pump isolator so he sold it to me, after 8 years of me asking him about it.   I'd rather it stay together of course. It's got a lot of miles left. 

*edit*  Just checked on ebay for shocks -  The only Ohlins on there is grubby and they're asking $400+   Mine has less than 100 miles on it.   Are the K100 factory shocks all the same between 85-91ish?  Or at least it'll bolt up and work?   I can buy anything correctly advertised as a K100 shock and it'll be okay? 


Fairings look to be plentiful on ebay - I guess the Cafe Racer trend is contributing to that. 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

The brutal truth.

Anything bolted to the bike has no payback.  A $1500 Brick is a $1500 Brick whether or not it has a crap OEM shock or an $800 Ohlins.  Same for the fairing.  And the tank bag and rear rack.

If you want to max out the return on the stuff you have, you need to do a little work.

A well detailed K100 with 65K and all maintenance and issues addressed should be worth about $1800. 

An Ohlins shock by itself is easily worth $350-400 on eBay vs. $0 on the bike.

A complete Pichler fairing could sell for at least $400, possibly a lot more on eBay.  On the bike...$0, maybe less.

Trying to sell a stock fairing is going to be hard.  There are hundreds of parts out there as a result of the cafe-acation of K bikes.  I would guess that you'll be binning most of it.

My feeling is that it will be easier to find someone who wants to put an aftermarket fairing on their bike than someone who wants a bike with a non-OEM fairing.

Spare parts?  You'll be lucky to get pennies on the dollar for them if you include them with the bike.  My experience is that it can literally take years to liquidate your inventory to recover even a quarter of what it cost.

It all boils down to how much you want to work. 

[The Mighty Gryphon]

The rear shock is the same for all K100 2valve models.  An Ohlins with 100 miles should go for a nice price. 

Pichler fairings are scarce, but IMO very cool looking to the right person.  Advertising on eBay or here would expose it to a wider market of possible buyers.  Put it all together on the bike and take lots of nice photos.  It's a bitch trying to sell a pile of parts laying on the floor.

Your rack looks to be a Reynolds, and rather desirable.  Members here have sold them to other members.  Same goes for a tank bag with good zippers that will work on all K100's and a bunch of K75's.

[overeasy]

The rear shock is the same for all K100 2valve models.  An Ohlins with 100 miles should go for a nice price. 

Pichler fairings are scarce, but IMO very cool looking to the right person.  Advertising on eBay or here would expose it to a wider market of possible buyers.  Put it all together on the bike and take lots of nice photos.  It's a bitch trying to sell a pile of parts laying on the floor.

Your rack looks to be a Reynolds, and rather desirable.  Members here have sold them to other members.  Same goes for a tank bag with good zippers that will work on all K100's and a bunch of K75's.

Thank you.  I've already bought a used ebay shock and I'll sell the Ohlins.  Will probably sell the Pichler with the bike, as no single piece of it is without blemish, and the brackets are already on the bike.  The stock one is in impeccable (truly 0-mile) condition, but I can't possibly have all the hardware.  There's SO many parts, and only a small fist full of random fasteners.  And a brand new fairing on this well-loved bike would look like a big set of perky implants on grandma.

I think I'll do a set price for the bike with everything, and if someone wants to offer less, the extra stuff comes out of the deal.

Good call on pulling the rack.  Didn't know it was desirable. Would it be marked Reynolds somewhere?  It's likely the PO had it installed somewhere in Europe.

I was going to keep the tank bag for my other bike, but I have a Tour Master equivalent around here somewhere.   I already sold the bag liners to pay for some of the parts this needed.

[The Mighty Gryphon]

Get a lot of photos of all the stuff you have.  Break them down into sellable lots and individual pieces.  Take the time to get the best photos possible.  A good picture can bring an extra 10% or more on your selling price.  Glamour shots is the goal here.  I can't emphasize this enough.

Post what you have in the For Sale section here.  Ask the lowest price you are willing to accept from the members.  If you are on Fakebook and haven't been cancelled, you can join the BMW k bike forum and list your stuff there as well.  Obviously, eBay is a go to place to unload stuff.  Probably the most eyes.

[Racer468]

On my way to pick this up. Great seller, great group. Thanks to both

Roger MM106 BRPW