How to Flip Motorcycles (Step-by-Step COMPLETE GUIDE) 

It never has been a problem for me or for anyone else that has sold something to me! You should be fine!

@@kalvinpayne Flip alot & now time to open a shop,i have open a motorcycle shop now starting this jan 2021,thanks for your info it helped me alot in my growth started with $800 & now i have more than 50-60 bikes in stock .

All time favorite comment! Thank you for updating me on your journey. I would love to hear more about it!

😂😂😂

Nice!! Sounds like quite the trade! Congrats!!

Muchas gracias amigo! Let’s make some money 🤑

Very soon I’ll start posting more regularly!

That’s awesome! I’ll have to take a look at the YFZs! $5000 is an insane profit!!

Thank you, Monika! Hope it helps 😁 Let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks! Do you flip as well?

Kalvin Payne Yeah, I've been flipping bikes on the side for a few years. Kind of stumbled into it organically and have a blast doing it. Are you still in the game?

It's definitely a blast and I love doing it! I haven't done a flip in a few months, but I'm close to jumping back on the horse!

Hey Thanks!! I really appreciate that! Do you currently flip motorcycles?

I’m going to be starting this year, just been doing research and just picked up a motorcycle trailer so I can start!

Nice! Can’t wait to hear about your success! Keep me updated!

Thanks! Maybe you and your husband can put this into practice 🤫

Glad you enjoyed it, brother! Let me know if you follow through with your first flip.

I hate to say it, but some of the best deals are those dusty baskets from the 70's and 80's. But you are right, you need to know how to work on them, and be willing to get you hands a little dirty. But once you learn it and do it a couple times , you realize that almost all of those models work the same and have the same parts, so they get easier to work on everytime. And there is a learning curve when buying a non-runner, you will have to learn how to tell it's going to be fixable, that usually comes with time or the proper training. Most of the time they just need carburetor cleaning, fluids changed and a nice bath, all this can be done in one afternoon, you will certainly clear $1000+ on each one of those dusty baskets. $1000 a day is not bad money, if you can find 10 of them and work real fast YOU COULD MAKE $10,000 A DAY, well in theory anyway, but you get the idea. But, you are on the right track though, the truely best way to make money flipping bikes is to buy a bike that is worth $6000, but you pay $2000, because the guy needs money for his mortgage or whatever, and turn around and listed next day for $5,000 (so it sells fast) and watch how quick you just made the money. But these deals are hard to find. Good luck man, there is definitely money to be made in this business. The other day a guy listed an ugly 96 katana 750 LOW MILES, non-runner, no title for $500. I said "I'll take it", he responded immediately with address, I went there with cash and pickup and bought it for $200, brought it home realized it wasn't going to be easy/cheap to get running, (thought I would getting running and sell the motor for $500), so I cleaned it up, touched up some paint and relisted the same day for $750, sold it the very next morning for $500, thats about as low of a profit as I want to go, but still 150% return on my investment. I guess what I'm getting at is there are alot of other creative ways to make money with bikes too.

Great points to the both of you! I definitely feel that it’s easiest to start with newer bikes. If you go the newer route, try to get some friends to invest with you-split profit until you’re comfortable on your own. The older bikes would be a good route to go with those friends if you can get bikes that don’t need anything far out of the range of their capabilities.

Thanks, brother!! And it’s a great way to make a side income!

Thanks bro! You should flip something soon!

I’d recommend partnering with someone that has a dealer’s license. You can give them a small cut of each deal and you’ll do the work. I’ve seen others do as you mentioned with the receiving the title and not putting anything on it, which I do not recommend unless the laws in your state or okay with it. Many people do this to keep as much in their pocket as possible when first starting out, but it can be frowned upon in your state, so I’d encourage research on the matter if you’re leaning toward it.

I’m also in California and I haven’t had one seller write anything on the title yet, but it’s bound to happen. Catch them before they do and say you haven’t figured out who will own it yet. I would use my brother as someone to fall back on. “ Oh he and I are debating who gets the bike, so we can leave that blank. Can we just sign the release of liability with your info?” Feels a little awkward, but you don’t want them to write anything on the title. The open-ended title is best!

Hey Libby! I started off with $1150 of my own money. My brother put up $1150 of his to purchase a bike for $2300 that was sold for $3400. Since you are good with repairs, you can probably start with less. Just make sure you are considering the cost of your time and repairs when it comes to your ideal purchase price. Hope that helps!!

Nice work! Keep it up 👍🏽

Great point! I did mention at the end that laws vary from state to state. From the way that I have understood it is that some states allow you to have up to five vehicles in a calendar year, but I feel a lot safer informing individuals to go through a dealer, which is quite simple! Most dealers would be happy to take a small fee for allowing you to sell through them.

@@kalvinpayne I know that the law you're talking about is state by state; my state also allows 5 private sales a year before you must go the dealer route. But the title hopping law is nationwide. But you're right, some laws when it comes to buying/selling stuff does vary depending on where you live, it is important to know before starting a business doing this. Hope the business has been going well for you!

Abel Gedamu you’re absolutely right! Fresh point of view. What are you looking to flip for your first bike?

@@kalvinpayne I've got a Ninja that I have some repairs to make on. Owned it for about a year, just need to go through everything and sell it. Probably won't make a profit off of it, but I'm using it to learn how to do basic maintenance. Kind of like my "test bike".

Well I’m hoping you at least breakeven, but Ninjas are gold, so I’m sure you won’t have any problems. Just take stellar pics!

Hey! Thanks for the question. Personally, I just bring them home. They will sit in my garage until they’re sold, which is usually a couple of days. If you’re going through someone with a dealer’s license, they will usually have some sort of commercial policy. If you have normal insurance, there’s typically coverage that extends to newer vehicles you have yet to insure, which should cover you. It’s kind of a grey area to be honest if you’re doing it without a dealer’s license involved. Some insurances cover, some don’t. I’d recommend calling yours and seeing how many days between used vehicle purchases do you have to inform them of your purchase.

Hi Max! Thanks for the questions. 1. If you’re not working with a person with a dealer’s license, then they can sign it over to you. You can then register it in your name and ride it, enjoying the bike until you find a new buyer. Essentially, if you set it up with enough margin, you get paid to ride the bike around. It’s a win! 2. Insurance depends on which provider you have. My recommendation would be to look into Geico and All State, but some smaller companies would also be good to look at. It depends from city to city, state to state, so I don’t have an exact answer on this one. Research is key on this one. 3. Let’s say an officer pulls you over on your way home from buying the bike. They’d understand that you just purchased the bike. Make sure to get registration from the previous owner. It’s linked to the tags and what not. Also, you’ll have the title in hand as well in case they ask for more info. Glad to hear the video helped. Hopefully I answered your questions well enough. Let me know how your first flip goes!

Thanks brother! Honestly, I’ve done it without a license before. All the people I have come across just gave me the title with their signature and didn’t expect me to sign my name on it. You can tell the next buyer if they ask that you never got around to it. I believe some places you are allowed to do this within like a five vehicle limit and no tax will apply, because the DMV doesn’t know, but if you’re not comfortable with doing that, you can always talk to any car dealer, tow truck driver, etc. They have licenses that permit you to buy and sell under their license.

Kalvin Payne thanks so much! I will probably get to the 5 that way and I work at a car dealership so it should be pretty easy to get help from them later on

Yeah, man! Please let me know how it goes! I want to hear about your success 😁

I certainly will! I am selling my current bike right now that I actually used throughout the winter and put 2,500 miles on and am making profit on it. I plan to keep scaling bigger and bigger if possible though!

You absolutely can and then you can continue to funnel those profits into more and more ventures!

Hey bro! I would recommend getting a dealer’s license if you plan on doing it regularly. Some states allow you to pay monthly for one. You can also team up with others that already have dealers licenses. However, if you want to get a good deal on a motorcycle, put it in your name, ride it around, then sell in a few weeks to months, that’s a good way to find out if it’s right for you!

Kalvin Payne alright, thank you so much man!🙏 appreciate the help!

My pleasure, brother! Let me know how it goes!! You can also send me some deals and I’ll help you analyze them.

Hey Gorilla, honestly you can go either way. Depending on where you are, some states allow for a certain number of resales per year. Some don’t and you have to get them registered in your name. The former is more profit than the latter, but the latter is legal in more states.

Welcome to the San Diego family! You’ll find it’s a beautiful place to call home 😁

@@kalvinpayne I’m from San Diego, moved away when I was younger lol. I’m ready to come home…. Been living in Kansas…. And made my way to Arizona.

You’re so close! We’ll see you soon!

@@kalvinpayne I know right! It seems like my family keeps finding ways to keep me here, I keep telling them I got to go 😆

Get outta’ there 😂

Sorry I just read the comments below and it answered my question great step by step video btw extremely helpful

Glad the other comments helped! Let me know if you get any flips under your belt!!

Thanks for the kind words!

Hey Scott, welcome to the channel! Great question! Well, first and foremost, you will be getting the best deals buying private party. When you buy and sell private party, it’s all cash dealing, so you don’t pay that 8% sales tax. Obviously with money you get from your sale, you choose to report it on your income taxes like you do with any side income you make. I hope that answers your question. Let me know if you have any other questions!

Thanks for the quick reply, Kalvin! Can you explain that further? I just bought a motorcycle in cash but when I go to AAA/DMV, I'll still need to pay 8% tax on it right?

Are you purchasing the bike for yourself or are you purchasing to flip? I typically sell the bikes fast, so I never bother putting my name on the title, because the next buyer can do that for themselves. I just make sure to insure the bike in case of damage, while I ride it for a week or two and move on to the next bike. If you follow through with putting the bike under your name and registering it, yes there will be fees for doing so, like registration, plates, fees and likely taxes, which will cut into your profit margin (another reason why I don’t put it under my name). Another way to offset the taxes and fees is to join with someone who has a current dealer license, like a tow truck driver, car dealer, motorcycle dealer, etc. You may even consider becoming a licensed dealer if you plan to flip a bunch of motorcycles. I hope that helps!

Last question - wouldn't your name need to be on the title in order for you to transfer it to someone else? Thank you!

Great question. There is a person’s name on it already. Let’s say John sells Scott a Kawasaki for a great deal. Scott decides to ride it around insured, while he waits for a buyer. In a week, Scott finds a buyer and hands them the title to place their own name on it. They will take care of the rest at the DMV.

If you put the title in your name like you do a car, you will pay taxes on that. In some states like AZ that doesn’t apply. If you use the method I mentioned about going through a licensed dealer, I believe you can work it out with them where you can avoid the taxes on the front end.

Hey Kevan! Thanks for the question! I’ve found a lot of success with Kawasaki Ninjas. GSXRs, CBRs, and Yamaha R-series bikes are all bikes I look at amongst others.

Appreciated. I've gone ahead and subbed let's get it amigo. Interested to see what I can transform 10k into throughout the next few months.

Much appreciated, brother! Let’s get this! 10k is a huge start! I started with $500, so let’s see what you can do!! Let me know if you have more questions.

We’ve never had anyone ask, but we cover our bases by saying that we didn’t keep it long enough to get it in our name.

@@kalvinpayne what happened to me is that i made the "mistake" of asking for permision to the original owner for making a new contract with his name and the new buyers name. And like i was expecting, he wanted a part of the profit i was going to make. Ive learned for the next time!

Oh yeah, that’s why I avoid any names being written until final sale. You’re just acting as the middle man.

​@@kalvinpayne What you're doing is called curbstoning and is illegal in California. Telling the seller you and your brother are debating who gets the bike so they leave it blank and then telling the buyer you didn't own it long enough to have it to put it in your name is dishonest. Kinda scummy man. I hope nobody sees this and sends the authorities your way. Anyone watching this, best of luck running this scam. You risk fines and jail time if you're caught.

Great point, Ryan, which is why I stress for people watching to look up the laws in their specific state. I prefer using a licensed dealer, tow truck driver, etc. (someone with a license)- saves on taxes and hassle.

Thanks 🙏🏽

Yes, I would if I plan on keeping it for a little while.

In the video? Not sure to which you are referring.

@@kalvinpayne He says it at 8;59

ak6781fan Yes, it’s just an example of what title you can fill in. Obviously, it would be respective to whichever bike you flip.

I usually try look at what others are going for online and what the average is in my area. I determine a good selling price based on that and assuming the bike I pick up has no major imperfections, I know I’ll likely be able to sell around the price everyone else is selling at. From there, I try to negotiate down a $1000 profit margin- easiest bikes are the ones that are already lower than the average!

Kalvin Payne thank you!

Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions!

Kalvin Payne yeah it did, do you have any social media I can contact you personally on? I’m confused with the margin profit.

Yeah kalvinppayne on IG

Or Kalvin Payne on FB!

Wow! That’s awesome! Start flipping those bikes ASAP and keep me updated!!

Absolutely. Most places it is. I typically recommend people partner with someone that has a dealer’s license. This can help with taxes and legality. Thanks for the comment and for watching!

I appreciate the feedback. It’s meant to be a step-by-step, not so much informative. I pretty much set the foundation from start to finish. As for proof, I have pictures. The thumbnail is from my very first flip. I didn’t include it in the video as I was new to RU-vid at the time. I’m thinking of adding more videos to this series in the future, so keep an eye out!

Part squid, maybe, because I sell the bikes faster than I have time to get to know them lol

Actually gearing up to do just that here very soon. What kind of videos would you like to see?

@@kalvinpayne it seems like flipping related videos attract a fair few views for your channel