WHERETOFINDA BARGAIN…

If we had the exact answer to this common predicament, we’d open a bike shop and get rich off it. In truth, there’s no hard and fast rule for finding a bargain. Quite often low prices and rare finds are often down to individual circumstances, like people needing to free up space or cash. The trick is to keep your finger on the pulse when looking for a bike. Nowadays, motorcycle sales are mostly hosted online and one good piece of advice is to enter the word ‘project’ before the model that you’re searching for. You’d be amazed at how many of us kick off a build and only get so far before circumstance gets in the way. You might find a bike that’s complete, but in bits, for a fraction of its market value. On the other hand, you might find a hand grenade that doesn’t warrant touching with a barge pole… but you can worry about that when it comes to the purchasing. Village notice boards in supermarkets are another off-piste place to check, and local newspaper classified adverts. These areas used to be the common hub for such advertisements, but time’s moved on for most of us, so there are often overlooked nuggets here to be picked. The internet is where most people promote their bikes these days, but outside of the main auction sites, you can still stumble across less broadcasted bargains on forums. Again, go to a forum that specialises in the model or make that you’re after and search through the ‘for sale’ posts. You might surprise yourself with what you find an d the money that’s being asked. Going to a motorcycle auction is another growing avenue for us mere punters. They used to be more exclusive to the trade, but remember you’re less likely to have a good check of what you’re buying before you bid on it. It’s a gamble, but so is life. Happy hunting.