Garage Queens
 

As I was scrolling bikes I always run across 10 year old bikes, where the owners are always under the impression that their “investment” is far more valuable than reality, with low miles like most less than 5000.

Now thats all too common, as many people buy these, mod the hell out of them, then put 500 miles per year average, then think they are gonna get most (sometimes even all) of their “investment “ back on the sale. Anyway. That’s another story.

What I am seeing more and more of is that most of these bikes are covered with “Live to Ride” crap (even funnier when the seller says all dealer installed). WTF, live to ride and you did 5k miles in 10 years. Harley should restrict the sales of that shit to those that actually ride.

No boutique "live to ride" trinkets and jewelry on my bike. I still have stock grips, imagine that.

Sorry, I have to disagree. I always buy my bikes used, and get them from people like this. I just watch the ads, and watch the price drop over the course of months. Sooner or later they get the price down to reality, and then we can talk. I usually restrict what I'm looking at to bikes that are almost completely stock. Bottom line: I'm happy as hell there are so many garage queens out there.

The irony is that those who actually ride would probably be embarrassed to have that shit on their bikes

The PO of my ElectraGlide (10k miles in 24 years) put some LTR-RTL stuff on her. I kept the derby cover. If asked, I call it "period correct".

i dont like low mile bikes. I got a friend who has a motorcycle he bought new 10 years ago, put 1K miles on it and never rode it again. There its sat in his garage for the past 9 years never being started, or ridden. No oil changes, still the same gas in it, still the same battery. But it had a cover on it! So im sure he could post it up on CL looking brand new after a good wash, saying its only got 1K miles on it! barely ridden! and you will now have to replace the tank, the carb or fuel injection, the battery not to mention everything else that just sat there and rotted. No thanks, give me a bike with the right amount of miles on it for the year it is anyday.

I've watched bikes go from $5,000 down to $3,000 then offered them $2,000. The guy had put just over 400 miles on the bike in 6 years.

Watched one about 2000 883 sportster, it was yellow, the had extra driving lights, a goofy windshield, floor boards, and he was asking $6,500 for it in the spring. By October he was down to $3,500 and it finally sold, don't know what he accepted for it.

I hear the horror stories of bikes parked like that not being good but in reality that isn't my experience with them at all. I'm betting a fresh tank of gas and a battery and the bike would fire right up if it was in good shape when parked. I do like to "break them in" a little at first just to make sure everything is going to mesh. I've brought many stored bikes back to life and haven't really had any trouble with them.

I read the original post and kind of thought the same thing, who cares what they do with their purchase or add on stuff, it's their money. Maybe that's their thing, "I got a Harley in the garage". Down the road, some will appreciate these bikes.

I put Willie G fer Chrissake skulls in the same category as LTR. Pure hokum.
Had a friend who bought a brand new BSA 441 Victor in '69. Put 200 miles on it, then bought a SuperGlide, so the Victor sat from '69 till '78 in the garage we shared together. When my buddy eventually bought it from him, we put in fresh gas, a battery, and it started ON THE FIRST KICK! After sitting for 9 years!

I bought a 1982 XLSA that sat for a year and a half with no fluids in it, plus an empty fuel tank with a liner that had fallen inside the tank. I spent two and a half hours cleaning the tank, putting fluids in it, and cleaning the carb. I did not have a battery for it so I grabbed the battery out of my 06 Softail (no they are not the same) and laid it sideways so I could connect the connectors. and well it ran.
I am not bragging, but I can get an old bike that sits running that is the easy part. The hard part is what happens next which is the replacement of all the worn or dried out parts and hoses.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...5fd1245c2e.jpg
The day I got it.
Now my wife's bike is an 08 Softail and it had 9800 miles about a year ago it now has double the miles and all we have done to it is replace the battery and the primary cover started to leak, so we went ahead and replaced the gasket. Of course, we did normal fluid changes. My wife loves to ride and we average hundreds of miles each weekend. Hers was in excellent condition and look. The PO kept it in a garage and the hardest part was cleaning all the chrome, dang thing is a chrome w*ore.

I say if they don't ride it and you can turn a wrench get it and be prepared to work your magic. I have a spare bike. lol.

When I bought my 2005 RK a couple years ago, the owner pulled it out of the garage and it was the saddest, dirtiest bike i'd seen in ages.
The owner stated " yeh, I'm more of a just ride it kind of guy". He had bought the bike new and it was 10 years old and had about 5000 miles on it!!

Then there is this. A good friend who has put lot of miles on lots of bikes, would be no problem for him to wake up years ago and decide to go for a ride and come home 400 miles later that evening.

Now he has a 9 year old Heritage that is spotless, maybe 5K on it. His family presses him to sell occasionally, so he'll list it for $15,000 and everyone is happy. He listed it, but it didn't sell (Oh Well).
That's what 2 back surgeries and a bout with cancer will do. I'm happy to see the bike there just in case. When he has a real good day now he may put 15 miles on it - back brace and all. Those 15 are as good as a 1000 mile trip when it comes to helping him feel better. I'm sure some days just looking at it is a good thing.

I get the Irony - see location - Nonya BS

totally agree! I have never bought a new bike or truck in my life like you said low miles and totally stock is a must! I have less money in all three of the bikes I have now than it would cost for one new one!! I know where there is a 2006 road king for sale with very very low miles that could be had for CHEAP! here is the road king
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...4d83469ca9.jpg

I bought my 2009 Fatboy last Nov with 700 miles! I never let high mile bike scare me from buying them but I was a little iffy on this one. The bike also came with stage one with the original fuel pack. I bought the bike and it runs perfect! As a matter of fact I find myself not riding my Springer as much. The only thing I added is the LED taillight.
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...f8912288c5.jpg

Sounds like the real bikers get all up in a wad what someone else does to their ride. Enjoy the Willie G skulls and keep blipping your throttle.

Wait! There's really mileage police? How do I join? :icon_dance-tap:

They "Live To Ride" around the block or to the local pub on Bike night. I am sure the oil was changed regularly at the dealer and and the tires were replaced @ 4K because they were weather rotted

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...7e1018d789.gif

The State of California is. They demand accurate mileage reporting evey year, for every vehicle driven/ridden. They say it's "only for demographic purposes." But we know better...

If you really didn't you wouldn't have started this thread.

Just another "it's not what I do, so it's wrong" thread. Moving on ......

.......... maybe they lead '500 miles a year' lives ?
.... it is their life after all.

This excited me!
 

Maybe they like the looks of the live to ride stuff on their bike!

Who's Willie G?

Played for the Pittsburgh Pirates?
Down on the corner with the poor boys?

I thought the LTR RTL was cool when I first seen it years ago. But then I started paying a little attention to things, and figured it was one of the most idiotic statements I had seen. Those who sported that were definitely low mile riders. The Willie G was neat at first, but then so many of the same people were doing the same thing..... I guess I do what I want. If you decide this is what you want, go for it. I ride when I can and when I want. 6-8,000 miles a year, and that includes riding to work. Now I've retired, hoping to put more miles on. But then, I will ride when I can and when I want. This is not a mileage race for me!!!
I wave to every rider I see. I don't care what you ride, when you ride, or where you ride. If you are out on two wheels, kudos to you!!
I'm with ya gator......

Right on!

I'm gonna surf for a good winter deal on a queen right now! Lol. Great reading, love the forum....

"That's what 2 back surgeries and a bout with cancer will do. I'm happy to see the bike there just in case. When he has a real good day now he may put 15 miles on it - back brace and all. Those 15 are as good as a 1000 mile trip when it comes to helping him feel better. I'm sure some days just looking at it is a good thing."

Unfortunately, that is pretty much where I'm at now in my life. Five back surgeries, the last one being a failed 5 level fusion, leaves me with a LOT
of pain on a daily basis, but I refuse to sell my bike! Even if I can only ride for an hour or so, it's the best hour of the day/week/month.
I suppose my bikes and cars are garage queens, but I could care less. The bike is almost perfect for a 14 yr old bike.
I could care less about what people think about me or my bikes. All that matters to me is that I can still ride, and enjoy the bike, even if
it's only a short ride around town.. Plus, when I do sell, someone will get a very nice bike!
And yes, I do probably do more looking at it and tinkering with it than I do riding..haha