Buying It Used - Let The Buyer Beware!May 16 '04 (Updated Jun 10 '07) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Always consider a reputable dealership for a used motorcycle.
Beware! The one thing that everybody tells you when you are buying a used motorcycle is: "Let the buyer beware!" And having spent way too much time going through the want ads kissing frogs and only getting warts, there is another way to make it through midlife crisis on a budget - try a dealer. "Oh no," you might say, "those guys get top dollar and I ca not afford that." But maybe, just maybe, it might be cheaper in the long run. Myself, I have bought most of my motorcycles through the want ads. So far, I have been pretty lucky. I have gotten some real tell the story around the campfire deals. But I have also gotten some that I am not too proud of. There have been ones where the seller knew and pointed out problems, and ones where neither one of us knew of hidden problems. And each time those problems haunted me in the end. A Friend In Need Most of my latest motorcycles came from friends who just wanted the cash dealers had offered them for trade-in on their dream machines. We both got fair deals, and are still friends. I got those bikes for well under their retail market values, but I have not gotten too many offers like that since. And even my closest friends are not as good of mechanics as those certified by the manufacturer. Another friend of mine picked one up from a midlife crisis seller whose wife would not let him keep it. He only wanted what he owed on it. You have to look real close to find those. What Does The Seller Really Want? The guy running a want ad in the Sunday paper usually needs only two things; his invested money back, and to get that thing out of his garage. He hopes beyond hope to never see or hear from the likes of it or you again. I have sold motorcycles that way myself, and that is usually all that I really wanted. The price will be "around fair" enough so that you will not come back with your lawyer or a buddy named "Tiny" (who played fullback in high school and never actually graduated), but high enough to cover my seller's ego. Fast cash is normally the word of the day (bring $100 dollar bills straight out of the Yuppie food stamp ATM machine), and the title will already have been notarized. Yes, that "fair" price is low. The cost of everything that needs to be fixed or replaced has been subtracted from the market value, and then 20% added back on (hey, who wants to give the free enterprise system a bad name) to make wasting a weekend by the telephone worthwhile. So the bottom line is that it more than likely it will be an "around fair" price, and there will only be a short list of things to cover before heading out on the next Iron Butt endurance run. Or there could also be some things that nobody knew about that will cost you the three summer months with your motorcycle in the shop, and the remainder of your disposable income or Discover Card credit limit. Either way, you will get what you pay for, and pay for what you get. The Other Option is to Buy From A Dealer And now for the shocker. I bought my latest motorcycle from a dealer and left the want ads to those who wanted to gamble with their two wheeled future. A dealer does have some disadvantages that a want ad seller does not have. The first one is that most people think that he is going to actually ask what the bike is worth. Imagine that, trying to stay in business by selling things for their market price. The guy reading the want ads is looking for desperation and does not expect to find it in a dealer's showroom. The dealer's reputation is on the line too. Should word get out that he sells overpriced junk, it will kill him in all his other markets. The public will stay away in droves from his new bikes, service, parts and accessories. If it is a newer dealership the stain will take more than box of Tide to wash it away. An established dealer will have already learned just how valuable his reputation is to his continued existence. Along with that are the "L" words: liability and lawyers. All he has to do is miss some serious problem (that you would deal with from a private seller) that ends up putting a buyer under a Greyhound bus, and a surviving spouse might just show up with her lawyer to discuss liability. OK, he might win in court, but do you really think that a couple hundred dollars in revenue are worth losing his business? Myself, I doubt it. So the dealer has got to be sure that he is selling what he says you are buying. Dealers have advantages that want ad sellers do not have. Normally, they have taken the bike in as a down payment on someone's newest love. There is no history of love / hate history to deal with, so it is a business transaction and not an ego boost. Unless the dealer is in dire fiscal straits, he does not have to worry about a significant other being on their case about that darn motorcycle in the garage. The 27 square feet of floor space a motorcycle takes up is nothing compared to an individual seller having to sleep on the couch until that thing is out of the garage! What about the hidden problems, you ask? Concerns over the "L" words and reputation are strong incentives for a dealer to run a used bike through his service department. This is a lot different from when you or I wash and wax one we are selling. They can do a lot more than make sure there are no leaks or bald tires. That mechanic can check all the things that everybody knows, all the things that are in the real shop manual, and check all the past service notices put out by the manufacturer. Any parts or supplies needed he can get easier and cheaper than you or I, and he might even already have all of them in stock. And to make things even easier, I will bet the service department is air-conditioned in the summer and heated in the winter. If that is not enough, think how much better job the mechanic can do in a really clean shop with a lift! He might even have the correct tools to fix whatever is wrong with a trade-in. In their case, a real certified mechanic has used his years of experience and training to assure the boss that this bike won’t show up again surrounded by a bunch of angry lawyers – all shouting the other "L" word. It is not worth it to keep fixing something that is in the way of new bike deliveries. And no dealer wants a pool of crankcase oil on his showroom floor either. Any Reputable Dealer Will Do Do not be surprised to find used bikes of another brand at any local dealership. There are only a couple of manufacturers who can claim a high level of brand loyalty, and you might find an impressive deal on what he considers a Brand X, so he can show new bike customers that he believes his new stuff is better. It is a feather in his cap to show that buyers will switch to his brand. You could get a cleaner bike because he wants to say, "Look what happened when this guy saw our bike," to the new bike shopper. Along those same lines, I have known a lot of people who have decided three months later that they bought the wrong bike. That could be serious winner, if you can pick up the already had its first service mile-eater at a discount. Do not be surprised if you find a bunch of options and accessories that would cost a bundle if bought new. A Warranty? Remember how I said that businesses do not like the "L" words? Some dealerships will even give a short warranty even with a used bike. That would go along with any transferable warranties the original manufacturer might have offered. If you do not own a parts distributorship yourself, that warranty might be worth a lot of money in the long run. Not all dealers will offer a warranty, but fewer want ad sellers will offer more than as-is where-is. And if you do not own that parts distributorship, you might keep in mind that chances are you will have to go to that dealer for tire changes, and all the other hard bits to make it down the road. If you plan on making your own parts (no, I do not want to know how you plan to do that), he will be handy for riding gear like helmets and leathers. What do you bet that the local neighborhood dealer will be easier to get along with if you bought your bike from him? He would be crazy not to at least be nice to you in the future. He might not hand out a bunch of discounts, but at least smile at you when you come in the door. You might even get a free cup of coffee with your KuryAkyn Hyper Charger intake breather. Another nice thing about buying from a dealership is that he has a better chance to make his bikes exactly what you wanted. Look behind the bikes to the accessories hanging on the wall. If all it will take to make the sale is to also sell you an installed whitewall tire, my bet is that he will cover your request in record time. Most dealers can also save you from having to spend your first day with the new motorcycle standing in line at the DMV. Check it out, your friendly neighborhood dealer might be able to handle all that title and tag stuff for you. Than means you write the check, sign here and here, then head for open road. While I am sure that the DMV employees are very nice people at home, all the double checking of forms they require of you sure makes you yearn for a footpeg-dragging mountain pass. How much is that worth to you? He might be able to help out with financing and insurance, if you are not independently wealthy (and if you are, why are you looking at used bikes anyway?). Dealers might even be able to help you find the correct riders training class for your experience level. That one thing could save you insurance premium dollars today and repair or medical costs in the future. So what kind of person should think about checking the dealers for a new-to-you bike? I would say just about any kind. If there is any doubt whatsoever in your mind as to the rideability, safety, or reliability of the deals in the want ads, you could be dollars ahead to at least double check with a reputable dealer. Think about it, you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain. You should only beware of the unknown.  |
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