Posts
16
Joined
6/1/2020
Location
Northville, MI
US
I used to buy clapped out bikes and quads when I was a teenager (around 2010-12) and fix them up and sell them. Back then bikes were a lot more available (crazy how many vs now) and a lot cheaper. I was reading yesterdays thread about used bikes and how they are expensive and hard to come by and damn is it true. I remember in high school, I had a study hour and every class me and my friends would just go on craigslist and look at bikes and quads and other power sports toys the entire 90 minutes. There was always at least 2-3 CR500s. Now I can barely find a Yz four stroke which is insane.
Do you guys even think it's possible anymore to do this? I guess you just gotta keep your eyes open and be ready to hop in the truck...
Do you guys even think it's possible anymore to do this? I guess you just gotta keep your eyes open and be ready to hop in the truck...
Doubt you'd make much money at it though.
My two project bikes from last year were a 1999 CR125 and a 2002 KX125.
I made $900 on the CR and $1050 in the KX - for messing around with dirt bikes out in the garage.
But, yes now it is hard to find much for under $1000, so if you have to put $200-$400 into it & then it is worth $1700, not a lot of profit.
You've almost got to get them for $700 or under. Some years I can find 1 or 2 & some years I can't.
I get the dilemma... used bike prices are higher than they used to be, then you put in elbow grease and some plastic/graphics, fix a few things, grease everything, maybe tires, you’ve got $500 in it and a lot of time. To make $500 sell for $1,000 more than you paid. Tough gig.
Decent used bikes used to be around $3,500. now they’re like $4,500. Add in that $1,000 and you’re listing for $5,500. At that point guys will say F it and look for a newer model year used, or a showroom leftover.
On a small scale I think it’s harder and not worth it. If you do large scale, buy beater bikes, lots of equipment to do things like vapor blasting, painting, Cerekote, wheel
Truing, seat covers, engine work, on and on... yeah could have a nice side hustle.
Thanks for reading my book.
The Shop
my $0.02
I use to own a custom shop and bikes would just show up from people as payment getting air ride installed. In Michigan people use KX 125's as currency. haha
In the last 2 years i bought and sold 9 bikes:
1x 2017 rmz 250
1x 2015 yzf 250
2x 2015 kxf 250
3x 2014 kxf 250
1x 2014 kxf 250
1x 2013 kxf 250
They were normal bikes, some were better some were worse but all of them where running properly (never had to fix anything). Just a good clean with my pressure cleaner.
The 250f are the bikes that every starter buy nowadays.
I contacted like 100+ sellers and i only bought 9 bikes: why? Because i always negotiated the price a lot.
I've bought most of these bikes for 2-2100€ and sold them for 2400-2600€.
The one i earned the most has been a 14 kxf: bought it for 2000€ and sold it for 2500€ three weeks later.
I never do more than 100km to go buy the bikes (car gasoline is expensive).
In 2 years i've earned 2100€.
Was it worth it? Yeah, i love dirtbikes and i was also doing some money while buying/cleaning/selling them.
Oh, the car has some more km's but that was worth it.
Also if the bike has handguards or that kind of stuff you can take it off and keep it for your private bike.
Right now i can't find deals... most of 2014/15/16/17 bikes are out for 2800-3200€... you can't earn anything with so high prices. You can negotiate a couple of 100€ but not 800€.
I'm trying to get ahold of a 2003 KX125 and the seller wouldn't even consider $1500 cash and asking $2300. I'm gonna offer him $1700 cash tomorrow and that's my limit out of principal. I dont know who's out there paying way over market value of these bikes to warrant these insane asking prices but apparently its happening
Second, wheelie boys in the ghetto areas sell the bikes very cheap because THEY DON'T WORK THEIR ASSES OF TO BUY THEM.
fuck them all
Pit Row
But in the end... While the bike is in my garage it's turned off and it won't self explode😄.
When i buy the bike i make sure it runs great and gears enter without problems. Also start it from cald and from warm.
After that i take it home, pressure clean it and it sits in the garage until the ipotetical buyer comes and he test the bike. The test is usually 2-3 minutes... the bike runs for a little time and it doesn't even warm up completely so the chanches of breaking it are really really really low.
If you buy the bike to sell it, don't ride it.
Easy as it is.
I'm in italy.
Right now the used mx bikes market sucks.
Also, in the post, i wrote that i made 2100€.
2100€ is not bad, considering i also got some NEW tires, hand guards, did chains that i took off the bikes i sold.
Ive bought 6-7 bikes in the last 5 years and most of them were KTM's. No one steals orange bikes.
And NO i would never touch any stolen property.
Do they sell MX bikes at car auctions?
It’s possible, just need to be ready with cash, make the call and get a deal.
Post a reply to: Flipping bikes for side income