In part 1 of this 3 part series, we discussed the benefits of purchasing a new motorcycle.  Part 2 discussed the advantages of buying a used motorcycle from a dealership. This 3rd and final part of the series will discuss purchasing a used Suzuki motorcycle (or any other type of motorcycle) from a private party or thru the website Craigslist.

1.  Price – At first glance, it may appear that buying a used motorcycle (such as the Suzuki GSXR600) thru a private party is less than thru a dealership.  But when you factor in the low financing rates that are typically available thru a dealer, the overall cost of the

2007 Yamaha Vstar 650

purchase may be the same or even less thru a dealer.
The other difference has to do with the speed or timing of the transaction.  A dealer can offer on site financing and complete the entire transaction at the store, usually in a little less than an hour from start to finish.  If you want to finance a purchase thru a private party, you first need to view the used motorcycle, negotiate a price, go to your bank to obtain the financing, go to the DMV and process the transaction and finally submit proof of registration (with bank as lienholder) to the bank.  Typically this process takes 1-2 weeks to complete.  To speed up the process even more, dealers such as Contra Costa Powersports offer a secure online credit application so that a buyer can get pre-approved before they even walk into the dealership.

2.  Condition – With regard to the condition of a used motorcycle (such as a Honda CBR600rr), when purchasing from a private party, the word is “Buyer Beware”. The used motorcycle may look good on the outside but there are some questions to ask the seller or at least ask yourself before making the purchase:

2007 Honda VTX1300r

–  Has the oil been changed regularly?
–  Has the scheduled maintenance been performed at the correct intervals?
–  Was the motorcycle used as a “Stunt bike”?
–  Are the forks in need of repair due to “Front Wheelies”?
These are just a few of the items we have encountered on used motorcycles for sale by private party.
If you decide to purchase thru a private party, have it checked out by a factory trained mechanic who will give you an accurate opinion of the condition of the motorcycle. Contra Costa Powersports offers this service thru our Service Department. If the motorcycle is as good as the buyer says it is, he won’t have any problem at all with you having it inspected.

3.  Scams – It is unfortunate that I have to talk about this but the reality is, there are a lot of scams out there, particularly on Craigslist.  Craigslist is a great site and this has nothing to do with them, it’s just that the crooks out there have found this new medium to try to rip people off. 

2003 Suzuki GSXR750 - Purchased thru Craigslist

We have a 2003 GSXR 750 currently sitting in our shop that a customer purchased on Craigslist.  He paid $2,500 for the motorcycle and made the payment for the motorcycle prior to seeing it in person.  He was told to pick up the motorcycle at a random location (should have been the first clue that something was up). When he went to pick it up, what he found was a trashed motorcycle that looked nothing like what he had seen in the add.  The used Suzuki GSXR750 is probablhy worth $500.
To top it off, the motorcycle has not been registered in over 2 years so the back registration fees (with penalties) will probably add up to another $500. Unfortunately, this happens all the time.  Bottom line, never pay for something that you have not physically seen and better yet, have it professionally inspected before you lay out any money.

The first post in this series discussed the advantages of buying a new motorcycle from a dealership.

2003 Suzuki Intruder 1300

Once you have made the decision to purchase a used motorcycle, there are two options you have: 1) Purchase from a dealership or 2) Purchase from a private party.  This posting will cover purchasing from a dealership.  The next posting will cover private party purchases.

The following advantages can be found when purchasing a Used Honda Motorcycle or Used Suzuki Motorcycle from a dealership:

1.  Quality of the Vehicle – At Contra Costa Powersports, every used motorcycle , scooter or ATV sold at our store under goes a complete safety inspection by our service department.  All mechanics are factory trained and know what to look for whether it’s a used Yamaha motorcyle, a used Kawasaki motorcyle or any other brand.  When the vehicle leaves the store, you can have confidence that’s it is in good working order.

2.  Financing – A dealership is able to provide onsite financing at the time of purchase. 

2009 Suzuki GSXR600

You don’t have to leave the store, find a bank, fill out an application and then wait for a response.  All that can be accomplished at the dealership, usually within an hour.  If you want to get pre-approved for a loan, Contra Costa Powersports has a secure online credit application that you can use.

3.  Extended Warranty – At Contra Costa Powersports, we can offer one or two year extended warranties on all the used motorcycle we sell.  The warranty varies by Make but typically covers the engine and the transmission (the expensive items to repair).  The warranty can be included in the financing so you don’t have to come up with money out of pocket.  The extended warranty will come with either no deductible or a very small deductible and is good for unlimited miles.  An extended warranty is something we recommend for all the used motorcycle we sell.

4.  Peace of Mind – Last but not least, when you buy a used motorcyle or used scooter from a dealership such as Contra Costa Powersports, you know that there is a sound business standing behind your purchase that you can go to with any issues or problems.  We once

Used 2006 Honda CRF450X

sold a motorcyle to a customer and even though it was thoroughly checked out by our trained technicians, the battery failed a week after he purchased it.  The customer purchased an extended warranty but this typically does not cover batteries.  We wanted the customer to have a good experience with his new motorcycle so when he came back and explained what had happened, we installed a brand new battery.  Try doing this when buying a used motorcycle from a guy on Craigslist!