Best time to sell a street bike now?

[Casper250]

I've got a street bike that I'm thinking about selling and I was wondering what other's experiences are with selling street bikes. I've sold a couple dirtbikes and it seemed like the time of year I sold it didn't really have an effect on finding buyers but since street bikes are mostly ridden seasonally, I figure timing is more important.

I bought the bike new in the middle of the summer and prices were starting to drop from the spring. I have a friend that is a dealer and he was telling me that he can't keep sportbikes on floor at this time of the year. I was looking to buy another bike next summer but I don't want to take a big hit if I sell it at the end of the summer or hold it over till next spring. Any one have some input on selling street bikes?

 

[CaptainObvious]

By best time I assume that you mean "when can I get the best price"? It all comes down to supply and demand. Your CBR will do well this time of year because nice -600's are hard to find in the spring. It also depends how may CBR600's are for sale nearby. But I would think that the swing will be less than $500 from spring to fall.

It's hardest to sell bikes in mid-summer or mid-winter. I have always bought my bikes (street and dirt) in the fall because they are many to choose from at good prices.

 

[Treejumper]

There was about 6 of us (including me) that bought street bikes this spring and the pickings on nice ones is really slim now. I'm getting my first bike this weekend or next week. Gotta get my buddy on a new one first then i can buy his. I cant wait!

 

[CaptainObvious]

What are ya' getting TJ?

 

[Casper250]

Did any of them let you test ride? I had to buy my bike to ride it and most dealers don't have test rides. If some one drops it, i'm SOL, but most people feel wierd buying something before they ride it.

 

[CaptainObvious]

ya know, I never have test ridden any bike that I've bought. Although, with that said, I have never sold a bike without letting (offering) the bike for a ride. I feel it sells the bike better.

In fact, when I sold a '91 GSX1100 Katana many years ago, I told the buyer to bring his gear to my house. He drove over an hour to see my bike. I borrowed a Honda NX650 Hawk from a friend and took the prospective buyer out for a one hour test ride on the best roads I know. When we got back to my house he said it was the best ride he had ever been on and paid $400 more than my asking price. He just handed me the check, no negotiation. I felt bad so I started throwing in all sorts of stuff (magnetic tank bag and some other odds & ends) that I wasn’t planning on parting with.

A clean bike will always sell well…but a clean bike that has been maintained by an owner that really shows he cares for the equipment and it’s future home seals the deal.

 

[Treejumper]

What are ya' getting TJ?

'85 Honda Shadow 550 to get my feet wet with. I wanted something i wouldnt feel bad about dumping (hopefully not crashing, i mean dropping over while standing still. You know me! :nod: ) but this one is like showroom condition. :cool:

 

[mtk]

Spring is the best time, for a seller, as you get top dollar. Fall or Winter is the best time for a buyer, as you can just about steal the things. I buy in Fall and sell in Spring. :)

As for test rides, what I do is draw up a sales agreement that says the buyer can return the bike within an hour or 50 miles if he doesn't like it. I NEVER let someone test-ride my bikes because that opens you up for WAY too much risk. If they wad it, not only is it your problem but they can then sue you for any injuries they sustain. Or if they damage someone else's property, YOU are on the hook for it. I collect the money, transfer the title, and then hang out at the Notary for an hour to see if they come back. But then again, my last two street bikes were a ZX11D and a GSXR750. In fact, I let a so-called "friend" ride the ZX11 before I sold it, but I told him, "You wad it, you own it." I didn't have to place an ad for that one as he brought it back with the left side all scratched up, the stupid fool.

 

[bikepilot]

spring/early summer is the best time in my experence. the prices don't fluctuate very much, but it will take much longer to sell out of season. I wouldn't generally offer test rides either. If the buyer is obviously very responsible and an experenced rider, then mabey. When I have purchased used street bikes I didn't test ride before handing over cash, then I rode it, came back to confirm that I was happy with the bike, shook hands and off I went.

I do generally allow test rides on dirt bikes and have allways been offered test rides. Never had a problem in that respect, but again, if some screwy young punk came out and wanted a test ride, then I would of course say no. BTW, I'v never had anyone test ride a bike of mine and then not buy it.

good luck

 

[Jon K.]

Did any of them let you test ride? .

I've sold several hundreds of bikes. I have had three bad experiences with test rides over maybe ten years.

One guy rode off and I haven't seen him or the bike since. That one stung a bit.

One guy rode down the street and crashed in the middle of the road making the U-turn to come back. That one was actually funny.

One guy drove directly into my friends pickup truck parked at my place. That one hurt my feelings because my friend got screwed over worse than I did. It didn't hurt the bike at all.

It is hard to sell a bike without offering a test ride, but I have found that you can judge people to a fair degree of accuracy.