For DAYS, I've been scouring the web for a CRF300L. They've only been available in the US since November, 2020, so basically there's only bikes out there that are 2 years old. In the meanwhile, I've hedged my bet by putting down a refundable $500 deposit at Hayward's Eastbay Motorsports for a brand new 2023 model. These bikes are so hot and hard to get, even the dealerships are only getting about one per month. I told the guy that I would be getting my refund if I can find a better deal.
Every day I check Craigslist and FB Marketplace to see if anyone is posting a bike for sale. Well, Saturday night, I checked Facebook and found that there was a used bike dealership in Sacramento that had a 2022 model with the ABS braking system, for a really good price! The bike had 2600 miles on it and looked brand new! Right away, I messaged the ad to see if the ad was real and if it was still available. Of course I knew I wasn't going to get an immediate response, since it was almost midnight. I went to the dealer's website to see if I could get more information and pics. From there, I also inquired about the bike.
Sunday morning came and I had to go to puppy training school. I did get a response through FB messenger and an email follow-up. The seller, Shawn, sent me more pictures as well as video about the bike. The bike came with a bunch of accessories included- upgraded seat, skid plate, cell phone holder, rear rack and soft luggage to name a few. He said that he would hold the bike for me, if I was intent on driving up today. He didn't want a deposit. I told him that after puppy class, I would get home, mount the rack and head out.
I got a late start, but still managed to arrive by 2:45p. They closed at 4p, so I had a little room to breathe. Shawn had the bike parked right at the entrance of the store. He started her up and showed me the bike. It was in excellent condition! I tried to sit on it, and it was tall, but I had a plan to make it rideable for me. Shawn was on his way out, but he set me up with Ann, who took my payment. She was very nice and a pleasure to trade stories with. The bike came complete with 2 keys, receipts for accessories and work done, owner's manual and original Honda dealership packet. One of the techs helped me to load up the bike and tie her down.
I drove the bike home with no incident, but was worried about her all the way. I wasn't sure if the handlebars were going to hit the spare tire, so I had the hitch drop/extension mounted, which brought the bike further away from center, making the Jeep more bouncy. When I finally pulled into my driveway, a flood of relief poured over my body! I got her unloaded and put her to bed in the small garage. Unmounting the rack can wait till the next day. It was late, so I went in to get some dinner and look over the documentation. I was pretty damned pleased with the purchase!
Today I spent some time checking out all the extra accessories on the bike. It had a throttle lock (cruising device), Kriega soft luggage set, a Seat Concepts premium seat to name a few things. After adding up all the receipts, It came to close to $2,000 worth of accessories and work! I realized that the bike was only purchased 4 months ago, but it had 2600 miles on it. I looked up the previous owner, who is a fire safety inspector, who lives in an apartment. Putting the clues together, what I am figuring is that the original purchaser was a 38-year-old single guy (who wasn't struggling with money), who had some buddies that were all set to go on a motorcycle adventure ride to perhaps Baja for a week. This guy wanted to go, so he bought the cheapest dual-sport he could find, quickly outfitted it with luggage and touring amenities (Ram cell phone holder, USB charging ports, cruise control), and did the trip. After he got back, he realized that if he really wanted to pursue this kind of activity, he would really need a bigger, stronger motorcycle. With a lack of space to keep the bike, since he lives in an apartment, he sold the bike. He paid cash for the bike with title in hand and didn't really care too much about how much he recovered for the bike, so he sold it on consignment to the place I bought it. It was priced low for quick sale. Lucky me!
I stripped off most of the accessories, trying to get it to look close to stock, that way I could really access what I bought. I gave the bike a quick wash and it's a keeper! Of course, the bike will need work to make it appropriate for my shortness. Plus the bike will need work to up the torque and horsepower, and possibly some suspension work. That will all come in time. But for now, I am pleased as punch at the bike that I just acquired!!
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