The love of a bike lover towards the bike is hardly influenced by it being brand new or second-hand. The thing that matters the most for such a person is owning a bike and this feeling is very much special for him. Many bike lovers have a dream bike that they always wish to own but due to a lack of financial sources, they are not able to buy it from the showroom. But, lack of sources cannot be a barricade in fulfilling their dreams, the people who are tight on a budget can go for purchasing a second-hand bike as a second-hand bike low price proves economical for such a person and it is also affordable as compared to a brand new bike. Here, we shall discuss the factors you should consider while buying a second-hand bike as well as the advantages of buying a used bike.
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND WHILE BUYING A SECOND-HAND BIKE
DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE: The first thing you need to be sure about is the purpose for which you are going to purchase and use the bike. You need to bear in mind that purchasing the bike is not the only expense that you are going to incur. In addition to that, there will be several expenses such as maintenance, insurance, fuel, etc. So, you need to be sure that whether you need a bike for commuting purposes that is fuel-efficient or a cruiser bike on which you can go for long road trips.
UNDERTAKE A THOROUGH RESEARCH: Once you are sure of the purpose, you can start your research on different options that are available to you. You may come across different dealers selling their bikes at different prices. These bikes may have different expected lives. Make sure that you purchase the bike from a reliable person or a well-recognized platform so that you can question them in case of any difficulty in the future.
INSPECT THE BIKE: Before finalizing the deal, inspect the bike as if you were Sherlock Holmes. Do not simply go by the photographs or what a dealer or some third party tells you. Inspect every aspect of the bike thoroughly and make sure that no facts are hidden from you by the dealer.
GO FOR A TEST RIDE: The outer appearance of the bike may look super impressive but you must ask the dealer for a test ride to ensure that the inside machinery also works well and also it is comfortable. Once you go for the test ride, you are aware of the bike’s total performance. In case you are not well-versed with the mechanics of a bike, you can take a knowledgeable friend or mechanic with you as only a five-minute test drive is enough to know about the bike’s health.
LOOK THROUGH THE SERVICING RECORD: You must ask the dealer to provide you with the servicing record of the bike so that you can come to know how much maintenance work has gone into the bike and how much effort is required to be put in by you. It is quite beneficial if the dealer can provide you with a written record. But in case, he does not possess a written record, you can have an estimate about the same.
ENSURE THAT THE DOCUMENTS ARE PROPER: You must make sure that the dealer has all the essential documents of the bike such as the registration certificate, bike insurance, pollution control certificate, RTO forms, a sales receipt. Make sure that once the deal is finalized, all these documents along with the bike are transferred to you.
ADVANTAGES OF BUYING A SECOND-HAND BIKE
YOU GET YOUR WANTED BIKE AT VERY LOW PRICE: Buying a second-hand bike is quite economical as you can get your dream two-wheeler at almost half the original price. Also, it is quite surprising to know that used bikes are way more affordable than the counterparts of a new bike which again saves much of your money in case you buy a second-hand bike. So, if you want to get your dream bike but you are tight on budget, just go for buying a second-hand bike.
NO OVERHEAD COSTS: In case you buy an old-used bike, there are no added costs involved such as the registration cost, RTO charges, road tax, etc. These overhead costs are already borne by the first owner. So, you just need to pay the dealer the amount on which the deal is finalized.
PRICE IS NEGOTIABLE: In case, you buy a brand new bike from the showroom, you have to pay the amount in full, in this case, you cannot bargain with the salesmen to give you some discount. But, in case you buy a second-hand bike, you can negotiate over the price with the dealer. In many cases, the dealers tend to decrease the price initially quoted by them. This is quite beneficial for you as a buyer.
LESS PREMIUM TO BE PAID: The older the vehicle, the lesser is the amount of premium to be paid. The amount of insurance premium to be paid is calculated based on the market value of the bike. As the bike has lost much of its value due to the depreciation charged and normal wear and tear, the insurance premium that you would end up paying is much lower as compared to a new bike.
BETTER RETURN ON VALUE: A new bike depreciates at a rate higher than an old bike. A bike almost loses 50 percent of its value during the initial 5-6 years. After this period, the rate of depreciation tends to slow down. So, in case you buy an old bike, you can expect a better return on its values as much of the depreciation has already been charged on it while it was in use by the first buyer.
You can buy second-hand bikes online as well as from local dealers. You can search for the best second-hand bike to buy on different online sites as well as ask different dealers about the same and buy your favorite bike at quite low prices.
