Suzuki GSX650F Forum - www.GSX650F.biz

I purchased my bike here in the UK back in March/April 2011. She is a 2008 model and at the time only had 2, 481 miles/3, 992KM, 2 previous owners, full service history, 12 months MOT (passed the day before), 6 months road tax. She cost £3, 499/$5, 427 and came with the 33BHP restrictor kit required by under 21s here in the UK (costs £200). That didn't stay in the bike long

I've read that a lot of you who have spent time and money on your bike are only getting offered $3000 or £1950. Is that supposed to be some kind of joke. These bikes sell all day long for £3500 with approx 5000 miles in the UK.

Have you guys ever considered selling your bikes to somebody in the UK. Our insurance companies wouldn't charge us anymore than the would for a UK bike as there is no difference in the models. Just take the front wheel off your bike, stick it in a container and it should cost you around $200 a meter square, so $400-500 (only £322) to the buyer's address. Its cheap for us to register it here I think its £110 but thats not a cost that the seller would incur.

and then we'd be less such a fantastic bike. not to mention suzuki stopping selling them in the US!

What rubbish.

Thats true. I listed myn about a year ago and the highest offer I got was like 3000 there is no way I would ever sell my bike for that little. So I decided to keep it.

Suzuki isn't selling them in the states unless you find a leftover 2008 or 2009 model. I've written Suzuki about why but haven't heard back. Some on the forum have speculated that they didn't sell as well as Americans typically want bigger bikes (no registration penalty for us here with a bigger bike unlike some Asian and European countries). So, only the GSX1250F is sold here. Most of us here bought ours new but as leftover models. There was a glut of motorcycles in the warehouses when the economy went belly up. I bought 2008 new in 2010 for $5500 out the door. Some got theirs new but for $1000-$1500 less than I paid. Hence the resale isn't that good when the new price was that low. So, like others, I'm going to get every dollar of value out of the bike until it becomes worn out or just plain unreliable. For the money I'm extremely happy with the bike.

I can realize why punks off the streets mistaking, and not taking into account the real difference between the 600R and the 650F except for "Dude, this one's waaay faster!"
But no more SV650/1000/S's? I've NEVER seen one stay in a dealership for long. ever. not even a used one. not even a wrecked one!
Why are they not here? do they really think the 1250F holds any measurement of weight against Kawasaki's Ninja 1000/Z1000's? or the Honda ST1300? Or the Yamaha Fz1?
suzuki execs must be smoking crack.

Coming from San Diego originally I notice the inventory here in PA is far more seasonal. Out there we rode all year long. Also, I noticed "cruisers" tend to make up most of the inventory around here, and a lot of quads. Many I know gave up their bikes when they were unsure about their jobs, and most don't want to invest in a new one. When I bought mine the dealer said they wouldn't survive on street bike sales but were relying on quad sales. Meantime one of this areas largest motorcycle dealers just closed its doors at the first of the year. They were billed as the countries 4th oldest motorcycle dealer.
I would have thought the GSX650 a winner due to its cost, looks and acceptable performance. But similar to what Voided has seen you just don't see the sport bikes on the showroom floor.

I bought a 2008 for my wife as her first bike. It is a great commuter. On days she opts not to ride to work (which are becoming fewer and fewer) I'd often take hers instead of my FJR.

The problem with the gsx650f was the timing of it's introduction into the States. When it was introduced the economy tanked and it still hasn't fully recovered yet. Sales worldwide bottomed out. They cut the bikes with the lowest profit margin. Bikes like the the gsxr have a higher profit margin. They also have more R&D invested in them. I agree that Suzuki does need to add a mid-range, not so high performance bike back to it's lineup. Sales of the FZ8, Ninja650 prove that. Heck, the long term success of the Bandit 600 proves it even more than the others.

I bought my F in March of 2010 at Motorcycle Mall Belleville NJ for just under $7000 on the road. She was a 2008 leftover so this was a good deal compared to the $8500 she cost when new (cant beleive others got as cheap as $5500 for brand new leftovers - could it be NJ taxes???? )

Then I moved to London in March of 2011 and shipped her with me however not before I found out that realistically i would only have been able to get between 3 and 4 Grand for her in the USA. She is here now and worth £3000 pounds = $4500

[quote="DanielGT"]I purchased my bike here in the UK back in March/April 2011. She is a 2008 model and at the time only had 2, 481 miles/3, 992KM, 2 previous owners, full service history, 12 months MOT (passed the day before), 6 months road tax. She cost £3, 499/$5, 427 and came with the 33BHP restrictor kit required by under 21s here in the UK (costs £200). That didn't stay in the bike long

Hey DanielGT are you in the South East? I am on the London Kent border... We could start a GSX650F riders club

I was kinda glad they were as cheap as they are. When I went looking for something I was around the $3000 mark and mainly looked at 03-06 Katanas, then I spotted mine, an 08 with 10K miles for 3000, that was in Apr. of 10, I got it and bought a chain and tires when needed and it runs great. If it were any more than 3K I probably would've been on the Katana with a carb, this one is so much better.

I purchased my new 2009 leftover in the first week of March, 2010, for $5750 out-the-door (bike, taxes [7%], tags, registration) at Cycle World in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. I've since put over 13,000mi on the bike and have been offered as low as $3,000 (from Cherry Hill) and as high as $4000 from two dealers in New Jersey.

Since I put down only a marginal $250 when I bought the bike, I still owe $4600 on it. If by spring my resale value becomes more inline with what I owe, I think I'll make the move to sell it. As to why they're so cheap, the only thing I can think of is low market demand for them.

These bikes have sat on dealer's showroom floors for so long that they seem willing to incur deep cuts in their profit margins just to move the product to make way for something else. Mind you, with each month that goes by, that bike contributes, however marginally, to the overall cost of their insurance plus the real estate, however marginal, it occupies on the floor. As to why they're unpopular, I don't know, but I do have a few ideas.

First off, in the U.S., the overwhelming majority of motorcycles are either cruisers ,including the touring-equipped versions, or supersports (with sport-touring bikes probably being a distant third). With no tiered licensing system in any state in the union—to my knowledge anyhow—and a motorcycle culture that doesn't view bikes as commuters or economical transportation, but rather toys to indulge in for short spurts on only the nicest of days, it's easy to be lured (or persuaded) into one of these genres.

Anyone notice Kawasaki's ER-6n or Suzuki's Gladius came out for the '09 model year never to return again? I did. More fantastic bikes that, for some reason or another, American consumers have little interest in.

@ fa5tbob - I'm in North London so not too far. I ride all over the UK just for the sake of it. If there was a road to the moon I'd prob take it . Also, how much did she cost you to ship over.

@DanielGT... Do you ever go to the Ace cafe? I will be there on Sunday 5th Feb for breakfast with a group of like 20 - 30 bikers from where we will ride to the MCN motorcycle show at The London excel centre. We could represent for the GSXFs.

@fa5tbob - I'm not going to the show in the ExCel centre as the high chances are on that side of the river bits will be missing off your bike or completely gone.

I'm at the Ace quite a lot. During summer most Fridays.

Rick84-
I have made similar observations.

TomcatVet-
From what I've also seen here in PA, it's mostly seasonal. However, I've seen a few people ride when there's snow and ice out. Most of the dealerships now only have ATV/ Quads/ Cam-AMs out on the floor along side snowmobiles.


In NJ I still see more sport bikes selling than cruisers though. Even at the bike nights and showroom floors have quite a bit more. BMW RR1000 appears so be doing well.
To be honest- if it's blow 60F, I don't ride. I might take a trip down to Myrtle Beach in March for the Bike Week and see what goes on. I'll be surrounded by everything 1,000cc +
Nobody I rode with uses their bike as a commuter bike (they all live 20-30 min from work) so the cost of gas isn't an issue for them. They ride to work 1 or 2 days a week if there's a ride or a bike night. Insurance and financial institutions consider motorcycles a luxury item especially since it's seasonal riding. My friend pays around $1300 to insure his Honda CBR1000rr in NJ and I pay a mere $79 in PA. Rider's insurance has our bike listed as a "sport bike"- if I ever move up to the 1000cc class, I don't think my rate will be as high as his. I sat on the GSX 1250F and contemplated for a while.
I simply need a comfortable riding position and not to be balled into the fetal position on a bike.
FYI> I don't trust Motorcycle Mall.