It is true that when you buy a used motorcycle in a professional business in the sector you always pay a little more but in exchange – and it is not a little! – you have the peace of mind of getting a machine that has been checked and repaired if necessary. and with a completely clean administrative history.
But when it comes to a purchase and sale between individuals, things change because it is usually a perfect fertile ground for shameless people, scammers or simply irresponsible people to flourish.
Obviously, when the transaction occurs between family members or good friends, you do not have to take extreme precautions because the operating life of the machine is generally known, but when it comes to an operation between strangers you have to be more alert.
Although it may seem to contradict the previous point, the truth is that the vast majority of people who sell their motorcycle do so in good faith and without any intention of deceiving anyone. They just want to find a better price and make a clean and honest transaction. So you don’t have to go to the appointment with a dog face either.
Likewise, just because a copy has many extras does not mean that it is a better purchase than another that does not have them. Even if everything is positive and the bike and extras are in good condition, you have to ask yourself if you really need them and if you are willing to pay a little more for them.
The problem is when the bike on offer seems like a deal that’s too good to be true… because what usually happens is that -indeed- it’s not true. We must systematically be wary of prices that are too low and hasty emergency sales “because I’m going on an unexpected trip.”
The exterior appearance is very important but should not be decisive. A motorcycle may be impeccable on the outside because the seller has “washed its face” for the occasion, but destroyed on the inside. And the same thing the other way around; Bad on the outside but in perfect mechanical condition. As always, the truth is in the middle. A motorcycle simply has to look as it does with its kilometers and having a good mechanical friend by your side will help corroborate this.
Nor does having many kilometers necessarily imply being in poor condition. If a machine has been well treated, passed its periodic inspections and received adequate maintenance – which is why a properly sealed workshop book should always be requested – its engine can function perfectly for hundreds of thousands of kilometers. . The important thing is that the mileage is real and the buyer knows what to expect when purchasing.
Minor wear and tear should not scare you. They indicate just that: that the motorcycle has been used regularly, which is not negative in itself. They can influence the price but not the operating condition of the vehicle. The most common are scratches on the footrest supports or on the lock, due to the key ring rubbing. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing… as long as the kilometers on the marker match the “combat wounds.”
A scratch on the tail or a crack in the windshield may make it look a little dull, but in the end it won’t cost our lives and they are also easily replaced. What we do risk our skin with is the chassis, suspension and brakes. It is the entire cycle part that should be paid more attention; Be careful with the bent frame, scratched brake discs, burst shock absorbers that leak oil… those are red lights at which you should stop the purchase.
The buyer has the legal right to test the motorcycle before making his decision and if the seller refuses… well, you have to assume that something is wrong. Of course, this one also has to request some type of document as protection while this is carried out. But you should never give any amount of money as bail before the test. Under any concept.
Any sales advertisement that involves the prior payment of an amount of money is almost certainly a scam and should be reported to the police. The most common form is the offer of a supposed motorcycle located abroad – generally at a knockdown price – for whose transportation the interested party must first pay some fees. As I said: to the police.
The above should not be confused, however, with a completely legal request for “payment and deposit” to reserve the vehicle. Although always, of course, with the corresponding receipt signed by both parties after verification of identities and assuming that they are an advance payment on the final price of the sale.
Obviously seeing that all the papers are in order should be the first thing the buyer demands, in addition to the traffic history that demonstrates that the motorcycle is not subject to any type of embargo or administrative sanction. However, on many occasions, the enthusiasm for the purchase usually causes the last thing that is demanded from the seller is the documentation that proves that the motorcycle is his or that he is legally capable of selling it. Neither photocopies nor “I’ll send them later with the operation done.” That’s where the scares come.
A regulatory model of a private contract for the purchase and sale of vehicles can be downloaded for free from the Internet and, properly drafted and signed, ensures both the buyer and the seller the rights recognized by the law. But be careful: this document must be presented to the Administration – in this case the General Directorate of Traffic – so that it has effective binding value in the event of a subsequent claim by one of the parties.
