Buying A Used Motorcycle

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Buying A Used Motorcycle
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I bought my first used motorcycle while I was in
college.
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It was a Honda 750.
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I road it around town and I took it on long
trips.
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One summer I took it from my home state of
Minnesota out to Wyoming, Montana and even up
into Canada.
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The next summer I road it out to New Hampshire
and eventually to Boston where I sold it and
bought an old Jeep.
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I did not by another motorcycle until 1999.
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After many years of not owning a motorcycle, I
found that I had the itch.
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I went to a dealership and found that the bike I
wanted was for sale for over 25,000.
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Then, out of the blue, a friend of mine called
me, and as we were talking he mentioned that he
was going to sell his motorcycle.
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It was the same model that I had looked at when
I visited the dealership, it was two years old,
had very low mileage, he had added a lot of
aftermarket upgrades to it and I knew that he was
meticulous with his care for it.
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Oh, and by the way, he was asking 14,000 for it.
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The next day I had my new (used) motorcycle.
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If you are thinking about buying a used
motorcycle and you do not know its history or
have a personal relationship with the seller,
then there are a few things that would be helpful
for you to keep in mind.
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First, of course, you need to pick your bike.
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Mine is a 1997 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide.
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Who To Buy A Used Motorcycle From
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Then you need to determine if you prefer buying
from a dealer or from a private party.
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There are pros and cons to each source for you
to consider.
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Once you know what type of bike you want and you
have found your source, my first suggestion is to
take it for a test ride.
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See if it is a good fit for you, your size, your
personality.
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If the bike passes this test, the next thing you
want to do is to ask the seller for the bike's
service records.
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If the bike has been well maintained this will
save you a lot of money down the road as the new
owner.
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If this all looks good, now it is time for some
negotiation.
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The mileage on the bike is a big factor in the
negotiation of the price.
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Of course you will have already done your
homework online so that you know ahead of time
what the average market price is for the year and
model you are looking at.
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Negotiating The Purchase Of A Used Motorcycle
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When you are negotiating, don't allow yourself to
get to attached to the bike.
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There are plenty of sellers looking to sell the
same used motorcycle, so be prepared to walk away
if need be.
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If you reach an agreement that you think is fair,
hooray.
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You are now the new owner of a used motorcycle
and can feel the breeze against your face anytime
you want.