How to Buy a Used Bike Like a Pro
Buying a used motorcycle can be stressful, especially if you are new to biking and don’t have lots of experience with bikes in general. When it comes to shopping for a bike, it helps to have some knowledge beforehand to ensure you get the bike that suits your preferred type of ride and avoid making a poor choice. This makes sense especially if you want to buy more expensive bike such as moto BMW.
This post will help you go about buying a bike like a pro:
Research the Market
First, do a search for all bikes available in your area. Check what they are listed for, their conditions, and any extras they might come with. Observe how the prices stack up against the one you want to buy. If your preferred bike has a high price, you now have the ammunition you can use for negotiations. If it is low, you have found a great deal; however, the bike may have some hidden issues that explain the low price. You can even dig deeper by joining internet forums for owners of the same bike model you are considering.
Get the Motorcycle History Report
Today, used cars are often bought with this type of vehicle history report to accompany the transaction. As you pull the report, the provider will run a detailed search for the bike’s history according to its VIN number. The report may provide you information such as disclosed damage, odometre reading, VIN decoding, damaged or salvaged titles, multi-state searches, stolen titles, and more. You can ask the seller for the VIN so you can run a history report.
Consider the Mileage
High miles indicate lots of wear on the bike; however, they are not the only sign that matters. Some motorcycles are made to rack up miles and when taken care of properly, they tend to run well for a lot more. But, others are made to deliver high performance for a short amount of time including sportbikes, dual sports, dirt bikes, and others.
Aside from the number of miles the bike has, you must also be aware of how these miles compare within similar bikes. This will provide you with a feel for how riders use the bike and how it falls in the spectrum. Ask also about how the miles got there. Keep in mind that winding a motorcycle out on the track or hard miles off-road will wear the powertrain out a lot faster than easily miles that cruise interstates.