How To guide intended to provide useful information and hopefully help you make a good buy.
INDEX
1.- Before you even look at the bike.
2.- Define how much you can or are willing to spend.
3.- Example of choosing a used motorcycle for sale
4.- While you are inspecting the bike.
5.- After buying the bike.
6.- Used Motorcycles For Sale Around the World
IMPORTANT--> Decide what kind of motorcycle you need/want. There
are so many different models out there, made for so many different purposes, that the question "What do I want/need the bike for?" must be answered before you take any other step.
Do you need it to commute? You want to race? What about cruising? Big air on dirt bikes? Simple transportation? Pizza delivery? Transcontinental traveling maybe?...
If you are new to motorcycling, ask friends, go to the shops, surf the Web, and learn what the market has to offer at the same time you think about your needs or wants.
The idea is not to end up cruising the open road on a dirt bike, if you
know what I mean... I know I am exaggerating a bit, but I have seen it several times:
-> People buying sport bikes for road trips and then complaining about getting tired too fast, aching backs and numb hands.
-> People buying too big motorcycles to commute in urban areas and then getting stuck in traffic, as if they were driving a cars!
-> People buying choppers to go riding with friends that only ride sport bikes and then getting frustrated because they cannot keep up with the pace.
and I could go on and on...
So, before anything else, decide what you need/want your bike for!
2.- Used Motorcycle For Sale Guide--> Study how much you can or are willing spend?
This is very important of course, and there are some important considerations to me made when buying a used motorcycle for sale.
Maybe the most important one is:
-> The higher the performance of the bike the higher the price and the MANTAINANCE costs.
i) The price of the bike: decide up to how much you can spend and try to stick to it! Consider other possible expenses, i.e. protective gear (BTW - NEVER buy used helmets, they are worthless), possibly some kind of replacement, i.e. tires or chain, preventive maintenance, i.e. oil change, and others. This could vary a lot in relation to the bike you are planning to buy and/or the physical condition of it.
ii) Remember to put aside some money and budget the maintenance costs of your motorcycle. Just as a reminder: the higher the performance of your motorcycle the higher the costs -> Parts and Labor.
OK, now we know what kind of motorbike you need/want and how much money you will spend on it. Now let's study the different possibilities.
3.- Used Motorcycle For Sale Guide --> Example of choosing a used motorcycle for sale.
I'll go through this section with an example:
Let's say you want a bike for everyday use, but you also want to use it in some road trips. You will be riding with friends that ride sport or sport-touring motorcycles and you have some experience but you are far from being an expert. You can spend at the most $4,000.00 dollars on the bike, a helmet, gloves and a riding jacket.
Your options? I would recommend a sport touring bike with an engine not bigger than 600cc (nor smaller than 400cc). Why?
-> You can ride it everyday, it's not too big a bike to handle (remember you are not an expert) but you can also take road trips (sport touring bikes are more comfortable for long rides than pure sport bikes) and be able to keep up with your friends that ride sport motorcycles. With your $4,000.00 budget you can easily find something good in the market.
With this in mind you can now spend some time surfing the net to see what the market has to offer you. Write down the different models you like.
NOTE: I know you will find only new motorcycles in these sites BUT remember, the goal at this moment is only to get an idea of what makes and models could fit into your needs.
Done?
Ok, time to check prices.
Now you know about models and prices. Try to narrow your options to just a few. I would say three maximum. Consider the pros and cons of each option. Then go back to the Net, visit some shops and ask friends. The idea is to learn as much as you can about the specific model(s) you have chosen.
Ready?
Well, now you are ready to go out and look for that used motorcycle for sale.
Where to look for it?
The newspaper, bulletin boards, classified adds, E-Bay, shops, friends. You never know where the good opportunity is going to come from. Keep your eyes open!
By the way, it doesn't matter where you find the used motorcycle you want, never forget to formalize your transaction. For this purpose, you can use this free Motorcycle Bill of Sale.
4.- Used Motorcycle For Sale Guide --> Inspecting the bike.
I am not going to explain every detail of how to inspect a bike because I found a site that explains almost everything you have to know when inspecting a motorcycle. The address is: http://www.clarity.net/adam/buying-bike.html .
The author has invested countless hours of good work in this document and it’s definitely the best I have found in the Net. You won't regret
taking a good look at it. If you are serious about buying a used
motorcycle for sale, this one is a must read!
I personally use the checklist every time I inspect a motorcycle for me or
a friend.
5.- Used Motorcycle For Sale Guide --> After buying the bike.
Replace any part that could compromise your safety and make a
preventive maintenance service to your new motorcycle. (You can buy every motorcycle part you will ever need at Bike Bandit. Easier than
buying books at Amazon! Just click here.)
You may also need or want a repair manual. Knowing how to do simple things to your motorcycle can save you virtually hundreds of dollars!