Help with pricing a 2002 Kawasaki Ninja EX250

[avoidalliteration]

Hi all,

I hate to make this kind of request as one of my first posts, but here's the situation:

I just came back from my local Kawasaki dealer and happened to find out that somebody had just traded in a 2002 Ninja 250 to them. They took down my name and number and said they would call me when it gets on the floor (hopefully in a few days).

• -So no price yet
  -I don't know how many miles it has

I realize this is not a lot of information, but I've got a few questions:

• 1. How flexible would the dealer be to negotiating the price? KBB puts a 2002 in excellent condition at $2140. What would be a good relative price to negotiate it down to (ballpark)?

• 2. I will be asking if they know if it's been dropped, if there are any mods. Is there anything else general I should ask them about?

• 3. They said that they will be replacing the back tire (tread is worn), changing the oil, etc. How thorough a job do you think they will do in servicing it? Should I get a bike mechanic to look at it?

Sorry for the long post, but I've been looking for a used EX250 for a couple weeks now and this just popped into my lap =). Thanks in advance for any help!

[dieziege]

How closely does that dealership come to KBB prices on other used bikes they are selling? That'll give you a ball-park estimate.

Some used bike dealers are scammers. One in my area was advertising an '03 250 for $2799...that's absurd enough (kbb says $2255)...but they didn't mention "plus $189 reconditioning charge, plus tax, plus title..." when I started laughing and asked if they were joking, the salesperson just walked away. Long story short, they were trying to get MSRP for a three year old bike with a thousand miles on it.

[avoidalliteration]

How closely does that dealership come to KBB prices on other used bikes they are selling? That'll give you a ball-park estimate.

Thanks for the quick reply dieziege. Unfortunately, that was the only used bike they had in their inventory. Seriously. Apparently demand for used vehicles has been pretty high with the weather getting nice here in NC.

[BigChickenStrips]

i'll be 100% honest with you-

expect to pay out the "O Ring" for it. the ex250s are SUPER popular this time of year (lots of new and returning riders want something slick looking but beginner freindly) the dealer knows if you wont pay the price they want for it, the next guy who walks throguh the door will. i would expect very little wiggle room on their part.

that being said. the EX250 is an awesome little bike. very trouble free and beginner friendly. if you can afford it i would recomend getting the bike because you'll hardly loose anything if you decide to sell it in a year or two. they dont depreciate as fast as most motor vehicles. i love mine and will probably keep it even when i add a second pony to the stable.

good luck.

you might check out:
www.ninja250.net
www.ninja250.info
www.ninja250.com
and www.ninja250.org for more info on the joys of owning the E-X-two-fiddy

i was doing 96 mph on the interstate on mine yesterday (insert closed course/professional driver disclaimer here) so its definatly not "too small or too slow" like some people will tell you.

[avoidalliteration]

Ryan:

Yeah, that's what I'm expecting as well. The sales guy mentioned that their used bike turnaround is insanely quick right now. I'm actually looking at getting a coworker (bike mechanic, teaches MSF course) to come with me and check it out (mechanically). I've looked at the NADA guide and the Motorcycle Consumer News and they place it at ~$1700 (vs. the $2100 KBB)...so at least I'll know if I'm getting totally ripped off or not. Oh well, I'm a patient man, so if the price they quote me is absurd, I can wait.

Thanks for the comment.