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Difference between revisions of "Used Motorcycle Evaluation"
→ACCESSORIES, PRICE, and DEALING
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* Paranoia department: How do you know that the bike actually parts that the seller claims it has? Be careful, especially if the seller seems unscrupulous. Just because the seller claims that the bike has MegaPowerBlast cams (or some other internal part that you're not going to see) doesn't mean that it does. Ask to see a sales receipt. (Putting an aftermarket manufacturer's sticker on a stock component is a lot cheaper than buying the aftermarket upgrade.) | * Paranoia department: How do you know that the bike actually parts that the seller claims it has? Be careful, especially if the seller seems unscrupulous. Just because the seller claims that the bike has MegaPowerBlast cams (or some other internal part that you're not going to see) doesn't mean that it does. Ask to see a sales receipt. (Putting an aftermarket manufacturer's sticker on a stock component is a lot cheaper than buying the aftermarket upgrade.) | ||
== | ==Accessories, price and dealing== | ||
* If the owner has lost the owner's manual and/or tool kit, drop a little money off the price of the bike. They're usually around $15-20 each to replace, and they're definitely nice things to have, particularly if you're new to riding. | * If the owner has lost the owner's manual and/or tool kit, drop a little money off the price of the bike. They're usually around $15-20 each to replace, and they're definitely nice things to have, particularly if you're new to riding. | ||
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* Bike prices follow the laws of supply and demand like any other good... in the winter, when no one wants to ride and everyone needs to pay off Christmas-induced credit-card headaches, bikes are cheaper. In the spring, "when a young (wo)man's fancy turns to motorbikes," bikes are more expensive. | * Bike prices follow the laws of supply and demand like any other good... in the winter, when no one wants to ride and everyone needs to pay off Christmas-induced credit-card headaches, bikes are cheaper. In the spring, "when a young (wo)man's fancy turns to motorbikes," bikes are more expensive. | ||
* You may have your own preferred method for arriving at a number to offer for the bike, but here's how I do it: take the "blue book" value of the bike (see above), and deduct the cost of repairs for each problem with the bike. The used bike buying guides assume a clean, completely functional vehicle, with appropriate wear and tear for its age. So it makes sense to deduct the cost of repairs to bring a used bike up to that standard. If the owner is asking less, great, if the owner is asking more, see if you can work them down a bit. If need be, explain how you arrived at your number -- sometimes the owner won't know about problems you've found! (Or wasn't including them in the price because (s)he was hoping you wouldn't notice.) | * You may have your own preferred method for arriving at a number to offer for the bike, but here's how I do it: take the "blue book" value of the bike (see above), and deduct the cost of repairs for each problem with the bike. The used bike buying guides assume a clean, completely functional vehicle, with appropriate wear and tear for its age. So it makes sense to deduct the cost of repairs to bring a used bike up to that standard. If the owner is asking less, great, if the owner is asking more, see if you can work them down a bit. If need be, explain how you arrived at your number -- sometimes the owner won't know about problems you've found! (Or wasn't including them in the price because (s)he was hoping you wouldn't notice.) | ||
* As noted previously, beware used bike prices at dealerships, and prepare for sticker shock. A popular dealership local to the author frequently purchases used bikes for under "blue book" value, and marks them up to thousands of dollars over that value. When confronted with the fact that their used bike prices are wildly inflated, they reply, (paraphrased -- barely) "Eventually someone will give me what I'm asking for it, so why should I sell it to you for less?" They're not all like this, but dealerships of this kind are definitely out there: they know that there are plenty of uninformed buyers out there who just want a bike and don't know what an appropriate price is. (Shop around and figure out what the going price is!) The potential pluses that you get from buying from a dealership are that: 1) at least in theory, the bike has been tuned up prior to sale; 2) dealerships are typically more willing to fix any problems that you discover with the thing (inspect bikes thoroughly!); 3) if you're a new rider, you'll probably need to buy gear, and you can usually get a break on the price of gear if you also buy a bike from a dealership; and 4) related to #3, buying a bike from a dealership is a good way to start a long-term relationship with a them -- just make sure that if you decide to go this route, that you buy the bike from a good and reputable dealership with whom you'll want to have a long-term relationship. And now, the potential downsides: 1) scummy dealerships may not do work on the bike between buying it and reselling it (yet another reason for a close and thorough inspection); and 2) many times used bikes come only with an "as is" (or extremely limited) warranty -- not any better than what you'd get from an individual, particularly because your state may have "lemon laws" that give you recourse if the buyer sells you a bike that doesn't work. (Check with your local DMV or insurance agent.) The bottom line is that there may be benefits to buying a used bike from a good dealership, but many dealerships won't be any better than a private buyer -- and almost all of them (good dealerships included) will be more expensive. Still, it may pay to ask around, find the good shops, and see what they have. Just make sure to give bikes at dealers the same close inspection that you'd give to bikes being sold by individuals. If you know what you're doing (and this guide tries to arm you with the requisite knowledge), you have nothing to fear from going the route of buying a used bike from a private seller. | * As noted previously, beware used bike prices at dealerships, and prepare for sticker shock. A popular dealership local to the author frequently purchases used bikes for under "blue book" value, and marks them up to thousands of dollars over that value. When confronted with the fact that their used bike prices are wildly inflated, they reply, (paraphrased -- barely) "Eventually someone will give me what I'm asking for it, so why should I sell it to you for less?" They're not all like this, but dealerships of this kind are definitely out there: they know that there are plenty of uninformed buyers out there who just want a bike and don't know what an appropriate price is. (Shop around and figure out what the going price is!) The potential pluses that you get from buying from a dealership are that: 1) at least in theory, the bike has been tuned up prior to sale; 2) dealerships are typically more willing to fix any problems that you discover with the thing (inspect bikes thoroughly!); 3) if you're a new rider, you'll probably need to buy gear, and you can usually get a break on the price of gear if you also buy a bike from a dealership; and 4) related to #3, buying a bike from a dealership is a good way to start a long-term relationship with a them -- just make sure that if you decide to go this route, that you buy the bike from a good and reputable dealership with whom you'll want to have a long-term relationship. And now, the potential downsides: 1) scummy dealerships may not do work on the bike between buying it and reselling it (yet another reason for a close and thorough inspection); and 2) many times used bikes come only with an "as is" (or extremely limited) warranty -- not any better than what you'd get from an individual, particularly because your state may have "lemon laws" that give you recourse if the buyer sells you a bike that doesn't work. (Check with your local DMV or insurance agent.) The bottom line is that there may be benefits to buying a used bike from a good dealership, but many dealerships won't be any better than a private buyer -- and almost all of them (good dealerships included) will be more expensive. Still, it may pay to ask around, find the good shops, and see what they have. Just make sure to give bikes at dealers the same close inspection that you'd give to bikes being sold by individuals. If you know what you're doing (and this guide tries to arm you with the requisite knowledge), you have nothing to fear from going the route of buying a used bike from a private seller. | ||
==[[HELMETS]]== | ==[[HELMETS]]== | ||