Warning: Vent session in progress

[waterfowler]

OK, need to vent. I am driving home this morning and my neighbor (3 doors down) is unloading an 85 250R. I stop to talk to him and he says he picked it up from a buddy that's getting a divorce and needed quick cash. It needed some plastic, a clutch lever (broken in half), and misc hoses (radiator, fuel line). I asked him what he was doing with it and he says parting it out. According to him some local guys are buying the parts from him. I asked him if he would sell the whole bike and he said no, the money's in parts.
Now, as a self proclaimed trike restorer (trying) that really irks me. I have been looking for this machine for a year now and he is just going to scrap it out. I understand that there probably is more money in parts than in restoration and sales, but I take pride in the finished product and knowing that I saved another trike from parts doom. I also realize that there has to be some parts out there for people to restore them, but it just seems to me that the mentality is money, money, money. Please if you have a trike that needs some minor work, restore it, don't scrap it for parts. There are only so many out there, and then they're all gone. OK I'm off my soapbox, and back to my baby in the garage. (84 200X).
Thanks,

[Trikeaholic]

You should talk to him more. I always "sell" someone on the idea that it would be good to sell it to me, because I will care for the machine.(it works) I never try to take advantage of anyone, but buying and selling has to be mutually agreable. Ask how much the guy thinks he is gonna get in parts, and then try to make an offer that is close, unless it wayyy high-what he thinks. I wouldnt let that get away, try to convince him that the machine has historical significance to us trikers and its not too far gone to be sacrificed for parts yet, and that you would like to restore it. Most people Ive talked to dont like to see things go to waste. Good luck.

[waterfowler]

Thanks for the thoughts, I am going to go down and talk to him now. I think that I was so irked that he wanted to just part it out and not even consider selling it that I said good luck and left. I agree that it is a rare find and historical (boy if my wife could hear me now haha). I'll see what we can do. He is big into RC planes and cars so I might talk to him about trading my plane and cash for it. Hopefully that will strike a nerve. Wish me luck.
Thanks,

[TimSr]

Im probably more like the guy with the bike, looking at it as dollars and cents (sense), and if you were dealing with me, and wanted it, it wouldnt serve to to try to convince me that he should feel obligated to sell it to you for the interest of preserving a historical treasure. If you want to deal on the whole bike, this is what you need to look at:
Its worth a certain amount as a junk trike. In individual parts it is probably worth 2-3 times its value as a whole junk trike, but parting it out requires a lot of labor. Lets say he has $500 in it, and is shooting for selling $1200 worth of parts, which are realistic numbers. If want to talk him out of parting it out, your only going to succeed, if he is willing to make less money but on a much quicker turnaround without the labor. If this were me, and you offered me $800 as it sits, Id probably opt for the quick and easy profit as opposed to parting it out. He may or may not, but thats going to be the only angle with the possibility of success.

[skippy]

and tim... you need to sell the $1200 worth of parts to make that money... sometimes you get stuck with parts for a while, till you find the right buyer!

[200xer]

People that part out running trikes should die :-D

[Mike Fort Laud]

I personally can't see the trouble and time it would take to sell any complete 3 wheeler part by part and come up with a total that is much greater than the total price of a complete bike. We are talking about a 3 wheeler. After you sell the frame and motor the remaining parts are mostly used junk. As far as a 250R anyway. I am sure Tecate and Tri-Z parts are more valuable because of rareity. But to take a couple months to part out and E-Bay a common bike just makes no sense to me. I am sure the guiy is thinking he will sell it piece by piece and retire early. Even a screwed up 250R is worth at least $1000. no body will sell a running bike for any rediculous amount like $500. Down here in Florida and almost any other state the price of a 250R can be averaged around $1500. You cant sell the parts to cover that. I paid $1600 for mine and it was a mess.I see guys trying to sell used hubs and airboxes and other $20-$50 items. just sell the whole bike ,make a couple bucks and move on. Unless you are in the bike parts business you will hardly Never sell every last piece of a bike. I cant think of anybody who would buy a stock pipe or used brake rotors when new ones are avaliable. So there goes any profit by way of unsold parts. talk some sense into him.

[TimSr]

Just let me qualify my opinion. I have parted out 7 complete ATVs, 1 partial ATV and 8 complete dirt bikes, and 6 partials, in the last two years, and I have a pretty good idea of what sells, what it brings, and how fast I can sell it. I use Ebay. I dont sell direct except under rare circumstances. Sometimes I have to list things twice, but the only thing Ive ever had trouble getting rid of is certain non vintage dirt bike frames. When I start on one, it usually takes about a month before its all gone and over with, with all money received. I just did an entire Banshee within teh past month. If you ever doubt the value of parts, add up enough OEM parts to build an entire quad and see if you dont have a $25,000 quad. I can identify with this guy, because it sounds like he is doing what I would do. He bought a non running 250R probably at a junk price, and he will very easily have well over $1200 in hand within a month if he lists about 10 parts per week. I had half an 83 250R a guy had in his shed for a couple years, and got over $750 in parts. Also common parts sell better than rare ones, such as 83-85 200x, Warrior, Blaster, Banshee etc. I had an 86 200X I tried for 4 monthes to sell for $800, because I hated to tear it apart. Necessity eventually overrode nastalgia, and I sold it for just under $1700 in about 25 pieces. Also, your whole bikes limit your marketing to local buyers, but UPS/USPS goes anywhere.
I just bought a 230 Quadsport last night with a trashed top end for $250. I could fix it for another $200 and sell it for $800-900 or I can tear it down, and part it out and probably make $1500, or I can sell it as it is for a quick turnaround for $400. I wont even consider the last option, and it would be foolish for me to do so. If you offered me $750 Id consider it, but its certainly not worth $750. What would you do?
The guy bought his non running trike to part out, and I say let him make his money. If you want it, then your gonna have to make it worthwhile to him. The guys who condemn him the most, are first in line to buy his parts. If you guys werent buying them, he wouldnt be selling them! He and I know what this trike will bring in parts, and its not right to expect him to sacrifice this potential income unless you intend cover a good portion of it out of your pocket. If your not willing to sacrifice the cash, why should he?

[waterfowler]

Well I don't think anyone will argue with the facts. It is true that you can probably make more from parts than you can whole bikes, however I think we are looking at two different schools of thought.

The first one is financial. Buy them up, break them down, and sell them off, and make your money. Nothing wrong with that, making money is a good thing right?

The second is labor of love. Similar to those who buy old mustangs or corvettes and spend months in the garage rebuilding, driving hundreds of miles for that one part or these days eBay. Then after all of this money and energy they have what? A new (old) car? No they get pride and enjoyment just looking at it in the garage. They probably have more into the car than what it cost new, but they also have accomplishment.

Now don't get me wrong I'm not directly relating old performance cars to $300 trikes, I am just trying to illistrate my point which is, some of us look at it as a business and some of us look at it as an achievement. I don't sell parts for a living or even for extra money. I have and probably will continue to buy parts to rebuild my trikes, all I wanted to get across was my perspective. If they only need minor fixing, fix em'. If you can't sell them part em' out as you see fit. It breaks my heart to see such a machine (85 250R) condemed to the bone yard.
My 2 cents...

[200xer]

I don't see how you can make more money parting a trike out than selling it whole, if it runs. I don't see any problem with parting out a wrecked or non running trike.

[TimSr]

I don't see how you can make more money parting a trike out than selling it whole, if it runs. I don't see any problem with parting out a wrecked or non running trike.

Must be that new math! 86 200X - Running $800 - couldnt sell it. Same 86 200X WAS sold in parts - $1700.

Next month I will be purchasing a brand new quad from a dealership, for the purpose of parting it out. Parts for most models are worth a lot more than running ATVs, I believe my opinion enough to put up some serious money.

[tecatecrazy]

I must say timsr, that is an excellent idea ,I have considereddoing the same thing with a new quad to finance my next project (86/87 tecate), Ijust havnt got up the nerve to take it that far. As far as parting out trikes, most of us wouldnt have running trikes if it wasnt for those who part them out, because ill be dammmed if i am going to pay full dealer price for the parts I need and I'm sure not wealthy enough to save every trike that I come across from being parted out by paying an overinflated price for something that I'm going to have to work on. My $1 worth---Joe 8)

[Instinctz]

Sigh, if it tickles your pickle that bad, then just look at it this way: That one trike that got parted out, is fixing 10+ trikes to rdie another day.