Contemplating buying a bike ! Cant decide between a 4 yr old machine (15k km) at 50% cheaper or buying a NEW one.

The bike is only going to be for occasional use, (a toy more or less)

The bike is a Kawasaki versys X300

 

Which way would you go and why ? Thanks for your opinion.

(Please lets not get into the why/choice of bike).

 

 

 

<Great choice, do not see many of them second hand. If the rego, insurance and servicings have been every year, I would jump at the chance.

If you can get a bike in good condition with little mileage for a good price then why not?

If you are no bike expert then go to a good shop and let them check the bike before you buy it. If they seller has nothing to hide then this shouldn't be a problem.

 

If you want to use the bike a lot and you want to be sure to pay nothing extra then it's obviously also nice to have a brand new bike with a couple of years of warranty.

 

Not sure of the same applies to bikes as to cars.....but I always feel three years old, below average milage is the target.

How much is a 300?

 

Would you consider a 650? They are great toys. I feel that the 300 are underpowered once you put some luggage on, along with a passenger (?) 

 

I have a second hand versys, would I buy one again, probably not, after 2 or 3 years its pretty much worthless, whereas If I had bought a new one, I could have got some money back on it after a couple of years.

 

(sorry, after I have owned it for 3 years its worthless because I put so many miles on it)

33 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

4 yr old machine (15k km)

No problem IMHO.

With this 4 year old second hand machine and the fact that and you're only going to use it occasionally sounds a no brainer as the relatively low mileage will be diluted even more down the years with just occasional use.... I think the deciding factor for me might be what I could do with the money that I'd saved and possibly buy myself another treat with the balance!!.....................

yes, used option seems best here, subject to survey, no luxury tax, many distress sales, negotiate well.

1 hour ago, recom273 said:

Would you consider a 650? They are great toys. I feel that the 300 are underpowered once you put some luggage on, along with a passenger (?) 

I bought a Honda Cb300F 2015 last year for just under 50k (120k new) and am very happy with it.

I've not opened the throttle once, way too quick.

@65 I'm too old to ride it really, but it impresses the sideline girls, legs folded like chicken wings on the back (photo is my kid).

 

 

 

@CharlieH careful, you're in danger of turning into me!

300X? Mine was 3 1/2 years, I think, at time of purchase and has done 39,000. I am happy. I ditched the plastic paniers as they are useless. Unless venturing off road often put a 15T on the front.

If you know the owner and/or are confident about the mileage and history - go for it.

 

The Kawasaki twins seem to be very reliable and last well.  I've seen some older x300's with rust on the rear rack and the painted wheel hubs, but that is easy to check when buying, and easy to fix.

 

But the second hand market can be tricky here - with clocking, altered Green books and bikes with finance outstanding.

 

I'm also considering a good used x300 - not keen on new as I think the value will drop sharply when/if the x400 is launched, but with a 2 or 3 year old bike this will not matter as much.  For me around 10k is max Km, as it's easy to tell if mileage is genuine (original tyres, footpeg rubbers and exhaust condition, seat etc), and I would go for unmodified.

 

One other oddity about the used market here is that many 'sellers' are in fact loan sharks - selling dodgy, no deposit finance, and they are not interested in a cash sale.  

 

There's currently two nice looking x300's with a claimed 6000 Km on Facebook Marketplace - both around 90k THB asking price.  There's also a Facebook x300. Market Group on Facebook, though most the bikes for sale on there seem be Hondas ????

 

 

 

16 hours ago, CharlieH said:

Which way would you go and why ? Thanks for your opinion.

(Please lets not get into the why/choice of bike).

 

I purchased a 2nd hand bike many years ago , it was a particular model that had the colour I liked which made the bike in my opinion.

 

The above said I tested the bike out, and took a mate of mine (bike mechanic) with me and he gave it a good test, up she went in as straight a line as you can get a bike up (wheelie) and with 1100cc it is easy if it doesn't weigh too much and you know how to ride.

 

Riding with the lads through the national park one day, I almost went straight over the handle bar on a 25km bend as I geared down to 2nd, at first I thought I must have gone straight down to first as it was the first time I took the bike to the national park after riding it locally in traffic, anyway got out of the bend and was going through the gears (up) as you increase speed and on the straight I would say I was doing 120km comfortably in 4th, when again, nearly got thrown over the handle bar as it dropped back down to a gear by itself, not sure what gear but it scared the $hit out of me for the 2nd time, not a nice feeling as I would get up to serious speeds through the twisties on previous (new) bikes and was only getting used to this one.

 

Not a good feeling as I mentioned, so took it back to my mates and stripped down the gearbox and we found the gears to be badly worn, some sprockets even had broken teeth off of them and had to rebuild the gearbox, not cheap in farang land, about another 25% on top of what I paid for it and I swore would never by a second hand bike again, a car, ok, you have protection but those two experiences was enough to throw me off a second hand bike, pun intended, if it wasn't for my quick wits and experience as a rider, I believe could have been killed, or someone else with less experience.

 

15%, your life is worth 100% of the cost of a new bike,

 

As long as the second hand one has been maintained properly and not crashed it will be fine. If you can find a good one then go with that.

 

I still have an old 2008 Ninja 250R that I bought from new. It now has 2x,xxx kms on it and I'd confidently ride it the length and breadth of the country. No issues whatsoever. These little Kawasaki twins are bullet proof.

Thanks to those that replied so far, unfortunately the 2nd hand one has been sold, I was told this morning.That one is out now but I am in no rush.

 

Dealer has a 46k discount on new currently !

I'm a condo dweller, without a decent place to work on a bike, or the tools now.  So, even though my inclination is to look for a 2nd hand bargain, I buy new.  It just keeps things simple.

47 minutes ago, CharlieH said:

Dealer has a 46k discount on new currently !

Sure sign the 400 is not far off, bad luck with the nice 300 selling. Not surprised it went quickly.

1 hour ago, CharlieH said:

Dealer has a 46k discount on new currently !

 

They have the same for most models.

2 hours ago, VocalNeal said:

 

They have the same for most models.

Yes, I was offered a 25k discount on a Z400 - although the discounts only bring Kawasaki in line with Honda pricing for Thai built bikes.

 

But with a 46K discount, a new X300 looks tempting, even if the x400 is due soon.  I will be heading to Kawasaki myself!  Let's compare notes on deals!

Bought one brand new bike in the West, two here.

If you know about bikes you can save a substantial amount.

If you are not - and paranoid - you buy new and eat the deprecation.

Many times a second hand one will have the mods you want to do to a new one anyway - crash bars, luggage rack, top box.

Buy 2nd hand if you can and you know what to look for, lots of money to be saved.

 

My current big bike was bought 2nd hand from an expat taking very good care of it and he did a lot of expensive suspension upgrade which I then got for free.

 

I have always had Honda, but way back around 2013 I bought a Fino, great bike apart from the fuel consumption which was dreadful. I always had Hondas apart from that one time. I would have bought a Click as I wanted an automatic, but it was much more expensive then.

 

As you won't be riding the bike that much, you should just go second hand if you already have a car, if the bike was your only means of transport, then I would have gone for new.