I have until tomorrow to decide on a 2011 Road King. 3K miles, upgraded tires to RK classic tires, detachable passenger backrest, trickle charger, cruise control. Price is 15K.

I currently ride a Sportster and have traded down from a Heritage Classic. I'd like to buy the RK and take a few months comparing them given my riding style and destinations. I realize they are different machines, but my question is if I buy the RK at the asking price how hard will it be to resell, and how much am I likely to lose, in the spring if I decide to keep the Sporty? The '11 has the 96" engine, no ABS, but looks brand new. If the risk is $2k or less, I'm likely to get the RK.

What do you think?

 

There is no comparo with the Sporty to the RK. You definitely WILL keep the king. Don't know how the economy is wherever you are, but if you keep it nice & the miles low, you should be able to recoup most, if not all of your money in the spring. A RK or SG is prolly the easiest HD to sell right now. Been trying to sell my mint, lo mile Fatboy below market value for over a year now, with zero takers. None. NOT ONE CALL. But that's here in Florida. People ain't got $$ here.

 

Just bought a 2011 Road King myself.

You'll love it.

 

If your planning on a quick sell without losing your ***, it ain't gonna happen this time of year, in this economy.

 

Thanks for the replies so far. Not looking to make a quick flip - I'd like to keep both bikes until spring and then sell whichever I am riding less. Between the 2 bikes I expect that there is more dollar risk in the RK, but if I pay $15K I can stand a $2K hit, if I have to take it. Where I am (NC) prices are pretty stable.

I bought a 2009 Heritage Classic a year ago and resold it at within $500 of what I paid. That's more than reasonable given the economy. I just don't want to risk more than $2K to keep the RK over the winter.

 

If it makes you feel any better, I paid about $5K more for my Road King just a couple of weeks ago than you will.

By that comparison, you're $5K ahead of the game already!

:-)

 

Don't expect to get big bucks for the Sporty... there are just too many of them on the market. When I sold my 06 Sporty I ended up selling it for $1500 less than I thought it was worth. In hindsight I wish that I had just kept it...

 

The worst thing you can do when making a large purchase, is let yourself believe you have to make a quick decision.
There are more quality bikes out there available than there are buyers.
Take your time to find the best match for your needs.

 

So if you can sell the King for 13k this spring you are happy?? You should have no problem selling it for more than that.......

 

$15K seems like a good price for a low mileage 2011 RK. You won't get that in trade from a dealer, but you should be able to sell it for close to that on your own in the Spring if you don't put too many miles on it and keep it in pristine condition.