Find your next bike now the easy way

Heading into summer, you may be thinking to yourself that now might be a good time to buy a bike, new or used.

We’re here to help you find a little commuter machine or the bike of your dreams the easy way. With modern technology, you can use the internet to research machines, check out prices, and even buy.

Here are a few suggestions for buying a bike online.

First, it’s best to only buy a bike that you can look at and evaluate in person. So when doing an internet search it’s best to only consider bikes that are within a reasonable driving distance. Unless you’re looking for something really rare, you should avoid buying sight unseen.

A good place to start your online search is the AMA website at www.americanmotorcyclist.com under “Shop” and then “AMA Classifieds.” Although the ads can be read by anyone, only AMA members can list bikes so you know you’ll be buying from an experienced motorcyclist.

Another popular site is www.cycletrader.com, especially if you are looking for a new machine from a dealer. Plus there are the “motorcycles for sale” pages on Craigslist (www.craigslist.com) although these listings tend to be grouped around large metropolitan areas.

Auction sites like eBay are another possibility but they don’t seem to have a lot of deals like they did in years past. be the aren’t the bargain-producers they once were.

Some of the best online sources are model-specific internet forums and communities, made up of owners of specific types of bikes. Many have “For Sale” and “Wanted To Buy” areas. With these sites at least you know the seller had access to the maintenance resources of the discussion board. Also, the ads are usually policed in some way by a user group that is very familiar with that particular bike.

Dealership websites are also good sources for new and used machines. These are particularly good sites if you want the peace of mind knowing that the dealership has gone through the used machines to make sure they are in top working order. If you need financing and don’t want to go through your own bank or credit union for whatever reason, this may be the way to go also. Plus, you may get some kind of warranty on a used machine, and may be able to negotiate extras, like a new helmet, as part of the deal.