Is the used bike market completely dead?
#161
06-30-2015, 03:09 PM
Seasoned HDF Member
#162
06-30-2015, 03:14 PM
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Southeast Michigan 15 Minutes East Of Hell
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#163
06-30-2015, 04:27 PM
If you really do not want to remove your ad on's you will have to lower your price to a "no brainer" price. These guy's have given great advice, mostly about re writing your add and getting the negative things out of it, and putting up a bunch of pictures and a good description. If you do not want to do both at least do one. I would not call to ask questions that i could otherwise see in pictures with your wording. Either take pictures to show everything or describe it like you would to a blind person so everyone knows what your selling. You say it isn't worth the effort, if $8000-$9000 isn't worth the effort give it to me, it is obviously worth the effort or you wouldn't have posted about it and you sure wouldn't have defended your position on many other post....
I sold a used bike for over market price this year and bought one under.. It's all in how you do it.
Plus these "only been riding for 1 year" crowd might just be the ones looking for bikes under $10,000..
sounds like your grandson is going to get a nice bike, and there is no price tag on the smile that would create.
I sold a used bike for over market price this year and bought one under.. It's all in how you do it.
Plus these "only been riding for 1 year" crowd might just be the ones looking for bikes under $10,000..
sounds like your grandson is going to get a nice bike, and there is no price tag on the smile that would create.
#164
06-30-2015, 07:04 PM
Tourer
If you want to sell quick.
Buyers like detailed pictures.
Pictures of critical areas.
Think brochure or like a dealer.
The bike should be "staged".
Pictures with something in the background that may enhance the appeal (beach, lake, forest etc).
Avoid distracting backgrounds with ladders or garage items.
Take high pixel pictures with a real camera.
Some buyers are uneducated..the grab rails will be distracting to them, the fairing lowers kill the look of the bike for them, remove driver backrest, the trunk would be distracting to a younger buyer since some folks are unable to "see" how it would look.
You would be amazed at the number of folks that do not know those items are removable.
Most buyers lack imagination. That is why brochures and pictures are produced in a staged fashion.
You would probably make more money and sell quickly if you removed some stuff.
For starters :Consider removing tour pack, lowers, grab rail, drivers backrest and fairing lower.
Remove them cleanly and leave no marks.
Shine the bike to maximum.
Find an area that would enhance the background and use a real camera.
Removing the items would make the bike look more "stock" and the bike would be more appealing to a wider market.
The price seems in range but the picture shown does little to entice a buyer and makes your buyers pool much smaller.
Your bike is a nice bike, but it is not showing well because it is set-up for "your" comfort and not a wide range of buyers.
Difficult for some buyers to think of it as theirs.
Buyers like detailed pictures.
Pictures of critical areas.
Think brochure or like a dealer.
The bike should be "staged".
Pictures with something in the background that may enhance the appeal (beach, lake, forest etc).
Avoid distracting backgrounds with ladders or garage items.
Take high pixel pictures with a real camera.
Some buyers are uneducated..the grab rails will be distracting to them, the fairing lowers kill the look of the bike for them, remove driver backrest, the trunk would be distracting to a younger buyer since some folks are unable to "see" how it would look.
You would be amazed at the number of folks that do not know those items are removable.
Most buyers lack imagination. That is why brochures and pictures are produced in a staged fashion.
You would probably make more money and sell quickly if you removed some stuff.
For starters :Consider removing tour pack, lowers, grab rail, drivers backrest and fairing lower.
Remove them cleanly and leave no marks.
Shine the bike to maximum.
Find an area that would enhance the background and use a real camera.
Removing the items would make the bike look more "stock" and the bike would be more appealing to a wider market.
The price seems in range but the picture shown does little to entice a buyer and makes your buyers pool much smaller.
Your bike is a nice bike, but it is not showing well because it is set-up for "your" comfort and not a wide range of buyers.
Difficult for some buyers to think of it as theirs.
I'm taking your advice. I priced my Superglide a little too high. It's been for sale for over a month and I haven't got a serious offer.
I'm going to strip it down,take some new pics, sell some of the extra's separately and drop the price.
#165
06-30-2015, 07:12 PM
Stellar HDF Member
Our local CL has been full of used Harleys for many years and the past two years I've watched prices drop like a rock. $5000 Dynas just 5-7 years old are now common. 09-10 Ultras for $12-13K are everywhere now and low mileage. Gone are the days of used Harleys bringing more than new ones as was common not that long ago. Market is saturated and the economy sucks!!!! And even these bikes aren't selling because so few actually have a job that pays enough to afford one 
Last edited by tnriverluver; 06-30-2015 at 07:15 PM.
#167
06-30-2015, 09:01 PM
You've gotten some good advice on here...it's up to you what you do with it. If you drank the Harley resale Kool-Aid (which sometimes makes people have unrealistic price expectations)...vomit it up in the back yard and move on. It doesn't matter what you think it's worth...it only matters what buyers think it's worth. There are so many for sale out there that flexible buyers can take their time and find exactly what they want at a price they want. If you don't like someone's offer, they'll go look at the other 5 that are available or just consider paying a little more for something nicer.
Forget your options and what you think they're worth. They're worthless to most buyers, unless it's exactly what they were going to do with it anyway. I am not going to pay a nickel extra or negotiate with you for mod's that YOU like and chose to pay for. I don't want to buy "your" bike...I want to buy a good one and make it mine.
Good pictures can save me a long drive, or make me take a long drive with the trailer and my wallet to see if the bike is as good as it appears.
I don't add to the price for any options that I leave on the bike. I include the stock parts for free. I also pick a price at the bottom of KBB and am still willing to negotiate. My objective is to sell it...not dork around to try to make an extra couple hundred bucks. If you really want to sell it, think like a buyer and undercut your competition. If you're not willing to do that, then be patient...you're waiting for a very specific buyer...he/she might not be around for awhile. My 2 cents for what it's worth. Good luck with it...nice bike...love my Evo RK.
Forget your options and what you think they're worth. They're worthless to most buyers, unless it's exactly what they were going to do with it anyway. I am not going to pay a nickel extra or negotiate with you for mod's that YOU like and chose to pay for. I don't want to buy "your" bike...I want to buy a good one and make it mine.
Good pictures can save me a long drive, or make me take a long drive with the trailer and my wallet to see if the bike is as good as it appears.
I don't add to the price for any options that I leave on the bike. I include the stock parts for free. I also pick a price at the bottom of KBB and am still willing to negotiate. My objective is to sell it...not dork around to try to make an extra couple hundred bucks. If you really want to sell it, think like a buyer and undercut your competition. If you're not willing to do that, then be patient...you're waiting for a very specific buyer...he/she might not be around for awhile. My 2 cents for what it's worth. Good luck with it...nice bike...love my Evo RK.
Last edited by Wheels24; 06-30-2015 at 09:13 PM.
#169
07-01-2015, 12:24 AM
Stellar HDF Member
Look.... your ad sucks. A good ad would have a lot of details. When I read it, it looked like you just jumbled it together and threw pictures in. By the tone of the ad you didnt seem like you were interested in selling. That's why you dont have any takers.
Also your bike is 10 years old and 2 generations old. The new frame in 2009 and the rushmore in 2014. Do you think you would really get even close to 9k for it. your bike is worth about 6500 or 7000. Sell all the add ons and just sell the bike.
Here I did the homework for you
http://www.nadaguides.com/Motorcycle...-1450cc/Values
Also your bike is 10 years old and 2 generations old. The new frame in 2009 and the rushmore in 2014. Do you think you would really get even close to 9k for it. your bike is worth about 6500 or 7000. Sell all the add ons and just sell the bike.
Here I did the homework for you
http://www.nadaguides.com/Motorcycle...-1450cc/Values
#170
07-01-2015, 09:17 AM
Ok, I made it to page 7 before feeling like I had to say something. And what I'm about to say is very direct but not intended to insult, and I apologize if in later pages it has already been pounded to death (call me lazy but I have a meeting in 10 min!).
I used to be a repossession administrator for a large financial institution in a past life, and my primary role was to "offload" our collateral; whether it be at auction or just a passer-by. I want to convey to you that I know what I'm talking about and my experience in this matter likely exceeds 95% of posters here.
Let's recap the last 7 pages:
You posted with a perceived problem. Answers were given to you (most all of which were aligned with each other, which should ring some alarms) to which you did not like. It does not mean you are wrong or they are wrong. They, like most posters here, just want to help you sell this bike and be comfortable with your decision.
This is where I feel that you are going wrong. You seem to have a very high regard for your bike, and you should! It's a very nice bike (even with high mileage, and yes, it is high.) But NO buyer gives two licks what you feel about it. What they - the buyer - has done is research for months on end, trying to find the right fit for them. And unfortunately your feelings are not part of the equation. They see a few things:
1. High mileage, especially compared to the other bikes they are undoubtedly comparing.
2. A grumpy seller or at least an elitist who doesn't actually want to part with their baby. A buyer wants the least amount of hassle when there's a million bikes to choose from.
3. A bike that has been customized to the current owner's liking. Not a bad thing, but I for one do not want to buy a "finished product". Most buyers want to buy the bare bones (as you put it) and build it up to THEIR dream bike. They likely don't care about your mods and feel that they aren't going to pay $0.01 extra for them, which they feel is exactly what's happening with a listing like this.
Finally, I want to reiterate that that nobody here thinks you're stupid or doing the wrong thing here. They just want to help by giving you solutions that you may not have thought out yet.
Heck, this post might even be useless and you sold the dang thing on page 13! But you're not the only one going through it and it's nice that you've started the conversation.
I used to be a repossession administrator for a large financial institution in a past life, and my primary role was to "offload" our collateral; whether it be at auction or just a passer-by. I want to convey to you that I know what I'm talking about and my experience in this matter likely exceeds 95% of posters here.
Let's recap the last 7 pages:
You posted with a perceived problem. Answers were given to you (most all of which were aligned with each other, which should ring some alarms) to which you did not like. It does not mean you are wrong or they are wrong. They, like most posters here, just want to help you sell this bike and be comfortable with your decision.
This is where I feel that you are going wrong. You seem to have a very high regard for your bike, and you should! It's a very nice bike (even with high mileage, and yes, it is high.) But NO buyer gives two licks what you feel about it. What they - the buyer - has done is research for months on end, trying to find the right fit for them. And unfortunately your feelings are not part of the equation. They see a few things:
1. High mileage, especially compared to the other bikes they are undoubtedly comparing.
2. A grumpy seller or at least an elitist who doesn't actually want to part with their baby. A buyer wants the least amount of hassle when there's a million bikes to choose from.
3. A bike that has been customized to the current owner's liking. Not a bad thing, but I for one do not want to buy a "finished product". Most buyers want to buy the bare bones (as you put it) and build it up to THEIR dream bike. They likely don't care about your mods and feel that they aren't going to pay $0.01 extra for them, which they feel is exactly what's happening with a listing like this.
Finally, I want to reiterate that that nobody here thinks you're stupid or doing the wrong thing here. They just want to help by giving you solutions that you may not have thought out yet.
Heck, this post might even be useless and you sold the dang thing on page 13! But you're not the only one going through it and it's nice that you've started the conversation.