• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

Negotiating with private seller without blowing the deal

Got my 250 for $1700
He's an 06 and had 16k miles on him but I've been riding him for 3 years. Better to spend 2k on something a little older with more mileage and spend the rest on good gear.
 
I sold my wife's black 2011 250 for $3300. It was absolutely pristine, bone stock, 1200 miles on it. It was not an instant sell and took at least 2 weeks. Keep looking bud, more will come.
 
Having purchased a ~8 year old Ninja 250 a few years ago, I camped out and waited until a reasonable priced model showed up on Craigslist...it took weeks. I think in person I talked him down from $1850 to $1500 or something like that, buyer and seller were happy. But this was the older model maybe 1998 and this was around 2004-ish. These bikes retain value only because there are lots of newbies who are so trigger happy to start riding a decent bike that they'll settle on spending too much, too soon.

Don't barter, haggle, or discuss price at all until you arrive in-person. Potential buyers calling, texting, or emailing me to ask how much is my lowest price is a sure way to piss me off and those who ask to haggle before seeing the merchandise are those who usually flake on showing up to an agreed upon meeting. Most every seller of a used automotive thingamajig will negotiate price, but they want to do it on their terms when they know the deal is close to sealed.
 
ToAdventure said:
I have learned now that NADA and KBB are more of an advisory than a absolute but they have retail priced as 2800-3700.
Click to expand...

Didn't see this mentioned already: You're not buying it retail. To the degree you rely on KBB or such, expect a fair selling price to be between trade-in and retail prices.

And why wouldn't you take those prices seriously? After all, it's their business to get them right. They might not, but consider the source when it's disputed.

There's no substitute for knowing what the bike is worth.
 
bcv_west said:
#3 rule: Always offer less than asking. With a smile and a 'I had to ask' if it's already an amazing deal.
Click to expand...
I can't agree on the "always" part of this rule.

For the two XR650L's that I've purchased (so far), I was happy to pay the asking price and felt that I would be cheating the seller to offer less than that. On the second one the seller dropped the price an extra hundred from what he had been asking before I started taking about price. I wasn't going to talk him back up, though. :x

When I find a bike for sale at less than what everyone else is asking and it's in decent shape and I think it's worth the asking price, I'm happy to pay that without further negotiation.


By the way, anybody know of a good deal on a used XR650L? All 18 of the ones currently for sale locally are priced too high. :laughing

(There's one apparently insane guy in Hercules who wants top dollar for everything he's done to the bike including full out the door purchase price. :rolleyes )
 
Personally id hold off.
Think about the plane you want to learn to fly.
It would be more important to me... its going to be your career when you are done right?
 
Last edited:
moto-rama said:
Don't feel bad if the seller walks away from a reasonable offer. Just because they want XXXX for the bike doesn't mean that you have to meet their terms.

I'd do it like this.

Obtain all cash, divide in to 500 increments. Put 2000 in YOUR pocket, give the rest to your BF.

Let the seller talk himself down by remaining silent as he talks and talks and talks.
If he does all the "Not talking" then ask him what his lowest acceptable price is. No Matter What He says, act like he just stabbed your dog. If you can cry on demand, do it.
I guarantee that the price will come down then.

If not...then:
Pull 2000 out of your pocket and say something like "I saved for years for a bike just like this....this is all I can afford.
Wait for him to make another offer.
Whatever that offer is, tell him all you have is 2000...wait for seller to reply.
If necessary have BF offer to "Loan" you 500, for a total of 2500.

etc etc. etc

have fun! It's only a motorcycle deal
Click to expand...

That's a good low-baller technique!
 
thank god for all you reasonable sounding people out there! i just read this post...i'm currently trying to sell a bike on Craigslist, and its *killing* me...I've heard all the bullshit you mentioned in this thread!...but you've given me the strength to continue...the right person will come along and want my bike and not be a jerk, i just have to be patient!!
 
ScottRNelson said:
I can't agree on the "always" part of this rule.

For the two XR650L's that I've purchased (so far), I was happy to pay the asking price and felt that I would be cheating the seller to offer less than that. On the second one the seller dropped the price an extra hundred from what he had been asking before I started taking about price. I wasn't going to talk him back up, though. :x

When I find a bike for sale at less than what everyone else is asking and it's in decent shape and I think it's worth the asking price, I'm happy to pay that without further negotiation.


By the way, anybody know of a good deal on a used XR650L? All 18 of the ones currently for sale locally are priced too high. :laughing

(There's one apparently insane guy in Hercules who wants top dollar for everything he's done to the bike including full out the door purchase price. :rolleyes )
Click to expand...

I've seen that XRL.
Lol
 
ScottRNelson said:
I can't agree on the "always" part of this rule.

For the two XR650L's that I've purchased (so far), I was happy to pay the asking price and felt that I would be cheating the seller to offer less than that. On the second one the seller dropped the price an extra hundred from what he had been asking before I started taking about price. I wasn't going to talk him back up, though. :x

When I find a bike for sale at less than what everyone else is asking and it's in decent shape and I think it's worth the asking price, I'm happy to pay that without further negotiation.


By the way, anybody know of a good deal on a used XR650L? All 18 of the ones currently for sale locally are priced too high. :laughing

(There's one apparently insane guy in Hercules who wants top dollar for everything he's done to the bike including full out the door purchase price. :rolleyes )
Click to expand...

It's an investment. :x :laughing
 
ScottRNelson said:
I can't agree on the "always" part of this rule.

When I find a bike for sale at less than what everyone else is asking and it's in decent shape and I think it's worth the asking price, I'm happy to pay that without further negotiation.
Click to expand...

That was more for the person who doesn't buy a lot of bikes on CL, or necessarily know their worth, and feels uncomfortable even asking. My wife's like that, she pretty much just gets me to negotiate. Tough as nails at work, but can't ask a stranger to come down on their price :dunno
 
ScottRNelson said:
I can't agree on the "always" part of this rule.

For the two XR650L's that I've purchased (so far), I was happy to pay the asking price and felt that I would be cheating the seller to offer less than that. On the second one the seller dropped the price an extra hundred from what he had been asking before I started taking about price. I wasn't going to talk him back up, though. :x

When I find a bike for sale at less than what everyone else is asking and it's in decent shape and I think it's worth the asking price, I'm happy to pay that without further negotiation.


By the way, anybody know of a good deal on a used XR650L? All 18 of the ones currently for sale locally are priced too high. :laughing


(There's one apparently insane guy in Hercules who wants top dollar for everything he's done to the bike including full out the door purchase price. :rolleyes )
Click to expand...

This one?? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/4937648383.html

Funny.... :rofl
 
Cincinnatus said:
This one?? http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/mcy/4937648383.html

Funny.... :rofl
Click to expand...

That's the one I saw.
:laughing

If I am selling a bike I normally price it at a number that is bang on or close to what I want for it. I haven't been in the position that I need to sell a bike in quite some time so I rarely negotiate much. I don't respond to lowballs and I absolutely never take a dime off when someone asks "what's the least you will take?" You better make an offer for me to counter, I'm not going to negotiate against myself. That and the potentially buyer better have at least seen the bike before trying to negotiate off the sale price.
 
$4k is far too much for a 2011. You have to factor in insurance, tax, and transfer fees as well. I sold my wife's for just over $3K with just 1 thousand miles on it.

My advice is keep looking. A better deal will come along.
 
I'm a new rider, too, and I just bought my first used bike.

Here are the steps I took:

* Find comparable sales in your area on eBay (not Craigslist). Print those out and bring them with you. I bring a binder with me.*
* Make an inspection checklist when you view the bike. Mark down everything that doesn't pass, even little things (tears in the seat, old tires, etc.) and point them out to the seller as you find them.
* Be upfront with the seller: tell him you want the bike, but the average used price in your area is X, and you found issue Y that will cost Z dollars to fix, so you're ready to offer X minus Z.

The Cleveland Moto Podcast had a fantastic episode on how to buy a used motorcycle. I wrote down their advice and posted it here. If you like I can PM you the print friendly version I took with me while bike shopping.


Good luck!


* In my binder: comparable sales, my inspection checklist, and blank bills of sale.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top