Buying from dealers is usually safer, because the good ones offer a warranty, quality control and after sales service. However I find their discount to the new price is often fairly small compared to the hit you accept (being second/third owner, miles on the clock, years on the road, older spec , wear and tear etc.). It often seems a better bet to pay a bit more and have the latest model, technology etc.
Often I feel the spread (i.e. the difference between what the private seller ends up with in his hands and what you the buyer pay) eats up the lion’s share of the benefit of buying pre-owned.
However we can’t all afford buying new , so I was wondering what LB’ers experiences are in terms of dealer buying: new vs. second hand and dealer buying pre-owned vs. buying directly through web adverts.
What are the best websites to find reliable pre-owned bikes? Any caveats, or dos and don’ts?
Well being in the “flush” zone i never had to buy someone elses old socks so only ever bought new and on my 3rd bike but when looking for dealers i found the online bike trader to be a good source but it depends on the type of machine ON YER BIKE in aylesbury have a massive selection of used sports bikes from gixxers to CBRs and also carry a large stock of Ducs a few MVs and bennelis but if your after summin else i cant really help ya
The last two bikes I bought were a Gixxer 750 K3 with 160 miles on the clock for £ 4,500 and a K4 1000 brand new just as the K5 came out for £ 6000. That was in Sep 04 and I have been offered £ 5000 now for it for a K6, and keep the WP shock and PVM master cylinder for myself to sell later if I want to. I also had a Ducati Monster S4 which I bought brand new and unregistered for £ 5000 because it had been in store for 2 years
All from good reputable dealers (Infinity, Wheelpower, On Yer Bike and Steve Jordan) with full service back up etc.
Irrespective of being flush or not, I object to throwing money away and could not care two hoots about the latest model. I am not good enough for the bikes anyway to max their ability.
Having lost, on paper, £ 40,000 of my own cash on a new car in 4 years, I now no longer see why should I cover the depreciation for someone else.
I’ve found biketrader.com to be the best source for pricing bikes as you can get an idea of how local prices compare nationaly etc. Check them against parkers and you should be able to work out the good deals and run from here.
I thought I would never by new but this year I forked out for a my first new bike. I am pretty sure I got the best price I could for it after lots of research and phoning about dealers for quotes and price comparisons - bit by bit the price came down until i got the best deal i could. As it was new I sussed my local dealer for servicing (he didnt have the right colour or best price) and ended up getting the bike from another dealer in the city. I am still happy with the results and price I got it for - today its my dream bike so i intend on keeping it a good couple of years and happy to loose money on it for the pleasure.
When buying new - negotiate as hard as possible with as many dealers as possible to get the price as sharp as possible - try not to close any doors as you may need to reopen them again if a deal falls through. When selling try to sell privately in order to get a better price. I sold my last bike on www.thegumtree.com and was lucky to get it out in a few days - its free.
Well some of us arent in the flush catagory, and have to look towards the used sections, but dont let that put you off. For instance i bought in December last year a 1998 fazer fzs 600 with 48000 miles on the clock. Motoden in Shoreditch wanted £1950.00 for the bike, i got them down to £1500.00. Bargain!! the bike has only 2 owners from new, fysh, and is in great condition for the year. I know most people wont want a bike that is 8 years old, you can still get a 3 year old bike for good money, why not let someone else take the depreciation?
I personally like to buy my bikes through a dealer, however i would possibly buy privately but you do have to take into consideration warranty, and aftersales.
I always have a look on biketrader to see whats around, cos you always get a mixture of dealer and private sales.
, so I was wondering what LB’ers experiences are in terms of dealer buying: new vs. second hand and dealer buying pre-owned vs. buying directly through web adverts.