If there is one motorcycle company that could be more recognizable than any other, at least in America, it is surely Harley-Davidson. The charismatic American motorcycle company has been around since 1903 when it was founded by William Harley, and Arthur, Walter, and William Davidson. Since then, the company has gone on to produce some absolutely incredible machines that have ranged from racers, drag bikes to cruisers and sports bikes. You name it, and Harley-Davidson has done it. And of course, you can always pick up a fantastic used example of one of their bikes from the used market.
Doing so can be quite a tricky experience, however. Buying a used motorcycle or automobile can be quite a frustrating experience, especially if you aren’t 100% sure of the seller's credibility and the condition of the bike or vehicle that you are putting your hand in your pockets for. Fortunately, though, Harley-Davidson is about to help us all out. They are launching the H-D1 Marketplace, a brand-new marketplace for selling and buying pre-owned Harley-Davidson motorcycles in the United States that will certainly have some advantages over buying them from other outlets, and it could become a trend-setter for other such organizations.
The Basic Idea
The basic idea of the H-D1 Marketplace is certainly simple enough. Think of it as an official and dedicated bike dealership for just one manufacturer and pre-owned bikes. It will allow for its consumers to search, sell and purchase a pre-owned Harley-Davidson, in a dedicated outlet to ensure that the buyer or seller has the confidence and peace of mind to easily pursue a deal. Harley-Davidson also states that it will be backed by its dealer network and enhanced by the Harley-Davidson Certified program for hopefully an extra bit of peace of mind.
The company hopes that it will provide a seamless purchasing and selling arrangement for all parties involved. The company has also stated that it is about turning their official website into effectively the best online destination for those who are after everything Harley-Davidson, to paraphrase their official press release slightly. Plus, they will be able to connect the customers together for an easy communication experience. Harley-Davidson wants it to become the largest marketplace for used motorcycles from a company in the United States. Of course, other dealerships will probably be nervous that it will take some customers away from them.
How It's Going To Work
The way it will work is also pretty simple. Harley-Davidson will start with the entire selection of pre-owned motorcycles from the company from its participating dealer network. These will be made available for the customers to browse and even customize, easily online. Harley-Davidson also wants the purchasing experience to be as easy as possible, whilst also being as safe and secure as possible. They are set to use the H-D Financial Services and apparently will have access to “innovative, industry-leading financing solutions”, which will no doubt become clearer and easier to understand as consumers get used to the system.
In terms of selling the bikes via the outlet, that is hopefully going to be easy for the consumer too. Harley-Davidson will be using a “sell my bike” feature on the marketplace, to allow them to sell their motorcycles directly into the Harley-Davidson dealer network, which all being well will also allow for as rapid a sale as possible. Whilst we are personally yet to experience all of this ourselves, this does in principle sound like it could be the best way to buy a used Harley-Davidson, with the added comfort of knowing the manufacturer is behind this method.
The Advantages Of The System
There are some advantages as well that make this quite an appealing system to use. Firstly for the seller, the fact that they can sell their bikes directly through the Harley-Davidson dealership network means that a dealer can directly send an offer to the customer for the bike, which will allow for a rapid, safe, and hopefully professional selling experience. Plus for the customer buying the motorcycle, you will know as much as possible about the bike you are buying, the dealership it's located at, and perhaps feel more at ease that it has the backing of the bikes' manufacturer. A bad sale would reflect poorly on Harley-Davidson, so they will no doubt want the whole experience to pass smoothly.
An Easy Way To Get A Used Harley-Davidson
This is certainly a great way to get your hands on a used Harley-Davidson. We have touched on it already, but it really can be a real quagmire to try and purchase a used vehicle, from any outlet, dealer, or an auction site. Sometimes you have no idea if what you are seeing is actually what you are going to get, and it can be a real annoyance and pain to try and get in touch with someone to resolve a problem or to confirm all is legit. This new H-D1 Marketplace however could be a bit of a game-changer, allowing for more secure used transactions and, if you want a used bike or car, allow you to have that peace of mind when placing your order.
Source: Harley-Davidson