Buying and selling a motorBIKE as a foreigner in Kenya
When you first arrive in Nairobi, or even after staying in the country for a while, you will quickly learn that Nairobi traffic is a nightmare. In some cases getting to your destination might take up to three times the amount of time it should take. To counter this, motorbikes offer a great alternative.
Buying a motorcycle in Kenya as a foreigner is a fairly straightforward process. Owning a motorcycle – indicated as having the logbook in your name – then eventually selling it at the end of your stay or for whatever reason (wife says you should sell it) has a bit of complication.
In this post we present our experience in buying, owning and selling a motorbike.
Buying a motorcycle
The ubiquity of motorbikes in the country means that there are many dealers available. Because motorbikes are mostly used as Bodaboda, the most available engine capacities are; 100, 110, 125 and 150. Engine capacities above this range are generally not as ubiquitous. Select dealers have motorbikes with higher engine capacities.
(One of the most common motorbikes engine capacities, 150cc)
Generally, at most dealers selling new bikes, the highest capacity you are likely to find is 250cc. Above this capacity there are very few dealers. Buyers looking for bikes above this mostly import them.
The buying process
The buying process for motorbikes is fairly simple. For immediate pick-up i.e. buying the bike and leaving immediately with it, most dealers prefer the payment to be made in cash or by card. For dealers that accept checks, payment is made and the buyer is then made to wait for three working days for the check to mature before the bike can be handed over to them.
(New motorbike ready for pick-up)
When buying new bikes from showrooms, it is quite common to be asked to wait for a week before you can pick up the bike. This period is usually used to have the bike’s number plate prepared and collected from the issuing agency. Delays in receiving a number plate also occur and it is not uncommon to buy a bike and use it for a while without the actual metallic number plate. During this period, most people usually use laminated paper number plate on their motorbikes as they wait to receive the actual plate from the dealer.
After paying, you are issued with a sales invoice containing the motorbike’s info (engine number, chassis number and registration number/number plate) and your details. These details are important for the next step: insurance.
Insurance
It is illegal to drive a motorbike in Kenya without the requisite insurance.
When buying a motorbike, the buyer is usually swarmed with ‘insurance agents’. Unless specifically directed and assured by the dealer, our advice is that you should not buy insurance from the agents selling at the dealer’s. This is because these sellers are more often than not cons. The insurance issued will likely be invalid or of no help in case of an accident.
To help ensure that you have valid insurance, we recommend settling on an insurer beforehand. Upon receiving the sales invoice, you can then send the details to an underwriter at the insurer you have settled upon for them to prepare the insurance for you. Most insurers will ask for a copy of your passport and a copy of the sales invoice to prepare the insurance for you. Once this is ready, you can pick up the motorbike.
Owning the motorbike
Although the sales invoice is likely to be sufficient to indicate ownership, truly owning the motorbike means having the logbook in your name. The current digitization of government processes means this crucial aspect of ownership has also been digitized. The process is now conducted online on the NTSA TIMS portal. Opening an account on this platform is dependent on having an alien ID.
(The NTSA TIMS portal)
The process of getting an alien ID has also been digitized. The requirements for applying for one can be found here. Once your application goes through and you have your alien ID, you can then visit the NTSA TIMS account portal to open an account.
Once your account is active, you are then in a position to accept ownership and have the logbook in your name. To do this, approach the dealer with the sales invoice in your name and ask for them to transfer ownership to your name. This process costs Ksh 1,700 and ideally takes five minutes. Once effected by the dealer, login to your TIMS account, navigate to the ‘accept ownership’ page and accept ownership. The new logbook in your name will be ready for collection from your preferred collection center in 5 working days.
Selling your motorbike
The young nature of the motorbike industry in the country means that selling your motorbike is not an easy affair. A lot of patience is called for when you make the decision to sell. Basically, you get to deal with a lot of false promises, no-show buyers, an occasional con and that one buyer seeking to exploit your situation and pay you peanuts.
There are a few options to consider when you want to sell.
1. Selling as self
The key decision here, as with selling anything really, is the price decision. Equally as important is the decision on whether to allow buyers to negotiate and the limits on price if you decide to take this route.
Luckily, there are a couple of platforms that you can use to sell. Websites selling second-hand items such as OLX and Pigiame offer the first option. Other platforms you can use include Facebook (particularly on the African Motorcycle Diaries group), Instagram, Whatsapp and placing posters in high traffic areas such as malls and office parks.
When having buyers coming to view, make sure to be as safe as possible. Meet in a secure location that you are comfortable with. If allowing test drives, make sure they are conducted in an area you are familiar with and that you can control.
2. Selling through agents
In case you want to save yourself the hassle and are willing to part with a portion of the selling price, an avenue you can use is agents. Car dealers in the country are a potential avenue you can use to sell. Another option you can use is to sell the motorbike back to or through the original dealer.
(Seller looking for agent)
Before settling on an agent, make sure to do thorough background research. To protect yourself further, make sure to have written agreements that are notarized to make sure they are legally binding.
Due to commissions you will have to pay the agents, be prepared to receive much less than what you would have if you sold the motorbike by yourself.
Conclusion
Ultimately, motorbikes are a great option for use to navigate through traffic in Nairobi. Not only do they offer you great flexibility, they ultimately save you a lot of time. Whether you decide to buy or not, you are welcome to take lessons to learn how to operate them. In case you decide to have a taste of the freedom, feel free to rent from us.
(Motorbikes for rent by iRideNairobi)