Selling a motorcycle is perhaps one of the most painful things we endure. Our motorcycles are not just transport – we are attached to them. We have been places, seen things and made memories together.
When the day finally comes to part ways … well, selling a motorcycle is never easy. We do, of course, offset our pain by revelling in the delight of the replacement. That newer model with the fancy bits our previous love didn’t have, yet even the most stone-hearted of us will miss the bike they just sold.
This is where I find myself. My beloved – and much pampered – KTM 1090 needs a new home, and what follows are the emotions, logic, reasoning and general worry I went through when selling a motorcycle.
A Dog or a Lemon
There are those who will try and sell a lemon rather than face up to what they have. It happens. Some people just have no soul.
I was once told a story of a bike advertised as “mint” that turned out to be covered in salt corrosion, and the seller appeared to be genuinely confused as to why the bike wasn’t selling.
When selling a motorcycle, this reputation is perhaps the hardest thing to overcome as a private seller, as I am with the KTM. With dealers, you pay a premium, but you have some redress if your new purchase spits the dummy in the first couple of months.
One of the dealers I spoke with about selling motorcycles suggested that it is not uncommon for unscrupulous owners to try and offload their lemons to dealers or motorcycle trade buyers. The logic of these shady sellers appears to be that selling a motorcycle with a problem to a dealer is acceptable because they can fix it. It is an interesting theory, but I’m not sure I can agree with it.
Although buying privately typically offers better value, you don’t have the same redress you have with a dealer and need to be a little more cautious. Yet, people who love their motorcycles are easy to spot. Look at the garage or shed they are kept in. Take note of what is on the shelves and the floor.
If this is their pride and joy, their love will be visible in the cleaning materials, lubricants, covers and battery optimisers that adorn their motorcycle cave. It is likely to be organised, even if only a little. This is a place they spend time with their beloved motorcycle, so look for the creature comforts that tell you about who they are.
The Words
As someone who writes words for a living, the words for my KTM advert were hard to find.
There are some basic facts to include, such as the long list of extras that our motorcycles collect over the years. Still, I also wanted to include some words of encouragement while avoiding the bile inducing tropes such as “First to See Will Buy” or the ever-popular “Genuine Reason for Selling”.
Having gone through several drafts, I eventually went with a list of extras that hopefully will matter the most to a buyer. Otherwise, there didn’t seem to be much else to say. Once you have worked out the motorcycle isn’t a lemon and that I’m someone who cares for their bikes, do you care why I’m selling it?
Photo tips
The saying is – A picture paints a thousand words – but there is more to a photo than standing your bike in bright sunlight and snapping away.
The hour before sunset is known in the photography world as the golden hour. The sunlight is at a low angle and is much better for photographs than bright sunlight. You can get the same effect by using trees to filter and soften the light, which is what I did.
It also seems that photographing the bike in sections is the thing to do. It is a little odd, I felt as if I was cutting my KTM into chunks, but buyers want to examine the bike in as much detail as they can before investing time in travelling.
Where to Advertise
Of all of the questions I need to answer about selling a motorcycle, this was perhaps the most important. Autotrader, eBay and even Facebook Marketplace are all popular options, but which one do I use? Is the right answer all of them or does each platform attract a different type of buyer?
The once-dominant classified adverts in motorcycle magazines are a thing of the past. However, there are usually a couple of pages in the back of Motorcycle Sport & Leisure that are worth reviewing.
Perhaps the less obvious place to sell a motorcycle is the classified section of motorcycle forums. If potential buyers are already a member of the forum, then there is a good chance they will already own that model of motorcycle and won’t be looking to buy another.
It also makes sense that if someone is looking for that model of motorcycle, then they are likely to be surfing the forums looking for buying tips and information on which models are the most popular.
It has to be worth a shot, and usually, there is no charge to advertise, but do check the forum rules first. You might also get knocked back if you only wish to join to sell your bike.
We Buy Motorcycles
There appears to be several motorcycle buying companies, or perhaps there is just one with several websites. Whatever the answer, the “We Buy Any Motorcycle” companies seem to operate the same way.
They are trade buyers and will be selling your motorcycle to one of the “supermarket” motorcycle dealers. This translates to them paying the rock bottom, no emotional attachment, cold as ice price for your motorcycle.
The upside for the seller is that the deal is done. You have sold your motorcycle and have money in the bank. No fuss, bother or tyre kickers. You are not dealing with people making silly offers that are just annoying time wasters. You will, however, need to accept that the price they will pay you will reflect the bargain basement value of your motorcycle.
If I were to part exchange my motorcycle, I could cut out “We Buy Motorcycles”, thereby getting more for my motorcycle. Unfortunately, I’m trying to reduce the number of motorcycles I have. Then again, I do like the look of the V85TT … No. Stop it. I must remain focused.
A dealer will add his profit when he sets the showroom price and will also need to account for VAT, warranty, and overheads, making the price of my motorcycle in a dealership significantly more than I would have been paid for it by We Buy Motorcycles and typically more than I’d get in part-exchange.
Hence private sellers offer the best value when you are buying. The buyer pays less than showroom prices for the same motorcycle, and the seller gets more than the rock bottom trade price. All that needs to happen is the buyer, and the seller are confident the other person is trustworthy, and then everyone gets a good deal.
Selling a Motorcycle
Perhaps I should have called this article Selling My Motorcycle. Having polished my beloved KTM, I say polished because it didn’t need cleaning, which I did anyway, then found somewhere with good light to take the photos; I agonised over my wording and chose Autotrader as the place to advertise…What happened?
Well, so far, nothing. Which raises the question of how long should it take to sell a motorcycle?
There are 100 different possible reasons for a slow sale. One of the dealers I spoke with told me the story of – in their words – singing happy birthday to an Africa Twin; it had been in the showroom that long. A week later, they had two buyers fighting over the bike and other people on the phone asking if it was still available. It seems there is little rhyme or reason to selling a motorcycle.
Still, assuming I’ve set the price correctly and my KTM 1090 is a desirable motorcycle with all the right extras, I’d hope someone is at least half-interested within ten days of the advert going live.
Patience is a virtue I was not overly blessed with. I’ll let you know what happens.
