2009 Daytona Motorcycle Auction

(Page 3 of 3)

May/June 2009
By John Landstrom 
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Auction companies take consignments from individuals. The descriptions of bikes in their catalog rely on information provided by owners. This means a description is only as accurate as an owner deems necessary. Reputable auction companies won’t tolerate misrepresentation, but in many cases it’s beyond the auction house’s ability to verify information accuracy. The point? If you’re buying a motorcycle at auction, judge the bike with your own eyes, talk to the owner if possible and do not hesitate to ask the auction company questions about any detail of the bike.

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Auction companies only profit if they have satisfied repeat customers, so they will be happy to help you understand the details of a bike you’re interested in. If you’re making a telephone or Internet bid you may want to leave a cushion in your offered price to take care of unexpected or undisclosed defects. The 1974 BMW R90S I bought this year had a faulty clutch and could not be ridden, even though the description read “excellent condition, recently serviced.” It’s a $500 unexpected expense I can live with because I bought the bike several thousand dollars below full retail value.

My advice: Decide how much you will pay before the bidding starts, leave a cushion for unexpected expenses and don’t get caught up in auction fever — bid only to your predetermined limit. Auctions can be a fun and profitable way to buy a motorcycle if you’re careful and do your homework.
 
Vintage bike specialist and BMW dealer John Landstrom runs Blue Moon Cycle in Norcross, Ga. www.bluemooncycle.com 

 

 

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