Buying a bike!

[Wilkinsonpaul]

Hello everyone.
I'm new to the club and joined very recently because I was going to look at and potentially purchase a FS1M-DX advertised on eBay. I've been looking for I fizzy for a while now as it was my first bike, a 1977 FS1E-DX in Kenny Roberts yellow, loved that bike. Unfortunately it was stolen and that was that, until now.
I've missed out on a few as they are very popular right now as you all know so this one had promise.
It was advertised as a matching frame and engine number, nearly fully restored with a few things to finish which were mentioned on the advert. The pictures were ok, I could see that it wasn't totally original but I could live with that.
I had a telephone conversation with seller and he seemed very genuine, told me he had taken the bike as a job lot and as he already had a fizzy in his collection just wanted to move it on, he told me the guy he got it off was a very good restorer and everything had been done to a high standard. So I agreed to a small deposit to hold the bike and drove two and a half hours to view the bike.
The bike had no registration or dating certificate so I had that my mind as a potential issue, but if frame numbers matched and they were for a uk bike then I was prepared to sort that out.
When I arrived the bike was out and waiting, the fun begins.
Within 20 seconds I knew the bike was a dud and from the sellers chatter I knew he was trying to sell a piece of rubbish.
I've never seen such a blatant attempt to sell something not fit for sale.
I'll not going to go into massive detail but I absolutely picked it apart, it was shocking.
The frame and engine numbers did not match, the frame number had so much paint over it I couldn't make out all the digits but it was clear it didn't match. Everything was loose and shoddy he'd even spray painted over oil on the engine which I scrapped away with my finger nail.
I pulled him up on it and he proceeded to get quite angry, a sure sign that he had been found out. He even had the front to tell me I was lucky he was giving me my deposit back.
In desperation he asked me to just make him any offer for the bike as he wanted rid, at which I replied I would give you buttons for that. I'm sure it will be worth something to someone but not the £4950 he had advertised it for.
Anyway we parted company, he calmed down by this stage but I wasn't interested. Dealt with too many like him.
My only concern is that he probably will sell it to some unsuspecting person who just wants to relive a little of there youth and will end up with a load of crap costing bucket loads to put right.
Just thought I'd share.
Wilki

[chris.white1960]

Hi Paul,
Are you still looking to buy a Fizzy as described in your post?
Kind regards,
Chris White

[pertheswede]

Maybe you should name and shame him?