Ah well, I’ll just have to agree to disagree with you Mary, Re-:15 K for 1K, seen it happen, it’s all about knowing the market and being confident. EDIT Having said this, I appreciate things will be different post - 2015 Consumer Rights Act, maybe it wouldn't happen so much now, if at all. Yes, with respect to this, I am in part, agreeing with you.
Not the same end of the market I know, but Superbike Factory offered me £8k for my 6 year old S1000RR when they were selling the same thing for not much over £9k. They told me their van travels around the country buying 2 or 3 bikes most days. Say you're paying cash with no p/ex, and dealers faces drop too. I learned not to open with that a long time ago.
Have just been through the experience of selling my 959. Initially spoke to a mate who is the sales manager for a big dealer and said I could either try the sale or return or simply sell it as dealers are looking for good tidy stock. Going through the figures he said "most" not all dealers will look for around the £1500 mark on bikes they buy in. Initially sold it privately through this forum until the buyer was worried travelling to collect it during Covid times. I thought I'd try a dealer just to see what they would offer and they actually made an offer I was happy with. As you do I looked at their website a few days later where they had advertised it for £1600 more than they had payed me, no issue with this as their a business in the game to make money. Speaking to their driver when he collected it they rely on a good turnover of stock, and no it wasn't Superbike Factory.
1198 is the best bike Ducati ever made imo (exc 1098R, which would get my vote if I'd ever had a chance to ride one).
Re: dealer/small mark-up - I rest my case, one of the bikes I was following as a private sale until sold:- https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124724425646?hash=item1d0a27b3ae:g:2egAAOSwSrxgnqzU
