To make the most out of your efforts, here are seven expert tips on selling your motorbike to get the best price you possible can.
Aftermarket Accessories Stay On
Customizing your bike to suit your needs can be very comforting, as it makes the bike very personable to you. So if you’re deciding to sell it, wouldn’t it make sense to sell all of the accessories with it as well?
Seeing a bike that so much love has been put into can entice buyers’ interests, as they know that the bike was well-taken care of. Leave the aftermarket accessories so that it looks complete. It doesn’t matter if future buyers are going to change these in the future. They’re not going to want to buy a motorbike that looks incomplete.
An Open Book Draws More Interest
When selling your motorcycle, it pays to invest time and money into how it looks. The buyer is likely going to do their own research before they show up at your front door. If they see that something is off about the way the bike looks, they’re not going to be interested in buying.
Get an objective point of view before selling your motorbike by getting it looked at by a mechanic to see if there are any problems. You may not notice all of the imperfections since you’ve been riding it for so long and you have a sentimental attachment to it.
Have them point out things that need to be fixed and make a list. Many of these could be fixes you make yourself, and at low costs too. Be sure to inform the buyer of any major problems that you couldn’t afford to get fixed.
Making Sure It’s Functional
There’s no point in selling a bike if it doesn’t run well. In your inspection, focus on the things that are going to go first. Are the tires bald? Do they need changing? If they’re still in good condition, then just give them a wash with some soapy water to make them look good again.
The next thing you should look at is the brake pads. They can wear down very quickly, depending on how you ride, so they may need to be replaced. If you don’t change the brake pads, then the potential buyer may try to knock off the cost of the brake pads from your asking price, and that’s not something that you want.
Check the level of the oil to make sure it’s clinging to the dipstick. If you haven’t ridden in a long time, then the oil could be too old, so drain it and pour in a new bottle. You should check the drive chain too to ensure that it’s still in good condition. Add some extra lube just in case and make sure that it’s adjusted properly.
Other things you should take a look at are the clutch and throttle cables to make sure that they’re lubed up, the seat so that it’s not wearing out anywhere and doesn’t need to be replaced, and the wiring harness. You want your motorbike to be in working condition when a buyer is coming to look at it.
The Electrical Parts
The outside is one thing but you want to make sure that everything is in working order on the inside as well. The first thing you can take a look at is the lights. Headlights and brake lights should come on when the bike starts and shouldn’t be dim or broken. If they are, then you’re going to have to get some repairs underway before you even consider selling it.
Check that the horn works too, as well as the condition of the battery. You may have to get an entirely new one if your bike doesn’t start at the turn of the key. That can be a little pricey, but worth it if you really want to get the bike off your hands.
Making Sure it Looks Good
This is more than just giving your motorcycle a good wash and scrub. The gas tank, panels, and mudguard should also look like they’re in good condition, or you may end up with a problem in your hands.
Mudguards aren’t very expensive to replace and having some brand new ones on could lead to a buyer being interested to pay more. If there is any oxidization of the paint job or sun damage, then you have more work cut out for you. You’re going to have to do a lot of work to get done, such as getting an entire re-spray to make it look as close to new as possible.
Cleaning the Interior
Making sure that everything is in working order is a great step, but you also want the interior to look great. Get on your knees with an old toothbrush and start scrubbing some de-greaser between all those parts to get it looking shiny again.
Depending on the finish of the engine, you can get some metal polishes to make it sparkle again and make it look brand new. Your efforts before selling your motorbike will definitely convince the buyer that your asking price is worth it.
Don’t Waffle
With all the hard work you’ve put it before selling your motorbike, it’s time to stick to your guns. Start off the conversation with the buyer by stating the year, make, and model of the bike so that they have a basis on where the price point should start. Go into the mileage, conditions, and maintenance history of the bike too.
Then, you can go into the personal history you’ve had with the bike, and how well it runs in your opinion. But don’t get too sentimental about it. Buyers aren’t interested in that. Lastly, you should state your asking price and inform the buyer whether that’s fixed or whether you’re open to negotiation.
In the end, selling your bike is all about sharing your memories with someone else through a treasured object so that you can hopefully make new ones of your own. But you have to make it shine first, so put in the effort to make it look like the treasure you want everyone else to see.
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