birkdale10
Well-known member
Just a bittersweet post.
After almost 12 years (bought: Oct 2004, sold Aug 2016) and 102,000 miles, the old 2005 FJR is out of the garage. It's at a place in Dallas called 'CrashedToys', even though it has never crashed. But, I needed it out of the garage, they gave me cash, and the local Yamaha shops were worse than useless.
I will complain briefly:
I asked Freedom Powersports in Lewisville, TX what the value of the bike was, what with the miles and general condition. I was told 'about $3600'. It was in their service dept in Mid-July to replace a voltage regulator, and they had plenty of time to inspect it, ride it, check everything. When I picked it up, I talked to the sales manager with two other salesmen in the office, and said, if you give me $2000 cash, you can have it, but I need it until the beginning of August (3 weeks away). I could see the $$$$ in their eyes, and I got a verbal commitment and a handshake. I came back in August and ... well, "the used bike market is slow", "the bosses out of state say not to buy", etc, etc. Excuses.
I'm fairly old-school on some things. If the manager of the sales department gives a verbal commitment and a handshake, that is the end of the discussion to me. If this had been 'me' as that manager, and a higher authority said don't buy it...I would have bought that bike I made a commitment on out of my own money. I did not think I needed a signed piece of paper. I had a promise. A person's word is (should be) their bond.
Complaint over.
Now to put lots and lots of miles on the 2016 model. Vague plan: A conference in Las Vegas in mid-November. Hopefully, good weather, and I'll try to get to the California border just north of Tijuana (southwesternmost point) as a via-destination to add a few more states to my magnetic map on the wall (29 so far).
After almost 12 years (bought: Oct 2004, sold Aug 2016) and 102,000 miles, the old 2005 FJR is out of the garage. It's at a place in Dallas called 'CrashedToys', even though it has never crashed. But, I needed it out of the garage, they gave me cash, and the local Yamaha shops were worse than useless.
I will complain briefly:
I asked Freedom Powersports in Lewisville, TX what the value of the bike was, what with the miles and general condition. I was told 'about $3600'. It was in their service dept in Mid-July to replace a voltage regulator, and they had plenty of time to inspect it, ride it, check everything. When I picked it up, I talked to the sales manager with two other salesmen in the office, and said, if you give me $2000 cash, you can have it, but I need it until the beginning of August (3 weeks away). I could see the $$$$ in their eyes, and I got a verbal commitment and a handshake. I came back in August and ... well, "the used bike market is slow", "the bosses out of state say not to buy", etc, etc. Excuses.
I'm fairly old-school on some things. If the manager of the sales department gives a verbal commitment and a handshake, that is the end of the discussion to me. If this had been 'me' as that manager, and a higher authority said don't buy it...I would have bought that bike I made a commitment on out of my own money. I did not think I needed a signed piece of paper. I had a promise. A person's word is (should be) their bond.
Complaint over.
Now to put lots and lots of miles on the 2016 model. Vague plan: A conference in Las Vegas in mid-November. Hopefully, good weather, and I'll try to get to the California border just north of Tijuana (southwesternmost point) as a via-destination to add a few more states to my magnetic map on the wall (29 so far).
