Craigslist Rants, Part II

I posted a few weeks ago the trials I suffered in attempting to sell my Ipod on craigslist, and this has led me to further reflection on those that use this marketplace. I really like craigslist - it's proof that a very grassroots form of getting buyers and sellers together, without charging fees, can work quite well. But I can't believe some of the things that are said by people in trying to market their stuff, particularly motorcycles - a few examples that I have gathered, for your reading enjoyment:

1) The "previous owner" did it - When someone posts in their ad that their bike has scratches on it, or it was laid down, it was invariably done by "the previous owner." Who are these "previous owners"? They are obviously a very careless and clumsy bunch, as they seem to be responsible for all the damage that has ever been done to motorcycles!

2) "No title, no problem" - I've seen a lot of bikes for sale with "no title" with the seller stating that it should be easy to get it titled. If it was so easy, why don't you do it and save the potential buyer from the obvious hassle and potential issue of not being able to title it at all!

3) "It's in mint condition, except for..." - The ad starts out by stating that the bike is in like new condition, but as you read further on, there is a whole list of "except for's" like the bike went down in a low speed fall, the plastic fairing is cracked, etc., (all done by the
"previous owner" of course!).

4) "It started 10 years ago" - I see this on the ads for a lot of vintage bikes - the ad will usually state "the bike doesn't start now, but it did the last time I tried." I love history as much as the other guy, but I am more concerned with the present when it comes to motorcycles!

5) "It just requires a simple adjustment" - The ad goes something like this - "I tried to start it but it won't turn over - probably just needs a carb cleaning..." OK, if it does, why don't you do that before you put it up for sale???

So, if you see an ad from me on CL for a "like new bike that started 10 years ago without a title that was slightly damaged by the previous owner" please feel free to e-mail me as follows:

"Hello ,Thanks for your mail back concerning the inquiry mail i sent to you.
The price,condition also the pics i viewed is okay by me .And my client
confirm there is no problem about the price($975 ) ,my client do pays with a
{USA}cashier check,he has agreed to mail out as bank cashiers check of
$3500. to you on my behalf to cover the shippment fees.About the shippment,
that we be taken care by my me & my personal assistant,my personal
assistant will be using his shipper to do the quick processing of the
shipping of the motorcycle to my client."

Fall City, Washington

We're starting to get some periods of nicer weather - a couple of weekends ago as well as this weekend I took the new motorcycle out. Even at 250cc, I am able to take some of the higher speed roads, so that extends my range quite a bit.

Within the Snoqualmie Valley, and west of North Bend and Snoqualmie is a town called Fall City. Here's a little history of the town - in 1869, homesteaders staked claims along the Snoqualmie River near the present location of the town. Supplies came up the river in large dugout canoes and the area was often referred to as "The Landing" because of shallow water farther upstream. In 1872, the Fall City Post Office was authorized by the territorial governor. How the name "Fall City " was selected is somewhat a mystery, although my guess is that it is because of the Snoqualmie Falls which causes significant flooding in the area. The river passes right through town

The town is quite popular with motorcyclists; there's a "saloon" which attracts a number of bikes during the weekend. There were a lot of big Harley's there, giving it a tough image, but then I saw someone proudly roll up in their vintage Honda Trail 90 and park the bike along side the big cruisers.

For me, however, coffee is my poison, so I stopped by a little drive through espresso stand in town.

Across the street from the espresso stand is the elementary school. Little League ball was the order of the day in the school ballfield.

Take care.

My Honda Elite is Back!

She's been at the mechanic's shop for almost a month with a choke problem. It had gotten to the point where she would simply not start. So, after a long period of troubleshooting, cleaning the carbs, working on the choke, installing a trickle charger receptacle, I got the call that she was ready. Because my mechanic needed shop space for an emergency repair of another customer's bike, I picked her up late Thursday night. In order to get to his place in Renton, I either have to take the long route through Issaquah, or come over Tiger Mountain pass. So, I hooked up my little Harbor Freight trailer (by the way, these are great little trailers and will carry most of my stuff, like the bikes, riding mower, stuff for the dump, etc.) and decided to go over Tiger Mountain. Guess what...snowing there, about 2 inches.

I picked her up, and decided to go over Tiger Mountain for the return. Guess what...more snow, and I had to stop at the summit to make sure everything was tied down. It was a mess. Eventually, we made it safe home.

I took her for a ride this afternoon - even though I have a motorcycle now, it is so much fun to ride the Elite. She accelerates nicely, has a lot of power for her 23 years, and she just impresses me with her ability to take me around!

How To Shower Properly, Part II

First off, thanks to Baron of Baron's Life fame for posting a very funny video on the differences in showering habits between men and women - check it out here:

http://baronsview.blogspot.com/2009/03/how-to-shower-properlymen-versus-women.html

Just after I read his post, a radio station had a similar discussion on showering - this one was, "do you or do you not wash your feet when showering?" There were some interesting responses, that seemed to be divided into the female vs. male schools of thought on this issue. Most of the women said yes, while most men said no. The reason that the men gave was because there already was soapy water on the shower floor, so their feet were getting cleaned just by being there. One guy even said he doesn't wash anything below the kneecaps! Most of the women polled thought that was pure laziness and exhibited a lack of hygiene on the part of men.

So, there's a poll on my blog - feel free to provide your response, and make any comments - is not washing your feet efficient or disgusting?

Ipod for sale on Craigslist - Excellent Condition!

I decided to put a few items for sale on Craigslist, which included my ipod. It's an 80gb video ipod, immediately placed in a case when I got it, so it's like new. I wasn't using it anyway (I prefer my 1gb Muvo player, which isn't as fancy, but gets the job done) so I thought it would be good to get this to someone else who could really use this.

I got MANY interested buyers - it was like I threw some chum into shark-infested waters the e-mails came in so quickly. But despite the overwhelming response, it hasn't sold - here's a sampling of some of the interesting responses I received, but had to regretfully decline:

1. The "or best offer" response - I am interested in offers, but no, I won't sell you my $200 ipod for $20.

2. The "trade" response - No, I am not willing to trade you my ipod for your ipod - I'm trying to get rid of mine, so why would I need another one???

3. The "$100 to ship it" response - This is also known as the "son of a West African Minister who was forced out of the country by political opponents but before fleeing the country had stowed away $10 million in a foreign bank" response. I got two of these, and they both wanted to buy my ipod for a relative/friend who was out of the country (like you can't get an ipod outside the US????), and were willing to add $100 to the purchase price if I would accept a "Fedex wire transfer" (I didn't know these existed, and as a matter of fact, neither does Fedex) to ship the item.

4. The "sure, I'll buy this" response - I had one person commit to buy, and we were to meet at an agreed location at an agreed time. I was there, at the right time, but no buyer.

So, if anyone wants to buy an ipod for a good price, particularly if you want to trade me your 2009 Honda DN-01 for it (see below - I'm willing to trade straight across), let me know!

A Ride...Finally!

At long last the bad weather we've been having here let up for just one day. Yesterday was pouring, tomorrow we might have snow, but today it is dry. So, after running a couple of errands, I took the bike out for a ride. As you will see below, I've got a new bike - I mentioned in an earlier post that I really liked some of the "alternative" cruiser bikes out there, and I found this bike, a United Motors/Hyosung 250cc cruiser, in the colors I was looking for. I bought the bike from a retired couple in Southwest WA - it's a 2007 model, with only 150 miles on the odometer. It didn't take me too long to get the hang of clutching and shifting - the balance acquired from riding my Elite really helped. In case you are wondering, I'm keeping the Elite - I'm attached to her, as she was my first, and will continue to ride her.

It was so nice to be able to ride - I've been waiting for this day for weeks, checking the weather daily.I went out for a couple of hours, mainly around the two towns closest to where I live. A pic of the new bike as I was enjoying a cup of joe:

Another one, as the rain clouds start rolling in:

Here in the Northwest, when a riding opportunity is at hand, it must be seized!

Take care.

I'm Dreaming of a White St. Patrick's Day...

Not really...we got more snow on Thursday, and more is planned for this weekend. Oh bother...

I hope your weather is nice, whether you ride or not!