Buying Private or from a stealer, (S'right, every pro is out to rip you off, YAWN).

[nik_nunez]

Hi

going to be getting my first bike once i (hopefully) pass my test in a few weeks, now i have always got cars from stealers as heard to many bad stories about buying private. Is this is the same for bikes? obviously looking around private bikes are cheaper and usually come with extra goodies compared to a bike from a stealer

Any views from more experienced bike buyers

i have about 2.5-3k to spend

[simonthepost]

depends on if you want some kind of warranty really, buying private means you won't usaully get one and youre right in thinking that buyin private you might get xtra's thrown in service manual, original parts etc, IMHO i'd buy private for a first bike (I did)youre gonna get more for your money and probably a newer model bike for the same price as buyin from a dealer and if you chuck it down the road as a lot of first big bike riders do there is no finance etc to keep payin for (que the next response!)

[Davido]

The warranty with most used bikes from dealers is only 3 months usually anyway, and you pay more if you want to extend it.

Also, not a lot will break in that time, and even if it does itsprobably not covered.

Go private imo, you can haggle and get a sense of how the bike's been treated by your impression of the owner.

i.e. if someone's father is the one who comes to talk to you then they probably don't want you seeing the son who owned it for the past however long.

[scottjames]

depemds if you know your stuff or not. if you do and you know the things to look out for then private. you'll get it cheaper. i went through my dealer as i got a warenty and they did give me a good deal. and generally they wont take in a dodgy bike as it will only come bk to them and cause them hassle. i also think the bit more money is worth it even if it is for 3 months.

[kwak zzr]

id buy private with 3k

[Larry]

I have got my last 3 bikes from dealers, I just think it's worth a little bit more to know they've given it a service properly and everything's up to scratch. Having said that if I were more mechanically minded I'd probably go for a private one and do the work myself for less.
Like you say some private bikes come covered in extras, but in some cases this can indicate that the bike's had a hard life; race cans and the like can suggest the owner thrashes it all the time. However you choose to buy though something I always do is get a mechanically knowledgable friend to come along with me for a second opinion!

[chakraist]

I've bought private through the org twice and I've been happy both times.

[on yer bike]

I'd buy private, but check service history and take a mechanic with you to make sure the bike is sound. This is what I did for my 125 and aswell as letting me know it was a sound bike, it helped me knock down the price by him finding imaginary faults and real faults that won't really affect the bike but that you can get money knocked off for.

[dizzyblonde]

Like you say some private bikes come covered in extras, but in some cases this can indicate that the bike's had a hard life; race cans and the like can suggest the owner thrashes it all the time. However you choose to buy though something I always do is get a mechanically knowledgable friend to come along with me for a second opinion!
Not all bikes with race cans indicate that a bike has been thrashed.....mine hasn't. Only one owner before me..who i bought off private, but it was my other half...lol
I've bought 3 bikes private and always had a person that is suitably knowledgeable with me.
First my 125 which was a peach, and imaculate.
2nd Suzy from my other half, just as we started seeing each other. rusty bucket but worth every penny, but mechanically sound
3rd from the org. my black shiny loverly SV, last year. went all the way to norfolk, and was very satisfied. I know that there are a few bits that make you wonder if its been bashed about a bit....but....... the guy before me took a lot of time to turn it into something absolutely immaculate......and you'd be hard pushed to see where the faults are........mechanically an absolute peach, looks........stunning


All you need for a second hand bike is a good nose, and a good mate to go with you. You don't lose as much money on a used bike, as a new one, which is why I go old bike every time

[muffles]

Who keeps going around editing the thread titles?? This one isn't even representative - I don't see anyone on here bashing dealers - in fact the only reference that could be construed as that is 'stealer' but that's a well-known and oft-used alternative word that I've seen used on many car and bike forums. :confused:

[G]

You will get ALOT more bike for your money if you buy private, there has been some amazing bikes with loads of extras advertised on here recently for that sort of money.

My bike was on here for £3k with a few extras, its now in a dealers showroom almost completely standard for £3.5k.

[Paul the 6th]

just my two penneth - bought my first bike from a dealer, had all the extra "you need this warranty and service plan, it's only 125 quid extra, you'll get a discount in the accessories shop" (which turned out to be a seperate business to the dealership in the same premises - managed to get a free oxford disclok worth about 30 quid).... Bike was in great condition and had a service before I bought it. Looking back I think I probably pay a couple'a'hundred quid over the odds than if I'd bought private - although having said that, I didn't really know anyone into bikes who could have come with me to see if I was buying a lemon - so the dealer was helpful on what to look out for.

2nd (and current) bike, my sv - 2005 plate, 500 miles when I bought in december 2007 - 3 grand. Just run in, 1 owner before me. About a week after I'd bought it, I noticed cracks in the headlights and a scratch which had been touched over with clear nail varnish - most people who've seen it and ride them selves reckon it's been down the road but there's no mega damage like twisted forks or nackered frame. I would quite happily buy privately in the future since bikers generally understand each other and you can tell if the seller has looked after their bike.

You're best bet is probably getting someone a bit more experienced to give you some advice on what to look out for - or even better - get them to go along with you. Check things like chain & sprockets and tyres for uneven wear, roll the bike back and forth while sitting on it, try the front brake and push down on the front forks. Get them to start the engine and give it a few revs etc... all usual stuff. the BikeTrader mag has a 2 page spread in the first few pages which gives advice on both selling and buying bikes - it's about 2 quid and has all the info you need.

[Corf]

first bike i would say dealer unless you know someone who knows their shizzle!

i bought first bike private, was a nail and noticed more and more wrong with it as time went on so px it at a dealers for my sv after 5 months of riding it.

[fizzwheel]

Knowing what I know about bikes now. Then I'd quite happily buy private. But if it was my first bike and if I was a bit green then I'd go to a dealer just for piece of mind.

You can get good deals in dealers, but it takes some haggling and building up a relationship with the sales person. I got ?1500 off the screen price of my GSXR in the local place that I use regularly.

[Davido]

Dealers aren't there to rip you off, but they are there to make money.

[Balky001]

I bought from both. People often over-value their bikes when bought privately and thy don't offer back up service. If the price is similar then I'd normally go with the dealer as I know them, where they are and most decent ones try and retain their customers. If the deal from a private is much better I'd get the bike checked out before buying even of it rides OK. As some else mentioned, good dealers have to make money and I want them to, keep local businesses alive and route out the bad

[petevtwin650]

Bought my first Sv privately. Lovely bike. Second one from a dealer. Nowhere near as good IMO. Can just be the luck of the draw. And even good dealers have their off days.

However, trying to buy a Ducati has opened my already worldly eyes to some tricks. Trying to buy this particular Duke which is advertised as an S model. No stickers or logbook to confirm it's any more than the standard model. I query it and dealer goes off and rings a local Ducati dealer apparently. Comes back assuring me it's an S. Anyway not happy, we refuse to sign on the dotted line until I can confirm. Ducati GB tell me it's an ordinary one:mad: So buyer beware.

Not so relevant on an Sv unless the dealer is trying to sell a pointy and is trying to pass it off as a more desirable curvy. :p:p

We met a guy who just bought a Hyosung 650 and the dealer had told him that Hyosung make the engines for Suzuki.[-X

[nik_nunez]

thanks for the advice, i dont know a great deal about bikes tbh, could be worth getting one of those aa checks before i buy if they do them for bikes

[Larry]

thanks for the advice, i dont know a great deal about bikes tbh, could be worth getting one of those aa checks before i buy if they do them for bikes

Try the HPI check, that's what I always use.

http://www.hpicheck.com/newfrontend/motorbikes.jsp