Topic: When selling a motorcycle.....what do you do?

[78_SaltLick]

Question:

When you sell a motorcycle, i suppose you have to let someone try it out before they will buy it.

What do you guys ask/been asked when its time to test drive the motorcycle? What if someone dumps the thing when they are test driving it? What kind of calateral do you ask for in case they dont come back? Do you ask to see thier motorcycle license before you let them drive it? I am curious. It is not the same as letting someone test drive a car you are selling, you can go with them on a car and the chances of them crashing a car is much less then them dumping a bike. 

I am going to try to sell my red headed step child, and get a different year. I put an ad up and have many people asking me to call them they want to come over and test drive it. I know some people just want to "joy ride" it, how do you weed those out? This is a scary thing selling this bike. Its big, bulky and heavy with clubman handlebars, if some yahoo comes over and isnt use to these he could easily dump it. Then id never get to sell it. Any suggestions?

[Gordon]

You could always ask for a deposit before letting anyone test ride it.  I they're not comfortable with that, tell them that's fine, there are plenty of other people interested. 

[Uncle Ernie]

I write out a 10 minute buy-back and sign it. If someone is so green they need a test ride, tell them to ride someone elses. I have rarely ridden a bike before buying it. With an ounce of experience you can tell things about a bike with out riding it. Let them sit on it and serve tea as necessary. Make engine noises and blow a fan in their face.  To ride it, you have to buy it. Bring it back in 10 minutes (yes, I'm looking at my watch) and if you hate it I'll return your money.

Find out ahead of time what it takes to sell it. For instance, does your signature on the title need to be notarised? Could be tough to find a notary on Sat or Sun.

[Paul]

I recon it depends on where you are.
here. ..(Ireland)..If you are not allowed to test ride it.....there's something wrong with it, in some cases.
but if someone is generally interested in the bike, they should have come with some collateral (However one spells it...cash.)
and they should have no issues with you "Minding" it until they come back, or their car keys, or their friend. etc

[seaweb11]

When I bought mine, the guy said you can try it if you want but their are no front brakes. I decided against the test ride.
The guy before me unfortunately did take a run around the Island and dropped it in the ditch while trying to stop on his little ride.

I got a $300.00 discount on the asking price  

[kghost]

Hand me the cash, If you don't like it I'll hand it back.

PERIOD.

[78_SaltLick]

i dont trust cashiers checks anymore, and will not ever take a personal check. The only thing i use to take was cashiers checks, but if they can go down and have one drawn, they can also just take the money out of the bank. I will write them a receipt.

[SteveD CB500F]

When I sold my CG125 last Saturday, I did let the guy ride it up the road. He wasn't wearing a helmet so wasn't going very far (up our single track lane).  Also he only lives 3 miles away and I have his address (from eBay).

Why not sell it to an enthusiast?

Advertise it here or VJMC etc etc...

[Uncle Ernie]

Because crooks in Nigeria and weird places who write with an accent have some kind of computer program that sends out signature messages. All they do is type in your brief description. They all want to pay with cashiers checque and want to giver you too much so you can give the excess to their delivery person. Sometimes when they type in the name of what you have, the type font doesn't even match. Some are getting better in that they personalize it or ask for pictures, but they never ask about what shape it's in, why are you a fool for selling it- no real questions or personality. They get your mail address right off the enthusiats pages just like any normal person.
I tell them the only type of check I'll take is a personal check imprinted with their name and address along ith a photo copy of their drivers license with matching address. If it's too blatant, I tell them to send me naked pictures of their mother and I'll think about it. So far, no luck...

[Buffo]

if you didnt live so far away I would buy your pile...what are you asking for it?...would you help me ship it...I would pay for all of it naturally

Buffo the Magnificent

[Bodi]

Assuming it has a pillion seat, take him/her for a ride. I would not let anyone ride it away without the money (cash) in my hand. Maybe if it's a friend I trust absolutely, but then I'm risking losing a friend if something goes wrong.
I like the 10 minute buy-back idea, but an idiot can do some serious engine damage in 10 minutes.
I've never seen "test rides" allowed for used bikes, private sellers or dealers.
New bike dealers and manufacturers sometimes have demo bikes or special event demo ride days but they have the insurance to cover it, and they check out riders pretty thoroughly.

[Buffo]

when i sell a bike i usually regret it

[78_SaltLick]

ha ha yeah me too. and what if someone drove down the road, and got in an accident? wouldnt i be responsible for thier injuries? Couldnt they sue me and say the bike was faulty cause it was an old year? The liability scares me enought not to let someone ride it.

[kghost]

Hence the money exchange......

"wasn't my bike your Honor, he bought it, I TOLD him not to ride it........"

[rosss]

I'm one of the people that e-mailed you about  your red-headed step child.  (I'm a redhead too, and I have a stepdad, does that get me a discount? )

But after seeing your post above about taking the test in Oregon, maybe I won't get a bike (heh, j/k).

If I was in PDX (I'm two hours south) I would've already contacted you to look at it, cash in hand.  My main concern is that it'd be my first street bike, and it's big.  I've ridden dirt bikes for 15 years, so I know how to ride, it's just the idea of a 500+lb bike that's got me a bit concerned.  Oh, and I personally wouldn't need a test ride (don't have my endorsement anyway).  I know enough about how bikes work to be able to tell if it's in decent shape or not without actually riding it.

Anyway, I think a CB350 or CB400 might be better...  Yours looks great though, I just need convincing.

Sean Ross
Corvallis, Oregon, USA

[78_SaltLick]

hey Sean. Didnt know that was you. Cool. well welcome. yes, im sure youve also seen my ad to trade for a 550, this bike is heavy and im looking to down scale, the opposite of most folks. Any of you out there want to trade me for a 550? Bring it on! Im basically selling my bike to buy a 550, so a trade would work too.

[Uncle Ernie]

El Buff-o, were you addressing me or saltlick back there re acquiring a pile?

[CB750R]

I've never had someone tell me that the didnt' want me to test ride their bike, and I've told other's I didn't want them to test ride mine, it all comes down to the person you're dealing with.  Personally if I don't test ride something, there's gotta be something wrong with it, but then again I don't live in the litigation capitol of the world...