Tips for Buying Motorcycles Off Craigslist

If you've ever tried dealing with somebody that is trying to sell a motorcycle on Craigslist you know it can be a hassle. Whether you trying to buy a new motorcycle, a used motorcycle, whether you want a dirt bike, a four wheeler, or a street bike, you are going to have to filter out the scammers.

One of the challenges you will face when searching for bikes on Craigslist is the actual search. You want to be able to find what you are looking for without having to sift through thousands of ads and you want to be sure you aren't accidentally filtering some of them out either. Of course you want to start by searching in your local region to narrow down the results depending on how far you are willing to drive to look at or pick up your bike. If you have a good idea what you are looking for you can search using more specific key words that specify the exact bike you are looking for. For instance you could search for "TRX 450" or "GSXR600". People will put in different titles and descriptions for their bikes so it's important not to be too specific or you might miss something. Starting with a more broad "TRX" or "450" for instance might be a better way to go so you don't miss what you're looking for.

Another challenge that I'm sure most people have experienced is filtering out the "frauds" and the "scammers" that riddle Craigslist. There is no shortage of them and they can be a real pain in they you know what to deal with so obviously it's best if we can do our best to avoid them in the first place. One key thing I've found to help with this is phone numbers. When I first started selling things on Craigslist I would just put my email address for interested buyers to contact me because I thought that it would be easier that way. What I found is I got a ton of email from so called "scammers" and it was a waste of time. I actually had one guy give me the advice to just put my phone number down instead of my email address because they are not likely to call unless they are seriously interested in what you are selling as opposed to email. I did this and it made a huge difference. So the lesson there is if there's a phone number listed us it, if there isn't ask for one.

Once you've found a bike you're interested in (and this could go for anything really), and you are in contact with someone about it, try to get additional information and more pictures if needed. Talk to them on the phone and try to get some history, like you would with any large purchase. Try to get a sense of honesty and establish a good line of communication before you waste your time driving to look at something.

There are a lot of people willing to waste your time on Craigslist but if you put a little effort into the process you'll be better of and likely save some time! Good luck and happy bike shopping!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6229245