The past 3 weeks since I have started participating in the auctions have been a roller coaster of excitement and disappointment. I have been getting outbid on every single bike and I am seriously starting to wonder if I can find an MC21 for under $8,000 Canadian dollars. This is pretty stressful, especially since I fly out to Japan in less than 4 weeks. My expectations have shifted drastically. Originally, I was after the last generation NSR (MC28). However, those have been going for well over ¥800,000. After doing more research on the different models, this actually turned out to not be a big deal since I came to prefer the generation before, the MC21.
Specifically, I am after the MC21 SE edition, which is an upgrade from the standard 250R version and a downgrade from the SP edition. To be completely honest, I became completely enamored with the thought of having a bike with a dry clutch. However, I am routinely getting outbid because these bikes are going for over ¥645,000. I had already increased my budget by $1000 from $6,000 to $7,000 Canadian dollars and can’t justify going any higher. I still have about $1,700 of shipping fees to face on top of the maintenance and service fees to Apex. I will fully admit, I fallaciously believed that I could easily secure a 25 year old bike for $6,000. I was completely naïve to how sought after these bikes are. If you are the type that happens to know better, don’t worry- I am already laughing at my former self.
Being a part of the dealer auctions is exciting because through Apex, I pretty much get to see the bikes before they enter the general market. However, this comes at a cost that I did not fully appreciate- I am up against dealers with deeper pockets than mine who are after the exact same bike I am. I am not after the $15,000 motorcycle in immaculate condition, I am after the sub $10,000 bike with a small dent in the tank tank, a few scratches and some minor work that needs to be done. But as it turns out, so are the dealers who can fix these bikes up and turn a profit on them.
With a new budget of $7,000 it still seems unlikely that I will be able to get an MC21 model (the standard R or SE model). So I have readjusted my expectations and am now looking at the prior generation, the MC18. I would still be happy with this MC18-II model from 1989.
