[moralfibre]

The pre-owned superbike world is filled with lucrative offers. Being a niche market with very limited takers, the prices of these lightning pieces of machinery on two wheels crash like nothing else. Many give up their dream of riding one in our hot, unplanned and hostile roads within a week, month or a year. Some ride them for a good couple of years garnering a few thousands on the odo before setting their sights on their next desirable upgrade.

Personally started my journey with a Z800 which was brand new closely followed by a 6 month old BMW R1200GS LC Rallye that was barely 6 months old with < 2500 km on the clock. The deal? A whooping 30% off retail price with a few more lakhs worth of accessories thrown in. It is hard to ignore the fact that buying a depriciated vehicle arrests your cashburn should you choose to hold on to the motorcycle for a few years.

Our mod manson has been holding on to this super sexy Honda CBR 954rr for a little over a decade and finds little or no reason to upgrade. He picked up this beauty in its infancy from a well caring owner as well.



So what's this thread about? Let's list out eye catching deals, and thumbs up or thumbs down on deals that you come across for fellow riders.

Note:

1. Please avoid justifying or pulling down on asking prices. As they say, the price of an item in the pre-owned market depends on the condition of the buyer and the seller.

2. Please do not post ads with zero or no details for folks. Posts without a contact option either via a link to the ad or an alternative will be deleted.

3. Please use the classifieds section for your ad should you wish to sell your bike and thereafter post a link to this thread to index it.

Take this opportunity to ogle at these beauties or hurriedly go over your bank statement to bring that dream bike in your garage.

[moralfibre]

Friendly tips:

Tip #1:

Be very very wary of the ownership history of superbikes. It is not uncommon to see most bikes advertised as first owner examples. But, in reality have already changed a few hands. SBK dealers often offer this as a package to buyers wherein they skip the transfer of registration documents and thereafter keep circling the motorcycle to various customers offering buyback prices with exchange options from their inventory.

I had seen a very very rare V-Strom 1000 for sale up north. Was utterly tempted to pick it up when I did a bit of a research to find the same bike with atleast 2 other owners on their Instagram pages. Was shocked to find that the bike was still on the first owners name whereas it had changed 3 owners. Sadly enough, the dealer is a very well followed and respected entity up north with ads filled with glitz and shine.

I'd rather take a bike with known three owners from my circle than one that has gone through two unknown ones. Do wear your sunglasses to avoid getting blinded by the glare of these ads. Many of them might be filled with a history you haven't heard of.


Tip #2:

Practice extreme due diligence. Was looking for a Ninja 1000 for a friend on Olx and came across a very very neat looking example. The bike was in Kolhapur but most pictures did not show the registration plate. Messaged the seller to know the registration details which he was a bit hesitant to share. But eventually gave in after my persistence. He claimed to be "friends" with the owner whereas in reality he was just a dealer. Ran a query on Parivahan to find that the bike was flood affected and was owned by a bhpian who declared it a total loss:

The ad on Olx:





Pictures received from the bhpian when he declared it a total loss after his bike was flood damaged:




Tip #3:

Patience is virtue. Never give in to temptation. Don't show any signs of excitement or lack judgement in pulling through these deals. We get it that you are in for thrill from a bike you always dreamed of owning. A little more time and arrest of your feelings will help quell long term pain.

The bike might have the best of accessories, roar of an exhaust or shine of a diamond. Scratch through the surface and you'll see reality. I've used social media to my advantage here. Find the first owner, second owner, third owner on Facebook, Instagram, etc. It won't be surprising to find them posing with their bikes or posting their videos. Send them a friend request, do notify them of the intent. Observe their usage pattern on these videos, find their riding buddies and look for group ride videos on Youtube, etc. It won't be tough to do that as I've had immense success to find my right bike with this approach. Riding fast is no crime, don't penalise former owners for doing so. But, riding rash, carelessly are signs of an abused machine. Yes, this surmounts to borderline stalking but you are no ordinary buyer, you are built with passion and going that extra mile will help protect you.

I found one bike in the used market where the motorcycle was parked in a lot a India Bike week in Goa and the owner was revving the pants of the bike at idle. Steer very very clear of such abused examples. No matter how Japanese they are, abuse takes a toll on these machines and you'd be staring at a repair bill running in to 5-6 digits sooner than later.

Tip #4:

Avoid out of state registrations. It is normal for finding superbikes in Maharashtra with a Chandigarh registration or a bike in KA with a Pondicherry registration. Many owners go out of their way to reduce their road tax burden. However, transferring these bikes over to your home state may cost a bomb. More often than not about 15-20% of their ex-showroom value post depreciation. Moreover, resist the temptation of running the bikes on former owner's docs. It may not be an immediate risk but you'll end up regretting this should you end up in an unfortunate accident involving other vehicles or worst case a pedestrian. Having your documentation clean will have a cushion of comfort for you in legal troubles.

Stick to your state of registration as it is fairly easy to transfer these locally without paying any additional roadtax.

Tip #5:

Do not downsize on insurance. Even a small incident like dropping your bike off its kickstand runs into a heavy repair bill. These bikes are not cheap to run or keep idle. For example, the tank of a Ninja 1000 costs about a lakh of rupees. Legend has it that if you buy a superbike in parts off your dealer, you'll be paying 40-50L for a 15L rupee motorcycle. Dealers make their profits in service and parts sale. Have your insurance take care of this for you. Zero dep should be the norm for the first 5 years of ownership atleast. If the first owner has skipped it, make sure you have the riders added during transfer.

Insurance is also proof of the history of ownership. A quick glance at the NCB values will reveal the claim history. Please don't hold a double lens microscope to it. Bikes fall off their side stands, owners can't handle their weight, etc. Watch for damages beyond these. It is normal for endure cosmetic damages owing to minor parking lot spills. If the sellers are frank about it, you have a deal with a honest biker.


Tip #6:

Avoid dealers. Wonder what their role is in the transaction except for hoarding up a pile of bikes, masking irregularities and then jacking up prices. I am yet to come across a competent guy who was true and fair in his assessments. For example, when I put my Z800 on sale, I was approached by a dealer who offered me an atrociously low price. It was lower than an other Z800 from his inventory. To settle scores, I simply offered him the same price to buy the bike from his inventory. I never heard from him again. Although I admit, it is a little bit of an inconvenience in dealing with a barrage of queries on Olx or the likes. Personally, I put up an ad with all details to every last bit of info that one would usually want to know. Despite that, should questions arise, dedicate 10 minutes of your time before going to bed in answering those. Some are genuine while most are timepassers.

I fail to see the logic where folks post "Serious buyers only". Wonder if they mean someone should bear the expression of a Bollywood villain and send a selfie before responding to an ad or similar. If you have an ad in the public domain, expect a ton of quries. Respond to them patiently, one such query from a suspected timepasser ended up becoming the customer for my first bike.

Always ensure clear documentation and insist on a RC transfer receipt from the buyer before handing him off the keys. As a general practice I've followed, we complete the payment formalities and leave aside say 10k towards the end. Handover keys and papers but secure the bike with yourself. Insist that the buyer initiate a transfer or registration before you deliver. Don't wait for RC delivery, a receipt of submission of docs to the RTO is good enough. Dealers will never do this and you are at a grave liability should your bike be involved in an accident. IF your buyer is from another state, issuing an NOC on his behalf is good enough to absolve you of liabilities. The onus on completing the formalities resides on the buyer from the other state.

[moralfibre]

Harley Davidsons of India

Unfortunate to see the market leader make an exit. But to be fair, the Indian market is quite brutal. Having to sell a bike at 2x its international price tag owing to a heavy duty structure is no easy feat. Harley made its mark by selling the Street 750s by the hundreds. Perhaps its most popular model and the most popular bike in the used market as well.

I am not a big fan of them and therefore will be at a loss trying to portray what they have on offer. But a quick glance through ads reveals that they lose 50% of their value after 2 years. A Fatboy costing upwards of 25L new isn't hard to find under 12-13L bracket. How they ride, etc is not my area of knowledge or something I've tracked.

Kawasakis in the market:

The probability of finding used Kwackers is directly proportional to the displacement of motorcycles offered. The most popular ones out there are the Ninja 650s and the Ninja 1000s coupled with the Versys 650 that marks its entry in the adv touring segment. Very very reliable machines backed with a company that has made its strongest bets for the Indian market. Kawasaki has pretty much launched their entire international lineup and stood on top in 2020 despite the pandemic and Harleys untimely exit. Don't miss this wonderful thread by Crazy Driver: Link

The best of both worlds on offer is the Ninja 1000. An admirable sports tourer offering the comfort of an adv with the thrill of an Inline 4 motor churning out 143 horses. With a host of electronics on offer, the Ninja 1000 is quite a popular bike in the used market as well. Shedding off 20-35% of its value in the first year itself for bikes having run under 5000km. The launch of the 2020 model makes the erstwhile version lose some more of its residual value.



Triumphs in the used bike market:

Holding fort with the third largest share in the segment you'll come across Bonnevilles for the price of an RE Interceptor 650. The Royal enfield launch took 'em Triumphs by storm and has been a runaway success for Eicher, the parent company of RE. But, should you wish to stand out in the crowd, the Bonnie offers a badge that can help you. It rides well and is an able tourer although you'll frequently miss those horses on wide open highways. Bonnevilles in various avatars are available for steal deals and there are still very few takers since the Interceptor made its entry. A good lever to use to negotiate further.

The Street triple 675,765 and their RS avatars offer decent value to thrill ratios for those seeking to put their knee downs on fast corners. And my most favorite from their stable has to be those tall standing Tigers that hold their own in the adv segment.


Suzukis

Every superbike Suzuki sold must have been a Hayabusa. Made popular by the bollywood flick Dhoom starring John Abraham. The clichéd Dhoom bike's popularity made Suzuki assemble them locally offering these monsters at mouth watering prices back then. Production came to a close very recently but the used market is filled with dime a dozen examples. It is not easy to ride these big bikes sporting a tag for being the fastest. Eventually owners leave them parked to let them depreciate further. A good example should not be hard to come by in the 6-8L bracket depending on the year of manufacture, odo reading as well as accessories on offer.

Unfortunately other models did not see much movement in their new avatars and therefore are really hard to come by the market. But believe me, those Suzukis have butter smooth engines even after 3-4 years of use.


Hondas

Even less popular given Honda's India focussed strategy of making 100 Activas as against one superbike. Therefore, Honda chooses to launch limited numbers on offer that are taken up by the market real quick. With their recent changes to have more Big Wing showroom rollout, we'll see whats on offer to take on the very limited but competitive superbike market in India. If you think Suzukis as smooth, try revving a Honda on a wide open highway they hold their own in overall refinement.

My top two picks from Honda's stable would be the 650F or the 650R . A great beginners SBK for those that are unsure of their stepping stone, the Honda is quite forgiving and offers a host of aids to keep your safety in check. It is quite reliable with adequate support from HMSI themselves to keep the bike going for long. The Africa twin for those that want to enjoy automatics on their rides. The DCT has a brain that can shift gears the moment you think of doing so in your head. Just the perfect blend of effortless riding on any surfaces alike.

[moralfibre]

Triumph Tiger XCA: Link



I am convert to the ADV bandwagon and went through a few Tigers in my pursuit of an upgrade. The Tiger XCA is a potent drink for those wanting to saddle up offroad as well as use it on our long highways enroute Leh, Ladakh or Spiti. The Tiger will do it all without skipping a beat. Those that want that extra lean on the corner should certainly move away towards the road version siblings the XR or XRX.

This one appears to be fully loaded from wheel to wheel and should be a competent horse in the stable.

One thing you'll note is that there are very few superbikes that see north of 30,000 to 40,000kms. The sweet spot is under 30k but it is not uncommon to find dime a dozen bikes under the 5000km marker.

[moralfibre]

Kawasaki Ninja 1000SX: Link to ad



Undoubtedly my favorite from the Kawasaki stable. Very very low mileage but not surprising considering the lockdown that took us in 2020. The last few examples sold for a massive discount so the asking price seems quite high but open to negotiations depending on the condition and history.

Overall a very competent bike and worthwhile partner to an adv in your stables.

[moralfibre]

Note: Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Superbikes and Imports section.

Bring on those ads that might help a bhpian or 100 step into the big bike world.

[libranof1987]

I was in the market for a pre-owned superbike for a very short period of time, and looked at only a specific model but have had learnings even then:

- Check with the local riding group: Was working with a dealer and he periodically sent me details of available bikes. When I forwarded the pictures / registration no. to friends in the city riding groups, I had everything I needed to know within a few minutes! The riding groups are fairly tightly knit and even more so as the bike becomes niche. And thankfully, most riders tend to know owners of the same type of bike or manufacturer, courtesy social media and several riding groups - both bike and manufacturer specific.

- Be wary of fraud: I seriously considered only four bikes. Of them, one had the entire front and MID (including ECU) replaced by the second owner and hence, the km reading was way off. In the second, the bike was written off as flood damaged by the first owner and the second owner was selling with significantly low odo reading. On the third, the first owner had ridden 50k kms+ while the ad showed some 23k kms.

- Be very wary of dealers that rotate bikes: some dealers tend to buy bikes and then use them (either themselves, or have people use them for short periods of time, or move them around other dealers to attempt sale) without transferring the registration. In such cases, the bike could have gone through an accident (and a shoddy temporary repair) and most certainly abuse, through use by several people.

I had the bikes' history within a few minutes of checking with my friends because they knew the original owner in each case and had the exact details at the time of sale. I've been fortunate that my friends from the riding community have such a wide network that they tend to know owners of most superbikes, either directly or otherwise, and getting details was relatively easy and quick. In most cases, we didn't get to the stage of checking service history!

That said, I also know of instances with very transparent and honest pre-owned sale/purchase; so untiring due diligence is paramount.

[Monaro CV8]

Thanks for this thread Kiran.

The used superbike market is a different ball-game all together.

Ranging from Dodgey sales of these bikes, to people not transferring the title of ownership (changing hands multiple times in the meelee of things).

One has to be very very careful while going for a used superbike, since you would be trusting your lives with it. These are fast machines!
Simply put - due diligence is required.

And when it comes to European Exotic bikes, the scenario becomes even more hazy..

The fact is that most European bikes (apart from Triumphs), are not sold on common platforms like olx, classifieds, etc.

They are mostly available with dealers who earn a good amount for resale of these too.

Also, there are a few dedicated websites which caters to the sales of exotic bikes only.
You might be able to find them (credr.com used to one of them earlier).
But again, lesser is known about the ownership journey of these bikes.

Best bet would be to pick up a known bike.

[dkaile]

Great thread Kiran! I was looking for such a thread when I wanted to dispose off (upgrade) my meticulously maintained bikes like my earlier Harley Superlow and my recent Ninja 1000. I had posted on TeamBhp classifieds but did not get a proper response for either of the bikes through them. Linking those ads here should be a great idea for concentrated buyer response.

This thread should result in more transperancy in the sale and better prices for the sellers by avoiding brokers (as I had to undergo) as well as better maintained and genuine bikes for the buyers at honest (but not low) prices.

Kudos and Cheers...

PS - Hope the issues with your BMW are now sorted out.

[Amey Kulkarni]

Great Informative thread KC for the enthusiasts out there. I completely agree to what you've put up and additional points by Satyen (Monaro CV8).

Its a wild ride of emotions and can turn into nightmares if you don't do your homework right when you jump into dark side of pre-owned bike market. If you're superstitious better you stay away.

With my two preowned bike journeys so far starting with Triumph Street Triple 675 and now the Ducati Panigale 959; I never thought I'd get in to such deals where even your family needs to support such decisions if you've never had a second hand purchase in your house before. However, with the correct history of the bike and no of owners on it; it should get simpler to get in and that's how I could leverage the other side of the coin which was never discovered.

But; the brighter side is it's all worth it. Why? Its a selfish decision to conquer your passion and financially its a rip off on the depreciation you get within a few years of ownerships by the first owner.

My best bet is to get a superbike which is known to you or in your friend circle. The unknown territory like the flood impacted N1000 as shown by KC can hit you hard.

PS: Take a well known mechanic with you or a knowledgeable friend who can be a critic to observe the thinks which you may not; to get the best out of the deal.

Also sharing brilliant podcasts done by Shumi on how to buy a used superbike :

Part 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuuuPeuVxLE

Part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaKSP_BYMeg

Cheers,
Amey

[AtheK]

What i have found useful, is to speak to the owner first, you will instantly find out how passionate he is about the bike. It's not too tough to catch a bluff. Bikers connect with bikers in a jiffy, and if that happens you know you are on the right pah.

That then follows all the above due diligence. I am in the market for a pre owned bike and i was connected to the owner by the dealer (as pointed above, some brands are just too tough to get through OLX), we spoke for the first time yesterday, and we spoke for 90 minutes. It was just a pleasure to talk to the guy, and now i am more comforatble to go see the bike and take negotiations further. I never connect with a guy who has posted in his listing "DM only if interested, do not waste my time", ok thanks mr.arrogant, you can keep your bike to yourself.

All the guys i sold or bought bikes from, have been my friends from then to now. In india this is an experience, and a fun one on that.

[saikishor]

What about Yamaha? I've seen a lot of Yamaha owners ( for instance bhpian krishnaprasadgg and Youtuber Zohair Ahmed) service their bikes by their own or through an independent garage. Is it tough to find Yamaha superbikes? Or is it that most of them are grey market bikes?

[neil.jericho]

Originally Posted by saikishor

What about Yamaha? I've seen a lot of Yamaha owners ( for instance bhpian krishnaprasadgg and Youtuber Zohair Ahmed) service their bikes by their own or through an independent garage. Is it tough to find Yamaha superbikes? Or is it that most of them are grey market bikes?

Yamaha R1s and R6s were popular grey market bikes. Yamaha was also one of the first manufacturers, if not the first manufacturer, to bring in big sporty bikes (R1 and MT01) legally. But they have squandered that first mover advantage and in the last 5 years when everyone else has brought in multiple bikes, Yamaha has sat back and preferred to sell scooters and 150 cc motorcycles. To my knowledge, they didnt even have test ride bikes of their higher capacity offerings. Hence the number of newer Yamaha big bikes in the preowned market is abysmally small.

However, that has kept the resale of the few bikes that were sold, at stratospheric levels. The more recent R1s hold their value very strongly.

[coriollis]

Great thread KC !!

This thread from moralfibre has made me revisit the moments when I was on the lookout of a used bike couple of months back.
I had bought nitrogary's pre-worshipped Bonnie A3 two years back, and due to the pleasant experience of buying a second hand vehicle, I was okay going the used bikes way.

Used Bike #1: Tiger 800 XRX from a dealer.

nitrogary and MonaroCV8 and myself went to see the bike. That bike was discarded as nitrogary instantly recognised the bike and recounted its past owners. On paper the bike was First Owner. But in reality the bike had changed 3-4 hands. The engine guards were repainted to hide the damages occurred due to fall. We were okay if the bike had a fall, ADV's are meant to take some abuse. But the owner was immediately on the defensive, saying he has had zero falls. We discarded the bike.

Used Bike #2: Versys 1000 from an individual in Mumbai.

Myself, moralfibre and bhpian etchmkay went to Mumbai to check the bike. The owner of this particular bike was hesitant to show the invoice as well as the insurance copy. Moralfibre had warned me then and there, to be very wary of the seller. We were sure that something was amiss. Since our Mumbai plan was ON, we decided to give this bike a try. But first we visited Kawasaki showroom and test rode the Versys 1000. There we got to know that the bike we were about to see, was indeed a 'media' bike. That bike was sold to the current owner at much lower rate. Clearly that person was looking to make quick profit at cost of an unassuming customer. It is needless to say that we never went to see the bike.

Finally, I bought a brand new Versys 1000.
Now I fully understand the difference between a used and a pre-worshipped vehicle.
I sincerely think that if you need to go the pre-worshipped way, the vehicle has to be a known vehicle. I don't mind paying a premium over the market price and call it as a ' Peace of mind ' premium.
Cheers,
AB

[Govardhansupra]

First the used Porsche thread, now this, I'm drooling now. Now you guys be prepared to read some super-car/bike ownerships after a few years.

Also, are we allowed to post OLX links, with the details and photos inside the post, so that it can be viewed even after the advertisement has been deleted or disabled?