 | Rod Taylor is the owner of Cycle Station, located at 406 S. Seneca St. Cycle Station specializes in sales, parts and services for motorcycles. Rod has 13 years of Auto Dealer experience, and over 10 years of motorcycle experience. He is also ASE and Honda-Suzuki Polaris Certified. He can be reached at 316-267-3025. |
Motorcycles
2007-06-01 09:43:00
How to sell your motorcycle
So you have decided to sell your motorcycle. People choose to sell their used motorcycle for numerous reasons. Some people sell their used motorcycle because they are buying a new one or another used one. Others may be selling their used motorcycle due to a lack of time to ride, moving, or various family reasons.
You have several options when it comes to selling your used motorcycle. You could trade it in on another motorcycle, sell it to a motorcycle dealer, or use a dealer to sell your bike, on consignment, or simply sell it yourself. If you choose to trade it in or sell it to a motorcycle dealer, the most you will probably receive from the dealer is the wholesale value of the motorcycle. If you choose to sell your used motorcycle yourself then you will be able to ask for the full retail value of the motorcycle. Even if you have to negotiate the price down a little with a potential buyer you are still going to be ahead.
Physical Appearance
We are visual creatures. So the first thing you should do is clean your motorcycle like it has never been cleaned before. You may also consider having it professionally cleaned or detailed. It may also be a good idea to have minor blemishes repaired before selling your motorcycle. The cost of having a scratched fender touched up will probably be less than the amount you would have to deduct during the negotiating process. Your potential buyer will be far more enthused negotiating the purchase of your motorcycle if it has been well taken care of.
Mechanical
Make sure your motorcycle is tuned up and starts. It’s a bad deal to lose a sale because of a simple thing such as a battery not being charged. However, if your motorcycle has major mechanical problems it may not be worth having those repaired before selling. Major repairs usually cost more than the increase in price you’ll receive for your motorcycle. If your motorcycle has major mechanical problems then be sure to be honest about them when placing your ad.
Responding to Inquiries Know your motorcycle. Be prepared to answer questions about your used motorcycle. Try to exchange as much information about your motorcycle over the phone and via e-mail. This will save both you and potential buyers from wasted appointments. When making appointments with potential buyers be sure to set a specific time to meet. Setting an appointment where the potential buyer will come by sometime on Saturday usually doesn’t work and be prepared for some no shows. We also would like to remind you of potential fraudulent buyers. Many people that sell a used motorcycle, car, boat, etc. via online classifieds or in newspaper classifieds will receive inquiries from fraudulent buyers. Be particularly wary if the buyer is located overseas.
Test Drives
This is one where you will have to use your own good judgment. Almost all motorcycle dealers do not allow test drives due liability reasons. So why should you take the same risk? If you do decide to allow a test drive then be sure to meet in a large public parking lot with a lot of people around. Allow them to test drive the bike only in the parking lot and only if they are willing to let you hold their driver’s license. You know the value of your motorcycle, so be sure to use your best judgment on this one.
Selling your used motorcycle yourself will take a lot of effort. So another option to consider is selling it on consignment; there are a number of good quality motorcycle dealers that have consignment programs set up just for you.
