A quick poll: How long did it take you to sell your used bik

[NewBiker1990]

Hi all,

I am doing a research project on used bikes. I was just wondering if any of you kind people could tell me roughly how long it takes you to sell a bike from first advertising it?

Thanks so much! This will really help me!

Thanks,

Mark

[Ste]

About tree fiddy.

[1198]

[Dalemac]

37 nanoseconds.
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YBR125 -> GPZ500S -> SL1000

[Tracer1234]

About an hour. In the process of selling to Nice chap that lives on an oil rig purchasing it for a family member. Which is nice of him.
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Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15

[Pjay]

[M.C]

[pudder]

My Kawasaki AR50 was advertised in the paper, this was back in 2007 mind you. I initially bought it from my sister, so I suppose she didn't really advertise it as such, just was assumed that after she had it I would, and I dutifully paid the asking price. Which incidentally was the same price that had been paid by her a few year earlier to our eldest sister. So between them there wouldn't have really been any advertising time either. But do you want to know the time between first discussing selling it, and actually transferring the title?

Anyway, I, being the youngest of three, each separated by three years, advertised the bike in the paper once I had reached an age where I could progress onto a 125. Thinking back though, it probably wasn't me, but rather my dad who took out the advert. He would also have been advertising it by word of mouth to his friends in the VMCC. Being that it was about a decade ago the details are sketchy, but a man came round with what I assume was his son (then again, you know what they say about assuming things), but anyway close enough to this young man that he was to purchase the bike for him. It could have been a family friend, uncle, grandfather, or just a mechanic who he had paid I suppose.

After looking over the bike, and confirming that it was indeed the bike advertised (a Kawasaki AR50-C10 in red with a micron exhaust, but the stock exhaust to come with it), he inspected it quite thoroughly for damage and defects. He found a few bits and pieces where the bike wasn't in its best condition, having been subjected to three inexperienced teenage riders, and the wear and tear that could be expected from such a life. He and the young man sat on the bike, checked all the paperwork, and then proceeded to ask for the key. Of course they wanted to hear it start and run, which is sensible when going to view a motorbike (or any other motor vehicle) that you are interested in purchasing. The sound, smell, smoke, can all be indicators of potential issues, so I politely handed over the keys, and instructed that it was a kick-start 2-stroke engine.

Unfortunately, it took them some time to start, which had been a problem for some time. I'm not hugely mechanically minded, but I have since been advised that if the engine seals start to fail on 2-stroke engines, this can detrimentally affect starting and running. As the motorbike was to be daily transport for this young man, as it had been for me and my sisters, the man (father, uncle, grandfather or whatever he was), was adamant that it was to be impeccably reliable. Some scratches and visual damage weren't considered a deal breaker, but not starting first or second kick, or running smoothly was.

Thus it transpired that I never actually sold that bike, and as my sig attests, I sill own it, and am currently in the process of replacing the engine seals. Now if I do come to sell it finally, though I haven't been advertising it constantly, it should have been a while over a decade. Whether or not this information is of any use to you.. well I suspect not.

As for my Suzuki GP125, it was advertised and sold online, but that is a story for another day. [/tefmode]
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1993 Kawasaki AR50 (In bits) - 1984 Suzuki GP125 (Sold, but still ridden) - 1954 Matchless G3L (Being restored) - 2007 Suzuki Bandit 650

[angryjonny]

Less time than it took me to walk to the corner shop and back, on Ebay.

[Tracer1234]

Put it this way, it is likely that most people will sell a motorcycle quicker than it will take to read pudders splurge.


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Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15

[angryjonny]

Jesus, even Tef has a sock these days

[MarJay]

Less than 12 parsecs.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Tamsin]

3 days for the only bike I ever sold.

Made 50% profit

[andys675]

sold mine for £700 over the asking price, I've sent him the difference back by western union but it's been a week and the shipping agent still hasn't collected it!
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[M.C]

[Tamsin]

I wanted a quick sale... I could easily have doubled my money if I had a bit longer to sell...

[Alpineandy]

How long is a piece of string?
The speed of a sale is 100% price dependent.
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The above comment isn't necessarily the truth and anyone that says it is, is only correct if it's the truth or they're bigger than me.

[Bozzy]

Less time than it takes to read one of Teff's posts.
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2004 SV650S >>> 2009 Street Triple R

[stevo as b4]

Never more than 2wks after the ad came out in the paper. It took me about 3wks to sell a car once though, as there were lots of the same type for sale at the same time, and convertible buyers seem to be the worst time wasters I've ever known.

Maybe it's because nobody actually needs a convertible?

[ZX-7R]

Never sold one as they always end up getting wrecked in crashes.

Hopefully the current bike will break the trend.

Two and a half years and all is good.
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Current Bike - 2000 ZX-7R