I've never sold a working bike before - advice please

[c_dug]

I've never actually sold a bike before - not a working one anyway, I've always bought cheap and kept until they died.

I've been planning on shifting my VFR800 for a while now, but circumstances mean I need to sell it a little quicker than planned.

There are a few things I need to do before I sell it, but two in particular are a little pricey and I'd like your advice.

Firstly - annoyingly I managed to lose a key the other week, they're £70 per replacement (because H.I.S.S). I have one left. Would you get another cut and programmed before putting it up for sale? Am I likely to lose more than £70 on the fact that it doesn't come with a spare?

Secondly - the rear tyre is pretty close to replacement time - if I was keeping it I'd be replacing the tyre at the end of this month. Fitting a part warn will set me back about £70 again including fitting. A brand new back tyre would be getting on for double that.

MOT time also isn't all that far off (sometime around May or June iirc).

So I could spend £140 and sell it in as good condition as it can be, or list it as it is, save the £140 and hope I don't lose more than that in the sale.

For whatever difference it makes its a 2007 bike on 21,000 miles, worth somewhere between £3,000-£3,500.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Suntan Sid]

They're things that put buyers off!
Sort the tyre and the MOT, the key wouldn't bother me so much?
Any buyer will use the lack of MOT as a bargaining chip, they'll want more money knocked off the price, than the cost of the MOT and tyre!
Personally, I would consider anything with less than 6 months MOT as a project and assume the bike had major, hidden, problems!
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"Everybody needs money, that's why they call it money!"

[bamt]

Definitely sort the MOT, a short one suggests that you are getting rid as you know it'll fail on something expensive.

The key isn't necessarily expensive to sort out - you can program them yourself with a simple cable as long as you have one key (it just lets you apply power to a programming pin on the loom), £20 or so for the blank and a couple of quid for cutting, so not necessarily a deal breaker but I'd expect some consideration for that if I was buying - because there is always the risk that something would happen to the only key before I got around to sorting it, and then it's a £1000 repair.

[Alex A]

A fresh MOT is very valuable.

If the rear tyre is worn out, any clued up buyer will expect to knock the cost of a new one off your asking price. Plus, they'll be put off by the bother of having to sort it themselves, unless the bike is a bargain. So get that done, and try to match the front!

Personally I'd want both keys too. But again, expect the buyer to knock off at least what it costs for a replacement, and be put off by the bother.

Unless you sort these things, you'll narrow your market, and give any buyer more of an excuse to demand a discount, or walk away.

[c_dug]

Problem is that circumstances mean I need to sell it as soon as is practicable, and I think I can only predate an MOT by one month?
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[andyscooter]

[arry]

[c_dug]

I didn't know that! Perfect, I'll sort that out asap then.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Alex A]

[c_dug]

I'm happy to spend the money if I'll see it back - that's all I'm trying to determine really.

Sounds like it's going to be worth sorting those bits out anyway so I'll hold off selling and splash a little on pay day.

Thanks for the advice so far
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Beehive Bedlam]

[c_dug]

My first lot were real cheap bikes, kept on a shoestring:

Ts50x - write off
TDR250 - sort of worked-ish but sold as a project
GPZ500s - Crashed and "fixed" - sold to a friend on the cheap
NTV600 - crashed several times, ran well into the ground (around 25,000 miles in six months), stolen recovered in that time too.
ZZR600 - write off
CBR600F - ran well into the ground. Stolen recovered twice. Broke for spares.

At this point I really wanted to keep a bike in good condition - a real change of mindset:

XJ900 Diversion - I was determined to have a bike I could sell at some point - spent good money keeping it in decent order - involved in a hit and run which basically knocked all of the value out of it. Ran into the ground - sold as spares when the gearbox kicked the bucket.

CB500 - bought from a member on here for very cheap - intended to fix it up but all my money was being spent on keeping the divvy in good nick. Sold as a pair with the Diversion as a non-runner.

Vfr800 - After nearly 10 years of bike ownership I've actually managed to keep a bike in decent condition, well looked after, not stolen, not crashed.

One more month and I'll have actually owned and sold a bike! Wish me luck
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Rogerborg]

[c_dug]

You mean I can't have my cake and eat it?

Well that sucks.

I'm going to aim for middle ground I reckon. New tyre and MOT, no new key.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[ADSrox0r]

Has it had its VTEC valves done?
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Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[Rogerborg]

[c_dug]

At £600, are you mad!?

I'm selling it now because of mortgage legal fees, but mentally I'd committed to selling it months back because servicing costs are so stupidly high.
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[Rogerborg]

Might not want to put that in the advert.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[stevo as b4]

Agreed, sort the MOT and list near to upper end of the going rate, or less if condition and or mileage dictate.

You'll have to accept an offer, so don't put no offers in the ad. Also I'd say something like the only reason your selling is that work is providing a free company car, so your need for the bike is no longer there etc.

[c_dug]

Perhaps not worded quite like that
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[thx1138]

I always walk away from any advert that says "will sail through an MOT", and wonder why it doesn't have an MOT.

[ADSrox0r]

Yeah, there's your problem. Anyone clued up at all about VTECs will ask straight away if the valves were done at 16k. Me personally, I'll forgive not doing them at 16k because if it's not giving reason to doubt they're fine to leave till 24k.

But 24k is just around the corner, and I'd be thinking you're getting rid before that comes....

I'm not saying you are doing that, just pointing out what a half clued up buyer will be thinking.

Pure cynicism of course.
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Current bikes: '08 VFR 800 VTEC(yo) , '07 ZZR1400 Winter hack: '95 Aprilia 650 Pegaso Currently lusting after: RC30

[Rogerborg]

Sure, but in that case he's not going to get back the servicing money. Unless selling NAOW is critical, I'd skip the valves and say nothing either way.

Bear in mind that spring is sproinging and service departments will be rammed with garage queens getting primped, so it might not even be possible to get a major service done quickly.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[c_dug]

I'd never see that £600 back in terms of outright sale price, there doesn't seem to be massive differences between the serviced and unserviced sold prices, nowhere near the vicinity of £600 anyway!

I'll take the risk of selling it unserviced, it starts and rides fine, that'd be enough for many buyers I reckon - it was enough for me (I bought it at 14,000).
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I am a bellend, I am a man of constant sorrow, I am a gummy bear, I am a rock.

[garth]

Oponeo for a cheap, brand new tyre.

Mot.

Fuck the key.
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You ain't a has been if you never was