Yep, the guy that ends up buying your bike and then only loosing a couple thousand after a few years is going to appreciate the resale of Harleys. You're not because you just bought it and you have to figure tax, freight and set up is all a lost cause. Another thing to consider is just up to a few years ago dealers were selling new bikes on the floor for several thousand over MSRP which sure helped hold up the value of used bikes. Now that supply has met demand and dealers (most anyway) are selling at MSRP you will notice a difference. Still alot better than any metric will do.

If you want to save money and have the least depreciation, stop buying brand new bikes off the floor and start shopping for one and two year old, low mileage, perfect bikes for sale by owner.

 

the days when you could buy a new Harley, ride it a few yrs, then get back nearly as much as you paid for it are long gone and over.

You can thank every Tom, Dick, Harry, and Bettythat, in the last 10 yrs or so, decided he (or she) was gonna be a biker, and then parked the thing in the garage except to hit bike night once, and 25 miles, or so, a week.

In other words,the market is glutted with tons of low mileage used Harleys, and so the value is not what it used to be.

Combine that with the practice of the MOCO to make enough changes every yr to entice the guy that just bought last yrs model to trade yet again, and this is what you get.

 

That's 24% depreciation from brand new to used. Name another vehicle that does better.

 

A 2006 Low Rider = $15,600 for vivid black. Now as others have said, there are things we don't know, ie; color, accessories, etc. But if it is the vivid black and you're only losing $2,600 after a year and then add in the drop in value because of the new motor for 07(yes, value drops because of these things, check the Blue Book), then you aren't doing to bad. There is no such thing as any new vehicle being an investment.

 

Not like they did 5 years ago. Those days are over since production ramped up.

 

It's just like a new car - they say it depreciates 30% as soon as you drive it off the lot

 

Hey Dick,
Tom, Harry and Betty said hello, they must have missed you at bike night last week.

 

Around 25% doesn't seem to be better than any other bike out there.

 

That's just cause you rode off brand new. In 10 years your bike will still be worth over $10,000

 

Alot of people are right about bikes being out thier with low milage...about 2 months ago i bought a 2004 superglide with some up grade..stag 1,,pegs & cobra speedster short pipes on it...the bike had 1900 miles on it...paid 9800.00 cash...now i have about 2000.00 in up grades on ..mainly the boss bags 800.00 & a custom seat from bar enterprises aka harley seats . com....600.00...so i think when i get ready for onther bike i will let my wife have this one...or i will sell it with out the seat & bags...& hopefully only loose about 1000.00...but thier are tons of bikes with low milage on them right now...makes it hard for selling in the used market..good luck..