I'm up to my eyeballs in projects right now, I'm good 
ONSC Chat (11 Viewers)
- Thread starter NCFJ
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
So...off to a great start so far! I finally was able to pull off a smooth TSA pack: nothing in pockets, no computers, no cables or wires, easy off shoes and belt, no liquids, simple backpack of soft goods, got the boarding pass on phone thing figured out.
And THEN...we had packed 1 big case to check. Full of things that would not go through security without raising many eyebrows and requiring many layers of search. We were standing there taking off our shoes and looking at that damn bag that we forgot to check. It is NOT going on the conveyor. So back out of the line and off to check the bag. Ever try to go through security twice? Frowned upon is all I'll say.
And THEN...we had packed 1 big case to check. Full of things that would not go through security without raising many eyebrows and requiring many layers of search. We were standing there taking off our shoes and looking at that damn bag that we forgot to check. It is NOT going on the conveyor. So back out of the line and off to check the bag. Ever try to go through security twice? Frowned upon is all I'll say.
Coming trough Toronto last night, Canadian TSA equivalent had me speechless. I forgot a water bottle in my backpack, and this young, athletic, articulate young, fit looking, well dressed "agent" lady was so concerned about it she asked me if I would want to drink it before proceeding. It was 1/4 full anyway, but I was just staring at her, couldnt think of what to say I was so surprised. She just smile and told me she would just disposed of it. I mumble something incoherent and moved on.
Nothing like our side, a 400lb crewcut frustrated wannabee who spends their evenings playing fantasy games and come to work angry and pretending to know anything. I hope not to fly again in a long time.
Nothing like our side, a 400lb crewcut frustrated wannabee who spends their evenings playing fantasy games and come to work angry and pretending to know anything. I hope not to fly again in a long time.
I'm no pro but have had a few and ridden a bunch. What kind is it and what's he asking?
I have raised three Honda ATV's from the dead as well as many motorcycles. What is the year, make, model, price and overall condition of the one you are looking at?
Thanks all - it's a 1999 Polaris Magnum 500 - has 170 hours only, but don't know the mileage - he's had it for about 3 years and has had the local mechanic do all the work on it. He's put on about 20 low miles hours around his property and some local rides on the roads. He thinks it's a 2004, but I checked the VIN and it's a 1999. It's in good shape, overall - no cracked pieces, starts rights up, doesn't smoke and doesn't smell rich or lean. Tires are good, it seems to have been well cared for - I know it has been for the last 3 years, at least. He wants 3200 - which I think is really far out there, but was checking to see what others thought - it seems pricing for used ATVs are all over the place....... any help/comments are appreciated. No extra parts attached except for a ball hitch and a basket in the front. I've also looked at nada ($1355) and kbb ($2075) - though I don't know how realistic they are in the ATV world.
Last edited:
The Magnum and Sportsman are similar bikes with the Magnum being a solid rear axle while the Sportsman is IRS. Both bikes get pretty good reviews. They seem to be solid bikes. I have never owned a Polaris so I don't have any real insight as to that brand. Price on bikes depends largely on condition...more so than hours, miles, or book value. 170 hours is pretty low. If the tires are good and the overall condition is very good...and if it runs good it's probably worth near his asking price. I wouldn't pay more than $2700 for it. You can find some bargains if you look around.
Don't worry about age. Many times the old quads are more reliable than the newer ones because, like Land Cruisers, the new ones have lots of fancy bells and whistles that break and cause problems. I am partial to the old Honda quads. I have two of those and they are reliable as a hammer. One of them was given to me in non-running condition when the previous owner just wanted it out of his way. It is beat to hell, looks like crap, bent rear axle and with very little work it now runs like an absolute top. I use it all the time. It is handy to have around for pulling my utility trailer and hauling firewood, pulling an aerator, dragging limbs, old shrubs, etc.
I just paid $1,500 for a '99 Honda 300 Fourtrax 2x4 that is for all intents and purposes brand new. It does not have an hour meter but I would estimate it to be under 10. The original owner was an old man who bought it new and never rode it. He died and his brother (also an old man) ended up with it. It lived in his basement for 12 years untouched. The carb gummed up from sitting and it wouldn't start. He asked me to rebuild the carb for him. I rebuilt the carb, flushed the tank, new battery and changed the oil for him. When he came to pick it up he thought about it for a while and just offered the thing to me for $1,500 because he knew he would never ride it. When I say this one is new, I mean that all the bolt heads still have the assembly paint marks and yellow chromate coating on them. It doesn't have the first scratch. Rubber nipples on the tires. I think I gave it it's first bath and it wasn't even dirty!
Don't worry about age. Many times the old quads are more reliable than the newer ones because, like Land Cruisers, the new ones have lots of fancy bells and whistles that break and cause problems. I am partial to the old Honda quads. I have two of those and they are reliable as a hammer. One of them was given to me in non-running condition when the previous owner just wanted it out of his way. It is beat to hell, looks like crap, bent rear axle and with very little work it now runs like an absolute top. I use it all the time. It is handy to have around for pulling my utility trailer and hauling firewood, pulling an aerator, dragging limbs, old shrubs, etc.
I just paid $1,500 for a '99 Honda 300 Fourtrax 2x4 that is for all intents and purposes brand new. It does not have an hour meter but I would estimate it to be under 10. The original owner was an old man who bought it new and never rode it. He died and his brother (also an old man) ended up with it. It lived in his basement for 12 years untouched. The carb gummed up from sitting and it wouldn't start. He asked me to rebuild the carb for him. I rebuilt the carb, flushed the tank, new battery and changed the oil for him. When he came to pick it up he thought about it for a while and just offered the thing to me for $1,500 because he knew he would never ride it. When I say this one is new, I mean that all the bolt heads still have the assembly paint marks and yellow chromate coating on them. It doesn't have the first scratch. Rubber nipples on the tires. I think I gave it it's first bath and it wasn't even dirty!
I don't know ATV's but I raise a red flag over the seller saying it is a 2004 when it's not, i.e. what else is lying about?
Rice,
That is true but the changes to this model were only cosmetic from year to year so there would be very little difference. Again, it is all about condition. To be honest, I'm not so sure this model went all the way to '04. It was eventually eclipsed by the Sportsman. They do have a Magnum 330 now which is one of their entry level quads.
Some folks aren't like us. They don't know what they have. They don't work on their stuff so they don't care. It's just a toy in the shed to them. They mean well but are just oblivious.
That is true but the changes to this model were only cosmetic from year to year so there would be very little difference. Again, it is all about condition. To be honest, I'm not so sure this model went all the way to '04. It was eventually eclipsed by the Sportsman. They do have a Magnum 330 now which is one of their entry level quads.
Some folks aren't like us. They don't know what they have. They don't work on their stuff so they don't care. It's just a toy in the shed to them. They mean well but are just oblivious.
@Rice - Yah - he's not lying to hide, I don't know ATVs for sure, but I do know him. He really doesn't know and doesn't have an interest in looking stuff up like this. But I know I've been burned in the past
... The only reason I questioned if it was a 2004 was what Dave said - I tried to go online and couldn't find a Magnum 500 for 2004.....so I grabbed the VIN and looked it up. He didn't know where the VIN was. I just don't know enough about ATV pricing to know what a semi-reasonable price would/could be.
Who needs a Land Cruiser if you have a Porsche. (Gets good around 10 min)
Oblivious people are often the best sellers to buy from. I like to find bikes in non-running condition. The seller has let them sit forever... maybe the kids grew up or they lost their place to ride and the stuff has sat for years with ethanol gas in the tank. The crap doesn't run anymore and is taking up valuable garage space. 9/10 times that is the case. When they don't run you, as the buyer, hold the cards. Based on the condition of the wear on the engine cases, tires, etc. you have a pretty good idea if the bike will be fine with just a carb cleaning. You explain to them that the dealership will want a minimum of $500 to rebuild or replace the carb and get it running right and that they will have a hard time selling a non-running bike. You set the price. You buy it cheap. Take it home. Clean the tank. Clean the carb ( many times it won't even need new parts) and enjoy the ride. Same thing goes for generators, tillers, lawn mowers...anything with a small engine. Ethanol fuel is satan incarnate for small engines.
Last edited:
I thought I was going to cringe the whole time, but wow, that was awesome!! I've got a big soft spot for old Porsches, especially 356s, so that was neat. Thanks for posting up
Polaris makes a good machine but I agree it's priced too high. Show him what you've found out he may work with you on price.
I hear you - thanks, I appreciate it.
Stan, make me one?
"Alex Milan, 29, and Mathilde Treille, 29, from Lyon, France, are in the middle of a two-year road trip of North America in their 1996 70 Series Land Cruiser, which they cut and stretched to fit the custom camper. Milan, who runs a French camper company called Cartech, builds each one with a custom aluminum frame. All Cartech campers have plenty of storage for large toys like kayaks and bikes."
"Alex Milan, 29, and Mathilde Treille, 29, from Lyon, France, are in the middle of a two-year road trip of North America in their 1996 70 Series Land Cruiser, which they cut and stretched to fit the custom camper. Milan, who runs a French camper company called Cartech, builds each one with a custom aluminum frame. All Cartech campers have plenty of storage for large toys like kayaks and bikes."
NCFJ
Supporting Vendor
- Thread starter
- #1,839
@Izzyandsue I know where I can lay my hands on a new (been stored) mid 90s 79 series cab and bed, put it on an 80 roller with a swap and design the back to your needs.
Stan, make me one?
"Alex Milan, 29, and Mathilde Treille, 29, from Lyon, France, are in the middle of a two-year road trip of North America in their 1996 70 Series Land Cruiser, which they cut and stretched to fit the custom camper. Milan, who runs a French camper company called Cartech, builds each one with a custom aluminum frame. All Cartech campers have plenty of storage for large toys like kayaks and bikes."
Awesome! Even comes with a kickstand to keep it from tipping over!
