Bike Trader: Sell Your Motorcycle Today
WeBuyAnyBike.com are UK’s top Bike Trader, we have been buying motorbikes for over 16 years and are run by genuine bike enthusiasts. We want to make the process of buying your bike as quick and easy as possible while offering the best price available, making sure you use us again in the future!
Motorcycles have a long and inspiring history, some great minds came together to create the vehicles we know today. So where did motorbikes come from and how did they evolve?
Motorcycle History
The very first vehicles that could be seen as a motorcycle started to appear in the mid-Victorian era, the propulsion source was a clever steam system. From this different inventions began to spring up, in France, a bicycle manufacturer called Ernest Michaux fitted a small steam engine to a velocipede bicycle.
It is believed the first modern motorcycle was created in the 1890s, a few years down the line the internal combustion engine made an amazing appearance, which then became available for public purchase. From 1894 onwards the machines began to be known as the ‘motorcycle’.
In the time of the First World War there was a massive increase in motorbikes, mostly enlisted in the war itself. Over half of Harley Davidson’s production was dedicated to the war. The British manufacturer, Triumph, wasn’t about to miss out on the action and produced the famous ‘Model H’ which was known for its reliability. There was a requirement once again for motorcycles in the Second World War, by this time the bikes were reaching 100 miles per hour. After the war motorbikes started to be seen as more of an everyman’s bike, people had bikes to get around quickly and easily. With time bikes were seen as a lifestyle choice, part of people’s identity.
After playing an important role in WW1 and WW2, motorbikes could be designed based on image, power and rider fun! American and European motorcycle brands dominated the industry for over a century, but that’s when the Japanese manufacturers got involved. They were producing high-performance bikes at a low cost. Brands such as Kawasaki and Suzuki flooded the market making it extremely hard for other manufacturers to compete.
Auto Trader Motors
There are many bike traders in the UK, but the brand everyone has heard of is Auto Trader.
The founder of Auto Trader is John Madejski, he brought this idea back from the USA and set up the business with Paul Gibbons. The company started in 1977, beginning life as a magazine called Thames Valley Trader selling for just 10p! The magazine was designed to buy and sell pretty much anything, household items, cars etc.
Madejski was born 1941 with the name Robert John Hurst in Stoke-on-Trent as a result of a wartime fling. He was placed with a foster family for a time then was moved to a children’s home in Reading. His mother then married a Polish Second World War airman called Zygmunt Madejski. Hurst eventually moved in with his mother and took his stepfathers surname.
Madejski was on a Florida family holiday in the 1970s when he saw a car sales magazine, he was dazzled by the car photos and glossy pages. He knew he could make something more of this idea and started created a business plan, Thames Valley Trader was then launched in 1976. The magazine initially started selling all items but quickly saw the vehicle selling section was most successful. The company solely concentrated on vehicles and was renamed Auto Trader. In 1982 Madejski partnered with Guardian Media Group to give the brand national exposure.
Growing year on year Auto Trader even crossed the seas to Ireland in 1995.
The next year they had their first online website and the magazine went digital. The 2000s were a great time period for Auto Trader, social media and internet usage was massively on the rise. It was clear that advertising online was the future. So the company changed its marketing and digital media strategy to fit with the times. They soon became the online site we know today. Autotrader.co.uk is the UK’s busiest automotive website. Attracting more than 10.3 million users per month. Auto Trader also have a team of people working on their social media, making sure they produce current and interesting posts.Madejski has always been a forward-thinking businessman, he created a company stemming from his personal love of cars. He owns a number of luxury vehicles such as 2 two Rolls-Royces, four Jaguars. Two Bentleys, two Ferraris and has a personal number plate reading 1 JM. Madejski has two children but was never married. He was in the tabloids in 2004 due to some alleged romantic ties with TV star and presenter Cilla Black. It’s thought the pair met through mutual affiliations with the Conservative Party.
As well as creating Auto Trader, Madejski is also Chairman of Reading F.C. Chancellor of University of Reading and Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire, in:
In the Sunday Times Rich List 2009 of Wealthiest People in the UK. Madejski was ranked 222nd with a fortune of around £250million. By 2013 his assets had lost a reported £150m. However, he was still able to earn the 22nd place in the Sunday Times Driving article of the Wealthiest Brits in Motoring. In 2014 the same report of Wealthiest Brits in Motoring was run. Madejski had dropped to 31st place with an estimated fortune of £90m.
Madejski was quoted saying he isn’t particularly concerned with what people think of him:
“People can think what they like about me. I don’t care. It’s never been a popularity contest. I do it all for the community. In my view, you start life with nothing and you end it with nothing. I’d like to enjoy it all before I kick the bucket.” Madejski
Madejski has contributed massively to charities and local projects, recently he donated £500m to the redevelopment of Reading town centre. He is well known for donated another £500 to the trustees of the Falkland Islands Memorial Chapel Trust in 1990. It was a crucial donation dedicated to the 225 soldiers who fought in the Falkland Island War. Although he was quoted saying his proudest accomplishment has been transforming a failing school into the boroughs first academy:
“Honestly, the Academy has given me more pleasure and satisfaction than anything I’ve done during my time,” Madejski
Madejski is now 75 years old, with commercial interests in property, media broadcasting, hotel establishments, restaurants, publishing and football. He became chairman of Football League club Reading F.C in 1990 and he put his name on the stadium. Madejski Stadium was built in 1998 with over £25 million contributed by him. Madejski actually kept Reading from receivership. In 2006 he took the Royals to the top tier in football. This was for the first time in 135 years of their history. Once taking Reading to the Premier League. Madejski confirmed he was ready to sell up and his reign of ownership ended in May 2012.
So back to Madejski’s creation, Auto Trader!
The site doesn’t just concentrate on cars, they are also popular when buying and selling motorbikes. The Auto Trader website is a great tool for private sellers and also bike dealers & bike traders. People can use the site to price check and do general market research. You can find out who is selling, what is in your area and what prices your bike is at. Looking at mileage, condition and age.
Although Auto Trader is a great way of selling your motorbike, it can also be quite expensive. Whether you are selling privately or a bike trader the listing and advertising costs can be quite high to use their website. You will also have to deal with time-wasters and hagglers.
A much cheaper and easier way to sell your bike is direct to a bike buyer. It is free to value your bike on WeBuyAnyBike. We collect bikes for free from anywhere in mainland England in less than 2 days… And you will get your money on collection via instant bank transfer. We offer fair and accurate prices on all bikes, this is why we are the UK’s top motorbike trader!
We Buy Any Bike – UK’s Top Bike Trader
For bikers, motorcycles are a passion like no other! Some people are happy to have the same motorbike for years and years, a lifelong partner in crime. Some people like to change it up every few months!
If you are a serial seller then you probably already heard of WeBuyAnyBike. If not, we are the UK’s top Bike Trader. All you need to do is enter your registration and we can give you an instant quote for FREE.
We Buy Any Bike – Why sell with us?
Sell motorbike to bike trader We Buy Any Bike couldn’t be any more straightforward. If you would like to know any of the finer details check out our FAQ page.
We will stick to the price we offer you and will ensure the funds are in your account before taking your bike. MotorbikeTrader, We Buy Any Bike has over 16 years of experience buying motorbikes. Offering a professional and friendly service throughout the transaction. We make sure things go smoothly for you!
Looking to sell your motorcycle without any hassle? Try We Buy Any Bike, UK’s top motorbike trader!
SELL MY MOTORBIKE
Helmut
3 Jan 2022
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