6 Tips for Inspections and Test Drives When Selling Your Motorcycle
Getting more money for your motorcycle comes down to creating a great listing, strategic marketing, and providing a positive sales experience for the shopper. When you list your bike, you may need to prepare to meet the shopper in person so they can see if it’s the right fit for them. Cycle Trader has put together these six tips for inspections and test drives when selling your motorcycle to help you manage inquiries and handle this part of the transaction with confidence.
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1. Start with Motorcycle Maintenance
Before the inspection and test drive, clean your bike and take care of its maintenance needs, make repairs, and find replacement parts. Focus on the big components that shoppers will immediately ask about, like the engine, but don’t overlook cosmetics and smaller parts like lights, signals, and brakes. A simple motorcycle wash can make a big difference and a positive first impression. Have your maintenance records in hand and ready when you do meet the shopper in person, including service history and documentation of repairs.
2. Set a Safe and Suitable Meeting Space
When it’s time to schedule an inspection and test drive, make sure it’s in a safe public place for meeting, like an empty parking lot with more room to drive around, preferably near open roads to ride. Try not to hold the meeting at home or a private space. If you can, have someone you know join you during the sale. You need to prioritize your personal safety and ensure a safe ride when the shopper arrives for the test ride. While you’re at it, you can ask the shopper if they can provide a valid motorcycle driver’s license, which can be another way to verify their identity as a precaution.
3. Lead the Inspection
Know what to point out to the shopper when they perform a walk-around inspection of your bike. This way you can bring attention to your motorcycle’s best features to help with the sale, and point out any flaws that won’t catch the shopper off-guard and slow down or cause difficulty later on with the transaction. This is a good time to answer any questions they might have about individual components of your motorcycle, so be ready beforehand by making a list of things that might be brought up during the discussion regarding your specific bike model. This could be anything from the tires and brakes to the suspension and fluid levels.
4. Demonstrate a Start-Up and Warm-Up
Start up your motorcycle and get the engine going so the shopper can listen for any unusual sounds. Then, let it warm up for a moment before the test drive. This helps the potential buyer get a better idea of how the bike performs from a cold start. This will also help ensure it moves smoothly when they take it out on the road for a test drive. Or, if it’s extremely hot or cold outside, this can prevent the bike from overheating too quickly or damaging parts.
5. Encourage a Thorough Test Drive
Make sure the rider is comfortable and gets a feel for the bike before they set off on the test ride. They’ll need to position themself on the saddle and familiarize themself with the controls, ensure they can support their height and the weight on the bike, make sure the handlebars are within a comfortable distance, and make sure their feet can comfortably reach the ground to stabilize the bike.
This is the time to see how experienced they are riding so you know your motorcycle is going to the right buyer and they’re safe during the test drive. Set a route with road expectations that you’re familiar with. You can start with smaller runs in a parking lot, and then move up to a public road or highway. This is their chance to get acquainted with your bike’s handling and performance, especially with acceleration, cornering, and braking. If you have a second bike, join them for the ride.
6. Follow Up With the Shopper
The rider and potential buyer will likely have more questions immediately after the test drive and in the following days. Be open to answering them in a timely manner and keep communication open to eliminate any hesitation when buying. After a couple of days, send a follow up email if you haven’t heard from them to check and to lead them towards an offer for your bike. If it comes down to it, use the best negotiation tactics for landing a firm price so you can ensure you’re getting more value for your motorcycle.
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Scheduling an inspection and test drive with shoppers is part of the transaction, and it can improve your chances of landing a sale if you’ve kept your bike in good condition. Keep this list of tips on you so you’re ready to answer questions and so you can plan a safe and smooth test drive. To reach buyers nationwide, list your motorcycle today when you visit CycleTrader.com/Sell.
Ryan Miller
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