Advice on selling a motorcycle?

[fiddle mike]

I have a 2007 Yamaha XV250 Virago I want to sell.  I've not done any investigation, but it seems I've heard rumors of a lot of swindlers on eBay, Craig's List and even VRCC Classifieds. If anyone has bought or sold a vehicle online,  lately, I'd appreciate any tips.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

Best advice I could give ....The bike goes nowhere till you have CA$H in hand 

[Jess Tolbirt]

you want to test ride my bike? cash in hand first and if it comes back dented you bought it,,,if you stay gone more than 10 minutes, you bought it,,,sorta like that,,,
i have sold a lot on ebay and craigslist and so far never had a problem,,,but you also need to know if it looks like a scam then pass on it,,,

[Dougger]

I have sold several bikes and bought a couple on Cycletrader.com
Just sold a car on Craigslist. Had a couple of scammer, but were able to pick them out.

[Bodale]

I am selling my 2006 Honda Shadow Spirit 750 and I have only posted on Facebook (Hoping by word-of-mouth one of my friends would help sell it for me). I have posted two flyers (One at the bike shop that mounted my wheels for my new Valk and one at the Downtown Grill as I bought this bike from the owners brother, Greg and Wayne Smith). I have steered clear of E-Bay and Craigslist for the same reasons you haven't used them. I don't want to be scammed. Good Luck selling your bike.

[Kylenav]

I got jerked around for about 2 weeks on ebay selling my 750 shadow a while back.  First this guy wanted to have his friend come look at my bike.  Said he was overseas for some reason.  His buddy came and left with no real reaction.  Then the guy said he wanted it and wanted me to hold it for a week.  Then all of a sudden there was my exact same E-Bay add for my bike, only I wasn't the seller.  Dude came and got my VIN, and re-listed the bike.  Guess they planned on stealing it???? Dunno, I reported it and held on to it for a couple weeks and eventually sold it in the newspaper.  SSOOOO.....  Be weary of somebody who doesn't seem real interested.  Ask him a couple questions about the bike that he would have to be interested in to know.  Like for the valk maybe say it's an 1800 flat six and see if he picks up on it.  Just an idea.

Do exactly what has been suggested.  DO NOT let anyone take the bike for a ride until you have the payment in hand.  Guy who eventually bought my bike understood completely and had me sign a sheet of paper stating if the bike wasn't in perfect working order I'd give the money back, and if it came back with a scratch he owned it.  Fair enough, he rode it home 5 min. later.

Only take cash.  If they are going to be paying with a loan from the bank then call the bank and verify the check is indeed real.  Buddy of mine got burned with a fake certified check...  Any bank for any check is willing to tell you if the funds are available.  I've called a few banks before selling odds and ends.  They'll be more than happy to verify the funds and then go straight to the bank and cash it.

On E-bay you can stop the transaction at any point, for any reason as the seller.  If something sounds too good to be true, it is.  Walk away.

IMO craigslist is a little safer.  It's not world wide, you have to select a city and state and it will only show you that location.  Weens down the crazies a little bit.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I am selling my 2006 Honda Shadow Spirit 750 and I have only posted on Facebook (Hoping by word-of-mouth one of my friends would help sell it for me). I have posted two flyers (One at the bike shop that mounted my wheels for my new Valk and one at the Downtown Grill as I bought this bike from the owners brother, Greg and Wayne Smith). I have steered clear of E-Bay and Craigslist for the same reasons you haven't used them. I don't want to be scammed. Good Luck selling your bike.

Frog sold his bike 

[Jess from VA]

Sold two bikes on Craigslist year before last, one by one, in two weeks.

Clean it up, take some good beauty pics (and a separate pic of any extra parts/seats/manual)(all pics must be in direct sunlight), make a good-informative add about the bike (great starter bike, low seat, easy clutch), use Cycletrader nationwide listings to see what they are going for.  Do a Google on your make and model and find a review or two on-line (hopefully good reviews), and add the links to your add.  Google U-tube for a video of a 250 virago, and add the link to the add.  The craigslist pics are way reduced in quality..... have more with better resolution to email on request.  

My experience is that it's better to set the price a few hundred high, and be willing to come down to your base price, rather than list your base price as 'firm.'  People feel better about getting something knocked off the asking price, and feel poorly about no dealing.... and you can get your bottom-line price either way.

They bring cash (money order) or the check clears before they get the bike and signed title.  Do a simple bill of sale, a copy for each, bike is "sold 'as-is' no warranty, express or implied."  No one gets to ride it unless they have a bike endorsement and you are really convinced of their skill (have a chase vehicle ready).  The better course is to offer to ride the bike for them to watch (do it skillfully), or follow you in their car, or take them on the back.  Run the bike for five minutes shortly before anybody shows up to see it.  

[Bodale]

Yes, I bought Frog's bike about a month ago. I have been friends with him for about 20 years and he is also my insurance agent. Frog and Wayne have given me lots of info about Valks.

[olddog1946]

I sold my Vulcan 1500 off craigslist.  took two whole days, for cash and 1000 bucks more than I paid for it..good pics help, as well as a reasonable price (check out what they are going for in the local area) and ask more than you are willing to take..although my bike wasn't new , it did look like new and ran great, so I priced it at the top of the scale...first guy to come check it out paid cash, no haggle at all...made me REAL happy...

[highcountry]

I just did a transaction on CL selling my FJR1300.  If you use CL, you will within the first day of posting get a couple of phone calls from brokers who are not supposed to call you.  Then, you will get a couple of emails from scammers who will ask a couple of questions and after you respond, tell you they will  buy your bike with PayPal and arrange for shipping.  When you tell them to call you, they go silent.  I changed my ad to say that I wouldn't respond to emails, just phone calls. 

Pay attention to the other advise here and be careful.

[BIG--T]

This is all excellent advice. The only thing I can add to it, if you're not really needing the cash and can sit on it, I'd wait to Spring Fever time to get the best price. I'm going to sell my VTX 1800 but gonna wait til then. I think being almost mid August most already have theirs. Just is just my opinion- not fact! Lol

[bigfish_Oh]

take money orders at your own risk, there are lots of fakes. Fifth Third for one, will not even cash a postal money order until it clears. There is never a need for a check or m.o. with strangers, they know they are coming and can cash it on the way. I don't even like to sell unless I can transfer title with them(not just notarize and sign, you're still the liable owner)

[Jess from VA]

One other thing is CL adds last a week.  Once completed and posted, copy/save it in case you need to re-post (and not start from scratch).

Transferring title with them is a good idea.... do not let them take your plate with them when they buy (unless you are in a State where the plate stays with the vehicle).

[MacDragon]

I sold one of my Aces on Craigslist... good experience.  Put up an informative ad stating all the add-ons... asked for $300 more than I would let it go for.  Put 2 nice pics up.  Wrote for interested party to leave a phone # by e-mail and we would talk on phone first.  Clean title in hand.  Cash and ride. Talked with a buyer same day and he came from an hour away with his wife and daughter to look at it. 
They liked it...Gave me $3700 cash... I signed over the title and gave a bill of sale.   I rode it to the gas station down the road and filled it with gas for him after he slapped his own plate on it for the ride home. (illegal)  His bike from then on.  Good transaction.  I immediately took it off Craigslist as soon as it was sold. 

[MNBill]

I just sold two trailers using Craigslist. I specified CASH ONLY and out of all the replys one was from overseas and it was obvoius. I think if they know you will not take money orders they leave you alone. Watch for fake postal money orders too, my friend has two for some products she sells online (smart enough not to get scammed tho).

[Mr Steve]

I just sold a Shadow on Craigslist yesterday.  Two people came to see it, first one too tall for the bike, second one bought it.  The snag, it was listed for a little over two weeks.  It seems actually getting people to move from e-mail to coming to see the bike is the difficult part, even if they claim they are on their way.

[bscrive]

When ever I sell any big ticket item like a bike or car I will only take cash.  With the new printers out there it is very easy to make fake bank drafts and money orders.  It is very easy to scan a real money order in and print it off with info changed on it.

[Jess from VA]

Two people came to see it, first one too tall for the bike

When I sold the wife's 20yo 250 center-control Honda trainer, the first guy showed up loved it and showed cash in minutes (he was dying to learn to ride).  But he was like 6'6" and I said, "dude, get on the bike."  It was sitting on the little OE centerstand, and once perched aboard he looked like a pretzel.... he could have probably hit his knees on the handlebars (if he worked at it).  "Much as I want to sell it, you need a taller/bigger bike."  He agreed......... so the next guy bought it.