900/1000 kaw's being scrapped for profit

as much as i like finding rare parts i might need for my bikes... it makes me sick when complete 900/1000 kaw's are being parted out on ebay for profit!! as hard as it is anyway to find nice running bikes.. rarecycle parts on ebay has basically parted out a very nice 76 900ltd.. basically the whole bike is up for auction... to me that's about as bad as parting out a shelby cobra... most likely will make a couple hundred more than if the bike was sold complete? maybe

Personally Id rather part out a cobra myself,since I have no attachment to them! :woohoo:
I buy a lot of basket case bikes and parts,I always rebuild/repaint/replate any parts I sell so they just need to be bolted on to what ever you have and they look better than new.
The biggest problem with these bikes is theres only so many people interested in them,in reality we have a very small following compared to lets say 55-57 chevys and model A fords.(which I also collect! :woohoo: )
So theres not enough demand for the aftermarket to supply all the parts needed,but this way people are forced to put parts off of old wrecked/blown up and stripped bikes back into the food chain.
The 90s was a tough time for me seeing people yanking motors old of old kz and gs bikes to put them in dwarf cars,but it did free up a lot of parts to rebuild other bikes

wireman
i agree with you and hopefully i can maybe purchase parts from you in the future... i fully understand parting out bikes.. but when it's apparently a complete,low mileage/11,000 mile 76 ltd!!!
thats sad to see that parted out.. that seller would part out a mint 73Z1 if it make a couple hundred extra in sales.. i like buying and selling bikes,and parts also... but salvaging highly collectible models in clearly very nice shape??? is very sad...

To me it is a shame to see a nice example of an old bike (or car) parted out. It's different if the bike has been abused and/or neglected to a point where restoration is economically stupid, but when a bike is whole and original it just seems short-sighted to break it up just for a few extra bucks. Those few bucks will be gone in a flash, but the loss of a nice bike is forever. Sort of like taking a perfectly healthy guy named Bob and for a few bucks without his permission transplanting his eyes to Manny, his heart to Moe, and his liver to Jack. Manny, Moe, and Jack may be happy, but what about poor Bob? :woohoo: Ed

very elequently put ED

I would surmise that Bob had no birth certificate for a deserving couple to adopt
so as not to be involved in an illegal adoption it was way easier just to sell his organs.

and we all know state government wont reissue a birth certificate without jumping through
some pretty big hurdles and the adoption agencies make it cost prohibitive if your not
as afluent as need be

Word around here is that the two big motorcycle salvage lots in AZ were recently visited by some Japanese dudes that completely cleaned out any and all Z and KZ parts. They didn't care what shape they were in, they just had every last part loaded into shipping containers and were on their way. The value and cost of your spare parts may be seeing a huge spike in the coming months.
Damn, and I was hoping to avoid owning another white elephant. This is why I stopped dealing with old cars like 60's era Mustangs and Camaros, it just got too expensive and the parts and cars started being treated like Tiffany cufflinks. And the thieves started to take notice...

650ed wrote: To me it is a shame to see a nice example of an old bike (or car) parted out. It's different if the bike has been abused and/or neglected to a point where restoration is economically stupid, but when a bike is whole and original it just seems short-sighted to break it up just for a few extra bucks. Those few bucks will be gone in a flash, but the loss of a nice bike is forever. Sort of like taking a perfectly healthy guy named Bob and for a few bucks without his permission transplanting his eyes to Manny, his heart to Moe, and his liver to Jack. Manny, Moe, and Jack may be happy, but what about poor Bob? :woohoo: Ed

What is his blood type...I need a Kidney???

Bikes with missing titles are always great canidates for a part out in my book. Unless someone can tell me how to find titles cheap and easy?
Agreed, motor parts are going to become more valuable, they really sank a few years ago when the economy tanked. Only thing worth anything on a motor is the head now.
I think that way more bikes were getting parted maybe 5 years ago. Ebay fees and complication has driven the average guy away not to mention paypal reporting to the IRS now.

Yeah I wouldnt part out a complete low mileage bike that had the possibility of being returned to the road ,most of the stuff Ive managed to collect is from dumpster diving and stuff found in basements/garages/ditches.
I specialize in repairing the cast off stuff that nobody sees any hope in salvaging! :woohoo:
I try to think like the indians back in the day with a buffalo,i salvage every piece that can possibly to saved other than old worn out tires and stock steering head bearings!

appears the seller on ebay has stripped a really nice ltd for parts.. selling frame and TITLE together. motor for 1500.00 all the body pieces were restored last yr!! basically whole bike is available in individual pieces!! guess 1 less 76 ltd on the market will increase the value of ours... a shame to see complete,rare bikes being parted out..
his right to sell anyway he see's fit... but still sad...
maybe this seller will find a super nice 73 z1 to part out also...

In Indiana, it costs $75 and a half hour of your time to get a nice new clean title for a motorcycle. Plus tax, and liscence plate fees of course.

Never understood how everyone says that it's hard to get a title. Might start doing that for profit

floivanus wrote: In Indiana, it costs $75 and a half hour of your time to get a nice new clean title for a motorcycle. Plus tax, and liscence plate fees of course.

Never understood how everyone says that it's hard to get a title. Might start doing that for profit

Not sure what county your in but it took me to trips to the barnach and talking to indy twice and a spirited debate with the dmv branch manager after they told me what i needed from INDY

but with that said if you have a local branch you deal with let me know