What's better - Selling a complete bike or parting it out?

[Trail_Dude]

How are you Riders? I am contemplating on selling one of my bikes but I have a question. I buy and sell bikes pretty often and I have been noticing that many people ask top prices for their bike and it seems they are for sale for a while. I understand why people ask top prices because my 2008 crf250r is completely rebuilt with brand new valves and other parts. The new owner doesn't have to do anything but continue to break the bike in. This particular bike goes for anywhere from $1600 - 2500 (I have seen people ask $2999) honestly I should ask this price to because if you add all the money I put into the bike, I will never get this price. Someone told me if you part a bike out to hundreds of pieces you can get $5-6 k for it. Has anybody done this successfully? How long did it take? Thanks for your comments.

[mikedabike]

Depends on what you think your time is worth. I recently bought a 250 rolling chassis with no motor for 800. I wanted the suspension. I parted out the rest and about broke even. It was a ton of work to break everything down list it on ebay and pack for shipping. Also remeber if using ebay take 15 percent off the top for fees. Shipping can get you too if you don't quote right. You might net a few hundred more parting it out but it may take much longer and require a bunch of time.

[Shhhh]

I agree with Mike, stuff sometimes takes a long time to sell, and frames, wheels, as well as other items are expensive to ship.  Could take a long time to get it all sold, if at all.  If you have documentation of the work done, and sell a clean bike you'll be better off IMO.

[S.O.A.N.Z]

sell it as a whole bike - it will take forever to part out - heaps of parts for that bike on ebay and no one buying them

[Beta300REcat]

3 hours ago, Trail_Dude said:

 

 2008 crf250r. Thanks for your comments.

 

Rear master cylinder would fetch around $50

[SnowMule]

Does it run?  Is it in decent condition?

What's your time worth?  Photo/document, list, deal with payments, delivery/shipping...

If it's a somewhat modern machine in good running condition, it's probably easier to clean it up and sell it as a complete bike.

Depending on where you are, a little bit of parts/labor/DMV visit to get a plate can add quite a bit of $$ to the resale value. 

 

When my 900 was running, I could have gotten about $2k out of it.

Once the engine grenaded, it was probably worth $800.  Would have easily cost $2k to fix the thing, and that just wasn't worth it. 

Parted it out.  Got over $4k out of it, but it took about 2.5 years to get there. 

 

Pro was an insurance claim (totalled).  Bought it back for $2500 in March of '16, parted it out.  Just last month I broke even on that.

Some parts sell quick, other stuff you'll sit on for a while until the right buyer comes along.  For some reason, Russians like to buy oil pumps... still haven't figured that one out yet.  Drive shaft left for Norway wednesday night. 

Other stuff you're best off just throwing away or taking to metal recycling. 

 

[XRalways]

Depends on the bike and where you live, IMO. Where I live everyone wants a mint for dog crap, and everyone else wants everything for free.

[subxero]

5-6K for parting out a run of the mill dirt bike, seems a bit high IMO.   Maybe something rare or very sought after.

wheels, suspension, cases, crank, tranny, cylinder, head, cams, valves (4t), frame, carb, stator, cdi, rads, maybe one or 2 more things are the bigger ticket items.   Other than that i think you are hard pressed to get over $100 for much anything else and probably closer to $50 for things like brakes some other odds and ends and then nickels and dimes for other bits and that crap might sit for a long time with dozens of other people selling the same thing for next to nothing over the cost of shipping.  Swing arms can be decent ticket items but how often are people buying swing arms?  exaclty.  The things i mentioned i think you could get over $100 for easy but not over $400 for anything i mentioned (unless a newer model) by itself and that is before you factor in shipping.  Somethings like wheels go quick and for decent $$$ but shipping can really hit your net $ hard, everything else, who knows how long it will take unless your price is very very competitive?  Some of the cycle shops on ebay have some good prices, with free shipping you can't compete with.  I'm on the East coast, if someone buys my crap from the West coast and i can't fit it in a flat rate USPS box it is going to cost me $30+ to ship it there and you know who ever buys it is going to be from California cuz they always are.  Factor in your 10% ebay, 3% paypal and you make even less.

So lets say you did sell those forks for $330 shipped.  Costs $30 to ship, $33 ebay fee, $10 paypal, cost of tape, packing material, you only pocket ~$250.     If you sold everything i listed for $200 net (which you wouldn't) you would be right around $3400   Which is great but you are going to work for it and along the way expect some returns, shipping problems ect...   

The more common, or longer run model year of the bike the more parts on ebay, the less you get for them.   Everything is used so expect used prices.  I see people on ebay sit on stupid used parts for stupid prices for years and they never sell.    I've had more rare expensive parts for older KTM's sit on ebay for next to nothing for months and months and the only interest i get is some guy trying to dicker me down 50% for an older ktm power valve that you can't buy anymore or find anywhere that i am trying to get $37 shipped for when it would be close $150 new if they still sold the dumb thing.  So i finally sold it to a guy in CA and the dude said it was opened when he got it, nothing in box. ( i think he was full of shit)  I lost the money i made, and out the cost of shipping. Waste of my time and money. 

Just my thoughts on the matter.  I sell a decent amount of stuff here and there and unless it is something that i think will do good at auction i try and sell it locally and keep it off ebay.    I have sold complete cr500 rollers for $300, i could have stripped it and waited on ebay forever and made some more cash but how easy is it for someone to just come and pick up the whole pile of crap and give me cash and it is out of my hair.  ?  And on the other side i had a nice OEM cr500 exhaust and put it up at auction and netted $220 for it alone.

Edited September 17, 2017 by subxero

[Sycamore]

I had my bike up for sale a long time, really cheap, gave it two months never sold.  I parted it out, sales were quick, paypal made it easy, buyers pay shipping.  I made as much money as what I had it up for sale for, plus I was able to keep some stuff I could use on my newer bike....including a complete engine!  REALLY happy the bike never sold. Later I sold that motor for over 1k when I was done with it.

If you have the time to part it out and you have an in demand bike it is very much worth the small hassle, in my experience.