A £500 initial loss but with the knowledge that you’ve found another bike, exactly as you want, with all the correct verifiable history, will be a huge saving in the long run. I walked away once after looking at a Suzuki Gsxr (£400 dep) When £400 was a good amount of money. I look back and realise it was the correct decision. Hope it all works out for you and I’d be questioning ghe £500 as they said it was to cover test ride excess. Hmmm!
Keep in mind that the people who've convinced you this bike is bad have not seen it and know nothing about it. Don't write off your deposit on discussion forum speculation.
The dealer has just agreed to do the desmo and reinstall the cat.. I've found an almost as new example that's in red with all the panniers including top box and carbon termi exhaust. The bike looks brand new with full history, the only issue is mileage. Its done 23500 miles but has had the desmo done by a Ducati dealer at 19k.when buying a bike I have to think about selling it on afterwards, whether its in a year or 5, in fact its usually a year or 2 with me. You don't see that many high mileage multistrada's for sale like the GS's so its a consideration. I can get excited about this one though ...
If the deposit was just for the test ride, hopefully you can hold them to that agreement and get it all back.
Whilst you're partially correct we have seen the eBay ad and pictures plus the reputation of the dealer on TrustPilot is pretty bad. The dealer saying that they'll do the desmo service would be a no-no for me, I'd have no faith, they're a car and bike dealer and sell Chinese bikes and scooters. I very much doubt that their mechanic has knowledge or the correct tools for doing the demso service (their workshop is a sister company that doesn't even mention bikes, just cars), but what do I know... Of course if they're footing the bill to get a franchised dealer or recognised independent to do it then it's another matter. The fact that there's a stamp in the book ahead of when it needs to be done but the dealer is now saying they'll do it diminishes my confidence further. But was converted into a deposit by the dealer? If they do as you're asking; get a reputable tech to do the valves and restore the exhaust then maybe it's not too bad a deal, good luck.
Thank you. Yes it was converted into a deposit and I signed an order form. I think its a no go with getting it back.
If you paid the deposit and placed an order, your bigger concern may not be just losing the deposit, but if the dealer pushes you to fulfill the contract and complete the purchase. If that looks likely you may need to seek legal advice, or at least citizens advice. You can pre-empt that by discussing with said bodies
We all been hasty in life. You can still bale on this deal but need to impose your own terms. You want to see proof of the Desmo service. Either you witness it yourself or you see photographic evidence. If you don't get either, act like an Italian or Frenchman and run away. If you paid deposit by credit card, let the financial fraudsters resolve it.
That mileage is no problem at all. Actually I would consider it a plus as the bike has been used and properly maintained and most of the initial Ducati typical minor problems will have been sorted. My new MTS 1260GT is showing more small problems compared to my 200.000 km 2010 1200. And is is consuming significantly more oil. Fuel sensor, leaking indicator, corroded bolts are just a few of the 1260 problems.
Is that right 200,000km ? If so it just goes to show that mine and many bikers I speak to consider anything around the 20-30k mark a big no no...especially a Ducati My worry was selling it on after a year or so with over 30k on and it taking an age to shift.
Indeed 200,000km. And mine is not the only one to reach that number. A friend of mine owns a 907 Paso with 300.000 on the clock. My ST4S had 140.000 km on the clock and was completely fine but destroyed by a car. Based on my observations failure happens early, not late. And I’m unaware of people that actually have worn out a Ducati that is properly maintained. I’m aware of people that destroyed a Ducati. But that is an entirely different ball game.
In my experience, it is us, the British who are obsessed with mileage. 4 years ago I traded in my Kawasaki Versys 1000. It was 4 years old and it had 18,500 miles on it. When I went to a couple of dealers, they sucked their teeth and said “the mileage is a bit high, according to Glasses Guide, the average mileage is 3,000 miles a year and yours is over that, so I will have to drop the trade-in allowance a bit”. Needless to say I walked away. In Continental Europe and the USA, they actually use their bikes and are not afraid of big miles as long as it has been serviced and looked after. The best thing you can do to a bike is actually ride it.
You are kind of right, but in the UK mileage DOES drive the value of the bike. Unless someone were to nip across the channel and try to sell (which is no longer straightforward) then the trade in/sales value is affected as much by the mileage, as it is by the overall condition and service history. We cannot change how things are - we just have to deal with 'em
Hi HootOwl, yes, we just have to deal with it, but the point I was making or trying to make was that it is better to buy a well maintained and serviced bike with higher mileage that a low mileage garage queen that has barely had chance to warm the oil on its runs to the coffee bar or ice cream parlour and the problem is the U.K. used market for bikes and cars are driven by mileage.
And I think this is where you are likely to have a problem, especially if you're only planning to keep it a couple of years, I traded in my 2015 1200S DVT with 33k miles for a 1260S in April 2018, many dealers were not interested at all as the mileage was "too high", eventually got an acceptable trade in price from Ducati Peterborough, however they weren't "allowed" to put it in the showroom and were unable to trade it out because of the mileage, irrespective that it was in excellent condition with full Ducati service history, I hear it eventually (months later), went to Portugal . My 1260S has now covered almost 43k and is still under Ducati warranty but is probably virtually worthless, as even folk who maybe only do a couple of thousand miles a year, seem to be only interested in low mileage bikes. So probably, from a resale point of view, I'd go for the lowest mileage bike you can afford, because it's not just the fact that you'll get a lot less for a high miler come sale time but it's whether you'll actually be able move it on at all.
It might be more difficult since Brexit but I bought my first Ducati, a Monster 900, in the Uk and sold it in France. One of the few vehicles I’ve ever made a (small) profit on!
I think that if you can find one with panniers, a centre stand and an original exhaust at around £8500/9000 then back out of this deal even if you lose the full £500. If you are having doubts now then it turns out to be a turkey you will be seriously peed off at 8 grand down and still not the spec you really wanted. There's a really nice one in Birmingham on ebay, white, unmolested, full history at the right money. Good luck whatever you decide, we've all acted on impulse at some time in our lives. ️
