Hi all,
I am new to the forum and I am seeking advise on a bike I found for sale.
I have been out of the motorcycle world for a while, pretty much since I got married, and now I am looking to buy a used bike to get back on the saddle (pun intended)

I found a very nice 2000 RK with just under 5.000 miles. Bike is in pristine condition, always garaged, no accidents and never dropped.
Obviously it is a 16 year old bike, and I know age affects vehicles just as much or worse than mileage.
I tried NADA and KBB but it seems to give weird pricing, it does not ask for mileage or condition and shows High retail of $6200 and low of $5600 which seems low to me.

My question is regarding price, tires are old (original) and i wouldn't ride the bike with them, so in my head it needs new tires. It also needs a battery, though it was serviced early this year.
Bike is local, the guy wants $6500 for it, but I am at a loss with pricing because used bikes (comparable) are all over the place. So I made the guy an offer and i am waiting on his answer.
Zip code for reference is 07083

Can you guys point me in the right direction here? I obviously like the bike, but I don't want to over pay or loose the deal for a couple of hundred dollars.

Thank you all in advance!!!!!!

 

Truly being in "pristine" condition and super low miles is the key to pricing. KB and NADA will not accurately reflect the true value of these motorcycles once past about 10 years old....IMHO.


The market has really went "soft" on these bikes recently, and there are a LOT of really nice low mileage bikes from the early to mid-2000's available.


The upgrades done in 2007 with the larger engine and 6 speed hasn't helped the earlier bikes in the least when it comes to resale, so there are some really good deals out there. If this one slips by, there will be another........Cliff

 

I would say that somewhere in that $6000 range is about right. I sold my 03 RK last year for $7000 and I see them on Craigslist all the time in that 6-7 thousand price range

 

Just keep in mind, with that mileage, at that age, that means average of about 300 mile per year. Now, that's cool and all, but for me, I don't know that I want to buy a bike that just sat and sat for months or years at a time. Also, if the PO only road it a mile for coffee twice a week, that's not great either.

It may be in great shape, but look at anything rubber, and check for leaks. Seals dry up with that kind of infrequent use.

 

yeah, that is a hard one to call. good points about sitting not used. the fact its been garage kept is nice too. you could get a diamond or it might be a stone. good luck.

 

Knowing that it needs at least $1000 (tires and battery at a dealer) the price should be adjusted down. It should also be checked for all rubbers and the cam chain that is going to be more than $500 since they will find something even if it isn't wrong ( and you are in no position to know when it is BS). Offer $5k while discussing the cam chain issue, tire, battery and hope to spot the difference. That said, I'm one of the cheapest here and I would but it at 6k and if the fins were clean and no surface rust on the bottom(use a mirror) I might even pay 6.5k if completely stock(or HD exhaust/air cleaner).

 

I see you're in New Jersey. Weren't you guys under water not too long ago? That old and so few miles would make me a little suspicious. My local dealer just told me they MIGHT be able to sell my '04 RK, with 52K miles, for $9000. ( I would'nt pay that).

 

The bottom of the market for Road Kings is about $5000. That is taking in consideration of even the oldest Evo Road Kings. So in my opinion, the worst you could loose on this bike if you had to absolutely had get rid of it now would be $1,500. I think $6,200 would be a fair deal for both of you. I also agree that there are a lot of other bikes out there. A 88 engine bike (1999-2006) with 20,000 miles or less is considered a low miles bike and there are a lot of them on the market. Tires will cost you roughly between $600 to $800. Use that to negotiate.

 

A touring bike like a Road King with a CLEAN TITLE that rides straight, no serious tank and fender damage, has less than 60,000 miles and has some kind of curb appeal would have a minimum of a $4,500 -$5,000 USA dollar value regardless of year.
His asking price is fair and understandable at $6,500.
Do you know about Harleys?
Are you familiar with what to look for? like engine guard top frame bolt for frame damage?
Do you know how to check the transmission shift lever to see if it is tight?
Do you know how to check for rust or hidden water damage ?
If you are familiar then all should be good.
If in doubt, find an independent shop and pay the shop $150 or less for a complete review .
A 2000 bike with 5,000 miles would be an excellent catch if it was not a flood bike.

 

Thank you all for the great advice so far.
I am no specialist by any means but I know my way around the bikes. I checked this thing with a fine tooth comb and plan on doing so again.
Every nut and bolt seems to be exactly where and how the factory left it. There are no leaks or visible rust.
Under, over or around. One could swear this bike is a year or two old at the most.

I do agree with aging while sitting, I guess that's a chance that one must take on a bike like this.

We have settled on $5800, I feel that to be a fair deal for both based on what I thought and you guys are expressing.
I tried to upload a pic but apparently has to have the OK of a moderator.
I will try to pick her up over the weekend.

By the way, the bike is 100% stock with not a single mod.