Buying a Classic Bike, Norton in Particular: FleaBay

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Should probably have subjected the heading No Norton Content, but it does involve classic bikes, of which, of course, Nortons rightfully figure rather abundantly.

To be blunt. Here's the listing in question:

http://tinyurl.com/374akj

Perhaps a great bike for the right person. But read the description, and I may suggest that you could have the same unsavory acidic taste in your mouth that it left me.

A few of their "selling" points (commentary in brackets is mine. Sorry, I can not help it):

The fuel tank is fiberglass so no rust. As far as we know, the paint is original but we are not sure.

Front forks were not leaking so they were not serviced.

The Seat is perfect. It is a NOS Corbin Gentry. It really sets off the bikes personality and goes with the handlebars and sissy bar. [Huh? For real?]

Due to the total expense of the repair, he has decided to part with the machine as he doesn't want to have so much wrapped up in the machine.[We did not quote him a price on repair but knew he was a goodly sucker. His loss and your potential loss as well!]

We all know the value of this machine so bag your bargain here. [Really? Do we all know the value of this machine? Does the guy/gal working on the line at the Heinz plant know the value of the machine? Or is he/she more specifically concerned with feeding his/her family?]

Especially with it being road ready for the season. Just install a couple of mirrors and go touring on something that others will have a hard time finding to add to their collection in this kind of shape for this kind of money. Jay Leno eat your heart out! Enter it in poker runs and vintage bike contests. It is a purists dream. [For - double - real?????? So you charge him/her up the arse, bully him/her into acquiring the bike at a fire sale price, and choose to see this bike as some kind of Honda Goldwing tourer???? And who the f_ck cares about what Jay Leno thinks? P o k e r R u n s ????? Purist dream? Coughing/Hacking. What kind of moron..... the grammar and associations are just....]

[Wait for it.... wait for it.... ]

Reserve is not for the weak in wallet. You will need to be monetarily qualified to win and walk with this gem. [More coughing fits]

This isn't a fire sale. No trades. Cash is king. This is a Paypal only auction due to the protection that it affords all parties. [Have Nortons suddently become visible to the Harley crowd?????]

This caliber of unit is not offered everyday so get to the bank and get a loan pronto as you have 10 days or less to act. [An insult to both those who need to borrow as well as those who don't. Truly trashy all around. Why insult those who will borrow money to follow their passion (after my own heart), but why suggest those with the cash to buy outright should not consider the bike?]

The season is here. Open those wallets and let the moths out. It's showtime! [The American Chopper version of selling a classic European bike. It was bound to happen, once they realized that chrome and Hollywood does not necessarily a class bike become.]

You must be able to read and comprehend in order for us to be able to help you. We are on the internet and this is a prerequisite anyway. If you are thin skinned and this auction text offends you in any way shape or form, go away as you will not be able to hang with normal world purchase functions and that is what happens here daily. [BILLY RAY CYRUS is literature. They use the word "internet" as if on learning the word they've just magically obtained a PhD from Harvard. Cough.]

Believe the calculator. It is correct 99.9% of the time. [Errr.... thanks for making that apparent. I had no idea.]

Just so you know, if you ask a question that is covered in this text, it will be ignored as our mail rate is insane enough now. This is not a dodge. It is just that we would rather deal with folks that read the text and genuinely want to purchase something not just waste our time. [Of course. The mulleted Billy Ray Company has NO time to waste. THEY are important. You, as a potential buyer, well. Cough. Cough. Learn to read, fer chrissakes.]

We are trying to use what time we have to give good customer service to our paying patrons. Please just bid to what you think the item(s) is worth to you and let it go at that. Remember, it's an auction not a mideastern market place. [It just gets better.]

HAVE A GREAT DAY ON THE BAY! :-)

[I would love to see this as a piece of performance art, but alas, I know it is not so....

wrench]
 
In one place:

"...reserve is $6K..."

In another place:

"...we do not reveal reserve if there is one..."

???
 
Wrench,

Wow...that must have been fun. We can all see the seller isn't much at the use of the language, but I'd say, depending upon your view, that his heart is in the right place, considering he is an American "Used Car Salesman". And all his theatrics doesn't mean the machine isn't quite in order. He might be the "owner" of the shop, and not the mechanic. Let us not necessarily put them on the same level on the the tree of evolution. Have you even met a boss that was as good as the people he employed? Few and far between. So maybe the mechanic did his job, and only did what the customer requested and paid for. And maybe his boss wrote the masterpiece. Everyone deserves a chance at it...witness my blog. I'm no Hemmingway. Take a look at the bike. Is it in better shape than most on the bay? Peers to be. Might even actually be, better than most. Hard to tell. Most likely none of us here will bite the bullet and give out 6000 plus for the machine, so we won't ever find out.

One must though, give him credit...the writer got your attention. The Ad worked...he got you to read it.
:lol:
 
No doubt the unusual rhetoric was an attempt to distract you from noticing that the front fender is missing both braces!

Notwithstanding the rhetoric, as Hewho said, you to read the ad - mission accomplished?
 
What a beauty! I'd be all over it, but I already have one. :wink:

Debby
 
Yeah, I did read the thing, hewhoistoolazytologin & Jason. Alas! The seller is probably a good chap. Just found the rhetoric a little.... well, rhetorical. Used car sales is right! The bike will make someone happy, I'm sure, despite the verbiage surrounding the sale. Just having a bit of fun....

Cheers--

wrench
 
Could have been worse - if the front had been raked out a bit, I'm sure the author would have rambled on about Peter Fonda, the whole Easy Rider experience, and how he was going to personally interview each bidder to qualify them on their "chopper" rider qualifications.

Entertainment on e-bay. What's next?
Keith
 
What's next...

Word is, that Orange County Choppers has gotten themselves a shop on eBay too. And the "masterpieces" will start at a dollar, to save on eBay costs I guess. I'm already savin up my pennies to bid, but eBay has posted that only "verified" buyers will be allowed to bid. Tough luck. Wouldn't mind riding around on one of those things and gettin a few bees caught in the armpits...but I most likely won't qualify as a verified buyer cause I'm not into insulting my kids, pickin my teeth and fartin on TV...just not my thing.

I have an idea though....is there a qualified bidder out there in the forum? Maybe we can make a deal...

:wink:
 
pkeithkelly said:
Could have been worse - if the front had been raked out a bit, I'm sure the author would have rambled on about Peter Fonda, the whole Easy Rider experience, and how he was going to personally interview each bidder to qualify them on their "chopper" rider qualifications.

Entertainment on e-bay. What's next?
Keith

Yeah, could have been worse I guess. The 'personally interviewing each bidder' would have been a nice touch. But again, remember, this guy is just SO busy that he can barely respond to interested parties. Probably would have had to hire out the interviewer especially for the job. And since this bike is set at such a bargain, he probably wouldn't go through the added expense. Hmmm....


hewhoistoolazytologin said:
What's next...

Word is, that Orange County Choppers has gotten themselves a shop on eBay too. And the "masterpieces" will start at a dollar, to save on eBay costs I guess. I'm already savin up my pennies to bid, but eBay has posted that only "verified" buyers will be allowed to bid. Tough luck. Wouldn't mind riding around on one of those things and gettin a few bees caught in the armpits...but I most likely won't qualify as a verified buyer cause I'm not into insulting my kids, pickin my teeth and fartin on TV...just not my thing.

I have an idea though....is there a qualified bidder out there in the forum? Maybe we can make a deal...

Their own shop on FleaBay? Oh good gawd that is terrific news! Maybe Dale Ernhart, Jr. (sp?) will team up with them and do a duo NASCAR/Chopper venture. That would be scintillating. Maybe the boys of Orange County could do a chopped race car?

A perfunctory perusal on The Bay produces some mouth-watering opportunities, though. Such as:

http://tinyurl.com/ytp38t

wrench
 
God...that is wonderful!
I'm gonna pick mine up next week. Phoned to let them know, (you need to definitively tell us when you are picking the item up, and give us time to prepare it for you), so they can make another one up before I get there....The box is guaranteed new...the dolls are also guaranteed "rare" as there is only one set so far. Mine will be SN 2! SN 1 is reserved for eBay photos and press releases. Wudda rather had SN1...but ya know...s**t happens. Sotheby's says not to worry about it...they still will handle the arrangements. Pictures are great too...(Click on any picture for enlarged view. Click again for even bigger!) Kinda like on some girlie websites where the more you click on the picture....lord, the bigger those puppies get. Comes even packed in a bag with big letters on it saying...Keep away from kids...at least they support the protection of the little ones...but... then again, who the heck else will want one of these things...defeats the purpose. The item is brand new and perfect...just ask Paul Sr, he knows about perfect. It has real OCC trademarks on it...naturally cleared with OCC so OCC doesn't bust them for using their Trademarks....or....where the heck is Orange county, anyway? Not in San Jose, or? Have we discovered Paul Sr's real purpose in life, besides being nasty to his kids? Is he secretly into bobble dolls? Could be. Easier to explain to the wife than the blowup type, I guess...
 
I can't get "tinyurl" as it is blocked here at work. Same with ebay.

What ebay bike are you guys going on about?

The OCC reference - billet barges are becoming a thing fo the past. The new catch phrase that is replacing "chopper" is the term "bobber". It too, has already been bastardized and any of the usuall suspects wanting a cool bike, a "bobber" is usually first on their list now. A vintage "bobber" is even more appealing.

Who wants to take 3 city blocks to turn around a raked out eye sore anyway?
 
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