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Tips on Selling Your Bike

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The reasons for selling a bike could be many. You could have tired of it; you wish to buy a more expensive model or your wife hates it, and many other similar reasons. Whatever be your reason for selling your bike, it is time to say good bye to this old faithful and sell it to someone who will take care of it as much as you did.

Once you have decided to sell your bike, you need to know how to get the best deal out of the sale. Here are some pointers:

Clean and polish your bike. Make your bike look attractive enough so that buyers fall in love with it at first sight. Just as no one wants to buy an old and dilapidated house, no one would buy a bike that is dirty, unkempt and looks uncared for. Bring back that gloss and glitter to your bike before any buyer sees it.

Make necessary repairs to keep it in running condition. Buyers would easily agree to your asking price if they find the price is justified. They would look at its maintenance and working condition as well as small chips or dents which needs repair. Remember, first impressions are impressions that last.

Give it a tune-up. Make sure that the engine revs up right when the buyer starts the ignition. Tune the engine properly so that the buyer feels excited about the sound of the engine.

Keep records of your maintenance. Not everyone would know how much money you have spent on your bike over the years, on small and big repairs and overall maintenance. A good idea is to keep all the receipts of such maintenance efforts and show them to the buyer. This will give him an idea of how much was spent and when. It will also show the buyer how much care you took of your bike.

Tell the truth. Every bike like any machine will have some aspect that is worrisome in its performance and maintenance. You need to be truthful and upfront about such issues to the buyer.

Know your blue book value. Do not have an inflated idea of the price of the bike. If you do not set the price well, it will never sell.

Have the title ready to transfer. Keep all the relevant papers in the right condition and at the right place. In case the buyer wants an instant purchase you also should be ready to sell the bike instantly.

Be prepared to say no to a test drive. If a motorcycle dealer can not trust a prospective customer with a test ride of a bike, how can you afford to put your money and bike at stake?

Parting with your bike is always a high-strung emotional event. Following these tips will make the task of selling simple, fast and less painful.

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Tips on Motorcycle Dealers

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Now that you have more or less decided on your most preferred style of motorcycle, including the maker and the model you want, it is time to visit the dealer’s showroom. But before you step into one of those motorcycle showrooms, here are a few pointers you have to keep in mind. Remember, the prices of most popular models are fixed and non-negotiable.

If you are looking forward to negotiating and striking a profitable deal with the motorcycle dealer, remember that these dealers do not work with the usual type of profit margins with which car dealers work. Usually there is hardly any room for bargaining, except those models which are slow movers. These slow moving vehicles are mostly available on discounted price. If you want a good deal while buying your bike, the maximum you could do is to get some accessories like helmet, gloves and maintenance as part of the overall price.

One of the good things about motor cycle dealers is that they are never hard-pressed for time as one would find with car dealers. Their salesmen usually have enough time on their hands and are open to answer many of your questions. So, feel free to ask them any question and clarify any doubt which you may have about a particular model or design.

While you may not be able to take out the bike for a test drive, dealers would definitely allow you to sit on the bike and start the engine.

Review the following points while checking on the bike you are considering buying:

• Are the seats comfortable?
• Are the handlebars comfortable and offer good grip?
• Are your knees resting neatly on either side of the gas tank?

Your next check point is the engine. Rev it up and see whether it runs smoothly at high Revolutions per Minute (RPM) or simply whimpers. What is the weight of the vehicle? Can you lift it off the ground easily and does it feel easy to control on the road?

One of the most important tips to remember before buying a bike is never buy a bike on the first trip. Even if it appears in your dreams, check out with some other manufacturers and then make the decision. Once you have done your research with manufacturers, go to the first dealer and strike you purchase deal.

Though hard bargaining with bike dealers does not yield great results, you could nevertheless try for some free stuff, especially if you are paying by cash. Of course, most dealers can work out a good finance scheme for you, so even if you are hard for cash, you can still ride home your dream bike any day.

While bike buying is a bit different from buying a car, the process can be very fast, efficient and without much hassle. What are you waiting for, get out there and choose your passion bike.

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What is your Motorcycle Style?

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

While there is plenty of information available both offline and online which offer assistance to new car buyers, there is hardly any worthy information which can help someone wanting to buy a new bike.

Choosing the right style of motorcycle, which is suitable for you, is very important before setting out to buy a bike. Though there are many sub groups and sub categories of bikes available with bike retailers, motorcycles can be divided into three definitive styles: Street, Dual-Purpose, and Off-Road.

It is not uncommon to find beginners buying their first bike at a cheap price (around $3000 for a new one). The mistake which these people make by buying these types of street bikes is that neither can these bikes offer a comfortable ride nor have they got adequate power.

It all ultimately depends on your needs. If you are looking for a bike to ride on the highways or for long trips, the touring bikes are the best bikes for you. Referred to as the Cadillac of motorcycles, these bikes are heavy yet easy to maneuver, especially at high speeds. Costing between $10000 and $20000, riders who would normally remain within city limits should avoid these bikes which are fitted with very powerful engines.

Cruiser bikes costing anywhere between $5000 and $20000 are ideal for today’s city conditions and a favorite of most bike dealers. Featuring low and comfortable seating, these types of street bikes look classic and carry a lot of style in their appearance and performance. Perhaps the main points of attraction for cruisers are its generous presence of chrome and loud exhaust emission – which most bikers adore about their bikes.

Though there is nothing much to it in terms of comfort or convenience, young riders prefer sports bikes a lot because of its looks, lightweight and fantastic aerodynamics. Not too good for long hauls, sports bikes live up to its name: it is good for sports. Due to the high perceived risks associated with sports bikes by insurance companies, these carry a high insurance premium. The price varies between $5000 and $20000.

If you are a believer of old-time values then go for standard bikes which have immaculate balance, well powered and are comparatively lightweight, which make them easy to handle and ride. These offer reliable performances on highways as well as on city roads and good for people who are looking for steady and comfortable journey on bikes.

The bikes for off-road use are motocross bikes. They carry small engines and weigh really light (between 150 and 300 pounds). Meant for recreational riding only, they are very affordable with price ranging between $1,500 and $6,000.

If you want a bike which works well off-road with knobby tires and high center of gravity, then go for dual purpose bikes which have headlights, turn signals and emission control gears, which make them perfectly legal on the road too.

While there is plenty of variety to choose from when it comes to bikes, you ought to choose one which suits you best in terms of:

• Your size and strength.
• Your experience and ability.
• Your budget.

Once you know what you want, visit the nearest bike showroom and watch out for your favorite road wonder on the shelf.

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How to Choose the Right Insurance for Your Bike?

June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

While it is always difficult to choose the right insurance policy for anything, it is even more difficult to choose the right one for your bike.

Buying a good insurance policy for the bike is difficult – and the task is made even more difficult by numerous insurance companies claiming different benefits. At times the buyer is confused why one policy is more expensive than another, considering the benefits are same. What could be the reason? While the exact reason for this is difficult to gauge, it could be that the more expensive policy would ensure that the company would replace your bike, in case it is stolen or totaled in a crash, whereas the cheaper policy might entail you getting only the amount which the bike was worth, at the time of the accident, taking into account the depreciated value. This could mean that to acquire a new bike, you again have to shell out thousands of dollars to replace the one which you lost.

Another reason for this could depend on the deductibles being offered by the cheaper insurance policy. Remember, higher deductibles mean low insurance premium but it also means a lot of money going out of your pocket, in the event of submission of a claim.

Before buying an insurance policy, check out on your individual state laws to see the minimum requirements for insuring your bike. This will prevent paying for any excess coverage than you really need.

The type of coverage you need is another important aspect to check out before you buy an insurance policy. If you are taking a loan from a bank for the bike, the financing institution will require you to take a heavy insurance policy till such times that the loan is repaid. In case you are buying the bike with cash or through finances from another source, you could adjust your insurance coverage to the maximum amount that is considered sufficient.

The liability type of insurance coverage requires very low premium but hardly covers you for any costs in case of accident, theft or vandalism. It simply covers the cost which you have to pay to the other guy, for damages which you might have caused, in case of an accident.

While collision insurance policy covers costs which you have to incur in case your bike has met with an accident, the comprehensive insurance policy covers payment for nearly everything including theft, vandalism, or costs incurred during accidents, etc.

Your primary task before setting out to buy an insurance policy is to decide what type of coverage you are looking for and the amount of deductible which makes you most comfortable. You might also decide to talk to other bike owners and check out on the types of policies they have and the carriers they are comfortable with. Then you can take an informed decision. The ultimate aim is to buy an insurance policy which offers you the type of coverage you want, at a price which you can afford.

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