How to Sell Your Motorcycle
Prepare to Sell Your Motorcycle
Selling a motorcycle is a small project involving several aspects. We have developed this guide with many useful tips to guide you through the process of selling your motorcycle.
If you have decided to sell your motorcycle. Firstly, gather the basic data and documents on which you can base a sales advertisement. Always try to put yourself in the buyer's perspective when collecting information. If you want to buy a motorcycle, what would you be most interested in knowing? This is a good guide for describing your motorcycle correctly. It is best to create a text file in which you compile this information; this speeds up the placement of advertisements in different online locations.
Therefore, the following details should not be missing from any advertisement:
- Make and model of the motorcycle. This facilitates the exact identification of your machine.
- Engine and power.
- Colour of your motorcycle.
- Month and year of first registration.
- ITV expiry date.
- Last service performed.
- Current mileage.
- Number of previous owners, including yourself.
- Modifications: almost no motorcycle retains all its original factory parts. Have you modified the LED indicators, re-upholstered the seat, installed a different footpeg system, or a third-party exhaust?
- Unpleasant, but it must be said: Have there been any accidents or falls with the motorcycle? If so, what was damaged and repaired?
- General condition:
- Tyre tread depth (minimum legal depth 1.6mm)
- Brake pad wear.
- Age or condition of the drive chain kit.
- Scratches beyond normal signs of wear or similar.
- Other things worth mentioning (e.g., other accessories included in the purchase, such as an original exhaust or an additional windscreen)
Tip: prepare a folder with all relevant documents that must be handed over upon sale:
- Vehicle registration certificate (Permiso de circulación).
- Technical inspection certificate (ITV).
- Service book.
- Owner's manual or instructions for use.
- All available sets of keys and the code for making duplicates if necessary.
- If applicable, invoices for maintenance and additional parts
Now that you have completed the “administrative” preparations, you can dedicate yourself to the motorcycle and prepare it for sale. Firstly, here is the preparation of the machine. This means it should be thoroughly cleaned and, if possible, polished to restore the paint's shine. Remember: A potential buyer should have a “wow” moment when they see the motorcycle. This only happens when the motorcycle is in perfect condition, so invest the necessary time and clean your motorcycle until it gleams.
Technically, the machine must also function perfectly: therefore, re-check the brakes, lights, horn, and all other functions, such as heated grips. Finally, there is the crucial matter of having an up-to-date ITV. If the motorcycle's next ITV is due in a short period, it is worth considering renewing the ITV before it expires. With a recently passed ITV, you will be able to sell your motorcycle at a significantly better price than one with a short remaining validity.
In addition to the ITV, you should also consider whether it is still worth investing more money in your motorcycle for repairs. Repairing even small dents and paint damage can significantly increase the value of your motorcycle. Here you must consider the age of the machine and ensure that the amount invested is less than the value by which your motorcycle increases. A specialised workshop can easily give you an estimate of repair costs.
If a part of your motorcycle shines in all its glory, close-up photos should be taken to highlight the most important details. There's no need to use a professional camera; a smartphone will certainly suffice. Here too, we must invest a little time and take photos carefully; we don't need many photos of the same part or side of the motorcycle; it's more convenient to capture more interesting parts of the motorcycle. We have summarised how you can photograph your motorcycle for sale.These are the most important tips to keep in mind:
- Choose a background that doesn't distract too much from the motorcycle.
- Crouch down and get to the level of the motorcycle's fuel tank.
- Photograph all sides of the motorcycle.
- Focus on the most striking details.
- Rotate the motorcycle after each photo so that the background remains static.
As a final step in preparation, you must set a selling price for the motorcycle. This is the step most sellers find most difficult. Typically, the price is initially set too high. This is due to a phenomenon, which in psychology is called the endowment effect. Simply put, the principle of “ownership creates value” means: people value something they own as more valuable than something they don't own. Anyone who has auctioned something on eBay knows the phenomenon: incoming bids are much lower than one would expect for the item as a selling price.
To determine a current market price for your motorcycle, you should do some comparison. Spend some time researching motorcycle sales on sales portals like milanuncios or motos.net. Look for a motorcycle of the same model and year as yours, with similar mileage. And with a little common sense and understanding, calculate a price that allows you to compete with the cheapest offer you find.
In this context, unfortunately, you have to swallow a bitter pill. No matter how much money you have invested in accessories, although they will help you sell your motorcycle, the resulting value will be well below the purchase price of the components. It's a difficult step, because you have customised your motorcycle with a lot of love and dedication. But unfortunately, the decisive factors for calculating the price are the model, age, mileage, and condition of your motorcycle. Accessories like an Akrapovic exhaust or a Rizoma footpeg system are the icing on the cake, but not decisive for the sale.
If you are not in a hurry to sell, you can start by placing an advertisement with a higher price and see how the market reacts. You can always try. If no one responds or buyers want to pay significantly less, you can always lower the price. Facts and good photos count.
Ultimately, the question we will ask ourselves is: What is the best time to sell my motorcycle, in spring or autumn? It is often said that prices are higher in spring, but at the same time, many more people sell their motorcycles. The type of motorcycle and buyer segment are more important. Sports motorcycles tend to be sought after by younger riders who flock to sales portals and dealerships at the start of the season. Older buyer groups usually look for more touring motorcycles and tend to be more patient, therefore, they can wait a bit to take advantage of the best offers.
It can be said that:
- For new vehicles, daily registrations generally increase in autumn/winter (dealers want to make space for new models)
- With newer vehicles, there is a risk that the model will change by the manufacturer, causing the price of the current model to fall. In such a case, you should not hesitate too long to sell your motorcycle.
- Touring, enduro, and adventure motorcycles are seasonally more stable than sports motorcycles.
- Models produced in small quantities and generally mid-range/high-end are also more stable in price.
For a quick and hassle-free sale of your motorcycle, you can also use our online valuation form; we will advise you on the price of your motorcycle and make you an offer to buy your motorcycle on the spot.
The Offer Phase
Once the motorcycle advertisement is online, you can sit back and wait. Be patient; it may take some time before someone responds. When a potential customer contacts you, approach with common sense. Anonymous SMS messages with impersonal texts (“What's the final price?”) are an indication that the offer is dubious or a potential scam. If you find the contact strange, simply do not respond.
A phone call is recommended for a first contact. Therefore, suggest that the interested party calls you (provided they have contacted you by message). In a direct conversation, information can be exchanged more easily, and misunderstandings are avoided.
Furthermore, it is a confidence-building measure and facilitates the identification of potential fraud.
It will happen that an interested party presents an offer below your pain threshold. Here's another important tip for you: if this happens, reject the offer in a way that allows the customer to come back later if they are still interested. If you want or have to lower the price after a while (endowment effect, see above), you can contact the customer again.
It's good to be patient, but at some point, sellers can become annoyed by constant requests that do not lead to the sale of the motorcycle. Therefore, evaluate how much time and effort you are willing to invest in the sale.
If an appointment has been agreed with a customer to show your motorcycle, the interested party will come with the intention of taking a test ride. This way, the potential buyer can get an idea of the machine's condition with their own eyes; that is, it is now worthwhile that you have thoroughly cleaned and polished the motorcycle as described above.
Before the test ride, you should sign a test ride agreement and at least roughly agree on the price (otherwise, the test ride is pointless).
For the test ride, the interested party must present their identity document and driving licence. Even if this seems insignificant to some people (it's quite common among motorcyclists…), allowing a more or less stranger to ride your motorcycle can be somewhat dangerous for both parties. The customer could have a fall and not want to take responsibility for repairing your motorcycle, or could even get injured and want to hold you responsible for the damages suffered. That is why it is important to record in writing the responsibilities that the test ride entails for both parties.
Selling Your Motorcycle
If the customer finally likes your motorcycle and the agreed price, congratulations! You can now draw up the purchase and sale contract for your motorcycle. In this contract, you must state who the buyer and seller are and the agreed selling price. The following information is generally included in the purchase contract:
- Make and model of the motorcycle
- Registration number and chassis number
- Current mileage
- Date and time of delivery. (This is important so that the seller is released from liability)
- Motorcycle documents and accessories to be handed over
- Vehicle registration certificate (Permiso de circulación)
- Technical inspection certificate (ITV)
- Additional documents such as invoices
- All sets of keys
- Additional parts such as original exhaust or panniers
- The purchase price must be stated in words and figures
- Specify damages and what has been repaired
- Warranty period (By law, between private individuals, it is 6 months)
At comprosumoto.es, we offer you a contract with which you can save a lot of work. You can also buy a standard contract from a stationery shop. Once the purchase contract has been signed, each party receives a copy signed by both.