Hello all,

I'm a noob and here to ask for some advice and tips on purchasing a motorcycle over the internet securely. Right now i've been looking at 2 bikes displayed here on h-t for sale.

What steps should i take to make this a secure transaction?
Also, These bikes that i've been looking at, have been out of state. What steps can i take to make sure the bike they are saleing is in the condition that they state there in? is it common for someone to ship the bike to have the vehicle inspected out first and deciding if they really want it or not?

Thanks in advance guys,

 

http://www.clarity.net/~adam/buying-bike.html#1

 

fly out and check it out in person. the only way to eliminate any doubt.

 

there is no real way to garuntee anything . i got lucky on my deal . i got the bike and it looked great, but it wasnt as mint as the seller had stated. The pics didnt show the details i saw when i got it, but i have no real complaints.
I talked to the guy on the phone and emial a few times before buying it.

 

Thanks for the site and advice.

 

yo,
1. ebay is your best bet for finding something well described with feedback to know the history of the seller
2. wait until you have something in your state or close enough that you could drive there. shipping is a pain in the *** and it's best that you get a visual inspection before you hand over 4-5k for something
3. if it's too cheap to be true. it is. it is a rarity to find something hugely discounted over what that item typically goes for. if something's not going for much on ebay or in the paper, chances are there's something wrong with the bike that you might not know about because you are new to the sport (no offense).

 

there is always http://www.escrow.com also.

if a buyer wants to use their own online escrow service i would stay away for sure. many scams have revolved around setting up phoney escrow sites

 

My advice is:

Unless you can go take a look at the bike yourself in person, don't buy over the internet.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by R6 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My advice is:

Unless you can go take a look at the bike yourself in person, don't buy over the internet. </TD></TR></TABLE>

exactly