I have changed jobs and will be travelling more, at times on my bike, and have decided that a touring bike will fit my needs and tastes more than my '06 FXD even if I put bags, a rack, and windshield on it. After reading a lot on this forum and talking to dealers, I've decided that:
1. I cannot afford a newer Electra Glide or Road Glide HD
2. 1998 and 2002 seem to be two of the best years for HD
3. Dealers are overall uninterested in this kind of trade

My request is for some advice on how to make this happen. My bike is completely stock other than a Baker IPB and a Hayden M6 Chain Tensioner and has 20K miles. I don't know what it is "worth" as a trade to a dealer for a bike. I don't know what it would bring when selling to an individual, and how to do so is something that I need to read about further on this forum - I worry about someone laying it down on a test ride.

I would like to trade as close to even as possible, maybe even with me trading my bike +$2000 for the right touring bike.

My questions are:
1. Is this trade for a '98 or '02 Electra Glide or Road Glide bike reasonable?
2. Should I be more open-minded with the years - maybe consider 1997-2008 (but as the years get higher, the bikes rise out of my price range).
3. How reliable and durable are the '99-'01 TC 88 bikes?
4. How much better are the brakes on the TC touring bikes compared to the touring Evo bikes?
5. How much will I miss the 6-speed on the interstate at 75 mph?

I'm sorry for the long post, but this is the only place I know to get honest feedback from a lot of knowledgeable people. Thank you.

 

I'll make this easy...

1. Keep the dealer out of it. Sell your bike on Craigslist and buy what you want the same way.

2. Don't get locked into one or two years just because one year had the best crank or bearings or whatever... it's silly. You will be well served by any TC88 touring bike, and they will be in your price range. Lots of low mileage 88's out there.

3. I may be partial, because I ride a 2006 Street Glide (95 big bore) but I don't miss a six speed at all. At 75 MPH you'll be turning about 3100 RPM which is a real sweet spot for that motor.

 

alot of guys travel LOOOONG distances on sporty, dyna, fxr and softail frames.

I suggest your best use of money is use what you have.

a thicker seat and good shocks for a smooth ride will ease the day.

yes I have a touring bike, but I have dozens and dozens of 400 and 500 mile days on my fxr. ( 500 to 800 mile days on the bagger) evaluate what your true use will be.
The lighter frame can be alot more fun if you have to do alot of maneuvering- and has a much better power/weight ratio

as for dealer indifference on your 06- try getting them interested in an Evo or older twin cam- they may not service or stock parts for them. That means you have to be handy.




Mike

 

My .02, as stated above, leave the dealer out of it and sell your bike private party. You'll save loads of cash. I did pretty much the same thing, trading my softail springer + $2400 for my Road King (2005). My Springer (a 2000) had about 45k miles, but it was well sorted and ran perfectly. I made the mistake of being desperate, but I'm just like that and impatient about these things

I traded for similar reasons--I'm on the freeway a lot and the softail just felt out of place cruising at 75-80; and a bonus is that SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) hated going anywhere further than a couple miles on the springer and this RK should be a huge plus for her (we'll see--have a trip to Vegas planned this weekend ).

Life's short--if you want an Electra, just do it.

 

Look on Craigslist to see what bikes like yours are going for and then price yours accordingly. Sell yours on there and buy a touring bike and love life. Absolutely nothing like a touring bike. I will never not own one.

 

..... & search ebay for sold listings of similar bikes & compare .....
... an '01-2 SERG can be had for pretty reasonable $ sometimes
.......... you'll love riding the Touring side.

 

Thank you for all of the advice. I love the Dyna, but I'm a fan of basic bikes, so I've yet to find Dyna with bags or a rack that I like, and most of us are pretty picky about the way our bike looks to us. I like a solo seat on the Dyna, and no add-ons, including no windshield. Although those add-on make it more functional, I just can't get past what is does to the overall lines of the bike, but that's just me. For me, if I'm needing those things regularly, which I do now, I'd rather just go to a bike that has these things in it's design, like the EG or RG, and I can see where the fairing would be nice on the interstate. I'll start my research on what bikes like mine are going for and go from there. Thank you.

 

As others have said, your best bet is to sell your bike privately, then use that cash to buy the touring bike of your choice. To give you an idea, Kelley Blue Book says your Super Glide has a retail of $7750 and trade-in value of $5660, so price yours somewhere in between.
As for test rides, that's probably a whole other thread's worth of discussion, but I don't let prospective buyers test ride. Not knowing their riding ability (or responsibility level), it's just too risky. When selling, I usually meet them somewhere so I obviously ride the bike there. That way they can see and hear it run. No one's ever asked me to, but if they're serious I'm willing to get it checked out by a mechanic to prove everything's as good as advertised. It also helps if you have service records.

 

Spot on advice....well done

 

No test rides period. If they are serious take it to a dealer with them and pay the dealer for a 20 min test ride/ opinion on it. There is no way someone from a craigslist add will get the keys for a ride. I would give up and auction it off otherwise.