Private Motorcycle Sales

One of the cheapest ways to purchase a used motorcycle is through buying a motorcycle through a private seller. Private motorcycle sales can be found in adverts in newspapers, classified websites and also through specialist private sales magazines which cater specifically for people to post their vehicles to try and find a buyer. You have to be wary of private motorcycle sales due to the large chances of various risks but sometimes amazing bargains can be yours for the taking.

Due to the nature of private motorcycle sales you may find that that you need to be much more careful than when buying a motorcycle from a dealer.  Private sales tend to involve driving to the seller’s house to view the motorcycle in question. This may be some journey if the bike you like the look of is at the other end of the country but don’t think that because you have travelled that far you have to come home with the bike.  This fact can often be used to lure you into a deal you do not necessarily want to make.  Remember that there are most likely a number of similar bikes available from other private sellers. If the one you went to view doesn’t take your fancy then you are completely entitled to walk away.

The most important thing when buying a motorcycle through a private seller is to check the condition of the bike. Is the bike as it was advertised or are there problems the seller is reluctant to tell you.  You must be ready to ask questions about the bike and be able to check the mechanical condition of the vehicle.  It is often said that if you are not the most mechanically minded of people, always take a friend who is more mechanically inclined along with you when dealing with private motorcycle sales.  You need to look at the condition of the bike and see if that seems like an honest amount of ware for the amount of miles on the clock. Does the amount of ware on the saddle looks appropriate for that amount of use? If the saddle is well worn but the odometer is reading a suspiciously low number of miles, it is a possibility that the bike has been clocked to reduce the number of miles and increase the value for the seller.

Other checks to remember when dealing with private motorcycle sales are to look at the mechanical items such as the front forks. A lot of information can be found from looking at this area of the bike. If there is corrosion on the forks it is likely that the bike has been used as a winter commuter bike so may have seen some rough conditions such as heavy rain. Also, if you compress the front shock and see any oil leaks it can indicate that a fork seal has blown out allowing fork oil to escape.  These factors could be a bargaining tool to get the price down if you feel comfortable paying to get the work to repair the problems fixed.

When buying a motorcycle through a private seller, the most important thing to consider is the V5C document and the MOT certificate. A used bike will most likely be over 3 years old and will need an MOT certificate. This shows that the bike is considered roadworthy on the date the MOT was taken so do not take this as a sign of the bike being mechanically sound. The V5C is the vehicle registration document which shows the name and address of the person the bike is registered to as well as having chassis and engine numbers to prove that is the bike you are buying.  Without a V5C it is best to just walk away as there may be something wrong with the bike. When dealing with private motorcycle sales remember that once the sale is complete, the seller has no right to provide aftercare or a refund so all sales tend to be final. Make sure you have made the right choice before you buy.