Bike Trade-ins | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bike Trade-ins

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Burnout

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Hey guys

So I'm thinking about selling/trading in my motorcycle possibly next season. I know private sales are the way to go in terms of value, but I have a feeling I'm not going to have the time and patience to deal with all the craigslist kijiji stuff so I'm thinking about (maybe) bringing it in to a dealership for a trade-in. Just wondering if you guys have any recommendations for places that you've personally dealt with that you would recommend for me to look into?
 
Deets on the bike may help in forming an opinion.
Some bikes are better for trade. Some are better for private sale.

Sent from the Purple Zone
 
The one thing I always consider with selling private or trade in is how much do I want for the old bike first. Then I consider what a trade in will actually be. Since trade in value comes off the price of a new bike before taxes are calculated sometimes it may be just as easy to do the trade in.

Example:


Now lets say I have a used bike that I would like to sell for $3000 but trade in offer from dealer is $2,000

New bike: $10,000.00
less trade in - 2,000.00
subtotal 8,000.00
tax on subtotal 1,040.00
total $9,040.00

Now if I sold the used bike I was asking $3000 but actually got $2700

Selling price new bike: $10,000.00
Taxes: $1,300.00
Total: $11300.00
minus used sale - $2700,00
$8600.00

So in reality the trade in is only $400 mor but I did not have to wait to sell the used bike and go through all the hasssels asssociated with it. This all depends on a lot of things of course. In this example if I was buying a $15000 bike it would not be as advantageous.

My last bike I bought the new bike was around $18000 but my trade in was $16000 so I ended up saving over $2000 in taxes so my trade in was actually worth $18000 in reality and I was trying to sell it privately for $19000 so I did the trade in route.
 
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Expect your dealer to look your bike up in a little book and to throw a low-ball number at you. It's what they do.

That's the penalty you'll pay for not selling it privately.
 
This Kelly guy ... anyone knows him? Can't stand him and his numbers ... the guy has always the same story for me ... when I am selling it's too low, when I am buying it's too high ... like seriously. Dude should have written a different book, me thinks.
 
taximan62 said:
The one thing I always consider with selling private or trade in is how much do I want for the old bike first. Then I consider what a trade in will actually be. Since trade in value comes off the price of a new bike before taxes are calculated sometimes it may be just as easy to do the trade in.
Click to expand...

This. I actually traded in my CBR250RA back in 2014 vs selling it privately, as once I worked out the numbers of what the dealership was giving me (in combo with the tax savings), I was only losing out on maybe $500 or so based on what I could find online (if priced to move). Other factors was I only had room for one bike, so couldn't buy new until the old was gone, old bike would have needed a safety and at least a new rear tire (and potentially front as it was cracking a little), etc, etc.

The one thing though to always note when trading in is NEVER tell them about it or give them any details until you work out pricing on the new vehicle (same as how you never talk to them about financing until you have the cash purchase amount). They'll try to factor it in as 'savings' to you, but you should work on the price of the new one before adding in any additional tax savings via the trade-in.
 
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Great advice guys...thanks. Any dealerships worth mentioning that I should check out?
 
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Don't expect much on a Trade in. My experience is most shops don't want trade ins so they lowball. GP might be a little better as they do sell used bikes as part of their business.
 
I've done well on two trade ins, got more than I was expecting. And not dealing with kiji a holes is worth big $.
 
Last time I inquired about trading in a bike they offered half of what I ending up selling privately for. sell privately if u can.
 
Like anything your selling (to someone that needs to resell it) , they determine what they hope to get, what your trading it on (how much the deal is worth) (and are you looking at a model they want to move) , how long they will sit on it ( giving a 12yr old RollsCanardly to a Yamaha dealer) and they go from there.

Then you determine what your life is worth and what your level for dinks is. (kijiji)

Having a guy come and stand in your garage looking at your Ducati, when he arrived in his moms '92 fiesta, and ask if its really fast and loud to? He's all yours........
 
If your bike is old - private sale.
If your bike is a super sport - private sale.
Anything else, you may try the dealer but will probably get 40-75% vs private.

For example, last year, I got offered $1,800 for a 2009 Buell 1125R and my friend got offered $2,200 for a 2008 R1. Mileage on both was good. We both got more than double going private.

Off course, as mentioned above, it the private and dealer are not too far apart by some miracle then dealer may be a way to go since it saves you on tax.
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