If you are thinking about selling a motorcycle, then now might be the time to do it as used motorcycles are holding their value.
It is always a strange experience selling your pride and joy. That motorcycle you once coveted, bought and then lavished love and attention on is now to be consigned to the For Sale adverts on the internet.
Given that selling a motorcycle can be an emotional rift, the last thing we want is to then add to the crap by having to deal with a never-ending stream of numpties.
Searching for some advice on how best to minimise the grief of selling a motorcycle, we spoke to several dealers who collectively suggested the following solutions to the most common problems.
So, if you are thinking about severing the chord and selling your beloved motorcycle, here is the collective wisdom of the dealers we spoke to.
Sell a motorcycle as if you are buying it
The logic might sound backwards, but you were once the person who bought the motorcycle you are now selling. So what were you looking for when you bought it? Were you looking for a bargain and yet wary of anything that seemed too cheap? Did you want to spend hours inspecting the bike, or was the advert enough?
You will speak (hopefully) to lots of different people, all with their individual approaches. Some will turn up with multimeters claiming they know of a common fault. Others will be interested in you and take into account how tidy your garage is. Always remember that you were once the person buying the bike.
Within reason, when you are selling a motorcycle, you have to be prepared to deal with all sorts of different approaches. But this doesn’t mean you have to invest equal amounts of time in each person. If someone is making silly offers, there is nothing wrong with saying “Thank you for coming” and walking away. To do this requires that you know your position before you start selling your motorcycle. What is the current realistic price for your bike, and perhaps more importantly, what is it worth to you?
And if this is your first time selling a motorcycle, here is what it is like buying a motorcycle online.
Clean It
It sounds like basic advice. Very few people are going to buy a filthy motorcycle. But there is cleaning your motorcycle, and then there is cleaning a motorcycle ready for sale. Talking with one dealer, they mentioned a bike offered in part exchange which initially looked beautiful. However, a deeper inspection in the workshop revealed mud and gravel packed around the main stand, suggesting that the bike wasn’t as well cared for as the owner was making out.
When you are selling a motorcycle, you can expect your buyers to look everywhere – just as you did when you bought it. You are asking them to invest a lot of cold hard cash in the motorcycle you are selling, and giving them a reason to make you a low offer will only add to your frustration.
It is a nasty task, but removing the front sprocket cover, for example, and cleaning out the years of chain lubricant that has deposited itself on the engine casings, tells your prospective buyer just how much you care about your bike.
Be Honest and Open
First to see will buy. A mint example of a highly sought after model. The most popular colour. An absolute bargain. Really? Even assuming that your buyer actually thinks any of that bovine excrement was true, what will the buyer think when they look at the bike.
The consensus of the advice across the dealers was to highlight the extras most likely to attract the buyer and leave all the sales speak to caricature used car salesmen.
For example, very few people will be interested in heated grips on a trials bike. On a sports tourer, though, they are almost compulsory. You may not get the full value of the extras back through a higher selling price, but a motorcycle with the usual extras already installed is more attractive to a buyer and also provides you with less reason to negotiate on price.
Where to Advertise
The advantage motorcycle dealers have when selling a motorcycle is that buyers know to look on their websites. For us mortals, we have a choice of three leading internet locations to advertise with, each of them with pros and cons. They all work, and you only need one genuine buyer. You pays your money and makes your choice.
AutoTrader: Comes out top in most casual surveys as the place most likely to attract genuine buyers
eBay: Excellent coverage, but sadly has a reputation for attracting tyre kickers
Facebook Market Place: Has the advantage of offering standard adverts for free and has a range of upgrade options. Feedback suggests an equal balance of tyre kickers, and serious buyers will respond.
Work with a Dealer
An alternative option is to work with a dealer and ask them to sell your motorcycle on commission. The advantage for the dealer is that they don’t have to invest in the bike. The advantage for you is not only a stress-free sale but also an increase in exposure. How many of us have idly wandered through a dealership looking at motorcycles and ended up thinking about buying something we saw?
The commission the dealer charges isn’t going to be cheap, and rightly so. The dealer has premises and staff overheads to take into account and will talk to all potential buyers on your behalf. They may also be asked to take a bike in part exchange. All of these require time, effort and sometimes money from the dealer.
If a stress-free sale is your primary objective, then working with a dealer is an excellent choice. That said, remember that not every motorcycle is the sort of bike your dealer will be keen on taking on. If the dealer is selling new BMW GS1250s they may not want to offer a used and therefore cheaper, Ducati Multistrada for sale. It is just a distraction for their potential customers.
And there you have it, five things to consider when selling a motorcycle. It all sounds so simple, so why can it be such a pain in the arse?
Clarity:
The header image is based on an original work by Durmus Kavcioglu and is used under license.
