I have been selling a ton of stuff for my company, and personal items for my boss, on Facebook Marketplace. Lots of flakes, horror stories, and I will be glad to delete all 20+ items sometime next week before I leave. I also buy things on FB, and sometimes the transactions go great, and sometimes they go sideways in weird and horrific ways.
Recently had an experience that captures all of the aspects of buying from Facebook Marketplace. Anticipation, hopefullness, anger, sorrow, frustration, and eventual joy.
My NC750X came with a Shad aftermarket seat, which, while comfortable, has lots of white topstitching, some white piping, silver trim, and is a bit flashy for what is considered a purposeful, no-nonsense machine. While it is supremely comfortable, and the stock seat is known for being the exact opposite, I figured if I ever came across a deal to purchase a stock seat at a low price, I'd grab it just to have, to try and make a comparison of style vs. comfort.
For reference, the NC750X seat comprises two pieces, the rider seat, and the pillion seat, which is hinged at the rear and tilts up for access to the gas cap. To gain access to the screws that secure both pieces, one must insert the bike key into a lock near the dash, and turn one way to open the "frunk" storage compartment, and the other way to release the pillion seat for refueling. Lack of the key makes access to the seat screws very difficult without potential damage.
A listing popped up about 20 miles away from me not too long ago that offered the possibility of purchasing said stock seat at a tantalizing price. A 2020 model, same generation as my 2018, covered in dust and dirt, bereft, pictured under what looked like a patio cover. "Stuck in first gear, $1200 for the bike, or for parts".
It was impossible to determine from the single photo if the seat was damaged or not, as it was covered in dirt, but there wasn't anything visually to indicate that a good cleaning might be all that was needed. As a Hail Mary, I shot an offer of $50 for both seat components. Why not.
The owner shot back that he'd take $80. Still a very good deal. I agreed. He said that he'd be home from work at 9:00 that night, and gave his address. I was familiar with his neighborhood and knew there was a nice walking trail nearby. Mrs. and I planned the evening around it, a long walk, some grocery shopping, and ending at his place to pick up the seat.
Here's where it starts to go sideways. We parked in his neighborhood at 8:55, and I messaged "I'm nearby, let me know when I can come by". That opened a dialog about how he was stuck at work, but he was going to see if his brother could come by to let me get to the bike. Ok... around 9:30, it was revealed that the brother could come by, but that he didn't have the key to the bike, so I probably couldn't get to the seat anyway.
I sat in the car Googling "how to remove NC750X seat without key", which revealed some heroic attempts using long, flat-bladed screwdrivers, Allen keys and other objects carefully inserted between the two seats to release the not one, but two different latches that need to release to open the pillion seat, which then reveals the screws for both seats.
it was dark, getting chilly, and unfortunately, so was the patience level of Mrs. G, sitting in the passenger seat. at 10:00 pm, I sent a final message saying I was giving up for the night, if he ever found the key to contact me, and I was going home.
The next morning, I noodled while looking at my bike. I knew where the release cable for the pillion seat ran, and removed one screw on a side panel, stuck my hand into the gap, felt around for the cable, and tugged. My pillion seat popped open. Great! I messaged the guy with the bike and said that I could get to the seat easily, with no key and no damage. He went silent. I pinged him again a few times, but no response.
Oh well. I figured he'd decided to ignore me, I put it out of my mind, and moved on. But, a few nights ago, weeks later, he messaged me. He'd found the key, felt bad about our first encounter, and if I wanted to come and get the seat, I could have it for my original offer of $50. So shines a good deed in a cruel world.
I was off. But, thinking about it, I had to assume he had no tools, and chucked what was needed in a bag first. Good thing. I arrived, and he was standing next to the bike with a rusty pair of pliers saying "I'm trying to get the seat off for you. I told him no need, and pulled out a 10mm ratchet, making quick work of the removal. It was pitch dark, and he lit my progress with his phone. I had no way of knowing what shape the seats were under layers of dirt, but I was too committed at that point. I handed him the fifty and quickly exited.
The reveal occurred once I returned home, and hurriedly, without even a greeting to the Mrs, broke out the soap and a hose. I scrubbed the seats off, set them aside to dry, hid my excited trepidation, and went inside for our evening stretches and tea.
Later that night, I headed back down to the garage to view the drying seats under full LED brightness. They were perfect. So ended the saga, and I'll see if everyone is right about how torturous the stock seat really is.
