The Best Time Of Year To Sell Your Motorcycle

Selling your motorcycle can be a challenge. There are numerous decisions you have to make before you even list the bike. One of the greatest decisions a potential seller has to make is when to actually begin the selling process.

There is no one right answer. Different circumstances such as financial situations, stages of life, and location, all factor into the decision of when to sell. One of the most important factors is the time of year you think you should sell.

Different seasons mean different things to riders, depending on where they are in the country. Read on to explore the pros and cons of selling your motorcycle during each season.

Spring

For most of the country, spring marks the start of a new riding season. The weather thaws, the sun comes out, and riders saddle up and eagerly look forward to the months ahead. This is when motorcycle hype first starts to rev up. This is one of the most opportune times of the year to try and sell your motorcycle.

Pros

Selling in the spring has quite a few advantages. As mentioned earlier, this is the season when the motorcycle excitement really starts setting in. People from the colder areas of the country are still stir-crazy from being kept indoors all winter and are ready to jump at the first opportunity to finally ride.

Listing your motorcycle during the spring can be an excellent strategy. You are afforded the opportunity to tap into the excitement of a new riding season. This can lead to your motorcycle selling fast, and probably for the around the amount that you’re asking for.

Cons

Everyone knows that spring marks the beginning of the riding season. Everyone. This means that the number of motorcycles being listed is likely to be higher compared to the rest of the year.

Springtime is also subjective. In some parts of the country, spring doesn’t really start giving way to summer until late May or even early June. Which can mean that your time to enjoy the benefits of spring is stuffed into a tight window. A particularly cold spring can mean your motorcycle will be sitting in your garage longer than you were anticipating.

Fall

As the summer months wind down, riders begin the process of preparing for the oncoming chill of winter. You can still find people riding, and if may get lucky if you are able to list early enough in the season. This can be a tricky time to get a bike sold. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to though.

Pros

As stated above, if you list your motorcycle early enough in the season, you may be in the clear. Early fall can still make for excellent riding. If the season is particularly warm, you can keep your motorcycle listed to try to find riders looking to get one before winter comes.

Cons

As the months get cooler, motorcycle riding starts to wind down. Many riders are beginning to put their bikes away. Those looking to buy their first motorcycle may have already given up looking, and vow to just wait for the spring.

Winter

The season that motorcycle riders dread the most. Weather forces most in the country to bundle up and hunker down until the spring thaws. Selling your motorcycle in the winter comes with its own set of obstacles.

Truth is, for most of the country, winter is far and away the worst time to try and get your motorcycle sold. There is no way of getting around the fact that this is the slow season for the motorcycle industry. Still, some sellers may be eager to get rid of their bike sold as fast as possible. At the end of the day, it doesn’t hurt to give it a try, and just see what happens.

Pros

If you live in one of the warmer states, the winter season may not even put a dent in your riding. If this is the case, specifically targeting your ad to only local buyers can be the best way to go.

Even if you don’t live in a state that allows riding all year round, there is always a chance that you can target your ads to people in the warmer states. Specific targeting of the warmer states is your best bet if you’re going to list in the winter.

Cons

The cons of selling in the winter are probably obvious at this point. Most of the country is stuck indoors for the winter. When there is snow on the ground and sub-zero temperatures outside, buying a motorcycle is just not going to be foremost in your mind.

Summer

The pinnacle of the year for motorcyclists. Summer is the height of riding season, and as such, it’s the season when the demand for motorcycles is at its peak. Selling during the summer is an obvious choice for many sellers.

Summer is by far the best time of the year to list a motorcycle. It’s pretty much the only season where the entire country is more or less on the same page weather-wise. This means your pool of potential buyers are going to be at its peak. If it’s possible, list in the summer.

Pros

In this case, the pros are fairly obvious. If you’re going to list your bike, summer is the time to do it. Summer tends to be the season that draws motorcycle buyers out of the woodwork, and they are excited and eager to get in the saddle.

Cons

There aren’t very many cons when it comes to selling in the summer. The one major setback can come if you are selling your motorcycle in order to buy a new one.

Since you are more likely to sell quicker in the summer, this can mean that you will have to go through some of the summer months without a motorcycle to ride.

When To Sell

Of course, this is a general overview intended to help inform. Every individual seller has their own set of unique circumstances to contend with. At the end of the day, all it takes is one person to come along and make the purchase.

Those who’ve sold a motorcycle, what season did you list it and why? Does it really matter what season you list your motorcycle in? Let us know in the comments below!