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How low do I need to go to sell my TV

5K views 17 replies 11 participants last post by  vfrbhoy 
#1 ·
Hi all, I have been trying to sell my TV on ebay and have had ZERO interest. Any views on whether I am just simply looking for too much for it? ( I thought I was giving it away) Has anyone else sold one similar recently? Bike is June 2015 std bike with pannier pack. !3k Mls and I am asking £7850 or offers. As i say, so far no interest from anyone. (Not even a silly offer!) I have stopped biking now. At this rate I will just have to keep it next to the Serie ORO in the "Motorcycle Art" gallery. I'd appreciate your input. Dave
 
#2 ·
Hi there. If you've had no interest, it's not necessarily price related. The UK buying season is effectively over, save for 'collector's specials' and those who have upgraded licences.

We all know that the MV buyer is particular by nature and will zero in on the bike that 'feels' right to him/her. Realistically, you just have to either wait for that person or really sacrifice price down to a dealer purchase level. That. of course, would be an insulting five grand.
 
#3 ·
Yep you will have to wait, if you don't need the money. Getting only £5k is insulting, worth more than than that in parts. I would rather look at in the garage for a another year!

I think your price is OK but you should really think about using it the rest of the summer and trying again next spring IMO, someone will come along. Also don't forget that private sales are a bit like house chains, most people have a bike to sell first and many people prefer the convenience of a p/ex at a dealer, even though it costs more.
 
#4 ·
Thanks guys. My feelings too. Left it too late in the season, but my mates persuaded me to take one last euro trip in June. No rush to sell as not looking for another bike. I will continue to enjoy looking at it - and polishing it within an inch of its life!!! Dave
 
#5 ·
I don't think it is too late in the season to sell a bike. I think the challenges you have are:

1 - you are in Scotland (and viewing / collection is challenging)
2 - MV is a niche brand and not really that well known
3 - the UK is obsessed with sports bikes
4 - MV has (perceived?) reliability issues and anyone looking for a touring bike will not want reliability issues
 
#6 ·
Interesting point of view. I respond for the benefit of @vfrbhoy and not as challenging @Hawk point of view:

1. If a person is keen enough, they will travel the breadth of the country for the right bike. As personal experience, I travelled from Worcester to Glasgow (300 miles, 6 hours - each way) to view my F4, and purchased on the day;

2. Agreed that MV is a niche brand, but the true lovers will seek them out;

3. The UK 'sports bike' obsession has waned in favour of 'adventure' bikes. Perhaps the TV fits neither classification?

4. Agreed. I wonder though, what percentage of the buying public might have heard of reliability issues? It seems to be magnified on this forum because problems are a topic. No one posts a thread saying: 'My bike's gone really well this week,' or, 'Thanks to @Donsy for the manuals, however my bike's so good that I don't need them!'

I still feel that because the TV is a somewhat unrecognised bike, the sales process will take longer - only because a small percentage of the buying pool would consider MV against, say, Japanese or German brands.
 
#7 ·
All valid points.

The TV is not the sort of bike most people will associate with MV. Aprilia has the same issue with the Caponord, which Aprilia have apparently given up on. Think MV or Aprilia, think sports or fast naked bike. The Ducati MS has a much stronger market presence though.

Most in the ADV market head straight to BMW, a few to Ducati and a few others to KTM. The TV is not really an ADV bike though, more of an ST bike, a class mainly crushed by The Long Way Round boys.

There are some signs that the ST class might be making a bit of a comeback though, as some people realise they don't need any off-road ability and might just trade it for a lighter, more stylish, but still comfortable road bike. The Yamaha Tracer GT though has to be the main problem for the TV. It's no where near as stylish, but in practice it will do everything the TV can for a lot less money.

I bought my TV because I've had so many Jap bikes, I'm 60 and wanted a comfortable, stylish, exclusive Italian bike. There must be others who will be thinking the same?!
 
#9 ·
<snip>
I bought my TV because I've had so many Jap bikes, I'm 60 and wanted a comfortable, stylish, exclusive Italian bike. There must be others who will be thinking the same?!
You are a fews years back in my draft; but you nailed the reason that I bought a TV.
My previous bike was a Buell Ulysses. Over 40k miles I put on it maybe 3 were on dirt...
 
#8 ·
RSTman nailed it:
'I'm 60 and wanted a comfortable, stylish, exclusive Italian bike.'

The buyer you want is out there and will likely pay a very reasonable amount for the bike without a fight. You just have to be patient and keep the bike listed on eBay or other so they can find you.

Good luck!
 
#13 ·
Even MV Agusta dealers are reluctant to take back their previously sold bikes and will offer insultingly low part exchange prices.

There's a surprisingly high number of TVs for sale at present - maybe buyers are scared of anything without a dealer warranty.

I've got mine on a PCP as I wanted the option to bail out if MV went down the tube, and to assess the market without fully committing. Must admit though, it's the best bike I've ever had, but it could do with a serious facelift now and that could be my forever bike.

When I bought a new KTM Duke and p/ex'd my Honda Crossrunner I was amazed at how good the price to change was, didn't even haggle, so dealers can be fair. When I sold privately my Ducati ST3 I got an insultingly low offer which I reluctantly accepted - still more than I paid for it though!
 
#14 ·
A lot of valid points already made.
Although some are happy to travel, in my opinion, and without knowing where in Scotland, the distance would put many off.
Anyone looking for MV dealers would soon discover the sparse network.
The precarious state of the company won't have helped either.
I've recently returned from my second European tour on the TV and a number of people expressed surprise at the choice of bike. Maybe that also says something.
Mine is due for its 3 year service next year and the dealer told me that it will be well in excess of £1000. He asked if I'd noticed the number for sale after 2 years.
Trouble is, selling a niche bike privately can be a right pain unless it is truly desirable.
For trade-in, the dealers will tell you "I'll never shift it mate" then insult you with a silly offer. Contrast that with my BMW R NineT that I recently sold where they all said "Too many about mate" and likewise, made silly offers (bar one who clinched a deal).
Although methods of selling and getting it out to a wide audience have been transformative over recent years, the financial hit of selling hasn't changed at all. Keep trying and good luck.
 
#15 ·
All bikes depreciation at an accelerated pace regardless of the manufacture especially when negotiating a trade with a dealer for a new bike. I've owned other bikes that were traded in at less than half of what I paid only after several years of ownership. They certainly are not a form of investment. Kinda like you have to pay to play with toys.

Now if a guy was mechanically savvy to assure no issues with a bike, he could pick up a slightly used TV at a significant reduction and his depreciation would not be so bad. That is the buyer you need for yours. Maybe even obtain a dealer certification that the bike is problem free. Here in the states auto dealers do this with several year old vehicles, namely Toyotas.

Here in the states some dealers will take the bike in on consignment which might be an option instead of storing it through the winter if you have this option available to you. Plus the bike will have exposure to the public on site at a dealer.
 
#16 ·
I'd persist with a classified ad on fleabay if I were you. It costs what? £15 for 28 days. There's still a month or so of the UK biking season left. I think the main issue with selling privately is that most interested parties will have a p/x they want to unload on you. Not too many biking people out there with £7 or 8k cash to spend on what is (lets face it) an expensive luxury toy. But....you never know. Good luck, but don't let it go for £5k. I'll give you £5001.
 
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