Should I jump on it? In need of advice.

[bejio]

Hello everyone reading this. This is my first of, hopefully, many posts in this forum. As such, I would like to ask those who have purchased Spyders some advice. I have been an avid Spyder lover ever since I saw one in the local motorcycle shop. The strange and sleek look of the bike made it so that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Alas, my wallet wouldn't allow me to purchase it at the time . However, as I went on, and I'm sure that all of you know what I'm talking about , the itch to get one just became stronger and stronger. About a year later, I've got the resolve, and my wallet's permission, to look for one. I finally found one that I think that I want to buy, but I'm not sure if it is a buy or if I should start smaller. What I found was a 2009 Spyder RS with 5500 miles and the following options: Corbin seats, Corbin saddlebags (hard), Seat bag, 1" riser block with 3" handlebar risers, fog lights, air dam kit for keeping the engine cool, candy blue paint, kuryaykn highway pegs, power port in front trunk, and all recall repairs are up to date. The thing is that the seller is asking for 17,000 for the bike. I've found other bikes for less but they are all stock machines and this one has a lot of the options that I want. I think that this bike may be the one that I want to make my first , but I'm not sure if the price is around what I should expect.

Can anyone tell me if this is a deal I should jump on or should I start with a cheaper stock machine and add the options on later? Thank you in advance for any and all of your help.

[Dtryke]

I found my bike used for 14500. It's a 2009 SE with upgraded body, muffler, trunk insert, 4 helmets, only 400 miles. I only provide that information as a point of comparison. Ive seen a 2009' red SM for 10500. With less miles. It's a decision that you need to feel good about. But I would start out with a good deal that was cheaper, and either upgrade or re-sell once you're convinced. Just my opinion. I looked for 6 months before I bought... Good luck with your decision!

[tobor9]

Bejio, I don't know where in SC you at but a friend of mine,Wanita here in Charleston is selling her 2011 RS,I don't know how much she needs to payoff her loan but that's all she wants is loan taken over or paid off for her check the "for Sale" forum and call her for info.

[Firefly]

$17,000 is too high on my opinion. Options and add-ons on motorcycles really don't increase the resale price much - they just help close the deal quicker. 13-14 would be fair in my opinion--- and I wouldn't pay over 15 no matter what!

My .02

[BajaRon]

Unless you just have to get that one, I'd say the money is too much. We are heading towards the end of the riding season (even though some don't care about that) prices will be fading soon.

If you can resist the urge and keep looking I'd say you'll come up with a better deal. Those that live by emotion will pay more dearly than those that let the brain do the bidding.

Anything good is worth the wait. I paid for my Spyder in July of 07, didn't even lay eyes on it until January 31st, 2008! Of course I did not have the options that are available to you.

Good luck!

[Bob Denman]

Welcome aboard, by the way! Happy hunting! The fun is in the shopping anyway...

[SpyderAnn01]

good luck with your decision. The Corbin hard bags look really nice and are pretty expensive. Have you made the seller an offer below their asking price?

[Pennyrick]

Hello everyone reading this. This is my first of, hopefully, many posts in this forum. As such, I would like to ask those who have purchased Spyders some advice. I have been an avid Spyder lover ever since I saw one in the local motorcycle shop. The strange and sleek look of the bike made it so that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Alas, my wallet wouldn't allow me to purchase it at the time . However, as I went on, and I'm sure that all of you know what I'm talking about , the itch to get one just became stronger and stronger. About a year later, I've got the resolve, and my wallet's permission, to look for one. I finally found one that I think that I want to buy, but I'm not sure if it is a buy or if I should start smaller. What I found was a 2009 Spyder RS with 5500 miles and the following options: Corbin seats, Corbin saddlebags (hard), Seat bag, 1" riser block with 3" handlebar risers, fog lights, air dam kit for keeping the engine cool, candy blue paint, kuryaykn highway pegs, power port in front trunk, and all recall repairs are up to date. The thing is that the seller is asking for 17,000 for the bike. I've found other bikes for less but they are all stock machines and this one has a lot of the options that I want. I think that this bike may be the one that I want to make my first , but I'm not sure if the price is around what I should expect.

Can anyone tell me if this is a deal I should jump on or should I start with a cheaper stock machine and add the options on later? Thank you in advance for any and all of your help.

Most in the industry would tell you that add-ons actually detract from the value of the bike. The more pristine it seems and more original, the greater the value. The problem is that every modification removes another potential buyer out of the picture and unless the seller can find a person who has exactly the same likes and dislikes, he or she is stuck with it. I would say your seller will have a very hard time getting $17,000 for this machine.

If it is really the machine you want, try to be critical of the add-ons, especially the paint (not everyone is in love with Candy blue). I'd tell the seller that it is too bad he lowered the value by making all these changes but that you'd be willing to take it off his hands for (insert price here). Then leave your number and see what happens. These are not prosperous times and sometimes buyers will take the bird in the hand.

The absolute worst thing to do when looking to buy is to tell someone that is just what you are looking for. It takes all of your bargaining power away right from the start.

[stutzmason]

Each person sets the value of the things they want on their rydes, however, IMO that is a very steep price. I just bought my spyder 3 weeks ago today for 12400. 09 phantom le with corbin seats, hindle pipe, upgraded windshield, led trick lights, ISCI passenger floorboards and a few extras that I am not using. It also has warranty until oct 2014 and has had all the services done and up to date. Just my .02

[BikerDoc]

Definitely agree price is too high.. Seller is apparently trying to recover cost of mods and in the real world it simply doesn't work that way. As folks have suggested try an offer somewhat lower.. Also agree that 15000 should be top price and that i only if the mods on it are ones that you definitely would add to a stock machine if you bought one.

One weird thing (maybe just me) but everytime I add a mod its like getting a new bike again.. I have staggered mine over 18 months to maximize enjoying each mod as I go.. Silly maybe but it has kept me from trading in for "new" machine..

[BajaRon]

Most in the industry would tell you that add-ons actually detract from the value of the bike. The more pristine it seems and more original, the greater the value. The problem is that every modification removes another potential buyer out of the picture and unless the seller can find a person who has exactly the same likes and dislikes, he or she is stuck with it. I would say your seller will have a very hard time getting $17,000 for this machine.

If it is really the machine you want, try to be critical of the add-ons, especially the paint (not everyone is in love with Candy blue). I'd tell the seller that it is too bad he lowered the value by making all these changes but that you'd be willing to take it off his hands for (insert price here). Then leave your number and see what happens. These are not prosperous times and sometimes buyers will take the bird in the hand.

The absolute worst thing to do when looking to buy is to tell someone that is just what you are looking for. It takes all of your bargaining power away right from the start.

Not to be critical but I would not take this approach. I think it's a lot better to build a positive relationship with the seller. Telling him that the time, money and effort (not to mention the emotional investment) he's made in this machine has actually "Reduced the value" and that "You'll do him a favor by taking it off his hands" is a bad way to go, IMO.

If you like the Spyder, my approach would be to let him know that you appreciate the things he's done to it, that you'd like to have it, but that you are committed to a certain price that you can afford. I don't mean that you should fawn or drool all over the bike, just simple acknowledgement that he's done some nice things to it.

You're probably going to walk away from it the first time no matter what you do, other than shell out his asking price or near to it. So, why not leave him with a positive feeling? Then, when he finds he can't get his price, your name will be in his head. With the other approach you may leave him thinking he wouldn't sell it to you if you're the only buyer around. Why beat the guy up? He's already taking a pretty good hit on his original investment.

I guess everyone has a different way of doing it. That is mine.

[bullant12]

Hello everyone reading this. This is my first of, hopefully, many posts in this forum. As such, I would like to ask those who have purchased Spyders some advice. I have been an avid Spyder lover ever since I saw one in the local motorcycle shop. The strange and sleek look of the bike made it so that I couldn't take my eyes off of it. Alas, my wallet wouldn't allow me to purchase it at the time . However, as I went on, and I'm sure that all of you know what I'm talking about , the itch to get one just became stronger and stronger. About a year later, I've got the resolve, and my wallet's permission, to look for one. I finally found one that I think that I want to buy, but I'm not sure if it is a buy or if I should start smaller. What I found was a 2009 Spyder RS with 5500 miles and the following options: Corbin seats, Corbin saddlebags (hard), Seat bag, 1" riser block with 3" handlebar risers, fog lights, air dam kit for keeping the engine cool, candy blue paint, kuryaykn highway pegs, power port in front trunk, and all recall repairs are up to date. The thing is that the seller is asking for 17,000 for the bike. I've found other bikes for less but they are all stock machines and this one has a lot of the options that I want. I think that this bike may be the one that I want to make my first , but I'm not sure if the price is around what I should expect.

Can anyone tell me if this is a deal I should jump on or should I start with a cheaper stock machine and add the options on later? Thank you in advance for any and all of your help.

and good luck with your purchase. with the other posts saying that the asking price is too much. I got my wife's brand new RS-S for around that price. Just because it has the mods it doesn't mean that it is a good deal. I would defently haggle that price with the dealer, but in IMO, I would get one of the cheaper ones and add the mods yourself. That would probably even be cheaper than spending $17K on one that has the mods already. Another point to keep in mind: if you are going to finance the , you only want to finance the and not the mods included. So if you are going to finance, get the stock one and buy the mods cash.

[boborgera]

You're probably going to walk away from it the first time no matter what you do, other than shell out his asking price or near to it. So, why not leave him with a positive feeling? Then, when he finds he can't get his price, your name will be in his head. With the other approach you may leave him thinking he wouldn't sell it to you if you're the only buyer around. Why beat the guy up? He's already taking a pretty good hit on his original investment.

I guess everyone has a different way of doing it. That is mine.

Deal like a gentleman,

[Pennyrick]

Not to be critical but I would not take this approach. I think it's a lot better to build a positive relationship with the seller. Telling him that the time, money and effort (not to mention the emotional investment) he's made in this machine has actually "Reduced the value" and that "You'll do him a favor by taking it off his hands" is a bad way to go, IMO.

If you like the Spyder, my approach would be to let him know that you appreciate the things he's done to it, that you'd like to have it, but that you are committed to a certain price that you can afford. I don't mean that you should fawn or drool all over the bike, just simple acknowledgement that he's done some nice things to it.

You're probably going to walk away from it the first time no matter what you do, other than shell out his asking price or near to it. So, why not leave him with a positive feeling? Then, when he finds he can't get his price, your name will be in his head. With the other approach you may leave him thinking he wouldn't sell it to you if you're the only buyer around. Why beat the guy up? He's already taking a pretty good hit on his original investment.

I guess everyone has a different way of doing it. That is mine.

I'm not saying he should beat the guy up. The hard fact is that aftermarket add-ons detract from, rather than enhance the value of a vehicle and narrows the market considerably for buyers. All I'm suggesting is to take advantage of that fact. You still have to be polite and personable in any business relationship.

[BajaRon]

I'm not saying he should beat the guy up. The hard fact is that aftermarket add-ons detract from, rather than enhance the value of a vehicle and narrows the market considerably for buyers. All I'm suggesting is to take advantage of that fact. You still have to be polite and personable in any business relationship.

No disagreement there. But not everyone looks at it that way, especially a seller. I'm sure if he doesn't already know it, he's about to find out.

[Dragonrider]

I sold my '09 RS SM5 with almost every option possible, 5 year BEST, and 4,500 miles for $14,500 last May. Yes, it sold in an hour, but I only had two calls.

Your best bet would be to buy a stocker for 10 to 11K, and add what you want - or better yet, save a lot of time, money and grief, and buy a base used RT now…

[WackyDan]

I looked in the for sale section and there are less expensive Spyders available from stock to some with a few mods. If this particular Spyder really speaks to you with those mods I'd offer a lower price and see what happens. You will have lost nothing by trying. If the owner is firm then walk away. There are others. If you are doing a cash deal, show up with a healthy chunk or if you are financing get pre-approved so you know how much you really have to work with.There was a stock 09 for $10.5k with 6500 miles. You could build that up for less depending on the paint. Do a little digging and see how much you would have to spend for all the mods on that blue Spyder. Go check out the for sale section! There are some pretty good offerings in there. I really like the 2010 Pearl White RSS that has some very tasty mods. Good luck in your shopping.

Bingo. There are far too many people out there that think their Spyders are worth a fortune, especially with the mods but even without. Don't get me wrong, I think the Spyders have held onto their value - Decently. I just think an 09 at $17k with low miles is the dealer/owner casting a high price because he or she has time to sit on it and wait for a sucker.

Case in point... when I was looking to buy a Spyder in March of 09, I found a lady with a silver 08 with 150 miles on it -no mods. She wanted $16k citing that they had to wait three months to take delivery and they were high in demand. I found a silver 08 brand new in the crate at my local dealer.... for $14000 with the full warranty. When I told her my best offer would be 12,000 to 12,500 she was insulted by the reality check... Needless to say I bought the left over at the dealer.

As always, if you take your time, you will find one for the right price somewhat close to you. I would also hazard a guess that if you find one for sale here on SL that you would be able to research all of that seller's previous forum posts to find any minor or serious issues they had with their spyder over the course of ownership.

Finally... If you were willing to spend $17k on a used spyder, then I strongly suggest you find a dealer with a leftover model from 2010 or wait for spring and buy a left over 2011 and you can get on a "new" spyder for less than $17. Heck, we just ran into a guy who bought a 2010 RT BRAND NEW just four weeks ago and got a smoking deal.

[ARtraveler]

Mods do make the look great. But I have found that they are worth virtually nothing at trade in or sale time. My 2008 GS had over $6K worth of farkles (Corbin seat, Corbin Fairing, Corbin large travel trunk)--I did not buy the bags and ended up with the BRP Givi bags--also lots of other stuff. I had over $22K into my 2008 and with 22,500 miles and two years on the machine--I got $13,500 in trade on my RTS.

I determined that this would be the last time I took a whipping on . When its time for my RTS to go, off will come the Corbin seat and the Seal Floorboards--I will leave the add on lights though. I figure I can get at least 50% on these items in the used market when the time comes.

Good look on your search--let us know what you finally decide.

[MouthPiece]

Pay whatever you think it's worth to ya.

Chris

[spyder77]

Blah! Blah! Blah!! If you want it, buy it!!! All else is unimportant!

[WackyDan]

Blah! Blah! Blah!! If you want it, buy it!!! All else is unimportant!

That my friend is why a lot of people have lost their homes, vehicles, etc these past few years.

[spyder77]

Blah! Blah! Blah!! If you want it, buy it!!! All else is unimportant!

"All else" meaning above comments!!!!!

[Pennyrick]

"All else" meaning above comments!!!!!

If he didn't want comments he would not have asked the questions.

[bejio]

Thank you everyone for your advice . Just for anyone who is curious, I tried offering the people up to 15000 for the bike but, unfortunately, the guy said that it had to be 17000 or nothing . Even more depressing is that when I went to the for sale forums and found a new bike that was close by, that I was quickly falling for, the guy told me that he had already sold it. So I guess for now I'll just have to keep looking. BTW, tobor9, I contacted your friend in Charleston about her bike but it is an SM5. When I tried to test drive one at a dealership once, I found that my foot was too big to fit in the space for the shifter . Unfortunately for me and my size 15 clown feet I think that I need an SE5. Thank you again for your help. I hope that soon I'll be able to find one and that I'll see everyone on the open road, but for now I'll just have to keep my eyes open.

[WackyDan]

Just be patient my friend. You'll find the right one at the right price.