If you are hoping to score yourself a used dual sport or dirt bike, some good news - and bad news - is waiting for you.
First, the good stuff. Used dirt bikes are getting better. You will find some decent power, superior features and superb handling.
The downside is, they are also getting more expensive. In fact, there has recently been a surge of hobbyist racers walking away simply because the bikes are just too costly these days.
Let’s take an in-depth look into what’s happening in the dual sport industry at large.
What Do The Statistics Say?
Seasonal auction values for both dual-sport and motocross rose in February this year. That’s because as the years progress, higher quality bikes are remarketed. This past February we saw a surge of high-end used off-road bikes hit the market, but where did they come from?
The big OEMs such as Yamaha and Honda are responsible.
You see, major moto companies want to reach out to young riders. It’s their goal to get them interested in off-road riding with the hopes that it leads to more sales later on.
Leasing and repossessions
To do this, they lent more off-road bikes to create new opportunities for the younger clientele. The natural result of increased motorcycle leases was a larger amount of repossessions of off-road bikes.
While the good news is that these bikes are cleaner, new and in better shape, they also cost much more than most people were expecting.
Used sale prices are rising
The average sales price for dual sport bikes had gone up 14% as of this past February. Even though this category is one of the lower powersports markets, it still brought in the largest growth in price during 2018. In 2017, the growth only measured 12%.
Among the other powersports categories, such as sport, UTV, ATV and motocross, the four segments rose 5% or less. Compared to that, you can see how much more popular the dual sport bike sales were.
The only categories that declined were metric and domestic cruisers. Of course, this fell in line with the season and was to be expected. Metric cruisers dropped about 5% in sales while domestic cruisers went down about 10%.
Experts believe that bad weather in February hurt some powersports sales this year. Experts believe that as the weather continues to warm up, so will powersports sales. We believe in another possibility: that it could be a decrease in overall demand from an influx in the used marketplace.
What Do Human Beings Say?
Our editor called a staff meeting to discuss the implications of these figures, and to us the reasons for this trend are clear.
It’s simple math.
The more dirt bikes and dual sports there are, the more pop up used.
The more technology progresses, these bikes continue to get better.
That means quality and reliability go up every year.
When you have a relatively insulated market like the United States or Canada, where vehicles bought or sold here tend to stay here, that means that every year will offer a new crop of used dirt bikes and dual sports to choose from. Those bikes all need homes too, and for every bike that’s crashed, parted out, or otherwise destroyed, several more have just rolled off the production line and will quickly take their place on the used market.
This sort of thing is difficult to measure with real-world statistics, but it stands to reason that the higher quality models of today will be relevant in the used marketplace – and will remain valid competitors to their brand-new counterparts – for longer than bikes of the past did.
The question becomes: as the market continues to get saturated, will prices eventually decline?
Either we’re in for a trend of high depreciation because of the abundance of quality used bikes available, or we’re in for low depreciation and higher resale values for the exact same reason. It all depends on which word carries the most significance.
Whether you put the emphasis on “abundance” or “quality,” one thing is certain: used dirt bikes and dual sports are getting better every year, leaving fewer and fewer reasons to buy one brand-new.
Finding a Dual Sport Bike Under $5,000
Even though that news is a little disheartening for anyone out to sell a new bike, that distress turns into hope for the common rider. With the right skills, you can find a good dual sports bike for less than $5,000.
Dual sports are beginner-friendly. That’s because they are lighter than on-road bikes and the engine is more focused on torque than horsepower. As you pick out your next bike, here are some tips that will help you find the best bargain.
1. Start with the fit
The most important part of finding a used dual sports bike is to be comfortable. You want the bike to be a good height for you. Sit on the bike and make sure your feet sit flat on the ground or at least get close. If you are short, you might have more trouble finding the right bike. Just remember, you always have the option to add a lowering kit or aftermarket seat to make it more comfortable to you.
If you are comfortable on your bike, you will ride more and longer. This allows you to get the most money out of your investment.
2. Stay lower with the power
The more powerful the bike, the more you are going to spend. To get started on a budget, why not consider keeping the engine size down slightly. Bikes ranging from 200 to 650cc are strong enough to take you where you want to go.
Most people are concerned they will outgrow the bike too quickly, but this shouldn’t be something on your mind if you want a bargain. It’s probably not going to be your last bike and it offers plenty of opportunities to learn. Plus, it will be an easy resell once the time comes to upgrade.
Of course, there’s always the chance that you will fall madly in love with the bike and never get rid of it.
3. Look everywhere for the bargain.
Talk to your friends, put the word out among other enthusiasts you know, tell everyone! You never know when you are going to run into someone ready to get rid of their bike. You don’t need to spend more than is necessary to get a used dual sport bike.
Sure, you could spend $5,000, but what if you would be able to buy one for a fraction of that cost? Just think of what you could do with the savings.
Get every app you can think of, ask everyone at your local trails, and make it known the world over that you, [insert name here], are looking for a dual sport.
Buy a Used Dual Sport Motorcycle with Caution
So, how do you go about finding your used dual sport motorcycle? It’s not the same thing as buying a used car. Sure, there are still some factors to consider, but there are fewer features and specifications to think about.
Of course, you could always buy new, but it’s a terrible investment. Considering that dual sport bikes are meant to ride off-road, these bikes depreciated the moment you take it from the dealership - sometimes in excess of 30%. Instead, it’s often best to find a well-maintained and cared for used bike instead.
Understanding the ads
The first place you will likely start looking is on Craigslist. This route takes massive amounts of patience as you will inevitably look through a lot of junk. Even after spending just a few minutes on the site, you are likely to see lots of this:
Badas bike for sale!!!
Relly fast, blows away CR500!
Duel sport bike for sale Street Leagle
NOT a beginer bike! Clean tittle!
2000 dollers firm or will trade for guns
If you see ads such as these, you don’t really want to buy any of these. The person writing the ad tells you a lot about the bike without actually saying it. Please don’t purchase a used dual sports bike from an idiot.
Picture the bike
Once you find a listing from someone that understands the English language, you can move onto examining the picture better.
Look beyond the bike to get a better understanding of the seller. If it is perfectly sitting on a stand in the middle of a green, lush lawn or pictured in an organized shop, you can pretty much assume the bike has been cared for.
To recap – we want someone that can speak like a normal human being and a picture that leads us to believe the bike is taken care of.
The next step is to make that phone call.
Ask the right questions
The phone call can save you a lot of wasted time if you know what questions to ask. Start by asking why they are getting rid of the bike. If they mention anything about the suspension bottoming out on the track, you want to hang up. That is, unless you’re good with a lot of maintenance.
Important things to find out include:
how many owners there have been
if there is any past damage
whether or not there are maintenance records
If they have aftermarket parts for the bike, find out what happened to the stock counterparts. If they still have them, you could sell them on eBay for a profit.
You also need to make sure they have the title to the bike.
Finally, ask if the bike has been washed since it was last ridden. If it hasn’t, ask them to keep it that way for your inspection. Cleaning the bike tends to remove any evidence related to an oil leak.
Profile the seller
If you want to catch a criminal, it helps to profile people. The same goes if you want to find an abused bike, you have to check out the seller. Look at his garage, house and car carefully.
Might sound harsh, but it works.
If the seller doesn’t take care of themselves or their life, you can assume they also don’t take care of their bike. If the seller insists you take your shoes off before you enter the garage as they show you service records that have been alphabetized, you have a good chance of getting a well-maintained bike.
There’s no science behind this. It’s more a matter of common sense.
Bike inspection
Once you’ve approved the owner, you can move on to the bike. Obviously, there are lots of things you want to look at when you inspect a used bike.
Start with the aesthetics. Look for dents or dings that show the bike’s been injured. If you see any long, deep scratches, you know that it probably went down hard. Dual sports go down and that’s fine, but excessive wrecking could cause deeper issues.
Look at the frame and subframe for any cracked welds. Check the integrity of the drain plug and brake rotor bolts to see if the owner knew how to properly use a wrench or resorted to channel locks and vice grips.
Take your service stand with you. By putting the bike up on the stand, you can get a better feel for the condition of the bearings, rear swing arm plus the steering stem. While it’s inexpensive to replace bad wheel bearings, you don’t want to repair the steering bearings or swing arm.
Brakes are regularly neglected. Check the pad and rotor wear and make sure the fluid looks clean. If you notice any frayed cables, this isn’t a major issue, as long as the owner accounts for it in the price.
Fire it up
Once you are finished with your assessment, it’s time to fire the bike up. Enjoy the test ride and ensure that you will be comfortable on the bike.
Once the ride is over, it’s time for one last check. You want to inspect it all again, paying close attention to any oil leaks.
Make an offer
We always recommend taking a friend with you. Not only are they another set of eyes, but they will help you avoid bad financial decisions. Since they aren’t invested in this bike the way you are, they can offer an honest evaluation of what the bike is worth.
Don’t be afraid to go lower than the asking price if you feel there’s extra work required. Most people are willing to negotiate, at least a little, if you’re reasonable in your justification.
It’s important that the condition of the bike and its asking price are in proportion with one another.
Enjoy your new (used) ride!
Once you’ve found the used dual sport bike of your dreams, it’s time to get out and enjoy the ride. Thankfully, with the price of used dirt bikes being up right now, you have a nice little investment on your hands.
Ride it for a while and when you are ready to upgrade, you should still be able to get a decent price for it – if you know how to spell and put on a decent ad!
if you ever want a license plate…
That’s where Dirt Legal comes in. Making things street legal is what we do. Just call us at 800-994-7513 or visit our Dirt Bike Conversions page by clicking the link.
From there, we’ll send you some documents to fill out. Then we’ll work with the DMV to ensure that all laws are followed in making your dirt bike street legal to drive on public roads. You’ll get a license plate, title, and registration!
No hoops and no hidden clauses – just you, your street legal dirt bike, and the open road.
About the Author
Brian Jones is an ASE Certified Master Tech that lives outside of Dallas, TX with his wife and children. He has a passion for old muscle cars, big pickup trucks and anything motorsport related. In his spare time, he does a lot of traveling and writing for dealerships across the country through CarBlogWriters.com.