Buying a bike on line

[doright]

I am looking at buying a bike on line and have seen many, but I haven't talked to anyone that has brought one off the internet. So don't have anything to go off of it being good or bad to do. I have read about the scams and am worried about it but I am mainly looking for feed back from anyone about buying a bike on-line.....

[Mag7C]

I personally wouldn't. I might see it online, but I'd still go and check it out in person before buying.

[DivideOverflow]

I bought a new bike over the phone from out of state. I knew it was what I wanted, and I saved over a thousand dollars, even after shipping, since they shipped it in the crate, and I assembled the front end and prepped it myself. I already knew what I needed to know about the bike though... I don't think I would buy a used bike online without actually going to check out the bike.

I did find my second bike used online that was local and I had the opportunity to go check it out and pick it up. I dont think I would have gotten it without inspection, as I was able to talk him down due to things that had to be fixed.

[doright]

Most websites have an option to have an inspetion done on the bike eighter before or after. So I would take that up for a extra cost.

[Keyoke]

I now have, twice.

First time I couldnt get to see the bike in person, but I spent quite a while on the phone with the dealer who went through every single detail of the bike before he delivered it to me (92 V-max).

The second time i bought my bike off e-bay (XJR1200) thankfully the guy lived about 20 mins away from me, so i was able to go and have a look over it, and test ride it before bidding.

I would always suggest that you try and see the bike in person first, I got lucky the first time and happened to get a good dealer, but we all know they're not all that honest!

[Wizzard]

I personally wouldn't. I might see it online, but I'd still go and check it out in person before buying.

Yep , me too !
Regards, Wizzard

[Forsaken]

I bought my first and only bike on ebay. The guy lived about 2 hours away, so I bid on it after asking some questions, won the auction and took the money with me to pick it up. I would never have bought a bike online that I couldn't see in person before forking over the cash.

[polarelf2003]

If you live near NY, I've gotten a bike for a buddy off ebay from these fellows: http://www.flykittymotorsports.com/.

Seemed like an OK guy. He will not ship, though, and I thought his prices were only OK, nothing too too spectacular.

[Kal]

I've bought a couple on eBay, but I assumed that I was buying basket cases and stopped bidding before I went over the value of the parts I wanted.

So far I've been pleasantly surprised by the condition of the bikes I've bought, considering the pocket money I've spent on them.

98 CG 125W - £350 (inc collection) - Has been used for parts, and still have enough of a good bike left to consider putting back on the road.
83 CB 250N - £107.50 (inc collection) - Fitted with Motad exhaust and Oxon Shocks
90 CZ125 - £130 (inc collection) - Was to be second bike after the vandalism incident, now to go back on the road for some Learner with more bravery than money.

[Toyuzu]

I found my bike advertised on the web. I did talk extensively to the owner by phone before picking it up, and I also talked to the mechanic at the shop where the previous owner bought it. I knew the shop to be a reputable place and trusted their opinion.

Even so, I was willing to walk away after seeing it and riding it if I wasn't comfortable. I had to drive four hours, book a motel and pay a $100.00 deposit too, all of which would have been lost if I decided not to buy.

I just knew what I wanted and that happened to be a fairly rare bike, so I was willing to take the chance. I'm very happy with my bike, by the way.