One of the best ways to recoup some of the costs of buying or restoring a motorcycle is to sell as many of the old parts as possible. I’ve done this many times myself. In fact, I once rebuilt a Honda CB750 that came with a lot of extras and I sold all the parts for more than I bought the motorcycle for.
How do you sell motorcycle parts? The best way to sell motorcycle parts is through online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and social media channels. Thoroughly clean your motorcycle parts and take several pictures from different angles to ensure your best chances of selling.
Having previously owned a motorcycle restoration business while still currently restoring bikes, I have sold hundreds of motorcycle parts. I’ve learned a few tried-and-true tricks to sell parts quickly and for a good profit. Keep reading below to learn where to sell them, how to prep them, how to take good pictures, and what to expect when you’re selling parts online.
Best Sales Channels To Sell Motorcycle Parts
The first thing you’ll need to consider when selling motorcycle parts is how you’re going to advertise the parts that are for sale. This needs to happen first because the following steps can look a little different depending on which way you choose to sell. I’ve used all of the following platforms to sell motorcycle parts and have seen huge success.
Facebook Marketplace
From my personal experience, the best online platform to sell both new and used motorcycle parts is Facebook marketplace. I like this platform because I don’t have to worry about packing it up and paying for shipping. Additionally, the person usually comes to you to get the part and you get paid for it!
Something I don’t like about Marketplace is that it allows all the flaky people on Facebook to message you and say things like, “I’ll be by on Tuesday to pick up the item” and then they never show. It’s very frustrating to deal with people like that, and Facebook has a lot of them.
eBay
The next platform I like to use is eBay. This platform is especially helpful when you have a very specific part to a motorcycle you’re trying to sell. eBay is the second most visited shopping site with over 135 million users worldwide. The downside is they charge 10%-15% of the selling price which seems hefty, but to me its worth it since eBay is so user friendly and advertises so well. They also have the least amount of online scammers which is a bonus.
A word for the wise, don’t sell really large or heavy items on eBay because the seller pays the shipping cost. So only sell items on eBay if you can make a good return after the shipping cost. For large or heavy items, use some of the local listings that I will talk about below.
Local Classifieds
Many U.S. regions will have online local classifieds you can use to sell parts. For example, I currently live in Utah and we have a website called “KSL.” You can sell anything on this website, including motorcycle parts. I’ve bought and sold through this platform many times. Do some research and see if your area has something similar to this.
Craigslist
Craigslist is another excellent choice for selling extra motorcycle parts. For some, Craigslist may be obsolete in their area, but for others it is still thriving. I’ve used this platform dozens of times and have, again, seen a lot of success. However, Craigslist tends to attract a lot of scammers, so be wary that you’ll get several scam messages before you’re contacted by someone who is sincerely interested. You can learn more about how to use Craigslist by reading my other article here.
Cycle Trader
Cycle Trader is another excellent choice. I’ve easily sold actual motorcycles on there with zero problems. This platform does require a one-time fee ranging from $11-$46; the fee depends on how well you want your motorcycle parts advertised, how many pictures you want posted, and how long you want the ad to be live.
Personally, I’ve seen much fewer scammers using this platform so that one-time fee is completely worth it.
Forums
Once I started restoring motorcycles, I referred to a forum almost every day to read information about a specific bike I had. These platforms are incredibly useful and are great with answering extremely specific questions you might have. They’re also great for selling those extra motorcycle parts since you can target a pretty distinct audience.
The only drawback is that you don’t want to use this platform too many times to sell. Forum users are generally there for information purposes and not necessarily there to buy something. I would use this platform if you have a pretty specific part you’re trying to sell but haven’t had much luck with the other platforms.
Social Media
The use of social media has grown exponentially over the last 10 years and users almost expect advertisements on there. There are a few ways you can go about using social media to sell your motorcycle parts:
- Join Facebook groups specifically created for selling motorcycle parts
- List your parts for sell on your personal Instagram, Facebook, and/or Tiktok accounts
- Pay Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok to advertise your parts for sale
- Create a separate Instagram, Facebook, and/or Tikok account to post cool stuff about your motorcycle to generate a following, then sell motorcycle parts as needed
Let me give an example. When I first started my motorcycle restoration business called “Triskelion Motors,” I started an Instagram page and just posted cool videos of projects I was working on, before and after pictures, and informational stuff. I gained a following of about 26,000 in a year and was able to sell things very quickly when the time came.
I have a full article dedicated to learning how to write an ad that will sell your motorcycle and parts quickly. You can read that by clicking here.
How To Prep Your Motorcycle Parts For Selling
I know that when I’m looking to buy used motorcycle parts, I’m always attracted to the listing that looks the cleanest. If you expect to sell your motorcycle parts, then you need to clean it and present it appropriately! You can sell an old carburetor for sometimes double the price by just cleaning it up a bit.
Always remember this while selling motorcycle parts: they don’t have to look perfect, they just have to look better than the other person you’re competing with. It amazes me sometimes at how little effort some people put into selling their motorcycle parts.
For smaller parts, I always use an ultrasonic cleaner to give it a good cleanse. This usually takes about an hour to complete but all you have to do is get it ready, place the part in there, and wait for it to do its job.
Another quick tip that can double or triple your income from selling motorcycle parts is putting a fresh coat of spray paint on the part before you post it for sale (if it previously had paint). Anything you can do to help catch the eye of a potential buyer is worth it.
When you create the listing, look at your competition and see what similar parts are being listed for. When you find the few parts that most closely resemble the quality of what you’re selling, list yours for slightly cheaper. Even if it’s only a few dollars cheaper, people will be automatically drawn to your listing over the others.
Taking Good Pictures Of Your Motorcycle Parts
Poor quality pictures on classifieds listing is one of my biggest pet peeves. Almost everyone owns a decent smartphone these days, and if you don’t then one of your friends does. So when you get ready to list your items for sale, put them in a well-lit area without distracting things in the background to take pictures.
Take close up pictures of the items from many different angles to give the buyers the best possible idea of the quality of item they can expect. And don’t copy and paste manufacturer pictures of the item from a web search. Take your own pictures, it will attract more people.
When taking the picture, stay away from dark spots, big shadows, cluttered areas, and pictures from too far away. People want to be able to zoom in and look at the part more closely.
Also, don’t have people in your pictures. Even if you think your girlfriend is the most beautiful person in the world, nobody else wants to see her holding the motorcycle part. Just post pictures of the item. Ensure the pictures are clear and not pixelated when you post them.
What To Expect From Buyers
When it comes to selling your motorcycle parts, dealing with people during the selling process is the hardest part. I have some insane stories from selling spare bike parts (email me personally if you want to hear some!) and it’ll probably keep you on your toes a bit. Here are a few tips I have when it comes to interacting with potential buyers:
Some red flags to look out for are people suggesting to pay with a personal check, cashiers check, or wire you money. These are usually scammers; only accept payment through cash or through the direct platform you’re using (Venmo may be an exception).
Scams can also be detected if someone messages you with very poor grammar. A lot of scammers are from other countries where English isn’t their native language.
You don’t owe allegiance to anyone when selling locally. If someone promises they’ll come by in a day or two to buy your item, don’t promise them you’ll hold it. There were a handful of times I made these promises only to find out they were no-shows. State clearly in your listing that the item goes to the first person that hands you the cash and you will not allow holds. The only exception is if a buyer Venmos you the full price ahead of time.
When using Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, be careful with giving out your address or PayPal account information. I always try to meet people at a large parking lot or store when selling items so they don’t know where I live. I also don’t let people pay me on PayPal because of some common scams. I have used Venmo a handful of times with no problems.
When selling parts on places like eBay, expect a fairly seamless transaction, but sometimes the sell can take time. I like posting my items on eBay with just a “Buy It Now” price, not an auction price. Just list it for a few dollars less than the competition so you don’t have to deal with people trying to nickel and dime you on the price.
Buyers on eBay have 2 days to pay for the item they buy, and if they still don’t pay then you can relist it. This has only happened to me twice in over fifteen years of being on eBay. I only sell items to people in the United States so I don’t have to deal with shipping items internationally, it just makes it easier.
With platforms that require shipping, be sure to ship the item quickly once someone has paid or else you’ll get bad feedback and less people will buy your items in the future.
Conclusion
The world offers many easy-to-use platforms to sell motorcycle parts. It’s a fairly simple process, but with these few tips in mind, that process can now be made easier. Facebook Marketplace, eBay, local classifieds, Craigslist, Cycle Trader, forums, and all different forms of social media are excellent ways to advertise the parts you’re selling.
Be sure to clean up the parts you’re selling and take a lot of good, clear pictures. This will give the best chances of attracting buyers. Additionally, be aware of scammers since there are plenty out there that want to take your money. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions! I’ve done this hundreds of times and have lots of advice to give.
Related Questions
Is it possible to sell motorcycle parts to local businesses? It is possible to sell parts to businesses near you. You’ll need to do some research as to who accepts them. Note that you probably will not get as much money from them as you would privately selling your spare parts.