The time has come for me to sell, seeking advice.

[the Ferret]

Pretty slick looking 4 wheeler Stichill. Congrats!

[Stichill_imp]

Appreciate it, guys! We’re all gear heads so I figured you guys’d enjoy seeing it. You’re right, GO, it’s a pretty good consolation ride if you can’t get upright on two wheels.

[Gone in 60]

Maybe it’s because I worked in advertising for many years, but any car or motorcycle that I have listed for sale has sold within days of my listing be it Craig’s or EBay. I surf Craig’s for bikes regularly and cringe at half the ads I see.

I think much of it depends on good photos. When I sold my BMW to buy the CB there was a same year R1200R that had been listed for much less than my asking price for 45 days. Mine sold in one day, and the buyer said the photos sold the bike. Here’s what has worked for me:

Select a good, neutral place to stage your photos. I like to use a park. It shows that I took more effort to take good pictures than just snapping them in my dark garage, without being dramatic (beach, mountains, etc) or like I selected pictures from one of my rides. I’m being clinical to show potential buyers the details of my bike.

I usually shoot in the evening so bright sun doesn’t wash out details, and stand so that I’m not reflected in the pictures.

Make sure the bike is as clean as you can get it. Don’t wash it then take pictures of it wet or sitting on a wet surface. This would suggest that it’s normally abused and dirty, but I washed it to take these photos.

I don’t take beauty shots, I take shots that show as much detail to the buyer and to show the condition of areas of my bike that might be trouble spots. Take full shots of the bike from a low angle.

Full shot of each side, one each. I don’t need to see the same four pictures of the right side. Full front, full rear. Put a piece of neutral color tape over your license number if you wish. Covering the plate with your hand or a rag suggests you were in a rush to get some quick snaps.

Shot of the instrument panel with gauges lit and functioning. Shot of the seat off showing cleanliness of the underseat area and wiring.

Shots of any areas that could be subject to abuse or wear, like the seat, header pipes, muffler, and shot of the tank from above.

I don’t take pics of every farkle on the bike. I realize that if my bike has several modifications, it won’t appeal to as large an audience. You may not like all of my decisions about what would make the perfect version of this model. I’ll let you decide once you’re in the driveway and are already falling in love with it.

The description is also key. Keep it neutral. Don’t tell me a story about how, after several years, you have made the difficult decision to sell your baby. Or how you’ve taken so many memorable trips on it.

Describe the condition accurately but without flourishing. If it’s in perfect condition say so but don’t elaborate.

List aftermarket additions briefly without saying how they make it a better machine for you personally. I don’t care that you added risers because you could’nt reach the bars or that the seat was hard for you so you replaced it.

Brand of tire and approximate mileage unless they are worn or old. Don’t wave me off at this point about potential costs I’ll need to put in before I even see it. Tell me when I get there and am falling in love with it.

Point out rare oem additions this bike may have like a center stand, tool kit, etc.

Here’s a little hook I like to use. If you have two of something like a factory exhaust and an aftermarket , two seats, etc, I’ll say “buyer gets both if sold at asking price.” Added parts become bargaining chips you can use during negotiation.

Remember, the first impression is key. Someone standing in your driveway to look at your bike made the effort to come to you to see it. It will have a veneer of perfection for a few minutes while you start talking. Anything glaring will shake that veneer quickly like oil leaks, dirt and grease, etc.

If the bike runs well, I have the buyer put a hand on the engine to show it’s cold, and that I haven’t pre-warmed a cantankerous machine before he got there. Let the buyer hit the button and hear a cold start.

Good luck, and hope this helps. If you like, I can send a link to my recent BMW ad I described.

[2017EX_imp]

As we get older things change, so we change and adapt accordingly. I had a Harley as one of those "I always wanted to" things, but the weight got cumbersome, which prompted the trade in for the CB1100EX. Now I am seriously considering adding a Monkey, so that when the time comes to step away from a full size motorcycle, I can still enjoy the feel of going anywhere but the freeway, on two wheels. If that thought appeals to you Guth, maybe trade the Hawk on a Monkey?

As to selling outright, I have been somewhat handicapped in that area, because I was in law enforcement for 30 years. The notion that someone I arrested might show up at my home in response to a for sale ad, was not appealing. I have grudgingly sold a few things on Craigs List, but always had the item on my front porch for inspection before the potential buyer arrived, so that everything else in my garage was out of sight. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and you just dont know who is going to show up in answer to an ad.

I do sell miscellaneous stuff I dont need on EBay from time to time. Basically, EBay will charge $125, plus smaller listing fees ( varies by what listing options are chosen ), on Power Sports selling for over $2000. Years ago, I sold a classic sports car that I had restored through the National edition of Auto Trader magazine. The listing was inexpensive, nationwide exposure, and the guy that bought it sent a car hauler to pick it up. He paid with cashiers check mailed certified to me, and I mailed the title certified to him when it cleared my bank. So, there is the National edition of Cycle Trader. I think, all things considered, if I were going to sell a motorcycle outright, the first thing I would investigate would be a consignment sale with a local Honda dealer, or pre owned motorcycle dealer. If a dealers cut on the sale was reasonable, the bike was fully dealer insured while on his/her showroom floor, and I did not have to mess with the potential down side of selling it myself, I think that is the way I would go.

[Guth_imp]

Hey guys, I ended up selling the Hawk last year via the Hawk GT Forum. It was spoken for in one day and at my full asking price which was on the higher end as far as Hawks go but very fair for condition of the bike. I had more than one person interested but the first to contact me was a great guy from Idaho whose wife already owned a Hawk GT so now they have his & hers Hawks which is pretty cool. They drove out to Portland to pick up the Hawk and then took turns riding it back to Idaho. I was really glad to see it go to a good home and they even sent me a few photos of the bike in it's new surroundings after getting it back home.

Gone In 60, I spent many years working in marketing communications. I had approached the sale of the Hawk along with the photos used in my ad much as you described. My Hawk was in great shape and essentially a turnkey purchase so it pretty much sold itself.

Stichill, congratulations on the Fiat purchase. Being an ATGATT guy myself, I also enjoy the aspect of roadster ownership that you've mentioned amongst other things. Between the riding and the driving I find that the two experiences compliment each other nicely.

[Gone in 60]

Good point about protecting your property. I’ve usually arranged for people to meet at my office for car and motorcycle sales. And taking photos in a public place means you can’t see my personal stuff in the ad.

One of the cringe worthy types of photos in a Craig’s ad is the garage shot that shows me your tool boxes, nice car and other stuff before I even call for an appointment.

To his credit, the guy who sold me the CB had the bike in his driveway with the garage door closed. Once we started talking and he felt disarmed a bit, he opened the garage to show me the clean condition the bike had been stored in, and the extras, like tool kit, manuals, etc.

I also ship any Craig’s or EBay items from my office address to avoid divulging personal info.

[Houtman_imp]

Maybe it’s because I worked in advertising for many years, but any car or motorcycle that I have listed for sale has sold within days of my listing be it Craig’s or EBay. I surf Craig’s for bikes regularly and cringe at half the ads I see.

I think much of it depends on good photos. When I sold my BMW to buy the CB there was a same year R1200R that had been listed for much less than my asking price for 45 days. Mine sold in one day, and the buyer said the photos sold the bike. Here’s what has worked for me:

Select a good, neutral place to stage your photos. I like to use a park. It shows that I took more effort to take good pictures than just snapping them in my dark garage, without being dramatic (beach, mountains, etc) or like I selected pictures from one of my rides. I’m being clinical to show potential buyers the details of my bike.

I usually shoot in the evening so bright sun doesn’t wash out details, and stand so that I’m not reflected in the pictures.

Make sure the bike is as clean as you can get it. Don’t wash it then take pictures of it wet or sitting on a wet surface. This would suggest that it’s normally abused and dirty, but I washed it to take these photos.

I don’t take beauty shots, I take shots that show as much detail to the buyer and to show the condition of areas of my bike that might be trouble spots. Take full shots of the bike from a low angle.

Full shot of each side, one each. I don’t need to see the same four pictures of the right side. Full front, full rear. Put a piece of neutral color tape over your license number if you wish. Covering the plate with your hand or a rag suggests you were in a rush to get some quick snaps.

Shot of the instrument panel with gauges lit and functioning. Shot of the seat off showing cleanliness of the underseat area and wiring.

Shots of any areas that could be subject to abuse or wear, like the seat, header pipes, muffler, and shot of the tank from above.

I don’t take pics of every farkle on the bike. I realize that if my bike has several modifications, it won’t appeal to as large an audience. You may not like all of my decisions about what would make the perfect version of this model. I’ll let you decide once you’re in the driveway and are already falling in love with it.

The description is also key. Keep it neutral. Don’t tell me a story about how, after several years, you have made the difficult decision to sell your baby. Or how you’ve taken so many memorable trips on it.

Describe the condition accurately but without flourishing. If it’s in perfect condition say so but don’t elaborate.

List aftermarket additions briefly without saying how they make it a better machine for you personally. I don’t care that you added risers because you could’nt reach the bars or that the seat was hard for you so you replaced it.

Brand of tire and approximate mileage unless they are worn or old. Don’t wave me off at this point about potential costs I’ll need to put in before I even see it. Tell me when I get there and am falling in love with it.

Point out rare oem additions this bike may have like a center stand, tool kit, etc.

Here’s a little hook I like to use. If you have two of something like a factory exhaust and an aftermarket , two seats, etc, I’ll say “buyer gets both if sold at asking price.” Added parts become bargaining chips you can use during negotiation.

Remember, the first impression is key. Someone standing in your driveway to look at your bike made the effort to come to you to see it. It will have a veneer of perfection for a few minutes while you start talking. Anything glaring will shake that veneer quickly like oil leaks, dirt and grease, etc.

If the bike runs well, I have the buyer put a hand on the engine to show it’s cold, and that I haven’t pre-warmed a cantankerous machine before he got there. Let the buyer hit the button and hear a cold start.

Good luck, and hope this helps. If you like, I can send a link to my recent BMW ad I described.

This is exactly how I sold many of my bikes very quickly , great advise for sellers.

[Gone in 60]

I’m a bit jealous of your fun cars.. my wife isn’t a convertible person, my last was a ‘90 Mustang “7-UP” edition. I currently have a Fiesta ST, which was the closest thing to a motorcycle with a roof and doors that I could find. Also fun on track days.

[pekingduck]

When I sell anything on Craigslist, I have them meet at the local Starbucks, even listing the address in the ad so they can check it out beforehand. Sold some bicycles lately, and as it happened, all three buyers were women who appreciated meeting at a neutral safe place. Same with the last motorcycle I sold.

[Nortoon_imp]

Beautiful cars!

Two years ago I posted a reply on this thread. I had just traded in my CB500XA on a CB1100 EX two months before. I was happy with my new purchase and rode almost 11,000 kilometers that year.

Last year we had a long winter, a very wet and cold spring, and a blistering hot summer. We also moved to a new house, so I only managed to ride 4400 kilometers.

This year the winter was even longer, spring colder and wetter, and July is already blistering hot. I have only managed 4 rides to date totaling 850 kilometers.

My last ride on Tuesday was cool in the morning so I wore my leather jacket. In the afternoon is was so hot I stuffed it in my top box. It was a pleasant drive home wearing a T-shirt instead of that heavy jacket.

Despite the mild sun burn on my neck and arms, I hate ATGATT. Wearing all this clunky clothing: ear plugs, helmet, leather jacket, gloves, jeans and boots; when everyone else is wearing t-shirts, shorts and running shoes is really annoying. When I stop for breakfast, lunch, or an afternoon snack I have to peel half of it off, then struggle to put it all back on to ride.

This is even more cumbersome when I want to go fishing, as I have to wear a small back pack for my rod, reel and tackle. Although I took very little fishing gear with me, my back has been sore for the past two days.

I remember my red Rabbit convertible. No clunky clothes required. No wind blast or ear plugs required. Able to explore unpaved roads where the best fishing spots are. A trunk and fold down seat for my fishing rods and tackle. A heater if it’s cool, a roof if it rains. A radio if I want to listen to some tunes.

Maybe it’s time for a change.