Selling
a used motorbike can sometimes be a pain, so here are some hints
on what to do to help sell your machine:
Before you sell:
Check
out as many motorcycle magazines and websites you can find and compare
different prices for the bike you are going to sell .
Find
out what sort of accessories your bike has and see if there are
any others with similar accessories on them which will give you
an indication of how much your bike is worth in the real world.
Although
you may have spent a lot of time and indeed money on your bike,
this doesn't actually mean that it is going to be worth alot more
than a standard version.
Then
think about how much money you actually want for your bike and the
lowest amount you will accept.
Then
comes the Cleaning:
The
hardest part about selling your bike is to give it a thorough clean,
making sure you get into all the little nooks and crannies.
Use
a good degreaseing agent to clean the wheels and swingarm
Re-lube
the chain
Maybe
change the oil
Make
sure there is plenty of petrol in the tank
And
then a good polish, which will not only look good but will also
protect the bike from the elements
A nice clean bike will be much easier to sell than a scruffy dirty
bike.
Next is to gather the following:
- Valid
V5(logbook)
-
MOT's
- All
the keys
- Any
alarm Fobs, and their instalation certificates
- Paperwork
for any extra security you may have on your bike (Datatag, Alphadot,
etc)
These
should be neatly kept in a folder, for quick and easy access.
Make
sure the horn and all the lights work
Check
the bike over thoroughly to make sure everything is in order and
there are no loose nuts or bolts
Now
to the Advert
You
can advertise your bike in various magazines or websites
To get a lot of people interested in buying your bike, you have
to make it stand out from the rest.
But
remember that you should keep your advert as accurate and as honest
as you can
A
few things you should list are:
- Full
Make and Model
- Year
of Manufacturer and Letter/s
- Engine
capacity
- Mileage
- MOT
and Tax
- Price
(obviously)
- Area
in which you are selling from
- Phone
number/s
Try
to make it sound like the best bike around:
- How
many owners it has had from new
- Warranty
left (if any)
- Service
History
- List
any accessories that have been fitted to the bike
- Condition
(Very good for year or Excellent condition throughout etc)
- List
any new items that have been recently fitted, i.e: Chain and Sprockets,
Tyres, Battery etc
- If
you have any other items such as Luggage or Paddock Stands you
could advertise these as extras on top of the price of the bike,
as these could be sold seperately
Dealing
with Buyers
First
will be the Phonecall
Make
sure you are patient and polite to all potential enquirers
Point
out all the good bits about your bike
Don't
give an enquirer "first refusal" on your bike as this
may put off others and then they might not want it after all
Only
give out information that is relevant to the sale of the bike
Always
try to make viewing appointments in the daylight and at your home
address
If
the enquirer wants to have a Test Ride, then make sure you tell
them to bring along proof of identity, insurance that entitles them
to ride your bike and some sort of deposit (logbook for transport
they are arriving in or maybe cash) just to make sure that you see
your bike again
You
don't have to allow them to Test Ride your bike if you don't want
them to, but would you buy a bike yourself without having a bit
of a ride on it?
Only
allow between twenty to thirty minutes for a Test Ride, this should
be plenty of time
Next
will be the Viewing
Allow
the potential buyer to have a good look over your bike and listen
to the engine
You
could also point out any accessories or extras that are included
in the sale
Again
remember to be Honest about the actual condition of the bike
Then
comes the Deal
As
with Buying you should expect a bit of haggling on the price, but
remember the lowest amount you are willing to accept and don't go
below it. There are more potential buyers out there
Cash
is always the best and quickest way to make a deal, but if not then
a Bankers Draft is the next best thing
Cheques
always take three to four working days to clear so make sure the
money is in your account before you release your bike
It
is your responsibility to fill in the top half of the V5 and send
it off to Swansea so that the DVLA know that it has changed hands
This
will also keep you in the clear if the buyer gets any speeding tickets
or parking fines etc
The
bottom half of the V5 is given to the buyer for proof of ownership
until the new V5 comes through from Swansea DVLA
Give
them the folder, with all the bikes documents in, along with the
keys and bid them a safe journey
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