Am about to sell my motorbike – and going to do it privately.

I see quite a few adverts where they blot out the number plate (or only have photos where it cant be seen). What is the reason for doing this?

I mainly ask as I have no idea how to do this to photos (and not really interested in having to learn).

Cheers

Do you have a PC? Open the photo in Paint and put a black square over the plate and re-save.

People do it to stop people (A) cloning details of the car as you are listing engine size, colour, mileage etc (all things which can be used to make a clone harder to detect) and (B) someone can’t trace their address.

I don’t know why people do it but I can offer a low tech version for you. Stick a rag or something over the plate before you take the picture.

^ or that!

Even better, if selling on ebay place a piece of paper with your ebay username on it as it stops people pinching your photo to use in a scam sale.

whats the bike?

There’s a chance (albeit a small one) that someone with a stolen example of your bike gets a plate made up with your reg so they can ride around without it flagging stolen/insurance/tax ANPR cameras.

If you’re bothered, just drape a tea towel over the plate for the photos.

What Simon_g says, – all too common with KTMs etc.

If they want to know reg is cleared hpi then they can pay for the check via AutoTrader’s site.

It can work to your advantage though – if you get caught by a Gatso you can legitimately say that someone must have cloned your plate because you posted a photo of it on the internet for all to see.

ok so to avoid cloning. Cheers. I will try the paint thing as it is actually less hassle than getting the bike out of the garage and applying the low-tech version.

iolo – it is a late 2013 Honda CBR600f, 6k, in white/black, registration: rag/blacksquare

It can work to your advantage though – if you get caught by a Gatso you can legitimately say that someone must have cloned your plate because you posted a photo of it on the internet for all to see.

Well, with cars they usually then just check stuff like bumper stickers, dealer window stickers, towbar etc etc.

So unless you’re confident there’s absolutely no photos of you in the same leathers/helmet anywhere online, your bike is completely stock and your route wasn’t tracked by any other ANPR cameras near your home, then you’ll get the book thrown at you for more than just the 3 points.

Okay, not good for GATSO’s but the average speed cameras on the motorway don’t take a picture i think, they just read the plate.

I’m not suggesting that you should do this but I know that it has been done successfully in the past!

Okay, not good for GATSO’s but the average speed cameras on the motorway don’t take a picture i think, they just read the plate.

Well yep, except that they mostly use front facing cameras and bikes don’t have front number plates…

A good tip for selling Moto’s and expensive bikes too, is meet somewhere neutral with the bike, once you’re happy that the buyer is genuine then you can finalise the transaction at your house.

Don’t let them come to your place for the 1st viewing as you might find they’re suddenly not interested, yet 2 days later it gets stolen from garage etc.

A good tip for selling Moto’s and expensive bikes too, is meet somewhere neutral with the bike, once you’re happy that the buyer is genuine then you can finalise the transaction at your house.

And yet, the accepted advice for buying a bike is to always view at the address on the V5 to make sure it’s kosher…

FWIW I’ve never had a problem selling motor/push bikes at my home address. I just make sure they’re out on the drive/back yard when the viewer comes, and they don’t get to see where it’s actually kept or how it’s secured. I also ask a lot of questions of the view before they come and remind them I want to see a driving licence, insurance cover, and take the full asking price in cash before they can even sling a leg over it. Never failed to sell one to the first viewer yet.

Always seemed a bit odd to me when registration plate details are readily available using the high-tech method of “looking outside.”

I wouldn’t block the plates myself, it can put people off if they want to run a check on it

Yup, much easier to do a hpi check before you view if the plates visible. At least you can go knowing a little of it’s history. £20 well spent IMO.