Chad Reed weighs in on "his" bike that went through Mecum last week.

I'm trying to remember...didn't Chad get angry at some guy who bought his 2-stroke KX that he rode in the pre-show of some sx in the southeast?

Chad didn't own that bike, did he? I thought he borrowed it from someone just for opening ceremonies. 

Don't you have to have provenance, or whatever it's called, to claim what you are selling is authentic?

Sounds like that may have been fudged a bit.

A higher-than-expected amount of "fudging" goes on at Mecum and Barrett-Jackson.  You'd be shocked.

This.  I've looked at some of the cars that go through those Big auctions and they are not nearly at the level/quality that they will have you believe.

That's too bad.

Cameron Stone had a nice KX 250. Matt Walker called him and asked if Chad could ride it at opening ceremonies at Atl. Stone said sure, took the bike down there to him. The day after Atlanta Supercross back then, Darrel Lynn used to put on a St. Jude benefit race. Stone put the bike on eBay to raise money for St Jude. Reed saw it as Stone trying to make money off him and blew it up. 

Really really shocked. 

I used to go every year for like 9 years with a buddy who has more money then sense in Arizona. He bought 2 cars and bikes that turned out not to be quite what they were advertised as. Got a bit of money back to sign a nda and let it go.

I didn't think for an instant it was a genuine "as raced" unit. I recalled that they were using KHI parts that year, and we all know those don't get sold.... I would never buy a bike from Mecum.....

Well Damn! I guess this thread put me into reality. Never been there but it's fun to watch on tv and OHHH & AHHH all the "bitchen" cars and especially the bikes. Oh well....

Did they advertise the bike as a raced bike?  Chad did say the bike could have come from them as a replica etc.

I don't recall the exact wording, but when I read the listing, that's how it came off to me...

People are getting ripped off buying restored MX bikes.  I know a rich guy in the Pool/spa business, he into buying a collection of vintage bikes and the bikes he buys all look CHERRY but theyre garbage.   One 1983 KX125 he bought looked like it was brand new, and the seller had said it was gone thru inside the engine.  He lied.  The cylinder was such junk it had huge pieces of nikasil missing.  The rest of the engine was so rusted out it was obvious it sat full of water.  Outside somewhere.  These restorers know that these buyers dont even really start the bikes. All they do is get dazzled by a new seat cover shiny plastic and paint.  And the guy buying wasnt even that mad.  I think hes still gonna buy more bikes from this “restorer”   Funny how today, all people care about are looks.  The bike can be a pile of shit.  As long as it will impress someone looking at it

If that’s the case, turning down $37k is madness!

How about Ferry’s 96 “factory” rm125 going for $8k. I thought that was pretty cheap. But I don’t know what works parts it had (did Suzuki even have works parts then?) 

Anyone know the skinny on that bike? 

B-J recently sent a fake Hemi Road Runner through at their last auction.  Claimed it to be a real Hemi car.

The Mopar forums quickly debunked the car as a clone.  Its turned into a real quagmire in the Mopar world.

These auctions are a clown show for drunk rich guys stroking their egos…..I would never buy a sight unseen car/ bike…..all they have accomplished is driving the cost of said vehicles up….that KXF of Reeds  is ugly as hell….

Exactly. Now everybody with even a rusty parts car thinks it’s worth big $$$ because they “saw one go for $$$” on B-J/Mecum. 

I talked to a shop that does a lot of 60s mustangs (including Shelbys). They had several stories of people who paid big $$$ for a “restored” car on B-J only to have the car in their shop and find out it was a rattle can resto…

I just ran down the original thread about this, and looked at the Mecum page for the listing, as I did when I first saw it (when the auction was live). The first thing listed in the highlights is that it's a replica. The original page did not say that. In fact, the entire listing page has been changed. That's some fraudulent, sketchy stuff right there

Yes but the people on the other end need to have some deep knowledge in order to call bullshit on a claimed story of provenance. In professional motocross, there is no other written provenance for a race bike usually other than the MCO, pictures, first person acknowledgment.

They could have at least asked Chad Reed

Yes they could have. The guy is pretty responsive on instagram. I'm sure if a prospective buyer had asked him he'd have said what he said in the interview

I can verify that as a fact because I was a seller for years at the classic car auctions, plus I knew some of the sellers and auction personnel. There was also a lot of Chandelier bidding to try and artificially inflate the prices. 

Yeah, he was from Ga and a regular poster here. Can't remember his name? 

Guess I was wrong. I thought it was a regular poster from Ga that loaned that bike to Chad? I also thought he was from around the atl area. Oh well. Getting old, memory loss I guess. Lol

Remind me, please, (and sorry for being ignorant);

How much “factory” or  “works” stuff can be on a bike, considering the 1986 production rule?  For example, do the “factory” HRC, Kawasaki, Star Yamaha, etc., bikes have VIN #’s on their frames?