Advice for someone looking to get into buying/selling motorcycles for profit? | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Advice for someone looking to get into buying/selling motorcycles for profit?

you cannot buy/sell more than one bike a year or the government requires you to have a dealers licence. If your caught, youll lose more than the profit, lol

The number of sales is not the issue it is the frequency and selling vehicles as a 'business' without a dealer's license. People have been convicted for 1 improper sale.

I remember trying 15 years ago to get dealer license and it was difficult to obtain and I already had a salesperson's license.

You need a legitimate place of business and licensed salespeople, etc. They do not make it easy to do legitimately, that is why so many "curbside"...

BB
 
Last edited:
I don't know about the legalities of this stuff, but on a side note, about 10 years ago I met a guy who bought and sold bikes regularly and fixed them up. He did it for fun and cash and did at least 10 bikes a year if I recall. He was getting his bikes from eastern Ontario and Quebec. He was generally doing this with old standards that were in very good condition like GS's, Maxim's, Nighthawk's, Radian's, etc. No sport bikes. It seemed like he was making about $500 a bike and most of the bikes were in the $2-4k range. He sold all his bikes through Autotrader.

Sounds like it would be a fun project - maybe not making much money, but a great experience and maybe making some money if you buy and sell the right bikes. You will certainly learn more about bikes than you already know.
 
busabim said:
you cannot buy/sell more than one bike a year or the government requires you to have a dealers licence. If your caught, youll lose more than the profit, lol

BB
Click to expand...

I'd love to see a source for this - I've sold plenty of bikes in a year without issue.
 
Shane, you are right on the money. $500 a bike is very realistic on a 2-3K bike that you pick up out of GTA. The only difference, nowadays it's all about sport bikes, at least in the city. Radians and Maxims are worth nothing.

It is also a good experience for someone who likes to tinker.

OP - Ottawa is a good area, there are a lot of bikes from Quebec and States there too, many already registered in Ontario. Time of the year really doesn't matter. This whole, "can't find good deals in Spring" myth is just that. You can always find good deals.
 
busabim said:
you cannot buy/sell more than one bike a year or the government requires you to have a dealers licence. If your caught, youll lose more than the profit, lol

BB
Click to expand...

It's more than one a year. 3-4 I think but I can't back this up.

Government can technically rape you if you curbside but HST is also a form of rape. I have no idea how we all just went along with it. Yay! Let's pay more taxes!
 
Here are some of the issues: You have to be able to justify the vehicles (if required) and most cannot say they are selling multiples per year not as a business.

http://www.carcheckcanada.ca/flipping-cars-in-ontario/

In Ontario, all dealers and salespersons must be registered with the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC). Unregistered companies, or individuals who sell motor vehicles as a matter of business, are considered curbsiders, and are breaking the law.

List of some curbsiders convicted by OMVIC. You may get away with some or many but they usually get you when you get big enough....

http://www.omvic.on.ca/portal/Consu...ionsandProsecutions/CurbsiderConvictions.aspx

Unreg. Dealer - Sec. 3 (1)(a) is the offence, FYI.
 
Last edited:
busabim said:
Here are some of the issues: You have to be able to justify the vehicles (if required) and most cannot say they are selling multiples per year not as a business.

http://www.carcheckcanada.ca/flipping-cars-in-ontario/

In Ontario, all dealers and salespersons must be registered with the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC). Unregistered companies, or individuals who sell motor vehicles as a matter of business, are considered curbsiders, and are breaking the law.

List of some curbsiders convicted by OMVIC. You may get away with some or many but they usually get you when you get big enough....

http://www.omvic.on.ca/portal/Consu...ionsandProsecutions/CurbsiderConvictions.aspx

Unreg. Dealer - Sec. 3 (1)(a) is the offence, FYI.
Click to expand...

Some hefty fines there - $105,000, $210,000, $330,000.

Then there was that guy curbsiding motorcycles in Windsor. It sounds like he had to serve 15 days on the one charge, then 15 days on the second, and then lucked out with a suspended sentence for the third.
"In passing judgement the court sentenced Chifor to 15 days in custody on the first two charges and a suspended sentence was ordered for the third charge. The jail terms were to be served consecutively" https://www.omvic.on.ca/portal/NewsPublications/ConsumerLine/2013/tabid/387/aid/186/Default.aspx
 
I've made triple! But luck was on my side. You will probably make more detailing.
 
vrus said:
I've made triple! But luck was on my side. You will probably make more detailing.
Click to expand...

I wish I could count that as an option to do as my own, but as is there's no way I could. The chemicals used need to be taken care of and disposed of in a certain way, and I just don't have the means to do that, especially if I'm renting a townhouse.
 
shanekingsley said:
Sounds like it would be a fun project - maybe not making much money, but a great experience and maybe making some money if you buy and sell the right bikes. You will certainly learn more about bikes than you already know.
Click to expand...

The problem with finding "Right bikes" is experience based. Knowing which bikes are easy to fix and sell well is crucial.

The OP started down this road due to an insurance issue that won't go away fast. Carrying the right insurance will kick the snot out of any profit thoughts.

At best with limited experience the OP might defray some of his riding costs and do something he enjoys. He's been made aware of some of the pitfalls so he can play however he wants.
 
There was a TV show called down east dickering, or something like that. These creative guys made a living buying and selling stuff from a buy/sell weekly magazine called uncle henrys.

The OP can do the same thing with a narrower focus on bikes, and using more up to date advertising media.
 
Parts bikes on ebay is actually not a bad business model. There are literally (hundreds of) thousands of bikes in sheds and yards that dont run for whatever reason but somebody in the world needs part X. Takes more space than you think and inventorying and your own cataloging my take space, but you could get in/out pretty easy.
Not as romantic as dealing bikes and many more transactions, but easy enough
 
OP there's some good ideas and thoughts posted here but in the end you need to decide what you want to do. You're in a region (Niagara I take it) where bike pricing isn't out to lunch as here in the GTA. You can use that fact to pick up decent bikes for a decent price, do some work on them and try reselling back in the Toronto area. If you don't mind sitting on inventory pick up more in the Fall and sell in Spring. However that requires a considerable amount of $ which will take you a while to get back as you're sitting on inventory.

Do your research what the gov't considers a curbsider and if you feel this is something to move forward with get yourself up on the requirements and follow through. You've got the skill, space, and are willing to work. I'd say those are plenty to get started.

Hell you might find out you hate it after your first deal so then you move on to something else. The parts business on ebay may be a viable option, or even different is just get a job at a motorcycle shop and be involved in the sales/service and all aspects of the business to get your feet wet.

Good luck.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top Bottom