Selling your dirtbike isn’t as simple as slapping up a blurry photo and hoping some bloke with cash and questionable intentions slides into your DMs. It’s a craft. Whether you’re flogging off your weekend weapon to fund a new rig, clearing space in the shed or just realising you’re not the next Toby Price after all, there’s a right way to do it.
But here’s the thing: a lot of riders get it wrong. Ads that look like crime scenes, bikes that haven’t seen soap since the Rona days, and sellers who think “ran when parked” is a valid description. If you want top dollar and minimal tyre-kickers, you need to sell it right.
Here are 10 proven tips to help you sell your dirt bike without looking like a total kook.
1. GIVE IT A PROPER WASH
Sounds obvious, right? Yet somehow, half the ads online show bikes with mud from last year’s trail ride still clinging to the swingarm. If you can’t be bothered to wash it, buyers will assume you couldn’t be bothered to maintain it either.
Get stuck in. Degrease the chain and sprockets, clean the plastics, scrub the engine cases and spokes. Even give the tyre sidewalls a bit of a shine. A clean bike doesn’t just look better – it feels better to potential buyers. First impressions count… and nothing says “this bike’s been loved” like a spotless rig sitting in the sun.
Bonus points if you replace worn stickers or remove any dodgy homemade ones that say things like “SEND IT” in Comic Sans.
2. DITCH THE RAINBOW PLASTICS
Look, we all have our tastes. Maybe you were going through a phase. Maybe the glitter purple number plate background made sense at the time. But if your goal is to appeal to the broadest buyer pool, think clean and neutral.
If you’ve got spare plastics – or better yet, the OEM ones in decent nick – chuck them back on for the photos. Your wild race kit might look cool to you, but to someone else it screams “this thing’s been flogged harder than a rental.”
Alternatively, if your old plastics are cactus, consider investing in a fresh, clean-looking graphics kit. Nothing too wild – just something tidy, modern and well-fitted. A good graphics kit can make a bike look newer, better maintained and ready to ride. It’s the moto equivalent of slapping on a new coat of paint before you sell your house.
Think about resale visuals the same way you’d stage a house for sale: less personal, more universal and clean enough that the next owner can picture themselves on it – without needing sunnies to look at it.
3. FIX THE OBVIOUS STUFF
Here’s the golden rule: if it’s cheap to fix and obviously broken, fix it.
Things like:
- Bent levers
- Torn grips
- Missing bolts
- Knackered tyres
- Shredded seat covers
- Brake pads thinner than a 10-cent piece
These things make buyers wonder what else is wrong. A $100 seat cover or a fresh pair of grips can genuinely change how “cared for” your bike looks. Even if you’ve done all the internal maintenance, small external stuff creates doubt.
Worst-case, if you’re not fixing it, at least acknowledge it in the ad and price it accordingly. Don’t pretend it’s not there – we see the bent ’bars, legend.
BE HONEST IN THE AD
Buyers aren’t stupid (mostly). They’ll pick up on lies, half-truths and dodgy phrasing. So don’t be that guy writing “reliable bike, goes hard” when you know the clutch is cooked and you’ve been topping it up with leftover two-stroke oil from 2020.
Be straight-up:
- “Top-end replaced 15 hours ago (receipt available)”
- “Chain and sprockets due soon”
- “Starts easy, runs great but could use new fork seals”
Honesty builds trust, and trust makes it way easier to close the deal. Plus, it saves you from wasting time with people who aren’t ready for a fixer-upper.
TAKE DECENT PHOTOS
This is where most people fall apart. Your bike deserves better than a single blurry snap in a dark shed surrounded by rakes and kids’ scooters.
Here’s your photo checklist:
- Shoot in daylight (early morning or late arvo light is gold)
- Choose a clean background. Grass, driveway or even a white shed wall
- Take multiple angles: side-on (both sides), front, rear and close-ups of key features (engine, suspension, exhaust, etc.)
- Show any damage clearly
- Avoid filters or weird aspect ratios
- Don’t screenshot your snapshot with captions “ready to fang it”.
Good photos make your bike stand out. Great photos sell it.
6. LIST THE GOOD GEAR
Got aftermarket parts? List ’em. Doesn’t matter if it’s a full FMF pipe, upgraded ’pegs, a re-valved shock or even just a gripper seat cover – buyers want to know.
Break it down:
- Brand names (people search for these!)
- When it was installed
- Any maintenance benefits
This not only justifies your asking price, but it also makes your bike seem like it’s been set up properly – not just flogged stock off the showroom.
Also: If you’ve got the original parts as spares, throw them in too. It’s a selling point, even if they never use them.
NAIL THE WRITE-UP
Don’t waffle. Don’t type like you’re yelling. Don’t use 43 emojis.
A good ad looks like this:
2019 KTM 250 SX-F | 78 hours | Full engine rebuild at 65hrs (invoices available). FMF exhaust, Pro Taper ’bar, fresh Dunlop tyres. Suspension tuned for 80kg rider. Always serviced with Motorex oils. Includes original plastics and spare air filters. Located Sydney, NSW. $7800 firm.
Keep it clear, confident and well-structured. Bonus points if you run it through a spellcheck. It makes you seem like someone who knows their stuff, not someone trying to hide behind hype.
8. Choose Your Platforms Wisely
Yes, Facebook Marketplace is popular, but it also attracts time-wasters, tyre-kickers and the bloke who offers you $4000 and a goat.
Try a few different platforms:
- Bikesales – More serious buyers, better filtering
- Gumtree – Still solid, especially for regional areas
- Socials – Share it on local riding pages or your own Insta (just keep it professional)
Just make sure your listing is consistent across platforms. No one wants to see it $1000 cheaper elsewhere.
9. PRICE IT FAIR
This is where most people lose potential buyers before they even click.
Check what similar bikes are going for in your area – not what you think it’s worth. Consider the mods, condition, hours and the current market. If everyone’s listing 2021 YZ450Fs at $8k and you’re asking $10.5k with no receipts or extras, you’re dreaming.
A fair price gets attention. Leaving a little negotiating room is fine – but don’t pad it too much. Buyers will walk away if they think you’re taking the piss.
10. STAY SAFE WHEN SELLING
This one’s less exciting, but critical.
- Meet in a public spot if you can and take a friend. If it has to be your place, also have someone else home and inform the buyer the bike isn’t stored on the premises. Thieves will and have returned.
- No test rides without full cash in hand. Not a deposit. Not a licence photo. Cash.
- Only accept secure payment: bank transfer (once cleared), PayID or cold hard notes.
- Trust your gut. If something feels off, walk away. No bike is worth getting stitched up over.
Respect the Process
Selling your dirtbike isn’t just about offloading a machine – it’s passing on something with stories, scrapes and late-night garage sessions. Do it right and someone else will love it like you did.
Present it clean. Write it clear. Price it fair. And count that cashola!
