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How to Sell
Listing and selling your motorcycles - especially used, vintage and new, non-current models - on eBay Motors is fun, easy and profitable. So don't let any more dust settle on your bike sales. Settle instead for dollars - lots of them - by using eBay Motors as your national online sales channel.
Before you register as a seller and list your motorcycle inventory for sale on eBay Motors, here are some valuable tips every seller should know (simply click on the text links below to jump down on the page to the selected information area):
1. Describe everything about the motorcycle.
• More photos sell motorcycles, and a complete description drives transactions.
• Describe yourself.
• Provide the VIN.
• Prepare to have the title in hand.
2. Actively participate in the process.
• Be accessible to potential buyers.
• Reach out to potential buyers.
• Manage your listing.
3. Price to sell, and close the deal.
• Choose the right motorcycles.
• Price them right.
• If you've opted to list using a reserve auction format...
• Utilize a second chance offer or re-list.
Did you know…you can also sell parts & accessories, passenger vehicles, boats, and other vehicles on eBay Motors? Just click on any of these text links to learn how.
1. Describe everything about the motorcycle.
• More photos sell motorcycles, and a complete description drives transactions. Remember that most of your potential buyers will not see the motorcycle in person before bidding on your listing. The more pictures, the better. Six is a good starting point (left side, right side, front, rear, top, and odometer close-up), but more are even better. This is especially true if there is any unique customization that you'd like to showcase or if there are any signs of 'wear-or-tear' that you should point out to increase bidder confidence that you're representing the bike accurately.
Write a thorough description that explains everything a potential buyer would want to know. A good description includes a general overview description, a list of features, information on the bike's history, and terms of sale (e.g., deposit amount and timing, balance payment timing, shipping details). Be honest to a fault as this builds bidder trust and will help you get a higher price. Be professional, thorough, and clear.
Learn tips on how to take photos. Read advice on how to write a description.
• Describe yourself. Include information about yourself and your dealership in the description so that you're not an unknown entity to potential buyers. Build trust! Tell potential buyers about your dealership's history and your operations to help them understand that you are a reputable business…and to build confidence that this is a good bike that has been well maintained.
• Provide the VIN. You will attract more legitimate bids if a buyer has the ability to verify the bike's authenticity and do checks on its history. Also, most loans cannot be secured without a VIN.
• Prepare to have the title in hand. Make sure any liens on the motorcycle are disclosed in the description and, if possible, have the title in hand. Potential buyers should be made aware of how long it will take to secure the title if you do not have it in your possession.
2. Actively participate in the process.
• Be accessible to potential buyers. Make sure your phone number and email address on your eBay account are accurate. Buyers will be more likely to engage in business with you if you are open and responsive to questions and concerns in a timely manner - both during the listing period and after the purchase when transactional details are being worked out.
• Reach out to potential buyers. If you have questions about the potential buyer's feedback rating, or have questions about bidding activity, contacting the person may help. In fact, it is likely the potential buyer has questions about the motorcycle and/or final transaction details. The best sellers proactively contact every bidder (a form email thanking the bidder for their bid and soliciting questions is a great idea), and as a result, build buyer confidence, don't have problems later with miscommunication that could lead to an Unpaid Item, and make more sales.
• An important note for the seller about feedback: Feedback is a critical part of buying and selling on eBay. It provides important information to both buyers and sellers to help them "get to know" each other and build mutual trust. On eBay, feedback equals reputation. eBay asks everyone to participate in giving feedback. Please leave feedback for your buyer at the end of the transaction and remember that they will leave feedback about you (typically after they receive the item).
Of course, there are occasional misunderstandings between buyers and sellers. For this reason, you should look at every buyer's complete feedback history, and not necessarily rule out someone with a few negatives. Also, remember that every one of our best buyers (and sellers) started with 0 feedback once upon a time. Give them a chance, but again, make sure to talk to the person so you build your own opinion.
If you're nervous about accepting bids from particular bidders, explore the pros and cons of requiring pre-approved bidders or even blocking bidders on your items if you choose. Learn more about Bidder Management.
• Manage your listing. Unexpected things occur, and there are a few unique and valid reasons you may need to end your listing early, or cancel bids on an item. Before doing either of these though, know the rules for selling and your options for dispute resolution.
3. Price to sell, and close the deal.
• Choose the right motorcycles. While almost any motorcycle can be (and probably has been) sold on eBay Motors, certain bikes do better than others. Proven places to start include:
- Aged inventory; i.e., motorcycles that have been sitting around your shop too long. These may be trades that didn't move as quickly as expected or last year's new models that have yet to sell.
- Any inventory priced to move.
- Right bike…wrong place or time; i.e., any bike that you ended up with that doesn't really fit the customers walking into your shop.
- Custom, vintage, niche, and exotic bikes; i.e., bikes that are supply (or demand) constrained.
• Price them right. Be realistic and determine the best price for your motorcycle. Refer to Trade-In Value guidelines at Kelly Blue Book Online to fine tune what your experience says the bike is worth. Be sure to consider the condition of the motorcycle and any customization to refine the price.
- Starting Price: In general, set the starting price low to attract bidder attention and drive bids. This makes the listing "hot".
- Reserve Price: If you're using a reserve price, use it to provide downside protection rather than upside inflation. Set it at a level at which you could let the bike go rather than the price you expect. If the reserve is too high, it will discourage bidders and bidding may not reach the necessary level to make the sale. Conversely, when the bidding passes reserve, the market excitement really kicks in and bidding often intensifies. You can then sit back and watch the marketplace work for you.
• If you've opted to list using a reserve auction format, during the auction, you may Lower Your Price to close the gap with a high bidder and meet reserve.
• Utilize a second chance offer or re-list. Even if the auction closes unsuccessfully, you can make a Second Chance Offer to any bidder to close the deal. Or, you can always re-list the motorcycle for free (your listing fee is refunded if the motorcycle is sold).
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