I do feel that buying any newish bike is basically a write-off of at least a third of the initial purchase price. I like to think that the cost of a 2 week family holiday is about what I lose at the next trade in and it doesn't feel so outrageous. Very much enjoying your content thank you.

I'm in my 50s and after many years and many, many dozens of cars and bikes, I will NEVER darken the doorstep of a dealer again. I would rather get a bank loan and buy a nice bike from a private seller if that's the way I wanted to go.. The warranties are not worth the paper they're written on and once you're out the door, they are not really interested in you or the bike. Last week, I picked up a 30 year old VFR750 for a £1000, absolutely lovely thing, even with 67k on the clock. I'll be prepping it over winter and taking it to Europe in spring. I've had fairly new Tracers, Fazers, Tigers, CBF1000 etc etc.. all great machines but too much money tied up in them and too much depreciation for me.. Even my car is 32 years old and guess what..? No engine management light.. ;-)

I'm in the market for a bike in the £4-7k range (buying outright with cash) and tbh, the prices people want for used is daft. Yes a lot are immaculate, with very low milage. But why would i pay £5k for a 3 year old used one when i can get brand new for £700 more from a dealer, 100% no risk, no accidents, no need to check it over or HPI it, and no messing with payment options.

im still riding my cz175 1975 i brought it new still going strong.

One of the problems I've come across looking to buy a cash second hand bike from a private seller is, they want to get top money or above more or less getting back what they paid for it a year or two ago, I have a good look around to see prices of second in dealerships, Auto Trader and compare them to private sellers, you can often get a bike cheaper from a dealer with some warranty, I just keep looking for a bargain bike with all the extra's and a decent price regardless of who's selling it. You have to be prepared to make a loss selling second hand bikes, whether trading in or selling privately, or be stuck with it for a long while.

I’m one of the elusive second hand buyers, searching at the moment. My personal opinion? People want too much for their bikes, simple as that. If they were priced right, they’d sell. Same with houses, they get listed for, let’s say £200k, they don’t sell, they drop the price, they sit for a while, then they go for £170k, the price they should have been listed for in the first place. Almost every bike I look at, I’m thinking, if that was a bit less….just my opinion.

I only looks at used private sale bikes (or cars) if they are very very cheap. Seen too many lemons on peoples drives that are just a few hundred quid cheaper than buying from a dealer where you have some consumer rights to protect you. Often private sales are because people think they can charge as much as a dealer would sell the bike for, or the seller knows it’s hiding something…. Happy to buy used bikes, but won’t pay almost new prices for them!

This all started with pcp even more so when they started doing pcp on second hand bikes and it killed the second hand market for private sellers , unfortunately life is rentable for the majority of people ☹️

I have a 1971 Honda cb750/4 Custom hardtail chopper and a 1992 Yamaha xj600 diversion. And im well happy with them both. And they brought and paid for

I can't work these bike shops out tbh, they are overstocked but you walk in with cash on the hip and they won't budge on silly prices, I've seen bikes sit for months and months unsold, just doesn't make sense.

I lived in Exeter long ago, I jump from my seat when I saw speed motorcycles "I know that place!" hahah. Thank you for bring me back to those places, nostalgia is a curious thing.

Triumph are a good well known premium brand,costing £10 K and upwards new.It`s reasonable to expect to get say £6 K for a 2 or 3 yr old good example, BUT as you point out that sort of money will buy a new 650 Royal Enfield for example.The market has been distorted against the premium brands by relatively cheap imports from India and China. In addition,as I have said, the rider demographic has changed as well,plus winter is no good for sales and on top of all that there has been massive cost of living increases.Another factor is the proliferation of lower speed limits and enforcement cameras,so the once sought after high performance bike is less desireable. All things considered it`s a crap time for bikers.

I'll always buy used and private with certain brands.

It's always been easy to have bikes on finance - it's also the most expensive way to buy anything. I hit seventy years last year and in 50 years of motorcycling have never actually bought a new bike. Bought one or two with just a couple of hundred miles on them but never actually new. I always let someone else take the hit of depreciation - which is always greatest in the first year or so, and wherever possible, buy from private owners rather than a dealer.

Following lockdowns people went crazy for bikes cars bicycles and dogs. Now supplies of these are available and people no longer seem desperate to get their hands on them there seems to be an oversupply. My local (100 mile round trip) BMW dealer had a shop full of used bikes, end of lockdown more or less all sold in four or five days. My four year old car, 39k miles sold to a dealer for £300 less than I payed new. Now there’s a fallout with bike and car dealers oversupplied with stock they can’t move, sheds full with bicycles that’ll probably never be used and unfortunately dog shelters filled with unwanted dogs.

The cost of living is a big factor. People have money but worry about paying out a lot of money on someting that has no warranty then having no cash if a big bill comes in. Also new bike prices rose steeply and are now falling due to lack of sales but private prices can be ridiculous. In 2015 you could buy a new MT07 for £5700 (£500 less than RRP) a few weeks ago I saw a 2015 MT07 advertised for £5000 lol. You can get the new hornet with all it's rider aids for £89 per month.... those are the main reasons why used bike sales are not doing well.

Hi guys, great channel and a really informative video. Good luck with the sale

Good for ya!!!! Selling a used bike requires patience and discernment to sort out the SCAMMERS. I have owned 90 motorcycles/ scooters so I am acquainted with the GAME. Recently, I have been getting offers from local Harley Davidson Dealers on their 23 and 24 bikes, with rediculous 96 month financing!!! To the naive and uninitiated, this sounds great!!!! Until you do all of the MATH and find that a $20,000 bike cost you $35,000----if you keep it, which you won't and then all of the offers on the Bike won't even pay the loan off. I buy new 99% of the time and pay CASH. Current bike is a 2023 Kawasaki Versys 650LT and the last was a 2018 Africa Twin Adventure Sport and before that a Triumph Rocket 3 Roadster. Thank you for keeping foul language out of your videos! GOD bless. Sam

I think it's a generational thing , in my 50's and brought up that if we couldn't buy we didn't have , but I suppose people think differently today , love your video , I've subscribed , I'm still on a two stroker 💯👍🏼❤️