Selling a very low mileage bike
Discussion
What is the best way to sell a (very!) low-mileage one-owner-from-new (2015) BMW S1000R? We are talking about <1000 miles with history for the post running-in service and one other. Always stored carefully under a fitted cover in a warm/dry garage, but hardly ridden. Recent full service with all fluids replaced, and fitted with a new battery and tyres. Lots of BMW-fitted shiny bits - exhaust, levers, screen etc.
Any potential buyer is going to want to understand why the bike has so few miles etc. Would this bike be better marketed through a dealer? Are there motorbike equivalents of the car dealers that run on a commission basis? Any recommendations if so? Marque/model enthusiast web forums worth trying?
Are there better options than Autotrader / eBay…? If so, what and why?
Asking on behalf of a mate obviously, and (genuinely) not trying to run a “stealth ad” here. Just trying to provide enough info to get some good advice on a slightly unusual situation.
Any potential buyer is going to want to understand why the bike has so few miles etc. Would this bike be better marketed through a dealer? Are there motorbike equivalents of the car dealers that run on a commission basis? Any recommendations if so? Marque/model enthusiast web forums worth trying?
Are there better options than Autotrader / eBay…? If so, what and why?
Asking on behalf of a mate obviously, and (genuinely) not trying to run a “stealth ad” here. Just trying to provide enough info to get some good advice on a slightly unusual situation.
eBay (and shared in relevant groups), Marketplace, AT, <insert platform of choice>...
I don't think it makes much odds really...an S1000R isn't a niche bike per se, so your buyer is either going to be someone who wants an S1KR and is willing to pay a premium for the best example or someone who has an appropriate budget and is happy to have a slightly older bike on the basis that it's a mint low miler but selling an older bike for more than a newer version for more money is likely going to be a harder/longer sell...as me how I know!
I don't think it makes much odds really...an S1000R isn't a niche bike per se, so your buyer is either going to be someone who wants an S1KR and is willing to pay a premium for the best example or someone who has an appropriate budget and is happy to have a slightly older bike on the basis that it's a mint low miler but selling an older bike for more than a newer version for more money is likely going to be a harder/longer sell...as me how I know!
As above really. The harsh reality is that it’s not much more than a 10 year old mass produced bike that happens to not have been ridden much. The bike model has been through several generations and at least one ground up redesign since then, so it’s old tech too. It’s just a case of advertise in the usual places and see what happens. It won’t be sought after as some sort of classic.
Opapayer said:
As above really. The harsh reality is that it s not much more than a 10 year old mass produced bike that happens to not have been ridden much. The bike model has been through several generations and at least one ground up redesign since then, so it s old tech too. It s just a case of advertise in the usual places and see what happens. It won t be sought after as some sort of classic.
Sadly, I quite agree, ive enjoyed the 2 S1000Rs ive owned but its not the sort of bike you d just enjoy looking at.Id advertise it on eBay , perhaps in the Spring if you dont want a load of lowball offers..
Edited by podman on Monday 17th November 19:07
podman said:
Opapayer said:
As above really. The harsh reality is that it s not much more than a 10 year old mass produced bike that happens to not have been ridden much. The bike model has been through several generations and at least one ground up redesign since then, so it s old tech too. It s just a case of advertise in the usual places and see what happens. It won t be sought after as some sort of classic.
Sadly, I quite agree, ive enjoyed the 2 S1000Rs ive owned but its not the sort of bike you d just enjoy looking at.Id advertise it on eBay , perhaps in the Spring if you dont want a load of lowball offers..
Edited by podman on Monday 17th November 19:07
The low mileage means nothing these days when bikes are little more than expensive toys for some people; I've bought (and sold) bikes that have averaged only a few hundred miles a year and, unless they are something a bit special or extremely unusual, they are worth very little more than one that has done 3000 miles a year with regular servicing.
HybridTheory said:
An 11 year old bike with less than a thousand miles on the clock would concern me as a buyer tbh..busted seals etc...would be more likely to pay more with 20k/30k miles on it
As already said, it's not the 1950's any more; seals these days aren't like the pure rubber seals of old so won't degrade anywhere near as badly, otherwise you would find yourself changing all the seals on a 10 year old bike whether it had been used or not.My experience of BMWs is that they corrode like nothing else - more mileage GENERALLY equates to more corrosion risk due to stone chips alone.
Resultingly, one that's been a garage ornament won't scare off many buyers.
Price it accordingly and expect someone to haggle a service cost and it should be a relatively easy sell.
There may be suspicion about the low mileage so be prepared to explain and evidence it.
Resultingly, one that's been a garage ornament won't scare off many buyers.
Price it accordingly and expect someone to haggle a service cost and it should be a relatively easy sell.
There may be suspicion about the low mileage so be prepared to explain and evidence it.
I've just sold my 2021 mk2 bike sport, with 3000 miles. Immaculate. Needed it gone and I'm not fussed about loosing a few grand.
We buy any bike offered £7500. I stuck it on eBay for 8k. It tuck a week to sell and still had several turds offering less, also the idiots asking how many flies has it hit and drops of rain its endured.
The cheapest in the uk and lowest mileage bike for under 10k and it was still a chore.
180 nosey watchers, as soon as the advert was removed i had a flurry of emails asking if the bike had sold. I ignored them all .
Hope that helps :-) .
We buy any bike offered £7500. I stuck it on eBay for 8k. It tuck a week to sell and still had several turds offering less, also the idiots asking how many flies has it hit and drops of rain its endured.
The cheapest in the uk and lowest mileage bike for under 10k and it was still a chore.
180 nosey watchers, as soon as the advert was removed i had a flurry of emails asking if the bike had sold. I ignored them all .
Hope that helps :-) .
Edited by mak on Thursday 20th November 19:45
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