The document provides advice for buying a used motorcycle, including taking the bike for a test ride to see if it fits, asking for service records to ensure it was well maintained, and doing research on fair market prices to negotiate a good deal. It recommends determining if a dealer or private seller is preferred, and being willing to walk away if a fair price cannot be agreed upon.

1. Buying A Used Motorcycle

2. I bought my first used motorcycle while I was in college.

3. It was a Honda 750.

4. I road it around town and I took it on long trips.

5. One summer I took it from my home state of Minnesota
out to Wyoming, Montana and even up into Canada.

6. The next summer I road it out to New Hampshire and
eventually to Boston where I sold it and bought an old Jeep.

7. I did not by another motorcycle until 1999.

8. After many years of not owning a motorcycle, I found that I
had the itch.

9. I went to a dealership and found that the bike I wanted was
for sale for over $25,000.

10. Then, out of the blue, a friend of mine called me, and as we
were talking he mentioned that he was going to sell his
motorcycle.

11. It was the same model that I had looked at when I visited
the dealership, it was two years old, had very low mileage,
he had added a lot of aftermarket upgrades to it and I knew
that he was meticulous with his care for it.

12. Oh, and by the way, he
was asking $14,000 for it.

13. The next day I had my new (used) motorcycle.

14. If you are thinking about buying a used motorcycle and you
do not know its history or have a personal relationship with
the seller, then there are a few things that would be helpful
for you to keep in mind.

15. First, of course, you need to
pick your bike.

16. Mine is a 1997 Harley Davidson Dyna Wide Glide.

17. Who To Buy A Used Motorcycle From

18. Then you need to determine if you prefer buying from a
dealer or from a private party.

19. There are pros and cons to each source for you to consider.

20. Once you know what type of bike you want and you have
found your source, my first suggestion is to take it for a test
ride.

21. See if it is a good fit for you, your size, your personality.

22. If the bike passes this test, the next thing you want to do is
to ask the seller for the bike's service records.

23. If the bike has been well maintained this will save you a lot
of money down the road as the new owner.

24. If this all looks good, now it is time for some negotiation.

25. The mileage on the bike is a big factor in the negotiation of
the price.

26. Of course you will have already done your homework
online so that you know ahead of time what the average
market price is for the year and model you are looking at.

27. Negotiating The Purchase Of A Used Motorcycle

28. When you are negotiating, don't allow yourself to get to
attached to the bike.

29. There are plenty of sellers looking to sell the same used
motorcycle, so be prepared to walk away if need be.

30. If you reach an agreement that you think is fair, hooray.

31. You are now the new owner of a used motorcycle and can
feel the breeze against your face anytime you want.