Although my moto passion targets V-twins and V4s, I “took in” a pristine Suzuki GSX-R600 K4 last year while trading in a race-ready Honda RC51. I try not to think about that because it makes me sad. But this kid really wanted it, and due to life at the moment, AHRMA racing is still a few years away.
The K4 covered in mustard-yellow fairings reignited a decade-long ago love of inline fours. I thought I had broken the V-configuration marriage, and the affair would be ongoing throughout 2021.
Find minutes into de-winterizing the bike and transporting it from my basement to my garage where I kick the wife’s Land Rover out every spring through fall (sorry once again, Pam), my affair went sour. A fan of Facebook Marketplace, I posted the bike for “feelers” with no price, saying I was interested in either trade for a V-twin or older sportbike project. I also mentioned the Kelly Blue Book was $4500.
That KBB number impressed for 2005, and I was awaiting the endless pitches for two-stroke quads or EX500s or $1000. This didn’t happen. Well, immediately, anyway.
What did happen were 32 inquiries, 10 offering $4300, and three pitching $4500. For a day, I frowned because I didn’t get any ridiculous offers. That did change, though, when I got an offer for $2500 saying the bike was only worth $2500 and I shouldn’t be asking liter-bike pricing (I never actually asked a price – just put a KBB value in!).
Another offer came in for a clapped-out Subaru with various primed and different color body parts, and even a CBR900RR that was in “amazing shape, but lacks second and third gears.” That prospective buyer also said it’s not an issue because you just can skip second and third and ride the same.
Smiles failed to cease after that comment.
I’m baffled at the offers. I personally wouldn’t pay that much for a 16-year-old sportbike, especially considering it’s a 600cc. The upper offers, in my opinion, occurred due to three reasons: it was unmolested and not squidded up; perfect go-to-market timing; stimulus checks.
Maybe the energy for the supersport class is returning. But, then again, it may be the mustard.
I’ve been a fan of the color since I purchased a Ducati 748 in yellow. I also recently finished a yellow Monster 900 S i.e. build. The color attracted me to that GSX-R600 when the kid offered it to me on a partial trade for the RC51. The second attraction arrived from the only modification being a Yoshimura pipe.
I showed the bike to one person and got full KBB for it. Bye-bye mustard.
Will I miss it? No. I had fun on it for a few rides, but it bore me afterward. Not because it was slow or didn’t handle well or didn’t provide comfort for a sportbike. Rather, because it lacked that V-twin character, and doesn’t necessarily carry collector status.
I’m hoping the buyer will put some serious miles on it, and the buyer must promise to not install any spiked bolts anywhere or dumb decals. Just keep it as is, and beat it like a 600 should be beaten.
Now, with the GSX-R600 gone and some empty space, I’m already searching for an unmolested 916. Yellow preferably. And hopefully, the seller is not asking for full KBB pricing.
