Platbrak
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2007
- Messages
- 1,068
- Reaction score
- 3
- Location
- Pretoria, South Africa
- Bike
- Vespa (all models)
So when last have you sold, or bought, a bike?
I recently sold mine due to a change in work environment and storage is just not an option.
Firstly, if you are thinking about selling, you have to determine the price. Any reasonable price you have in mind, take that and subtract at least 15% and that is more or less the starting point. If you are a private seller, be ready to negotiate twice - first with the buyer and then with the financiers. Aah... the financiers :
. I could be wrong, but I got the impression that they are just not interested in private deals. They come back with their own price for the bike, without rhyme or reason, and that is it. Take it or leave it. They also don't understand different models and extras that came factory fitted. To them everything is an extra and they don't fund extras. My bike was evaluated, both trade and resale values given (without even considering the overall condition but that was generally speaking fair) and the financiers would barely stand good for the resale value.
Then there are the buyers. They will call you, show some interest, even make an appointment and then just won't honour it. But I guess business is tough. And there is no such thing as a cash buyer (except me :biggrin: ). Everybody has something else to sell first, mostly a Harley or something ridiculous, before they can commit but could you please keep the bike for them? But then, by some coincidence and in the most of roundabout ways, one person calls and really commits. Even takes the bike and start arranging finance without even having looked at it and is just the most pleasant of people to deal with (yeah for Mike :thumleft: :thumleft: ).
No matter how you view it, most assets are also a liability and once you reach the selling point you will find that it cost you more than you thought. Bikes are the same, if not worse. There is a cost of ownership which you have to keep track of to determine the real 'cost to company'. I managed to get away with about R2.00/km over a four year period which included everything - fuel, service, insurance, devaluation, everything. And then also the indeterminable factors like the pleasure of riding a bike. But if I didn't commute, it would have been a hard sell.
What was your experience?
Regards,
C
I recently sold mine due to a change in work environment and storage is just not an option.
Firstly, if you are thinking about selling, you have to determine the price. Any reasonable price you have in mind, take that and subtract at least 15% and that is more or less the starting point. If you are a private seller, be ready to negotiate twice - first with the buyer and then with the financiers. Aah... the financiers :
. I could be wrong, but I got the impression that they are just not interested in private deals. They come back with their own price for the bike, without rhyme or reason, and that is it. Take it or leave it. They also don't understand different models and extras that came factory fitted. To them everything is an extra and they don't fund extras. My bike was evaluated, both trade and resale values given (without even considering the overall condition but that was generally speaking fair) and the financiers would barely stand good for the resale value.Then there are the buyers. They will call you, show some interest, even make an appointment and then just won't honour it. But I guess business is tough. And there is no such thing as a cash buyer (except me :biggrin: ). Everybody has something else to sell first, mostly a Harley or something ridiculous, before they can commit but could you please keep the bike for them? But then, by some coincidence and in the most of roundabout ways, one person calls and really commits. Even takes the bike and start arranging finance without even having looked at it and is just the most pleasant of people to deal with (yeah for Mike :thumleft: :thumleft: ).
No matter how you view it, most assets are also a liability and once you reach the selling point you will find that it cost you more than you thought. Bikes are the same, if not worse. There is a cost of ownership which you have to keep track of to determine the real 'cost to company'. I managed to get away with about R2.00/km over a four year period which included everything - fuel, service, insurance, devaluation, everything. And then also the indeterminable factors like the pleasure of riding a bike. But if I didn't commute, it would have been a hard sell.
What was your experience?
Regards,
C
