Valuation request: Honda XR125L 2003 model

Afternoon all.


In the near future, I'll be putting my bike up for sale as
I've decided to do the DAS (and have sorted an ER5 for use in
the future).

The bike is a Honda XR125L3 on a 53 plate and it's not an
import. Purchased from new in December 2003, it's currently
done 7250 miles and is in Abingdon, Oxfordshire.

The bike has been kept outside since I purchased it and I've
only dropped it once with no real damage, apart from a slight
scuff on the handlebar. There are no modifications or
accessories.

There is a full service history and is taxed until December
2005. It won't require an MOT for another 18 months.

Picture is here:

http://www.alderton.org/dave/fragglebike.jpg

It's easy to ride, I've been using it as a commuter since I
got it, but not really quick. I found the rack on the back
useful, too. I've done Cornwall and back on it twice now.

I was thinking of asking around 1700UKP for it.

Any advice would be gratefully recieved.

 

£1700 is about right, so advertise it at £1800 ono and include the helmet &
gloves. When they start to haggle, and they will, drop the price £50 but
retain the helmet & gloves.

At this time of year you'll hopefully have a lot of interest, the bike being
a 125 that interest will mainly stem from teenagers. Be wary of any who
haven't brought along an adult and NEVER allow a test ride unless YOU hold
the cash. As the bike has been kept outside and commuted in all weathers it
must be looking a little jaded, sillicon sprays like 'flash dash' are your
friend, spray everything except the seat pad, grips, tyres and disks/pads, a
couple of cans for less than a fiver will more than pay for themselves.

Finally, never ever volunteer negative information about the bike, caveat
emptor and all that. It is up to the buyer to ask the right questions but it
does pay to be honest and truthfull with the answers.


Good luck.

 

So, offer the bike and helmet and gloves for £1800, and offer the
bike for £1750 without the helmet and gloves? I think this is what
you mean, but ICBW.

That's good advice regarding teenagers and test rides, thank you.

What is the insurance situation for test rides? I was under the
impression that it's a non starter unless they are insured under
their own policy, but I'll google for it as I think it was discussed
here a while back.

I'll give the bike a going over at the weekend, and try to keep it
in that state.

Will do. I'll offer up the good points and then they can ask about
the bad points.

Thank you very much for your help.

Dave.

 

com:

OK, so they would have already bought and have been riding it home,
then? Seems reasonable enough to me.

Bike had the big service yesterday, so I'm happy with the
mechanical condition. I'll get something like that written down,
then.

Thanks for your help.

Dave

 

No, what I mean is people do like to haggle and get quite chuffed when
they can knock some money off, it can often close the deal not by the
cheaper price but by the fact that they have knocked it down slightly.
By offering the helmet & gloves you are making them pay back any money
they think they're knocking off. Dealers do it all the time.

When I sell a bike/car I advertise it with 12mths tax & test, if they
are prepared to pay full asking then they get 12mths T&T. If they choose
to haggle and knock me down £50-£100 then I drop the 12mths T&T and sell
it with whatever is remaining. They're happy because they think they've
just saved £money with their brilliant negotiating skills, I'm happy
because I've got what ££ I wanted and no longer have the hassle of
putting it through an MOT then taxing it (which can often cost them more
than what they've just knocked off !).

 

In what way would that question have any effect?

Would you expect the seller to then give you a day by day account of the
life history of the bike or is it the magic phrase that is used to get
people to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?

In a private sale the buyer has no recourse if any visual damage becomes
apparent after the sale, you only have a recourse if any non visual
damage occurs shortly afterwards if you can prove the seller lied about
that damage. If a bike is advertised as "VGC" and you get it home to
find a dent in the tank you have no recourse, if it's advertised as
"Very good runner, very reliable" and when you get it home you find it
won't start from cold then you might stand a good chance of a
full/partial refund, with the help of a good solicitor of course.

 

As Kiran's explained it before, and IANAL but I'll have a go at
paraphrasing, it's all about good faith.

If I ask you if there's anything else I need to know about the bike
before buying, if there's anything detrimental, you need to tell me
about it, or caveat emptor no longer applies. Otherwise you can be
considered to have held back relevant information.

Personally, I think anyone who sells something they know to be fucked
while pretending otherwise is a grade A ****. When I flogged the Bandit
I was careful to mention everything I knew to be currently or potentially
wrong with it. Hopefully that helped put the buyer at ease (or maybe he'd
just bought a single fare ticket and figured it was worth the punt to get
home.)

 

com:

Ah, I get it. Thanks for the clarification. Thanks for your help.

Dave.

 

This isn't going to work with someone who's trying to sell a nail on
though is it?

In legal terms, even with this approach you're still running up a very
steep hill in respect of ever seeing any/all of your money back.

I don't take that to imply that I would sell a bike I know to be fucked,
nor would I encourage others do so. I just don't think that this chap
should volunteer that he's dropped his XR when all that's sufferred is
the bar grip. If any salesman approached a deal with negative
descriptions of their product then they're not going very far are they.

I recently went to look over a Citroen ZX on behalf of a neighbour,
although it was 12 years old it looked just as advertised, very good
bodywork, very clean inside and most likely a genuine 55000mls. When we
got there the chap selling it pointed out a holed top hose on the
radiator so the test drive would need to be shortish. Of course he'd put
a new one on before letting it go but as it had gone 5pm the factors
weren't open.

I wish I had a pound for every failed radiator hose I've dealt with
roadside, none of them however looked like someone's just rammed a
screwdriver into it to puncture it though. So why's he done that then
(I'm stroking my chin), for £400 this car's a bargain, oil's clean,
water's clean, recent filters, quality tyres. The only fault I picked up
was the heater fan not working.

I even told him "look mate, I know what I'm looking at with these
things, is there any reason I should walk away now?" but he insisted it
was a genuine car and lets go for a short test. During the drive he's
trying to direct me in a loop around his estate that will have us back
before 1/2 mile, the car drives superb so after the obligatory brake
check I'm onto the main road and gunning it into the country, he's
getting very nervous and pointing out that the engine is losing water
and is going to start overheating. But we're no where near the
thermostat opening temp yet !

Pulling up at his house after a 5-6mile drive he's shot inside to get
the doc's thinking the deal is done. His jaw hit the floor when he
trotted outside cluthing the V5 to find the bonnet up and me showing my
neighbour what happens when oil mixes with water, the gloop stuck to the
dipstick looked like mushroom emulsion.

"It's just a residue after having a new head gasket" he muttered. "****
off" were the only words I could think of to say.

My neighbour was lucky but this chap is just going to flush that oil &
water and try again with the next punter who hopefully won't have the
sense to dip the oil after the test drive.


Caveat Emptor.