Alright, so I decided it was time to sell my motorcycle. Wasn’t riding it much anymore, you know? Just sitting there collecting dust, mostly. Felt like it deserved to be out on the road. So, the first job was getting it looking presentable again.
Spent a good chunk of a Saturday cleaning it up. Like, really getting into the nooks and crannies. Polished the chrome bits till they shone, scrubbed the wheels clean, degreased the engine area, the whole nine yards. Wanted it to look its absolute best for potential buyers, obviously. You gotta make a good first impression. Then I dug through my files and gathered all the important paperwork – the actual title (the most important piece!), any maintenance records I’d bothered to keep, and the owner’s manual. Had to make sure I had everything lined up and ready to go.
Figuring Out What to Ask
Pricing was honestly a bit of guesswork. I hopped online and spent some time looking at what similar bikes were going for. You know, same make, model, roughly the same year and mileage, and in similar condition. Checked a few different websites where people sell vehicles. Didn’t want to ask something crazy high and scare everyone off, but also didn’t want to cheat myself. I landed on a number I felt was fair, maybe listed it just a tiny bit higher than my bottom line, just so I had some room to negotiate if needed. Everyone likes to feel they got a bit of a deal, right?
Next step, getting the word out. Took some decent photos after I’d cleaned it up real good – snapped pictures from all angles, got some close-ups of the engine, the tires, the odometer showing the mileage, and even any little cosmetic flaws like scratches. Figured it was best to be upfront and honest about the condition. Wrote up a simple, straight-to-the-point description: year, make, model, exact mileage, any recent work I’d done (like new tires or oil change), and my asking price. I put the ad up on a couple of those popular online marketplace sites people use for this stuff, and also posted it on a local riders’ forum I sometimes visit.
The Fun Part: Dealing With People
Okay, so once the ad was live, my phone started buzzing. Brace yourself for the messages and calls if you do this. Got a whole bunch. Lots of questions, some were perfectly reasonable, some… well, let’s just say some were pretty dumb or lazy. You always get the immediate lowballers, the “What’s your absolute lowest price?” texts before they’ve even seen the bike or asked anything else. Learned pretty quick to just ignore most of those. Had to sift through all that noise to find the folks who actually sounded serious and genuinely interested.
- Tried to answer the real questions pretty quickly.
- Scheduled times for people to come see it in person.
- Always made sure someone else was home with me when strangers came over, just for safety. You never know.
Had a few guys come by to take a look. They walked around it, kicked the tires (why do people do that?), asked some of the same questions I’d already answered in the ad. It’s just part of the process, I guess. You gotta have some patience.
Talked about test rides too. Now, that’s always a bit nerve-wracking. My personal rule was simple and firm: cash for the full asking price in my hand before you even think about riding it. Plus, I needed to see their valid motorcycle license endorsement. No cash, no license, no ride. Simple as that. Some guys didn’t like it, one guy even walked away because of it, but tough luck. It’s the only way I felt comfortable protecting myself and my property. Don’t need someone crashing my bike or deciding they like it so much they just keep riding.
Eventually, a guy came by who seemed pretty serious. He looked it over carefully, asked good questions. He had the cash and the license, so after I held onto the money, he took it for a short spin around the block. Came back with a big grin. Then we started talking price. He pointed out a tiny nick on the tank I’d already disclosed in the ad. Fair enough. He made an offer a little lower than my asking price. I kind of expected that. We haggled just a little bit, back and forth maybe twice. Nothing dramatic. We settled on a final price that we both felt was fair. Didn’t quite get my top asking price, but I got a good solid amount I was happy with.
Sealing the Deal and Paperwork
Alright, price agreed upon. He had the cash ready, I counted it carefully right there. Then came the crucial part: the paperwork. You absolutely have to get this right.
- We both filled out and signed the back of the title, transferring ownership over to him.
- I had printed out a basic Bill of Sale form beforehand. Just included the date, the final sale price, the bike’s VIN number, make/model/year, his full name and address, my name and address, and stated it was sold ‘as-is’. We both signed two copies – one for his records, one for mine.
- Once the money was counted and the papers were signed, I handed him the keys, the signed title, the owner’s manual, and the extra key I had.
We shook hands, he seemed really pleased. Watched him ride off down the street on his new-to-him motorcycle. Felt a little strange seeing it go, honestly, had some good memories with that bike. But mostly felt relieved that the process was done and it went smoothly.
But wait, the job wasn’t quite finished yet! First thing the next business day, I called my insurance company to cancel the insurance policy on that specific bike. No reason to keep paying for coverage on something I didn’t own anymore. I also went online to the state DMV website and submitted the ‘release of liability’ form. This is super important – it tells the state I sold the bike and on what date, so if the new owner gets tickets or anything before they officially register it in their name, it doesn’t come back on me.
And that was pretty much the whole adventure. Selling a motorcycle definitely takes some effort. The cleaning, taking good pictures, writing the ad, fielding all the calls and messages, dealing with looky-loos, handling the test ride situation carefully, and getting the paperwork right. But it wasn’t overly complicated. Just required being organized, careful, and having a bit of patience. Glad it’s done and the bike went to someone who seemed like they’ll enjoy it.
