The best ways to buy secondhand

From a dealer:

Know the market. Make sure you know the value of what you’re buying and are familiar with any mechanical problems it’s prone to.

Never be afraid to haggle. Name a starting price confidently, making sure it’s lower than the maximum you’re prepared to pay.

Privately:

Once you’ve found your bike through MCN BikeMart, take your time inspecting it. Look for any tell-tale signs of crash damage, even if it’s just a scuffed bar end-weight. Check the history, too. An MCN Bike Check, for £33.95, will tell you if it’s ever been written-off, reported stolen or has finance outstanding.

Make sure you get a V5 registration document with the bike and an MoT if it’s over three years old. Check frame and engine numbers are consistent. Ask about anything that seems odd.

At an auction:

Get all the facts. Arrive two hours before the sale starts. Pick the bike you want and read the description on it. Then listen carefully to the auctioneer’s description.

Be extra-observant. Stand back and cast your eye over the whole bike before focusing on details. This means you’ll be better placed to spot something crucial that a close-up examination might miss, like a bent sub-frame or re-sprayed bodywork. Decide how much you’re prepared to pay before bidding starts, and stick to it firmly.

FOR more help in getting a great deal on a new bike, pick up April’s RiDE magazine. It’s a special issue devoted to getting the right bike for less money, and includes a guide to selling your old one. It’s on sale from March 1.