Selling motorcycles can be a difficult task. But, knowing the best time to sell motorcycles can allow sellers to leverage on potential buyers and sell at higher prices. Many sellers ask why spring is the best time to sell motorcycles. This article will answer this question by giving a breakdown of the seasonal trends that impact motorcycle sales, so sellers can be well placed to boost their profits.
Table of Contents
Why is spring the best time to sell motorcycles?
What are the best months to sell motorcycles?
What is the worst time to sell motorcycles?
Selling right before the peak of riding season is key
Factors affecting the resell prices of motorcycles
Conclusion
Why is spring the best time to sell motorcycles?
Spring represents the end of the riding offseason. It is the best time to sell motorcycles because potential riders will be searching for the perfect ones to buy.
In the first quarter of 2022, the British motorcycle market witnessed a 26.8% increase in sales, which was the fastest increase in Europe.
But, in the third quarter, the market trend declined by 17.2% in July and by 41.3% in August.
Reasons for the surge of motorcycle sales during springtime
There are several reasons why the sales of motorcycles surge during spring.
After the cooping up of motorcycle enthusiasts from the cold winter months, many riders are eager to get back on the road as the country warms up. One of the main barriers to motorcycle riding is cold weather. So, more people will decide to buy a new bike during the warm weather just to take advantage of the ideal conditions.
Another reason is that spring is well past the holiday season. Buyers have had enough time to recover from end-of-year expenses. They now have the financial capacity to make expensive purchases, such as a brand-new motorcycle.
What are the best months to sell motorcycles?
The months of April, May, June, and July are considered the best months to sell motorcycles. This is because of the warm weather experienced in these months. But, the motorcycle season is usually at its peak between May and June. Motorcycle buyers are high in demand within these two months.
Increase in buyer competition
There is competition among buyers during this period as more people are interested in buying motorcycles. The selling price of motorcycles will increase because of the higher demand from buyers.
As a seller, it is advisable to use high-quality images and videos when listing motorcycles for sale. According to statistics, 73% of buyers are more likely to purchase after watching a video of the item listed for sale.
Best months for southern hemisphere sellers
The best months to sell motorcycles for southern hemisphere sellers are October, November, December, and January.
What is the worst time to sell motorcycles?
Having said that spring is the best time to sell motorcycles, winter will naturally be the worst time to sell. The reason is because there is usually little or no demand for motorcycles.
Reduction in prices
With the cold and snow, few people will be willing to buy a motorcycle. The prices of motorcycles will drop because of the lower demand from buyers.
As the weather gets colder and the chance of snow increases, the number of people willing to buy a motorcycle will decline.
During winter, buyers have more leverage on sellers, so they will use it to negotiate lower prices. Some motorcycles’ prices can drop between 5 to 25% during the off-season. A seller can lose between US $400 to US $3000 when selling some motorcycles during this period.
Insurance expenses
In many areas, motorcycle owners still have to pay for insurance during the winter. And motorcycle insurance varies from US $40 to US $140 per month. So, an owner will pay between US $200 to US $900 on insurance even without using the motorcycle during the winter.
For those that do not have a storage space, renting a storage space will be another expense. It can cost between US $45 to US $70+ per month, with an accumulative of $200 to $500 to pay for storage space during winter.
Motorcycle owners who keep their bikes throughout the winter will spend a minimum of US $400 to US $1,400 overall without including maintenance costs.
Selling right before the peak of riding season is key
While spring may be the peak of excitement and anticipation for riders, summer is the true star for motorcycle riding. Because of this, many sellers wait until summer to list their motorcycles for sale.
Although this strategy has proven to work, sellers who list their motorcycles before the peak of the riding season tend to get some strategic advantages.
Advantages of selling before the peak of the riding season
One of the advantages is the availability of a few motorcycles in the market for sale.
Also, simple economics is another one. With more buyers and fewer sellers, sellers who list their motorcycles for sale can occasionally get away with higher prices.
Factors affecting the resell prices of motorcycles
The prices of motorcycles have been rising a little over the years, but resell prices vary depending on certain factors.
Season and weather
The season and weather of an area is a major factor that affects motorcycle prices. Motorcycle prices increase as the weather gets warmer and drop as it gets colder.
If a seller is in an area with good weather all year round, motorcycle prices will not drop because there may not be an off-season at all.
Selling a sought-after model
When selling a popular or sought-after model, a seller may not worry about the off-season. This is because motorcycles in high demand will hold their price all year round.
Stay informed about a new models release date
Every seller should know when new models of the same models he is selling will be coming out. It will help a seller to sell off their models before the new ones are released. The price of older models will usually drop when new models come out as they will no longer be appealing.
Local motorcycle events
Some local motorcycle events, such as bike week, can lead to an increase in demand and as such, raise motorcycle prices in the area within that period.
Government and sports regulations have made the wearing of helmets mandatory for riders to prevent head injuries. Read more on the Premium Motorcycle Helmets To Keep in Stock for 2022
Conclusion
In summary, this article has highlighted how to leverage seasonal trends to make more money from selling motorcycles. The circumstance may vary among individual sellers, but for the reasons pointed out above spring remains the key period to list your motorcycles and to aim to make most of your sales.
