texas-ss-tornado
Well-Known Member
Ya' ever feel like you're sitting on a rabbit's foot? Well, I MUST BE! Just sold my last 97 project on Friday for 3K, so had a little money burning a hole in my pocket! Sunday, I went all the way to Tulsa to check out a couple of bikes, mind you, this is an 8 hour round trip from Dallas. A couple weeks ago, I found an 85 Suzuki GS1150ES up there, and the seller was going back and forth on selling it, a real flake. He lists it on Craigslist one day for 1000 bucks, no pictures, and I contact him. Says he's moving out of state in a few weeks and must move it. So I tell him I'm interested, but it was mid-week and couldn't do anything until Saturday or Sunday. He says OK and I tell him I'll get back with him. On Friday, I get a text from him that says "price went up to 2200, I've got it running now." I was like, WTF??? Good for you, not interested. Anyway, that was two weeks ago, and then Friday night of last week, I see this bike.
http://tulsa.craigslist.org/mcy/2926822713.html
I've always wanted a six cylinder Kaw, basically the only competition to the Honda CBX, and this one looked really nice. I spent an HOUR talking to the guy about this bike, and he swore to me it was in MINT condition and ran PERFECTLY! He came down to $1800 on the phone and I figured I could get it for $1500, so I decided to make the trip. I texted the guy with the GS1150ES and he actually called me back, and went into some big, long tirade about how some company sent him the wrong number of tooth starter, he was fed up with the bike, and ready to sell it. I told him I was going to be up there Sunday in Supulpa (just south of Tulsa), and he was like, great, that's about 20 minutes from me. So now, I've got TWO bikes to look at! WOO HOO! So, I get on the road Sunday morning about 8 am and head that direction. I was going to see the KZ1300 first. I already had his address in my GPS, and I told the GS guy I would text him around noon to get his address, he said fine. So anyway, I get there to look at the KZ1300. OMG, pictures on Craigslist absolutely DO NOT show the real issues on this bike. The worst was battery acid all over one of the pipes, rusty nuts and bolts, paint flaking off in alot of spots, the pinstriping on the body pieces was faded, a BIG dent in the tank by the seat. Here's the kicker. Guy goes to start it up, and the motor is KNOCKING! LOUD! I said, "WFT is that?" He goes, "oh, don't worry, it will clear up in a few minutes." Then, gas starts pouring out of the airbox, so he start tapping on the floats with a big wrench, "oh, don't worry about that either, just a stuck float, it will clear itself up." Oh, and the oil light on the dash was on? He told me it was because he started the bike on the kickstand? I literally looked this 3 toothed old buzzard in the face and said, "you're a god damn idiot. Thanks for wasting my Sunday and $100 bucks in gas", and immediately stormed off. I was SOOOO friggin' mad!!!!!! This guy KNOWS I'm coming from 250 miles away, and he still LIES about the condition! Oh well, I decide to go grab some lunch, and call the GS1150ES guy again. Still no answer, so now I'm really getting pissed. So I'm sitting at Subway eating my club sandwich, and LUCKILY, I had brought my IPad with me and was looking at Craigslist ads in Tulsa and OKC, and just like God was listening to my prayers, BOOM!!! There it was. "2003 VMAX currently not running", no pictures in the ad, just a story that said it's been off the road for a couple years, needs to go. $1000 dollars! Plus, there's a phone number in the ad!! So I immediately start calling and texting. No response. Now I'm really getting hacked. 30 minutes go by, and I'm still getting NOTHING! Why would you post an ad, which I saw IMMEDIATELY after he listed it, and then not answer your phone? I was sure somebody had beat me to it, and I was now starting to see cross eyed!!! It had his city listed in the ad too (Midwest City), which was probably 90 minutes from where I was at, so I figured what the heck, I'll head that direction, not that far out of the way to get back to Dallas anyway, and the GS1150ES guy still hadn't called me back. So about 30 minutes later, FINALLY, my phone rings. The guy with the VMAX calls and we start talking, apparently, he posted the ad at work on his break, then went back to work and couldn't answer his phone! DUH! He said I was the first to leave a message, but had 10 others already in an hour!!! I told him I was in the truck, cash and trailer headed his direction, and he said he'd wait on me. About an hour later, I showed up, and SHAZAMM! Another STEAL! Bike's been off the road for 2 years, he bought a new Meanstreak and just quit riding it. Battery was dead, but he swore it didn't have any 2nd gear issues, it's dirty from sitting in the garage, but really in great shape. A couple buggers here and there, but overall, a REALLY nice bike! Oh, and he had the year wrong, it's a 1997, his Meanstreak is a 2003, honest mistake. Anyway, I get there and we start talking, I pointed out a few flaws, flashed 9 hundred dollar bills in his face and he took it! Went up to have the title notarized and was on my way back home around 4 pm. Around 6, halfway home, the GS1150ES guy finally texts me and tells me his phone had died. I told him to F off, I wasn't turning around. So anyway, a really BAD day turned into a really GOOD day! Sometimes I swear, I am the luckiest man alive when it comes to these bikes, I find these great deals all the time! If I hadn't already been up there, in the area, there's NO WAY I would have been able to get this one. Here are a few pics, fresh off the trailer, it's dirty of course, but will clean up and look like new. Also has custom paint that looks decent, a few chips but it's black with blue ghost flames and pearl, will be easy to touch up, doesn't look bad at all. Enjoy!
http://tulsa.craigslist.org/mcy/2926822713.html
I've always wanted a six cylinder Kaw, basically the only competition to the Honda CBX, and this one looked really nice. I spent an HOUR talking to the guy about this bike, and he swore to me it was in MINT condition and ran PERFECTLY! He came down to $1800 on the phone and I figured I could get it for $1500, so I decided to make the trip. I texted the guy with the GS1150ES and he actually called me back, and went into some big, long tirade about how some company sent him the wrong number of tooth starter, he was fed up with the bike, and ready to sell it. I told him I was going to be up there Sunday in Supulpa (just south of Tulsa), and he was like, great, that's about 20 minutes from me. So now, I've got TWO bikes to look at! WOO HOO! So, I get on the road Sunday morning about 8 am and head that direction. I was going to see the KZ1300 first. I already had his address in my GPS, and I told the GS guy I would text him around noon to get his address, he said fine. So anyway, I get there to look at the KZ1300. OMG, pictures on Craigslist absolutely DO NOT show the real issues on this bike. The worst was battery acid all over one of the pipes, rusty nuts and bolts, paint flaking off in alot of spots, the pinstriping on the body pieces was faded, a BIG dent in the tank by the seat. Here's the kicker. Guy goes to start it up, and the motor is KNOCKING! LOUD! I said, "WFT is that?" He goes, "oh, don't worry, it will clear up in a few minutes." Then, gas starts pouring out of the airbox, so he start tapping on the floats with a big wrench, "oh, don't worry about that either, just a stuck float, it will clear itself up." Oh, and the oil light on the dash was on? He told me it was because he started the bike on the kickstand? I literally looked this 3 toothed old buzzard in the face and said, "you're a god damn idiot. Thanks for wasting my Sunday and $100 bucks in gas", and immediately stormed off. I was SOOOO friggin' mad!!!!!! This guy KNOWS I'm coming from 250 miles away, and he still LIES about the condition! Oh well, I decide to go grab some lunch, and call the GS1150ES guy again. Still no answer, so now I'm really getting pissed. So I'm sitting at Subway eating my club sandwich, and LUCKILY, I had brought my IPad with me and was looking at Craigslist ads in Tulsa and OKC, and just like God was listening to my prayers, BOOM!!! There it was. "2003 VMAX currently not running", no pictures in the ad, just a story that said it's been off the road for a couple years, needs to go. $1000 dollars! Plus, there's a phone number in the ad!! So I immediately start calling and texting. No response. Now I'm really getting hacked. 30 minutes go by, and I'm still getting NOTHING! Why would you post an ad, which I saw IMMEDIATELY after he listed it, and then not answer your phone? I was sure somebody had beat me to it, and I was now starting to see cross eyed!!! It had his city listed in the ad too (Midwest City), which was probably 90 minutes from where I was at, so I figured what the heck, I'll head that direction, not that far out of the way to get back to Dallas anyway, and the GS1150ES guy still hadn't called me back. So about 30 minutes later, FINALLY, my phone rings. The guy with the VMAX calls and we start talking, apparently, he posted the ad at work on his break, then went back to work and couldn't answer his phone! DUH! He said I was the first to leave a message, but had 10 others already in an hour!!! I told him I was in the truck, cash and trailer headed his direction, and he said he'd wait on me. About an hour later, I showed up, and SHAZAMM! Another STEAL! Bike's been off the road for 2 years, he bought a new Meanstreak and just quit riding it. Battery was dead, but he swore it didn't have any 2nd gear issues, it's dirty from sitting in the garage, but really in great shape. A couple buggers here and there, but overall, a REALLY nice bike! Oh, and he had the year wrong, it's a 1997, his Meanstreak is a 2003, honest mistake. Anyway, I get there and we start talking, I pointed out a few flaws, flashed 9 hundred dollar bills in his face and he took it! Went up to have the title notarized and was on my way back home around 4 pm. Around 6, halfway home, the GS1150ES guy finally texts me and tells me his phone had died. I told him to F off, I wasn't turning around. So anyway, a really BAD day turned into a really GOOD day! Sometimes I swear, I am the luckiest man alive when it comes to these bikes, I find these great deals all the time! If I hadn't already been up there, in the area, there's NO WAY I would have been able to get this one. Here are a few pics, fresh off the trailer, it's dirty of course, but will clean up and look like new. Also has custom paint that looks decent, a few chips but it's black with blue ghost flames and pearl, will be easy to touch up, doesn't look bad at all. Enjoy!
unk: and the 3 tooth moron part was too funny:rofl_200:, but gotta love those that waste our time.:bang head:
