If you have landed here, its fair to assume you are interested in selling your bike. There are two main aims in selling any vehicle: a). Get the maximum amount of cash b). Dont get ripped off whilst selling. We'll address both of these below:

Get the maximum price for your bike

When selling a bike, you are generally up against a large number of people selling the same make, model, colour & year motorcycle as yours. How to make yours stand out from the crowd? Check the tips below:

• Get the bike into the best condition possible - Sounds obvious, but roll up your sleeves and give it a full top to bottom clean. Not just a once over with a sponge and hose; get in there with a brush and get every nook and cranny gleaming. This is for the benefit of the photos, once its gleaming, take a close of of those shiny bits and post the piccy with the ad.  In a buyers eyes, a clean bike = a caring owner, and thats always a good thing!
• Be realistic about the price - Check the various classifieds to spot similar bikes. Set the price too high and buyers will just move on to the next bike, too low and buyers may be suspicious. If setting the price a bit higher than the competition then emphasise the reason in the ad title eg 'Honda VFR800, Very low mileage'. This may tempt buyers in rather than them seeing the high price and moving on.
• Write a good descriptive title - When posting your ad on ridetrader.co.uk, the ad text includes a title and a description. The title is displayed prominently within the listings so should be eyecatching. Instead of '2005 Suzuki GSX-R for sale' for the title, use something like 'Suzuki GSX-R, 2005, Blue/White, Showroom Condition, Low Mileage, 1 Owner, 12 months Tax'. Accentuate the good points of the bike in the title to draw the buyer in.
• Writing the ad itself - Keep the ad factual and true. Preempt any questions a buyer may have. How much Tax & MOT, mileage, how many owners, service history. If the bike is modded eg new exhaust, is the original included in the sale? If you find several buyers mailing you the same question then edit the ad description to include the answer (you can do this from within your Ride Trader 'My Account' area).
• Photos! - Bikes with photos sell better than bikes without, FACT. Make sure yours are good quality and not taken with an old low res mobile! Dont skip pics just because you dont have a suitable camera - get a mate round who does! You can add/edit pictures on existing ads from within your Ride Trader 'My Account' area.

Dont get ripped off!

Where there is money, there are scammers trying to get their hands on that money, the auto trade is certainly no exception. The vast majority of buyers are honest but there are always a few clowns out there to be wary of.

• Payment by cheque/bankers draft - By all means except payment by either of these but make it clear to the buyer that the bike will only be released after confirmation from your bank that the funds have cleared. This applies to bankers drafts too - they are NOT cash and can be forged, stolen or stopped, await clearance first.
• Escrow Services - Escrow services are a legitimate way for a middleman to hold onto the cash until goods or services are transferred. If a buyer suggests this sort of service, what reason do they give? They are commonly used by fraudsters so avoid. If a buyer suggests this and you are in any way suspicious, walk away.
• Trust your instincts - If when talking to a buyer and 'something' doesn't feel right, then simply walk away, tell them the bike is sold. There wil be plenty of other buyers.
• Meeting buyer - If you dont want the buyer round your house then arrange to meet in a public place and take a friend. If meeting at your house then ensure that someone else is around and make sure the buyer doesn't get a look at any valuables in the house.
• Can you ship the bike to [...] and i'll make payment on delivery - No, i cant, the bike is here and you are welcome to come and pick it up if you bring the cash.

Other things to consider

• Test Rides - dropping a bike on a test ride, even at walking pace, can cause very expensive damage. Dont put yourself in the awkward position of having to recover the money from the potential buyer. Make it clear that any test rides are under the condition you are left with full cash price of the bike as a deposit. If you are not comfortable with a stranger taking your bike out then make this clear to the buyer so they don't turn up expecting a ride.