I’m getting ready to put a motorcycle up for sale this weekend. It’s the first one I’ve owned, so I haven’t been through the “selling a used motorcycle” experience before. I know we have a lot of motorcycle riders on the boards here and I’m sure plenty have been through the private buyer/seller experience. Any tips or suggestions?
Don’t let that guy from the Allstate commercial take it for a test ride! :smack:
Well, that’s the kind of stuff I’m wondering about. I’m assuming a prospective buyer might very well want to take it for a test ride, and obviously I would check their driver’s license to make sure they have a motorcycle endorsement before letting them take the bike out. But is it out of line to ask them leave their ID with me while they take it for a ride? what if they drop the bike and it gets damaged? Am I worrying too much about stuff like this?
Don’t let anyone test drive it without cash in hand.
A visual inspection of the bike should tell you pretty much everything you need to know. The test ride should be a last ‘yeah everything’s ok’ type thing.
This. They should have already decided they want your bike and have the cash ready. The test drive is just to make sure everything works.
If they haven’t decided what bike they want, chances are they’ll just be wasting your time.
My experience as a buyer and seller is exactly the opposite - I really had no idea what I wanted in a bike before riding a couple either time. A bike fits differently on the road than on the shop floor.
Advice - take their wallet, license, and the keys to the car they came in, then set them out on the road after having them sign a paper that says “pottery barn rule - you break it, you buy it”.