mechanic

[Basil Brush]

Your best bet, is just to keep local and hear word of mouth who comes recommended to service bikes. I use a lad local (who also is an amateur racer, and works in BSS/BSB on an advisory basis). His work it top banana.

I do not bother with the service book. Mine is a 2002/52. I get a nice receipt off him of all work done. I have a thick portfolio with all paperwork. Myself personally. I'd rather take my pride and joy to someone like him. Than a dealer any day. And if I was looking to purchase - I'd use the same theory.

[gsxbarmy]

Gsxbarmy yer most important its done properley secound my gsx1400 very low miles k7 is worth around 5500 with full history .if traded in i got offerd 4200 ..with out fsh it will be a fair bit less .i could prob do the shim and buckit my self but rather trust some one thats done this job before as for the service stamp you could all ways just get a basic service oil fillter etc and they will still stamp the book(done this before)..so any one local thats done them before including re shiming if needed not just cheak them wanting to earn some cash plz message me i have a garage and loads n loads of tools (all ways fixed my own dirt bikes)

Mark - I sold my K7 last year - totally 100% immaculate showroom condition, low mileage (under 10k miles). Sorry to inform you but selling privately it's not worth £5,500, that's dealer showroom prices, and the silly prices that people advertise them at on eBay (and they don't sell) - real world - if you really wanted to sell it - realistically expect about £4,750 selling private, trade in about £3,500 tops. FSH made a difference of about £100 to the private price, no difference to the trade in price (as dealers sell with a limited warranty, so don't give a monkeys if it has FSH or not, as the bikes are too old now)

Sorry but that's the way it is.

[mark.knights]

Gsxbarmy dont where u traded it but ive been offerd in 3dealears 4250 .4000 ..and 4200 guess they dont pay as much up essex way or they seen you coming ? or they didont like the millage may be or lack of service history ? ..id of trayded it in but there was nothing i realy wanted at the time so keeping a eye out till i see some thing i like .and the first thing they asked was did i have any service history with it ...mine is not quite 9 years old i no they dont like 10year old plus bikes makes it difficalt to get finance on stuff 10 years plus making it harder to sell on

[KiwiCol]

Owwwww.   Just watching.

[grog]

so am i. valve clearance driving him crazy. not something i worry about.

[Timothy Spencer]

Mine were first checked at around 14000 by the dealer (free servicing deal!) and I checked them again at around 28000 and 43000 miles. A waste of time in many respects as they have always been fine but good to get the tank off, do some cleaning and have a look at everything. Balanced the throttle bodies at the same time which is always worth doing if you have the time I feel as they have always need adjustment at around every second service.
Quite a few years ago I was talking to a guy with a 14 with 55,000 miles on which he had clocked up in only 3 years. He had insisted that his dealer change the cam chain despite the dealers protests. When shown the old one afterwards he could see no noticeable wear and acknowledged his waste of money.

[gsxbarmy]

Gsxbarmy dont where u traded it but ive been offerd in 3dealears 4250 .4000 ..and 4200 guess they dont pay as much up essex way or they seen you coming ? or they didont like the millage may be or lack of service history ? ..id of trayded it in but there was nothing i realy wanted at the time so keeping a eye out till i see some thing i like .and the first thing they asked was did i have any service history with it ...mine is not quite 9 years old i no they dont like 10year old plus bikes makes it difficalt to get finance on stuff 10 years plus making it harder to sell on

Well if you've been offered that then Mark, suggest you grab it and run, as no-one else seems able to get that sort of trade in - read similar posts from Layther and Notty on this forum. No they didn't see me coming, mileage was sub 10k and service history made no difference. And it was absolute showroom condition, as most parts I had taken off when I got the bike new and replaced with my bling items. So all shocks casings, swing arm, forks the whole shebang was pristine.

If you can get that sort of money for yours then good luck to you, but frankly I'd be amazed, as you must be the only one in the UK who can. And given the number of concerns and issues you've been posting up about your 14 of late, it seems yours has problems..............so I'm even more surprised.

Just out of interest Mark, go on eBay and do a search on GSX1400's which have been sold (don't just search on GSX1400's advertised for sale as those with stupid prices don't sell privately). Even a very low mileage pristine 08 with FSH and with extra's only made £4,850 private and that was one of the top ones, nothing over £5k at all.

Which brings me back to my original point - privately even top notch late models are selling for about £4,750 tops. Dealers may ask more, but then that's dealers.

All I'm saying is that reality of what they ACTUALLY sell for is far away off what the owners may like to think they are worth. Sorry.

[mark.knights]

well bridge motocycles exter told me they would pay 4200 if I traded  it and they would be selling it on at around 5300 which is about what I payed for it from them, it does look cleaner now than when I got it so am happy with that but had nothing I realy wanted in my price range but how no they get different stock every day at bridge and the price is valid for a month

[gsxbarmy]

Indeed the dealer price is about right, and that is a very good trade-in for it, very good indeed.