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Selling A Motorcycle--Moral Dilemma

S

savatage1973

Addicted Member
I need to sell my motorcycle--not for financial reasons, but for health reasons. A prior back injury should have made me stop riding a couple years ago, and a recent auto accident has resulted in further serious back injury, so forcing me to give up on bikes.

Of course, now is the "prime time" of the year to sell a bike, and I have had a lot of interest from potential buyers. However, here is the dilemma regarding selling it...

The bike is a "tweaked" 2016 Honda CBR1000 RR ABS with less than 5K miles entering its third season (I am the original owner)--super clean, never dropped or wrecked. Capable of in excess of 200 mph with over 200 hp in a 450 lb package--enough said.

I priced it well above what I would consider to be "fair market value"--to give me adequate room for negotiation, and to solicit "serious" parties only.

Unfortunately, this is not working out as I had hoped. I currently have several serious offers on the table--less than the inflated asking price, but more than what I would be willing to accept.

.Now to the heart of the dilemma--this is a dangerous bike, not for the inexperienced rider. I have 40+ years experience on street bikes, and a prior decade of off-road dirt bike experience under my belt, and this thing can still scare me.

No one that has made a viable offer should (IMO) own that bike--it is (again, my opinion) too much bike for an inexperienced rider. One guy even wants to buy it as a college graduation present for his 22 year-old son, as his first "real" bike. :crazy:

Should I just take the money and just not watch the news or read the paper for a month or two, or hold out for someone that I am reasonably comfortable will not kill themselves (or someone else) the first time they decide to "open it up"?

I know I am rambling, but there is a back-story to this. Years ago, a friend of mine had a built to the ass Camaro that he sold to a State Trooper--not knowing that it was intended for the hands of the Trooper's kid--car was totalled and kid dead within two weeks, and I remember that guilt trip vividly.

So what does everyone think?
 
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savatage1973 said:
I need to sell my motorcycle--not for financial reasons, but for health reasons. A prior back injury should have made me stop riding a couple years ago, and a recent auto accident has resulted in further serious back injury, so forcing me to give up on bikes.

Of course, now is the "prime time" of the year to sell a bike, and I have had a lot of interest from potential buyers. However, here is the dilemma regarding selling it...

The bike is a "tweaked" 2016 Honda CBR RR ABS with less than 5K miles entering its third season (I am the original owner)--super clean, never dropped or wrecked. Capable of in excess of 200 mph with over 200 hp in a 450 lb package--enough said.

I priced it well above what I would consider to be "fair market value"--to give me adequate room for negotiation, and to solicit "serious" parties only.

Unfortunately, this is not working out as I had hoped. I currently have several serious offers on the table--less than the inflated asking price, but more than what I would be willing to accept.

.Now to the heart of the dilemma--this is a dangerous bike, not for the inexperienced rider. I have 40+ years experience on street bikes, and a prior decade of off-road dirt bike experience under my belt, and this thing can still scare me.

No one that has made a viable offer should (IMO) own that bike--it is (again, my opinion) too much bike for an inexperienced rider. One guy even wants to buy it as a college graduation present for his 22 year-old son, as his first "real" bike. :crazy:

Should I just take the money and just not watch the news or read the paper for a month or two, or hold out for someone that I am reasonably comfortable will not kill themselves (or someone else) the first time they decide to "open it up"?

I know I am rambling, but there is a back-story to this. Years ago, a friend of mine had a built to the ass Camaro that he sold to a State Trooper--not knowing that it was intended for the hands of the Trooper's kid--car was totalled and kid dead within two weeks, and I remember that guilt trip vividly.

So what does everyone think?
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Give fair warning, as in thoughtful advice, and sell it. We all... those adventurous among us... survived some absolutely crazy insane stuff we did for fun and it was completely on us for engaging in that kind of thrill seeking. You might try to talk the dad into getting him a car and tell him why... if he insists, sell it.
 
I think your title says it all. Nobody needs to set themselves up for a moral dilemma. Accidents can happen to anyone but you should probably wait for a competent operator.
 
You've got two requirements: (1) it has to be for a price that's fair in your opinion, but also (2) to someone who, in your opinion, is capable of properly handling it.

You've already got a couple of offers that you think are fair, so if you were to wait, odds are you'll get more of them.

How can you decide if a prospective buyer is qualified? I wouldn't know how myself, but maybe you can. As was suggested above, you might want to just give 'em very clear, fair warning -- explain why, in your opinion, this is a more challenging bike to handle than is usual. If you make that crystal clear, and they insist that they know what they're doing and say they still want it, then sell it in good conscience.
 
You can kill yourself on most anything if you put your mind to it ... here's the one I died on ... and that's with most of a half million miles under my belt over the years ...

1983%20yamaha%20totaled.jpg


PS ... I got better ... ;-}

Anyway - as mentioned, fair warning to prospective purchasers and then they're on their own.
 
Tell the guy who wants to buy it for his son that its a widowmaker and not for him -
then wait for the right buyer ...

That State Trooper that bought his young son the Camero is to blame for that sadness (not your friend who didn't know the end owner)
- the Trooper should have known better, and he will suffer his whole life with his mistake.

I don't ride any more, but did for many years -
even worked at a Kawasaki dealer (Service manager).

The right buyer will come along - & you do have a few months left in prime season ... ;)
 
There are no guarantees in life and the most experienced can have a fatal accident any day of the week. Still, I think you have some responsibility not to put a loaded weapon into the hands of somebody who isn't ready to handle it safely.
 
That same person can easily buy a bike at the local motorcycle shop just as easily as from you. They don't ask questions about skill sets or previous experience. They just want to know how the buyer intends to pay.

One of the shops around me does not even bother stocking stuff like chains. They prefer to just move bikes. Inevitably, they quickly get wrapped around a guardrail. no maintenance required.
 
CKDC said:
That same person can easily buy a bike at the local motorcycle shop just as easily as from you. They don't ask questions about skill sets or previous experience. They just want to know how the buyer intends to pay.
Click to expand...

I know this, but I don't have the conscience (or lack thereof) of a good salesman, and I'd like to continue to sleep at night. I know some very successful people in sales, and they could sell refrigerators to eskimos and make them believe that they needed two and a deep freezer to go with them. That's just not me.

I'm more like Judge Reinhold's character in "Ruthless People" selling speakers to that kid... You can watch the whole thing, but relevant is 1:24 and after.

 
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savatage1973 said:
I'm more like Judge Reinhold's character in "Ruthless People" selling speakers to that kid... You can watch the whole thing, but relevant is 1:24 and after.
Click to expand...

The Dominator MX10 ... 30" of thigh slappin' blood pumpin' nuclear brain damage!
 
savatage1973 said:
I know this, but I don't have the conscience (or lack thereof) of a good salesman, and I'd like to continue to sleep at night. I know some very successful people in sales, and they could sell refrigerators to eskimos and make them believe that they needed two and a deep freezer to go with them. That's just not me.

I'm more like Judge Reinhold's character in "Ruthless People" selling speakers to that kid... You can watch the whole thing, but relevant is 1:24 and after.

Click to expand...
If you are really troubled by it hold out for what you consider the right buyer secure in the knowledge you did what you felt was right. Of course you could always disassemble it and cast the pieces away separately never to be used again... the ultimate level of personal responsible action. It's kind of ironic though considering that the thing is built for speed and thrills... the very combination that encourages dangerous operation no matter the skill level. In life we all take our chances, everyday, in all manner of ways.... we never know when someone will suddenly cross the striped line or appear in our lane at the crest of a hill.
 
If anyone should feel guilty, it's the company that builds these things to sell to us idjits ... <G>

My favorite go to salesman for new bikes was at least honest about the whole thing. He mentioned that one of the favorite pastimes of the crew was watching the shiny new owner of the shiny new machine pull out of the lot into rush hour traffic, taking bets on how long they survived ... Pretty sure he was kidding ... then again ...
 
Savagage,

Do you really feel like you can actually pilot this monster when you bought it in the first place? And then modded it into the “stupid zone?”
 
I watched a similar scenario in a bike shop several years ago with salesman and an inappropriate pairing situation.
Several years ago,before it moved back to Milwaukee, the local Talledega HD test facility open house product rides got cancelled when a prospective rider fibbed about his riding ability and put a Sportster into an 18 wheel tractor front end on a too wide turn manoever.
I have similar reservations on selling guns, tho strictly speaking, I have no control on subsequent use beyond making a judgement on the buyer's intentions.
Do what you can live with.
 
Even if you sell to a experienced rider who,s to say that they don't sell it right away to somebody else?Im looking at my royal dist catalog and they have 2 bikes 200 plus hp and no requirement that you be a good driver.Ive known more people that met their demise on Harleys than yick a zikies 1000,s.Try your best to sell to a good driver and leave it at that .You cannot control or be held responsible of other peoples stupidity or lack of driving skill.My 65 year old friend has that same bike and he,s a life time flh rider ,but he actually went and took a course to learn how to road race down around Grand Rapids Michigan somewhere.Though you cant force anybody to do it id also highly recommend to any buyer they take a racing course.well worth the money and fun too boot.
 
Don't be afraid to give a lecture and tell him to go to test & Tune at the local quarter mile track for $25 if there's a track within 100 miles....
Tell him he doesn't drive away from your garage without full leathers and boots and gloves.... And obviously a full face helmet..
Give him any tips from your 40 Years of riding ...
like don't ride in the center of your lane where all the oil from Vehicles drips and the dust collects & keep your tires in the tire tracks where vehicle tires ride in....
tell him never to top of hill while riding the yellow line and to always keep close to the white line when coming over a hill....
Tell him never to approach an intersection to stop without scanning for dust dirt debris and oil and to not put his foot down in a Dusty dirty intersection.. and to look in rear view mirror to make sure the vehicles behind him are going to stop!
Tell him to always expect oncoming traffic to not see him and to keep his head light on at all times & if it burns out replace it immediately.. tell him always indicate your intentions with traffic by using turn signals... Tell him When approaching a red light with vehicle stopped in front of him to never get closer than 10 feet to their rear bumper.... And to always leave yourself options to Escape quickly if somebody behind you is going to rear end you can you catch it in your rearview mirror.. tell him to keep his wits about him but it's all about survival and survival tactics... To look at it like it's all about survival to use common sense don't hot rod through residential zones and to save it for long stretches farmland without driveways... Give them every bit of advice that you think he would need and don't hesitate to preach to him...
Then sell it to him knowing you tried to impart wisdom if you really want to think about the morals then write everything down and give him a tablet with several pages of your wisdom written by you..
That's all you can do and tell him to have a blast enjoying the freedom of the open road..

I am a Suzuki Hayabusa GSXR 1000 Rider I've had many bikes all of them rice burners sport bikes since 1986.. tell him to never get on a bike even with one beer in his system or even one drink of alcohol...
The whole point of having a motorcycle and enjoying the hobby is to do so to the fullest in a sober manner...
Save the drinking for the proper time and place..
Don't be afraid to lecture
 
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