Anyone buy a Slingshot sight unseen?

    I bought mine without seeing them but they were not out yet. I saw pictures and knew I had to have one. A used one would be a different story I would have to see it and look it over good before buying.

    :GRAYSS: Its all about that base :HEADERSS::MOTOROILSS::COLDAIRSS::COILOVERSS: Wycked hitch, Welter duels

    I bought mine used, but untitled with 720 miles from a dealer. I saw it, the salesman drove me around. Not knowing what the important things to look at for problems....it checked out to me.....90% of what I encountered were “recall” related.


    I had a hood alignment problem that took me a good while to correct enough to my satisfaction.....my salesman actually mentioned they had problems aligning it...the question is why? I’m not sure if it was ever wrecked.


    The point about my buddies GTO, not a JUDGE, but an original like it just came off the line, pristine condition is considered a survivor, 50 years old, is in a category all by itself, and worth a ton of money.


    If it was a highly customized vehicle like many of our slingshots, it would be in a different category. Finding an individual to buy a customized vehicle and what would that value be, is another story. It only takes one person to buy it, no matter if it’s stock or not.


    One more thing to consider about buying a used slingshot. Many barely used slingshots are sold because unless you’re retired, they don’t have much riding time, especially if you’re in a highly seasonal area, like PA. Just like all the other like new motorcycles for sale. I would say lack of riding time is the biggest reason people sell them. The chances of you getting one in great condition is on the high side....which is good for you. I would say that most of these sellers are highly motivated to get out from under them. The SS is a cheap toy....compared to most motorcycles.....unlesss they are the top of the line models. So the used market is high if you’re Johnny on the spot when they come up for sale.


    Check the driver side frame under the hood beside the brake master cylinder for all the recall stickers....dealers put them there when a recall has been completed. So ask if they have all be addressed.

    One more thing, buying a brand new one sight unseen isn’t the same as buying any used vehicle unseen. Many people dump vehicles because they are having problems, which needs to be taken into consideration when buying. A dealer could be dumping a problem vehicle just as a private seller. Though it’s a little better odds buying from a reputable dealer. They will be asking top dollar. So it should be in very good condition.


    Not being familiar with the characteristics of an SS, I had no idea my steering rack was crapping out. While I had my SS at the dealer to take care of a different recall issue, the mechanic was pulling it into the garage he noticed the rack problem immediately. He asked me if I noticed the slight steering wheel jerking during A Turn. I had not. Kudos to my reputable dealer and his mechanic.


    Bottom line is, you really should inspect any used vehicle before you buy. Now if the seller is offering to take it back if not fully satisfied, I might consider buying it....but still not so much.


    You might not like driving it, or find out it doesn’t fit you. I bought a VW trike on eBay sight unseen. I drove 5-600 miles to pick it up after I bought a brand new trailer to haul it. I got there and took it for a ride and I found out I was too short to drive it and handle it safely. Without making major changes to the seat, handlebars and controls. I really wanted that trike. In the end I had to get my money back and walk away from the sale. I felt really bad about that but I couldn’t buy a vehicle I couldn’t drive comfortably.


    If you have driven another SS and know you like them and want one, it won’t be a big surprise.

    July of 2018 I was shopping cycletrader and found a private sale, 2017 S model with 145 miles on it, exactly a year old. The owner bought it on a whim, his wife hated it so he never drove it the entire year he owned it. I made the deal over the phone, drove 150 miles to pick it up and took cash. The thing was in showroom condition and I saved over $5k. When I met him at the DMV it had exactly 301 miles on it. My 2017 Slingshot has been flawless, no problems and it seems to have quieted down now that I have 2900 miles on it. I've driven it all winter, every weekend, even in temps under 30° and I live in the northeast.

    🙋‍♂️


    Yes. I flew to California from Houston to buy it and drove it back. Best experience of my then 33 (maybe 32) year old life.


    Only saw pictures and spoke to some of the awesome people here about it. They all said do it! So I did... Love it!



    Yeah, she's changed from what she was:

    I too bought sight-unseen (well, "Agreed to buy" with minor deposit until I saw it in person). At a used motorcycle dealership in Ft Worth (about 200 miles from me). Saw the pictures on eBay, talked on the phone, got allot of the info from the dealer owner, etc. Drove up on a Saturday morning, had them pull it out. It was in better condition than I could hope for (2500 miles) plus had a couple accessories they didn't know about. I don't really think they knew much about the SS and I was telling them things. He had 2 of them and I even looked at the 2nd one (it did have some minor issues).


    But, I will say BUYER BEWARE. I gave a small deposit just for the seller to know I was serious, but I know that was something I could afford to give up if it didn't meet my requirements. And since it was my 2nd SS, I knew what I was looking it.


    (My first SS was sort of sight-unseen. I agreed to buy one in Oct 2014 - before they SS's could be sold in TX. I put my name on the list, but refused to put the $1000 down that the dealer wanted. I ended up getting #4 out of that dealership.)

    Probably the best deals are on low mileage slightly used SS. They have have a few upgrades and the owner just found out he doesn't have the time to ride it. And doesn't want to dump anymore money into it on top of the monthly payments the wife is bitching about for something he doesn't drive anymore.

    And many of us enjoyed the "story" of your ride home as you made the trip...

    Quote from Staphory

    Many thanks to wokka for driving to take a look. I really appreciate it.

    The search continues...

    If you see something interesting --- reach out and somebody will check things out...any excuse to take a short ride (defined as less than 500 miles) to check out another Slingshot.