I Traded My Son's Used Laptop For A Whizzer.
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This is the 2006 bike I traded my son's 2 1/2 year-old Toshiba laptop for:
whizzer bike
Seller bought it new for $1800, paid $400 more for shipping.
This deal fell onto my lap with an interesting story dating back to 2006. I saw an ad for a near-new Whizzer bike selling locally for $1800. A year later, same bike selling for $1300. Called the buyer, couldn't get together, forgot about it. Two months ago, same bike selling for $900. Called, couldn't get together and a week later it's on craigslist for $1K.
Earlier this month owner offers on craigslist to trade for a used laptop, simultaneously listing it on ebay, starting at $450. No bidders..
Now comes the weird part. We meet at the University of Hawaii campus where I presume this 46 yo man used to attend school. For lack of a safer place to store the Whizzer, he chains, covers and leaves this prize on the students' bike rack behind the Science Building!
This must've turned the few prospective buyers away, but I'm a diehard.
Now the guy attends HCC(my school and my son's school) 5 miles away but regularly visits the U of H library, close to where the bike is kept.
Seller does not have a car or a phone("Cellphone got stolen in the library.") and he arrives on the city bus.
I like the bike, he likes the laptop(Son gets a new computer IF he wants one.). I check out the bike's registration; it's expired so I need to pay $137.
I google the seller's name. It says he's a real estate salesman, but he sure doesn't dress or act like one. His driver's license and ownership/registration papers check out.
Owner shows me how to kickstart. I ask him TWICE not to start the engine, 'cause I'm flushing the tank and adding fresh gas. Owner shows me the "clutch lever" to control the centrifugal clutch. "Without squeezing this clutch, the bike won't move".
"Ohh, you mean this compression release lever?" I asked.
Bike starts easily but moments later spurts gas from the carb's crumbling fuel line.
Guy's in a rush to make the transaction, feels it's unecessary to sign the bill of sale my son is preparing. After a handshake he's gone, leaving the old tarps and plastic he'd covered the Whizzer as trash for the caretakers. (son threw it into the dumpster nearby.)
It took us 90 minutes to wrestle the heavy bike onto my new rack, after removing its fuel tank and loosening the wiring harness. Thankfully it weighs less than my other bike "The Iron Dragon", and not the 130 pounds listed on the registration papers.
What an unpleasant transaction. If it wasn't such a sweet deal for me, I would not want to have anything to do with that seller person.
So now the bike I call "The Whizzard" rests inside my apartment. I replaced all the fuel lines and will do more research before starting it.
My wife and neighbor declare that it's a beautiful bike, and I agree. It needs cleaning, the sheave and chrome pipe is pitting
I never really intended to buy a Whizzer bike. I truly believe this one was looking for me.
__________________
Honey, it's just a bicycle. and i REALLY need it to excercise, and to ride it to work.(hehe)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the 2006 bike I traded my son's 2 1/2 year-old Toshiba laptop for:
whizzer bike
Seller bought it new for $1800, paid $400 more for shipping.
This deal fell onto my lap with an interesting story dating back to 2006. I saw an ad for a near-new Whizzer bike selling locally for $1800. A year later, same bike selling for $1300. Called the buyer, couldn't get together, forgot about it. Two months ago, same bike selling for $900. Called, couldn't get together and a week later it's on craigslist for $1K.
Earlier this month owner offers on craigslist to trade for a used laptop, simultaneously listing it on ebay, starting at $450. No bidders..
Now comes the weird part. We meet at the University of Hawaii campus where I presume this 46 yo man used to attend school. For lack of a safer place to store the Whizzer, he chains, covers and leaves this prize on the students' bike rack behind the Science Building!
This must've turned the few prospective buyers away, but I'm a diehard.
Now the guy attends HCC(my school and my son's school) 5 miles away but regularly visits the U of H library, close to where the bike is kept.
Seller does not have a car or a phone("Cellphone got stolen in the library.") and he arrives on the city bus.
I like the bike, he likes the laptop(Son gets a new computer IF he wants one.). I check out the bike's registration; it's expired so I need to pay $137.
I google the seller's name. It says he's a real estate salesman, but he sure doesn't dress or act like one. His driver's license and ownership/registration papers check out.
Owner shows me how to kickstart. I ask him TWICE not to start the engine, 'cause I'm flushing the tank and adding fresh gas. Owner shows me the "clutch lever" to control the centrifugal clutch. "Without squeezing this clutch, the bike won't move".
"Ohh, you mean this compression release lever?" I asked.
Bike starts easily but moments later spurts gas from the carb's crumbling fuel line.
Guy's in a rush to make the transaction, feels it's unecessary to sign the bill of sale my son is preparing. After a handshake he's gone, leaving the old tarps and plastic he'd covered the Whizzer as trash for the caretakers. (son threw it into the dumpster nearby.)
It took us 90 minutes to wrestle the heavy bike onto my new rack, after removing its fuel tank and loosening the wiring harness. Thankfully it weighs less than my other bike "The Iron Dragon", and not the 130 pounds listed on the registration papers.
What an unpleasant transaction. If it wasn't such a sweet deal for me, I would not want to have anything to do with that seller person.
So now the bike I call "The Whizzard" rests inside my apartment. I replaced all the fuel lines and will do more research before starting it.
My wife and neighbor declare that it's a beautiful bike, and I agree. It needs cleaning, the sheave and chrome pipe is pitting
I never really intended to buy a Whizzer bike. I truly believe this one was looking for me.
__________________
Honey, it's just a bicycle. and i REALLY need it to excercise, and to ride it to work.(hehe)
