Hitchcocks Forum

I love these adds when people put their bikes up for sale, like "has electric start that needs minor repair" or the one often used, "selling my beloved Bullet that I bought new 6 months ago" or "bought new 6 months ago but selling due to little use" or "not running but close", "not running but easy fix" the list is endless.

'Suit home handyman' was one that was often chuckled over when we went through the newspaper ads around the breakfast table in the old days. It was very much like The Castle. "Tell 'im he's dreamin"

Second best one I had was Key missing, so engine not tested."



i.e. I didn't work so they threw the key away at a guess.



But the real best was "Quick sale as emigrating to Australia"



I rang up,chatted briefly to the wife as owner was out, and asked when they were going to Australia. she just relied. "Australia? We can't afford a holiday there!" Strangely, I didn't pursue the purchase!

i have long sins understood that the problem is not the bullet, its the self proclaimed house, garden and shed mechanics.



lots of the common “problems” disappeared with the unit engine.

they have no points, advance, pushrod’s, gear selection adjustment, ……. to mess with.



when someone tell’s you his “problem” is sticky pushrod’s, it does’t take a genius to figure out that its not so much the engine thats “sticky”.



the hardest thing to get fixed, is convince these people to stop messing around.

It is what a pushrod could get stuck to, that puzzles me. Given they are not in a hole tight enough to stick too.

"Quick sale as emigrating to Australia" Scaly this could have been correct, he mightn't have been planning on telling his wife

Oh dear, I never thought of that.

Maybe I should have gone through with it then!

Another one on Gumtree this morning, Bullet bought new in 2006 done only 106 kilometers but a thrill to ride, must be so thrilling if he has only ridden it 106 kilometers in 9 years

I like "genuine reason for sale". All reasons are genuine, including "is a dodgy lndian ringer l can't get registered" and "stolen so shift it quick"! REgards, Mark

Over the years my wife and I have bought several motorcycles with a lot of age on them and next to no mileage.
(In one case the tyres still had the little taggy bits on them that new tyres have and I got new tyres because of the age.)
My wife's bike had had an arm and leg spent on it by the previous owner to the point only a few people know what it is without being told, but for a 1998 bike, it had very little mileage on it.