National Automobile Dealers Association. They have been around since the beginning of time.

Also try Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds and the Black Book ( most Banks use this).

Look at the retail sale, private sale , trade in value and wholesale value. I will give an idea of the price. The true price is what someone will pay and someone will sell.

 

NADA, Kelly blue book, and other "blue book" pricing guides don't mean squat. All that matters is what the "loan value" is at the bank. The price they look up in that little book is the very lowest and represents the total amount they could loan you on the scooter.

 

It's true, those overpriced bikes won't sell, but it does make the experience frustrating. I helped a friend buy a used Touring bike last year. No shortage of things to look at, but very few people willing too deal, to proud or, more likely, too upside down on the machine to sell it for a reasonable price as compared to new...

It's definitely one of the things, IMHO, that inhibits new buyers. New prices are too high and the used market is filled with folks who overpaid and over accessorized and are in too deep... You have to be very patient, and broad (not worried too much about color or options) to find a used bike quickly, otherwise, you have to be diligent and patient.

He ended up getting an excellent deal on a bike that had some superficial type damage, and fixing/upgrading the bike himself. Worked out great, not everyone wants to do that though.

 

As I stated retail,wholesale, private sale and loan value are all in those "books" Check dealers used inventories on the net. Check local newspaper adds. With all that info you will have an idea what you can get in trade, what loan you can get for a used one or what you should pay. The winner is the guy with the most information.

 

"I'll take all the stuff off and sell it to you for "X" amount."

I can just picture a owner agreeing to return his bike back to stock to make the sale. Let me see, yeah, take off the custom wheels, remount the tires back on the stock rims and balance them.

Remove the chrome primary cover, custom handle bar with custom grips and custom mirrors, after market seat, custom pegs.

Don't forget to take off the after market exhaust. Then no stopping there. Take out the high performance cams, put the old jugs back on and take out the stroker crank, then put back the standard engine parts back in.

Boy it was a good thing you didn't get rid your original stock parts.

And, you will have all those boxes left over to store all the custom parts that you take off the bike and store them in your garage. Where they will sit for years, with you trying to sell them every spring at a garage sale, because who wants to buy your used parts to up grade their new bike with. Even at 50% off.

Don't forget the cost of gaskets and other materials need to remove those parts. Oh and the hours to undo this work.

Personalizing a bike is not an investment. It is an expense.

 

You mean "Ralph"?

 

I am currently in Real Estate. I have learned that people change and add things to their home to accommodate their life styles and personal enjoyment. Doesn't mean the next guy to buy the home likes what they have done and is willing to pay for it.

I believe the same is true about all the stuff we add to the bikes. Next buyer may or may not like what we did and may not even know value when they see it.

So if your selling how bad do you want to sell it...And when your buying how bad do you want to own it. When I'm buying, if I want it I buy it. When selling I always loose money because I never get out of it what I have in it. Hang in their try to look for a fair deal. Where no one is screwing anyone.

 

I guess it depend on where we are talking about. Here in my "neck of the woods" there are more people with disposable income for thier toys than you can imagine. Most of these people don't care what the NADA says. That said, my wife picked her mint 2001 Fatboy with 3200 miles for $10,500, but I had to really look for it.

 

Then dial 911 and tell them you need a WAAAAAAAAAAAMBULANCE...

 

all the added "bling" may not increase the value, but if it was done up right, it will sell faster.