Help me sell my Motorized Bike!!!!

ryanatdrewreysolutions · #1 09-28-2008, 04:54 PM

Hi guys,

Thanks to everyone on this forum, I completed my first Motorized Bicycle!!!!

That was fun as a chicken covered in monkey grease!!!!

Right now I am trying to see if I can sell this Motor bike for enough profit so that I can do this once a week for extra income.

It makes sense, I think... I make them, people buy them. Ryan gets money.... simple? right?

Well, I am having some trouble selling this guy.

The motor works great! the bike is fantastic, everything works pretty. Why can I not sell it? I live in Las Vegas, there are TONS of people paid by cash tips, but do not have drivers licenses. This market is screaming Motorized Bikes, but I cannot sell my first...

If I can't sell this one, my girlfriend wont let me keep buying kits and bikes.

Help please.........

Here is the ad I have on Craigslist Las Vegas. I have printed versions of this all over town.

I do not have a website yet, but I am a web developer and once I have the time, I will make the site.

Any tips? Does anyone on this board have a profitable business? Can you share some of your knowledge and experience??

Motorized Bicycle for Sale

Pablo · #2 09-28-2008, 05:21 PM

I'm no advertising genius, but here's some (brutal) helpful suggestions:

1) Drop the whole DUI thing - I know, maybe maybe someone with a DUI will buy it, but don't target your audience and turn off the rest of your audience. Think about it.

2) Clean up your spelling and grammar.

3) Better pictures.....either you are selling "hot" merchandise or it looks like my vision after a gallon of tequila.

4) "Models range from........." OK so you are dealer, then you need a professional ad. OR if you are selling one bike. List the actual price.

ryanatdrewreysolutions · #3 09-28-2008, 05:24 PM

Thanks for the Brutal Honesty.

I will make those changes on my next ad.

Motoschwinn · #4 09-28-2008, 05:25 PM

Well, I think you are a few hundred bucks high, Gas is dropping ($3.11 here) and winter is coming. And the great for DUI.... Well I'd not post that. That's my .02

SgtNorthcutt · #5 10-02-2008, 12:04 AM

I'm asking top dollar for mine, but yeah you could drop the price a little. And take lots of good close up pics and tell a story about it and each feature/part.
Let them day dream. Is your girlfriend hot? Put her in a bikini and pose her next to it. If she's not hot, find another girl who will pose in a bikini and after you sell your bike pack your stuff and move out to become a motorized bike building playboy!

Try chaining it to a REALLY busy street corner with a CLEARLY LEGIBLE SIGN with your phone number on it, or in front of Walmart. I got a waiting list of customers just because I ride it everywhere and people come up and want to know about it.

Easy Rider · #6 10-02-2008, 09:40 AM

Have you've tried craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums I sold my bike in a day advertising it on there. The best part its free.

ryanatdrewreysolutions · #7 10-05-2008, 01:23 AM

Hi there, I gathered all of your advice, except the girlfriend in the bikini part (she is smoking HOT, but I am not posting those pics online!!)

check out my new website: Buy This Bike NOW

Pablo · #8 10-05-2008, 07:40 AM

$450?

"**** a duck" What???

Quote:

Motorized Bicycles are consicered “pedal assist” bikes

Consider spell check.....just a thought.

comfortableshoes · #9 10-05-2008, 09:59 AM

I before E except for after C.
Dude spell check is a good thing.

The new website is better than the first ad.
Craigslist is wonderful, ebay is good too.

Also in my area there is a thing called the WantAdvertiser, you can put an ad in for a low price. In Maine and NH they have a thing called Uncle Henry's I'd look for something like that.

You really emphasize the DUI thing, as a law abiding citizen that would turn me off from buy from you . Unless that's who you really want to target I'll kill it or put it in smaller print.

Consider making business cards and posting them on community bulletin boards, 3 or 4 cards and a tack is all you need. You can print them out or get them online. A nice picture of on of your bikes and your website address and email address would attract a few people,a ls you can leave business cards anywhere.

One of the things I learned selling my art online is the better the picture the better the sale price. Get a nicer camera and a tripod. Kill your flash- seriously you can't take a decent picture with a flash of anything shiny... Get 2 clamp on work lights, and 2 good strong 100 watt day light or full spectrum bulbs, light your bikes from 2 angles. set your camera to custom, kill the flash and take some pictures, use Picasa or some other editing software for basic edits. IF things are good all you may need to do is adjust the fill light- it's it better to take a DARK picture than to take a light one. Dark picture has more info to work with in the editor. Also White is hard to shoot in front of, it washes everything out. Find a different backdrop- outside maybe.

Brutal honesty is better than people shoving sunshine up you a$$- it might hurt at first but when things are better you'll be happier.

rcjunkie · #10 10-05-2008, 10:00 PM

Las Vegas is one of the hardest hit economically with the real estate down turn. Couple this with decrease in gaming revenue and layoffs, you'll be hard pressed to sell a novelty called a motorized bike.

Good luck and keep trying. I have sold many by simply riding my bike around and stopping to chat with those who gave me a long look. Also, flea markets are alsoa great place to sell.