TwoWheels or Dick Turpin.?

[robbo]

All,



I was playing with the idea of changing my Tiger for something else and thought a Vtec VFR would be nice for a while.



I took my lovely April 04 Tiger with full 3 box Triumph luggage and rear hugger and only 9756 miles on the clock to TwoWheels in Edinburgh thinking I would get a good deal since they are the nearest Triumph dealer. Imagine my shock when they shook their heads and told me high mileage put my Tigers value at less than 4 and a half thousand yet the VFR I was looking at was prices way above the book price + they had added a full £600 extra for the luggage which was second hand.



What do you think your Tiger is worth and do you think this is a high mileage.?





Robbo

[Badger]

My last bike before the Tiger was a VFR VTEC and although it is a great bike I get more enjoyment riding the Tiger.

[robbo]

I have never had a go on a VFR but from reports itÌs a good bike.



To be honest I got the Tiger with two up touring in mind. But the reality of it is that although my wife loves to tour with me our kids are still to young and we donÌt get enough holidays to take the kids for a holiday and go touring ourselves. Besides that the wife gets a bit guilty ( me to for that matter ) about peeing off on the bike and leaving the kids with family.

   

I just thought I would have a change and would probably come back to the Tiger in a few years when the kids are at an age when they wouldnÌt want to come on holiday with a couple of old farts.



I donÌt fancy a sports bike because they havenÌt got the range and the likes of a CBR1100 or ZZR1200 are just too big to be fun.

[Dick Boyer]

Ever priced out a valve adjustment on  a VTEC VFR?

[robbo]

Hi Dick



No but I have hear the 16000 service on a VFR can be up to £600.



At the end of the day bikes are all expensive we pay the price for our fun. To be honest if the trade in price I have been quoted is accurate I donÌt think I will be changing, I would rather keep the Tiger. If I still feel the need for something else I will save the money and buy it cash. As I said in my previous message I will get better use of the Tiger in a few years when the kids are older. I will be better off keeping it than loosing almost £3000 on an eight month old bike.

[trotts]

You are better off waiting till the spring if you want to PX. either way all Tigers lose lumps off the value in the first year.  I have watched nearly new tigers going for around, and under £5K on e bay.  I was in a  Triumph show room last weekend and they are taking no stock in at the moment.  Its just the time of year

[Brock]

Robbo...visit the VFR owners site...you'll see there's a few of them not too impressed with the fuelling and servicing costs of the v-tec.

I had two VFRs before coming over to the Tiger and at the moment there's no way I'd go back to such a clinical bike. I'm having too much fun with the Tiger. But if you must, try one of the later 800's...the ones just before the v-tec. Much better by far than the v-tec and cheaper. You'll always be better off selling the Tiger privately, then buying privately for cash.

Wonga talks.

[Patrick the Scot]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I haven't found anything that has WHEELS that does not drop like a lead balloon in the first year in respect to its dealer trade-in value, regardless of the time of year, location, brand, etc.  However, when you trade-in a vehicle such as a motorcycle or a drop head coup in the spring time you will probably get more than in the fall/winter, i.e. you wont get the old shaft quite as hard. I think we all must accept that a wheeled vehicle is a DEPRECIATING ASSET. Once one does, we can fully enjoy them for what they are.

[Guest]

Average mileage for bikes is calculated using figures which include all those "dry weekend only" sports bike wankers. So their 1000 miles a year is factored in. So I think it works out at around 4500 miles.

Us "proper" bikers who do, in my case, 16500 miles during the 1st year of my tiger, get hammered on a trade in because of our "high mileage".

I just tell dealers to "EFF" off. I then go away and keep my bike until it dies. I do think that you're going to get hammered anyway if you trade it in after only 1 year.

Cars apparently average 12000 miles a year. And they loose around 50% of their value over 3 years.

[robbo]

Cars apparently average 12000 miles a year. And they loose around 50% of their value over 3 years.

Agreed about depreciation on bike and cars, here in the UK we have to right off the VAT @ 17.5% as soon as any vehicle turns a wheel. But, this dealer is trying to tell me my bike is worth 50% of its original value after only 8 months.



HereÌs the deal they are selling a VFR at £899 over the list price because they say its in good condition and has a fitted luggage worth £600 new. The bike had 6000miles on it for an 03 reg which is 4000 more than the book says it should have.



The same dealer tells me that my bike books at £5400 ish but they have to adjust for mileage so they think its worth between £4250 - £4299 and there is no adjustment for the extras I have added ( triumph top box @ £340, hugger £80, tall screen £40 ) + I have the original screen and chain guard. I have receipts for everything and the bike has been serviced at a dealer and the book stamped.



Assuming they gave the old VFR owner the same deal they are offering me they have probably marked up the VFR a good £1200 to £1500 or more. ThatÌs £1500 profit on the VFR and since 04 Tigers seem to currently sell here for about £5500 to £6000 thatÌs another £1200 to £1500 proffer on the Tiger. A possible profit of 2400 to 3000 on one deal.



To say I was insulter would be an understatement.



Ho and one other thing...

         UP YOURS to TWOWHEELS in Edinburgh......

[Chris Canning]

Hi Robbo



I've have quite a bit to do with the trade so tend to see the other side of the coin.



I'd say the value they offered was about right,based how much Broc paid for his early on this year new(was it 5600 or 5700) i'd say all most generous,the fact their trying to stick it to you on the extras thats dealer speak for 'we don't want your bike' but if your prepared to force the issue then it's going to cost ya!!!,a VFR will always sell much easier than a Tiger thats just the way the market is.



As for rideing a bike all year round,I didn't learn to drive a car till i was 25,so my 9 years of rideing a bike 12 months of the year are looked back on with gritted teeth,glad i did it,and glad that i don't have to anymore,but for those that do they'll always be penalised financially for mileage and condition,for the majority bikeing is just fancy dress on a sunday!!!.



Chris

[robbo]

Chris.



I have calmed down a bit now and can see both sides. I do think if the second hand price is so low then the new price must be to high in the first place. But I also know as with anything it is buyer beware. Recommended retail price is just that and dealers will sell for whatever they think buyers will pay.



I know the dealer I mentioned was just trying to do the best they could for themselves and its up to me to drive the best deal for myself.



All I can say to one and all is please excuse me for my bad temper. I had a round trip of over 100 miles that day and had to wash all the salt off of my bike in the freezing cold for nothing. They wouldnÌt even let me take a VFR out for a test drive.

[ChrisN]

What do you think your Tiger is worth and do you think this is a high mileage.?

To answer your question : I had an identical April 04 Tiger with 10k miles written-off by AXA insurance at a book price of £5400 in November.



I sympathise with your position. If you really want a VFR don't go the part-ex route. Keep looking for a better VFR deal to come along during the winter months and make a straight "negotiated" buy. Keep the Tiger until Spring when you've a good chance of a private sale. Even if you have to take out a loan, you'll still be better off.



But better still, just keep the Tiger - you know you'll never be able to buy another Tiger in the future for the price you'll let your present one go for!

[Robmac]

Keep that Tiger!!

I had the older 800 VFR ('99) which I thought was a good bike, typically Honda well put together but it just did not stir my soul - it did everything asked of it but I rode it without connecting with it if that makes sense.

I had been hankering after a Tiger 955 for some while and took one out from our local dealer for a spin - I was hooked!. I fell in love with that triple engine straight away and although some people think its an ugly bike, I can clean it, stand back and look at it and to me I love it! (I only wish the aerodynamics of the screen were better....)

I've a son in the bike trade and margins can be tight, without profit we would have no dealers, bike, car or whatever and as previous advice I'd hang on to it certainly till spring - who knows, Triumph may have a new one around the corner!

Rob

[Robmac]

Keep that Tiger!!

I had the older 800 VFR ('99) which I thought was a good bike, typically Honda well put together but it just did not stir my soul - it did everything asked of it but I rode it without connecting with it if that makes sense.

I had been hankering after a Tiger 955 for some while and took one out from our local dealer for a spin - I was hooked!. I fell in love with that triple engine straight away and although some people think its an ugly bike, I can clean it, stand back and look at it and to me I love it! (I only wish the aerodynamics of the screen were better....)

I've a son in the bike trade and margins can be tight, without profit we would have no dealers, bike, car or whatever and as previous advice I'd hang on to it certainly till spring - who knows, Triumph may have a new one around the corner!

Rob