    
How to write a great
MOTORCYCLE FOR SALE advert
Motor bike | Classic bike | Photography | Price | Description | Contact details
▲ 1983 BMW R80GS advert. Unless you can conjure up evocative and romanticised images like this for your BIKE FOR SALE ads, better just get a clear, in-focus, evenly lit, well-framed snapshot of your machine in your driveway or at the side of the road. No need to be photographed with it; not unless your name is Elvis Presley (see main feature for more on this...) Things you ought to write
in your advert So you've got a motorcycle for sale, and you want top money. Well we've been there and done it many times—and we've generally been pretty successful, if not very successful. Here are a few timely tips that will greatly increase your chances of making a good deal when it comes to selling that bike. 1. Highlight exactly what make and model of bike you're selling. Don't simply say something like: BMW 800. Instead, add the full information that others need. Such as: 1984 BMW R80GS 800cc Airhead boxer for sale. We've seen many adverts where the seller simply hasn't bothered to tell the necessary tale. Get this line right and save other features/details for the next line/paragraph which is all about description. If possible, have this  first line printed (or displayed) in bold lettering. And yes, do add the words "for sale". Don't rely on the magazine or website to put your advert in the right section. Just make it clear to prospective customers that you're selling. 4. Next add some detail. You don't need to be long-winded about this. Where possible, save words and treat your advert more as a telegram than an essay. Remember that buyers need to be hooked quickly before they stray elsewhere onto other ads. So: Adventure bike. 12,000 miles. Luggage. Top box. Spotlights. Stainless exhaust. Serviced. 12 months MOT. Get the key points down. Don't get poetic. Just the facts, etc. 3. Describe the bike's condition accurately. This is important because at every stage of the transaction you need to keep the buyer upbeat and happy to trade with you. You have to maintain confidence, and that's a fragile thing. Drop it, and it's smashed. So if you describe the bike's condition as GREAT when it's merely NOT BAD or POOR, your buyer won't be impressed when he/she sees it—and he or she will be less impressed the further they've travelled. So tell the truth at the outset, but by all means talk it up (see further below for details). Just be fair and honest. Reasonable condition. Excellent all-round condition. Needs paint. Frame tatty. Immaculate. Needs full restoration. Pick your description carefully. Be prepared to back it up. 
4. Take a decent photograph. Sounds obvious, but clearly the message hasn't reached everyone. Many ads still show grainy, blurred, over exposed or under exposed images. Some ads fail to keep the bike in the frame at all. Remember that the dogs need to see the rabbit. So try for a clear, well lit, "three-quarter" main shot; i.e. showing the bike at a 45-degree angle, ideally from the front. Or make it a side-on shot if you know that the image will be used reasonably large. Keep the camera at headlight height, or slightly above to add some depth. Try and establish an uncluttered background. Look critically at each image and ask yourself if that picture would impress you. Does the bike fill the frame? Are you obscuring anything important? Have you simply banged off a careless snapshot, or thought it through intelligently/critically? If your advert can accommodate extra images (such as for use on eBay) take a few shots all-round. Photograph the good stuff, and photograph the bad stuff too. Ideally you'll capture both sides of the bike, plus a three-quarter front shot and a three-quarter rear. Check for your shadow draped on the bike, and check for your image reflected in the chrome. You don't want either if it's avoidable. And note that overcast days are better for bike photography. Harsh shadows on very sunny days obscure detail. If you've got no clouds, try and photograph the bike in the shade of a building. And make sure the entire bike is in the shade. If not, part of it will be blitzed while the other part will be too dark. And don't let your kids or dog stray into the shot. Yes, some buyers will think it's cute. Some definitely won't. But no one will refuse to buy your bike because you didn't have children or a pet in the frame. What's that? Put your sexy wife/husband on the bike topless/shirtless? Or otherwise? We wouldn't. This is business, and business is best done if it's kept at a certain level. If you become frivolous, you're more likely to attract a frivolous/time-wasting buyer. Play it straight. 5. If you've space, write some well-crafted copy to sell the bike—but make sure that copy is focussed on the buyer, not yourself. So don't bother writing stuff such as: I've had great fun with this bike and will be sorry to see it go. Or: I inherited this bike from my dad who passed away last year, and now I've got no use for it. Instead, explain to the next guy/girl the benefits to them. Such as: Reliable and comfortable on-road/off-road bike ideal for long-distance touring, green-lane riding and all-weather adventures. Or: Cheap to run, reliable, easy to maintain and surefooted sports tourer with great luggage capacity. Or: Appreciating modern classic bike that's still capable of hard usage on today's roads and enjoys good spares back up and a supportive club scene. The bike isn't about YOU anymore. It's about THEM. The BUYERS. They have to be persuaded that your motorcycle suits their needs. They're not interested in your life story and problems. And yes, the potential buyer might wonder if you're a bike dealer (given the way you couch your ad copy). So let them ask. If the price is right and if the bike is right, most buyers won't care either way. But note that if you're a trade seller, there are other laws and regulations that apply which are beyond the scope of this feature. This advice is all aimed at private sales. 6. Make sure you mention the fact that you have a log book (V5C), and state if it's in your name. Tip: make sure it's in your name. That, understandably, can have a big influence. And if you've got dealer service stamps, a manufacturer's handbook, a workshop manual and other pertinent documents, mention it all where possible—but especially highlight the V5C. Just keep it professional. A photo of your late father on the bike probably won't help the sale (not unless you're selling an old motorcycle of historical interest and where the photo is contemporaneous).  7. State your asking price last of all. Tell the prospective buyer if it's a FIRM price, or if you'll accept a very near offer (OVNO). £2,250 or OVNO. Or: £1,800 FIRM. Tell them too if you'll consider a part exchange.
But why should you put the price last? Because you need to "sell" the notion of the bike first before you reach for the prospective buyer's wallet/purse. If you put the price up front, and if the price is fairly high, you might scare them off prematurely—i.e. before you get to the bit that tells them Elvis used to own it. That said, if it was an ex-Elvis Presley bike, you need to break some rules and put his name right at the front of the ad: Ex-Elvis Presley 1984 BMW R80GS 800cc Airhead boxer for sale. Things you shouldn't write
in your advert 1. Don't say MUST GO, NEED SPACE. Think about it. If you write that, you're advertising not just the bike but your desperation. Keep stuff like that to yourself. 2. Don't say LOSS OF STORAGE FORCES SALE. It's the same argument as immediately above. Desperation. Weakness. Your prospective buyers will seize on that, consciously or otherwise. No one will feel any special sympathy, and the asking price will thereafter struggle. 3. Don't write EMAIL ME FOR DETAILS. This is, after all, the modern world. People are impatient. They want a telephone number. They want to hear your voice. They want to be convinced you're not a scammer. What's that? Don't want to give out your telephone number? Okay. Buy a cheap "burner". Then switch it on. keep it charged, and make sure you answer it. It's that confidence thing again. Don't drop it. 3. Don't write BEEN IN THE FAMILY FOR YEARS. You can mention that kind of stuff on the phone. But you're wasting space in an advert. Explain the benefits, not your family history. 
4. Don't write in the advert: LOSS OF LOG BOOK. EASY TO APPLY FOR. If it's so easy, you should get it yourself and strengthen your sales muscle. So okay, possession of a log book doesn't prove ownership. But the absence of a V5C is more questionable. 5. Don't write: NEEDS NEW CYLINDER HEAD FITTING (CYLINDER HEAD SUPPLIED). You should consider sorting this out and presenting a turn-key motorcycle. You might get away with this kind of comment if you lower the price enough. But if you want top money, sort out the problems first. 6. Don't write NEEDS A GOOD CLEAN & SERVICE. You might as well write I HAVEN'T BOTHERED TO LOOK AFTER THIS HEAP. So clean it. Get it running perfectly. Brag about it. Sell. Sell. Sell. Check Sump's Classic Bikes For Sale page. Check Sump's Classic Bike Guides page. 
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