I have had my bike on Craigslist trying-- not especially to sell it, but trade for a twin cam Heritage or Delux of equal value-- without much success. I have done quite a few title for title trades but nothing is going on right now. At the same time I see quite a few great "cash deals" out there. Not since the depression of 09 have I seen the bike market so slow. Is it just where I live or is it that way everywhere?

 

isn't this what dealers are for?

the market is slow right now for everything but new bikes

not for nothing, you don't exactly have an Ultra that is attractive to a large audience - not that the bike isn't a great bike or well taken care of or any of that, but it reminds me of the policemen's edition blue on blue in your picture, which is a nice combo for the popo but there are many other better paint schemes on an ultra and that may just be part of what you are seeing also in the market right now.

 

Baggers are huge here in my area. It seems 2/3's of the H-D's I see on the road here are Electra Glides. Have you tried to just sell it?

 

It's October. The bike market slows way down every October and picks way up again around March. Should be an easy trade to make in March or April.

 

You know how it goes with stuff like this. Sometimes they go fast, sometimes they go slow. I'll bet you'll have better luck in the spring when people's enthusiasm for riding is at it's highest.

Or just try selling outright and buy what you want. Much larger audience for selling than trading.

 

I have passively tried. Selling a 13 year old bike for close to what it's worth is not easy sometimes. If it were a $3,000 Shadow it would be different-- a $10,000 bagger is different. In the past I have found that many times, if you take the bike to a dealer they do not have the exact bike you want and will offer you about 2/3s of what your bike is worth on a trade. Many times there is somebody out there with the bike you want that is looking for a bike like yours. It is just a matter of elimanating the dealer. I have found it is best to work that way when you can make it work, but it is just not moving right now.

I agree that different parts of the country like different styles of bikes.

 

That could be part of the problem. If you are saying it's a 99 and you're looking to get $10k, you might have a hard time. A bike of that vintage can be had for around $8k pretty easily. Lots of nice examples on CL right now. Range $6k -$12.5k but averaging around 8-9k. So at this point, even if you were selling at the mid $8k range, you would have a lot of competition.

None of which has much to do with a trade if you are looking for a similar vintage bike.

 

Actually it is a 2000 year model. What you say is true---However,I also have documents for $4,000 in engine upgrades since January which I think makes it a notch above what a dealer will offer or what the average bike on ebay and craigslist goes for. Also, on a trade with a fellow HD guy, he will see that and take it into consideration.

 

I don't believe that the $4K in upgrades really matters when it comes to "blue book" & resale. You pretty much have to write that off.

If you're trying to work a trade, you're just gonna have to be patient. Otherwise, I'd take it to a few dealers and see what they can do for you.

 

IMO the vast majority of people like a quick deal and financing. So they go to the dealer. And while they're at it, "Why make payments on your used bike when they can finance a brand new one for $50/month more?" I'm not a fan of financing, but you have to think of the mentality of the buyers.