Long distance bike buying techniques

[lindy]

I have searched the threads and have not found anything specifically addressing the troubles of long distance buying.

Does anyone have any suggestions - based on ideas or even experience - that can work to provide a more secure buy on a large purchase at a distance. Example... buy a motorcycle 1,000 miles away from you - without traveling in person to that location - inspection and then the paperwork (title transfer) and money transfer necessary to make the transaction work - without one party ripping off the other party. Or at least a reasonable attempt at that.

I know that dealing with an established dealer with a reputation to uphold (especially when the buy is through Ebay) is a much more likely transaction to be successful. But what about a transaction with a "little guy" like on the forum?? Some good techniques would improve buying and selling on the forum.

Any thoughts??

 

[LoneStar]

At a cost of "zero" there isn't really any way to confirm you're getting what you want. There are some things you can do for free to give you a better shot though.

First off, ask for pictures - and I don't mean cell phone photos taken in the back of some dimly lit garage. You need close up detail shots of every square inch of the bike. In a perfect world these photos would be raw images - several megabits in size - that you could enlarge to show detail.

Second - make a list of "point blank questions" and ask for answers in writing. For instance...
Has the bike ever been dropped or wrecked?
Does the bike have any "hidden" damage?
Are service records available?
Where was it serviced?
When was the last time it was serviced?
Are all body panels original?
Is the speedometer original, does it work, has it ever not worked?
Where are the paint defects located (provide additional photos)?
Have the carbs/fuel injectors been cleaned?
Does the bike have an aftermarket exhaust and has the fuel system been recalibrated to compensate?

The list goes on, but what you are doing is establishing a case for yourself should you need to go back to the seller for not disclosing information. If it isn't in writing, then you've got nothing.

If a few bucks is worth it to you for peace of mind, then determine where the nearest dealership is to the buyer and YOU contact them and set up a PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection). YOU pay the bill on this - not the buyer. You want the dealership working for you and not the other way around. Once again, get their report in writing.

The money side is a bit trickier and I'll let someone with more actual experience chime in on that part of the equation.

Having said all of this, I have driven as far as 350 miles (one way) to pick up a bike. If it was exactly the bike I wanted, and it was a rare bike, then I'd go alot further. If it's a common bike but a good deal, then I'd pass an wait for one to go up for sale that's closer.

Best of luck!

 

[OneSizeFitsAll]

Good advice from Lone Star. Service records are a must. A few phone calls to the seller may give you a clue as to their history. First bike, do they own multiple bikes, what type of riding do they do, how long have they been riding? All good questions

If the seller is on a forum pull up their post history and do some reading. You can learn somethings about the person buy reading their posts-such as do they seem to be genuine in their discussions and seem somewhat knowledgeable about motorcycles in general or are they an asshat?

It does depend on the bike you are buying. Sport bikes need some caution as the owners are generally younger guys who may not have as much maintenance experience and tend to abuse their bikes.

Sport tour or touring bikes are generally owned by folks who are a bit older and have owned bikes for years therefore treat their bikes better.

My recent Gold Wing purchase involved flying 750 miles to buy it. The seller picked me up at the airport and we did the deal in a half hour. Granted I was buying a bike with 12k miles (hardly broke in for a touring bike) and it had a transferable Honda warranty so I wasn't worried about the transaction.Paid with a cashiers check.

Remember buyer beware, if it is too good to be true - most likely it is.

 

[Dustin]

Excellent advice from LoneStar and Doug!

The only bike I have purchased long distance is my FZ600S which I bought from a forum member. That situation was a little different because the seller was already known to me through this forum. That said, I asked all the questions I needed to and made arrangements via phone and email.

One thing you might want to double check is importation rules, inspection requirements for your state, stuff like that.

I wasn't so sure about that stuff as it was my first import. It went without a hitch

 

[Stinger]

I bought my FZ1 last august after destructing my beloved FZS600. I've seen some announcements on the local eBay and sent friends of mine, selected between the most competent and fussy of them to see and try the bikes.
The FZ1 that I bought from circa 800 km away is this:

...keep in mind that here I had already fouled it a bit...