Thinking about parting out bike

So I have a 1998 VFR that I have been thinking about selling. I had a friend of a friend that said he was interested in the bike so I let him take the bike home and ride it some to decide. Well that turned out to be a BIG mistake. He returned the bike and said that the chain broke and he decided he couldn't afford to buy it. This weekend I finally had a chance to look at the bike and discovered that now the bike has a big hole in the left housing and won't go into gear. So the question is do I cut my losses and part out the bike or do I dig into it and see what I will need to repair the bike and sell it as a whole?

 

That is a tough call. To fix it you will be looking at a good chunk of change for parts and labor. In the end you will have a 98 fifth gen VFR that may be worth anywhere from $1500 to $3500 depending on mileage, location and condition. If you loved the bike and were keeping it, I would say get on with fixing it but since you are selling anyway, just take your losses and blow it out. Parting the bike will take time and effort with little return IMHO. The best part of a fifth gen is the engine and now that yours is damaged, well you get the idea.

You won't avoid the cost of that decision to lend it to a friend unfortunately.

 

tadvfr where are you located?

 

Depending on what the other parts you have and their condition, parting out might get you some decent money, especially if the OEM plastics are in good shape, assuming you have the OEM plastics. That being said, you can often find entire engines online and could be something to consider. That being said, if you are not mechanically inclined, swapping out the motor would mean paying someone to do the engine swap.

 

Unless your Long, not a good idea to lend a bike out...maybe around the block or two.....how bout your FRIEND, affording to fix it? Was the chain all rusty and loose? Or did he abuse your bike with wheelies and such?
Broken chain, sounds fishy....JMO

 

How did he say the hole happened?

 

I believe the hole occurred from the chain smacking the gearbox. And after talking with him more I believe he tried to speed shift. Which I think has messed up the transmission which lead to the chain breaking.

 

Do you have pics of the bike? Have you decided what you're going to do with it?

 

Thanks all for the advice. The bike is in fair condition , except the motor now LOL, and is located between Chattanooga and Nashville TN.

 

Bummer. I'm interested in rear grab handles if you part it out.

 

beware.....sharks are circling

 

As the op has only 3 posts and the last one was a month ago I doubt he will be back to read any of this stuff