You guys are making me feel bad, I just bought a 1992 Bandit that was advertised as in
"mint condition", with
"new tires", and
"recently serviced". Here is the Ebay page:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4524221878, it is my first vehicle purchase over Ebay.
SO, I didn't mind paying $1,550 for it. We drove to Atlanta to get the bike, it didn't run the day I picked it up so he gave me a $400 check and told me that
IT WAS RUNNING DAYS AGO, but won't start now because he replaced the throttle cable and messed up the installation.
It has been at the shop for a week now, the bill is about
$1,500 in repairs! Both tires, while they didn't have much wear on them, were NOT new. In North Carolina, cracks in the sidewall will keep a bike from passing inspection. The brake pads needed replacement, and the master cylinders were gunked up with old brake fluid so the rear didn't even work. The shock was totally blown, no rebound what-so-ever. Carbs were all gunked up and needed new seals and needle valves (?)
When the mechanic called me after 2 days, and said that "if this bike was running a week ago, it was NOT running good!" I knew I was in trouble. I asked him to go through the bike and make sure it is in good running order and that is when he found all the stuff.
So it makes me sad when I hear you can buy a good running 400 for $2,100 or less! Mine will end up costing $2,700 (if there are no surprises when I go pick it up, and that is pretty doubtful!)
The mechanic said he'd be willing to talk to the previous owner about the condition of the bike, but what can I expect? Not like he'll give me my money back and I get to keep the bike!
Oh yeah! The $400 check bounced, but I finally got that money transferred to my paypal account. That was pretty scary, too.
Don't trust William E Dyer, Jr. from Georgia or Tennessee!!
I'm still hoping it will all work out.