Don't you hate to give a bike away?

[blu guzz]

Mike and other HD fans:

I have had 2 and count myself in your camp.  I am 60 this year, but many of my riding friends are in their mid-60s and up as are many of the people that fueled the HD wave from about 1991-2010.  Today's young for the most part don't think they have the cool factor like we did, not to mention how could they afford it anyway.  Many would rather ride a Vespa or even, God-forbid - a bicycle.  So, it seems that the market has hollowed out.  Another factor is the price rise.  When bikes get over $20k, not just HD, it means the used ones are going to be more expensive too.  For me personally, at this stage of the game, anything over $10k takes a serious think.  Plus, there are so many, many good low mileage used ones for under $10k.  Before the Guzzi, I had an 03 K1200RS.  From about 2015 until present, an under 30k mile example, loaded up (a supurb sport tourer and mile eater) can easily be had for $4k or less.  If you want to sell a used HD, it has to be either a very desirable model (they still exist), or cheap.  A sad state of affairs to be sure.

[Darren Williams]

BMW is selling 160,000 motorcycles a year, not Honda volume but several times what they were selling three decades ago.   Club people aren’t buying them, they are now a mass market disposable...  and nobody seeking status buys used appliances.

From my perspective it seems late model BMW motorcycles are now like the BMW cars, when the warranty runs out the price drops drastically. We all know why.   

I have a 2007 R1200GS that I can't give away.

[Dave Swanson]

All of my antique and vintage bikes are holding their value. Some of them have appreciated a bit. 

Newer bikes is another story of course- value is dropping like stones. 

And yes I get attached to all of them, old and new. 

I have never become attached to cars.  I always wait for a screaming deal on a leftover new vehicle and then after they have served me well, either I give them away to someone who needs it, or I make one last drive to the junkyard to turn them in.  I appreciate a vehicle that does a good job for me but I never get attached to 4 wheelers.

[s1120]

Just tried and failed to sell a 2012 Road Glide on Ebay.  $2000 below so-called "book" and not one bid.  You think used Moto Guzzi are hard to get rid of, try selling a late model Harley Davidson!  On the other hand, my one-owner 1990 Low Rider just sold on Craigslist in two days for my asking price.  Don't think I want to wait 30 years to get rid of my Road Glide, though.

Its a great example of two different ends of the spectrum..  The HD's can be tough to sell because there are just so many of them!!  Every street corner has a HD of some sort for sale.. they are everywhere! The Guzzis are tough, because there is just not the people out there looking for them...  Vary uncommon to see them come up for sale...…  but when they do there just isn't the people looking... 

[LowRyter]

From my perspective it seems late model BMW motorcycles are now like the BMW cars, when the warranty runs out the price drops drastically. We all know why.   

I have a 2007 R1200GS that I can't give away.

Can trade my Suzuki Bandit, plus a little cash from you to sweeten the deal

[twowheeladdict]

For me motorcycles are experiences.  How much do people pay to experience tropical islands, cruises, and other forms of recreation.  I don't buy bikes or cars or anything else that depreciates based on its perceived low depreciation.  I buy what I will enjoy. 

[oldbike54]

From my perspective it seems late model BMW motorcycles are now like the BMW cars, when the warranty runs out the price drops drastically. We all know why.   

I have a 2007 R1200GS that I can't give away.

 You haven't ever offered it to me for free 

 Dusty

[Motormike]

Harley produced over 240,000 motorcycles in 2017!  Did they really think the world could keep absorbing $20,000 motorcycles ad infinitum? Used Harley prices were always supported by the fact that they only made 40 to 50,000 bikes per year for decades.  When they opened the Kansas City plant (now closed) I knew they were heading for a fall.  On Cycle Trader, when I bracket by one year ether side of my 2012 Road Glide, 343 of them are for sale! 

[MadMike]

I hit a deer with my Roadglide- smashed the right hand side of the fairing, bent the engine guard back and scraped the saddlebags. All these bits were replaced which makes these parts new (less than 10 years old). This should increase the value. Where am I wrong with the valuation? Its a Harley and should be highly desirable. Kev likes them and thats worth gold! As for me, I broke two ribs and ruined a perfectly good full face Shoei. I still have the helmet...will let it go with the bike. Good deals to be had.

[Cam3512]

I hit a deer with my Roadglide- smashed the right hand side of the fairing, bent the engine guard back and scraped the saddlebags. All these bits were replaced which makes these parts new (less than 10 years old). This should increase the value. Where am I wrong with the valuation? Its a Harley and should be highly desirable. Kev likes them and thats worth gold! As for me, I broke two ribs and ruined a perfectly good full face Shoei. I still have the helmet...will let it go with the bike. Good deals to be had.

I-877-KARS FOR KIDS

(HATE that song!)

[Kev m]

Harley produced over 240,000 motorcycles in 2017!  Did they really think the world could keep absorbing $20,000 motorcycles ad infinitum? Used Harley prices were always supported by the fact that they only made 40 to 50,000 bikes per year for decades.  When they opened the Kansas City plant (now closed) I knew they were heading for a fall.  On Cycle Trader, when I bracket by one year ether side of my 2012 Road Glide, 343 of them are for sale!

It was over 300k by 06-07. The 240k number is down by a third.

The used prices were largely because of the waiting lists of the 90's but they were making over 100k bikes/year before the lists ended.

[twowheeladdict]

I hit a deer with my Roadglide- smashed the right hand side of the fairing, bent the engine guard back and scraped the saddlebags. All these bits were replaced which makes these parts new (less than 10 years old). This should increase the value. Where am I wrong with the valuation? Its a Harley and should be highly desirable. Kev likes them and thats worth gold! As for me, I broke two ribs and ruined a perfectly good full face Shoei. I still have the helmet...will let it go with the bike. Good deals to be had.

It is not just volume that is driving used Harley prices down, it is evolutionary improvements.  The Rushmore Road Glide is what finally had me part with my money for a Harley Davidson.  Until I rode some of the new Softail bikes there was not another Harley I would consider putting in my stable than a Rushmore Touring Bike. 

Prior to the 2009 Frame update the touring bikes felt hinged in the middle when leaned over in the twisties and expecially when riding "S" road where quick transitions are necessary to keep on the road. 

The new Softails, M8 engines in the touring bikes, etc are way better bikes than 10 years ago. 

[Kev m]

I hit a deer with my Roadglide- smashed the right hand side of the fairing, bent the engine guard back and scraped the saddlebags. All these bits were replaced which makes these parts new (less than 10 years old). This should increase the value. Where am I wrong with the valuation? Its a Harley and should be highly desirable

No that makes it a high mileage, crashed bike.

At least that's how the world sees it.

Your should have seen the reactions I got back in 95 when I was trying to sell my 93 XL1200 with 40k miles on it. Eventually an exporter bought it and rolled the odometer back to 5k.

When I was selling my 96 RK in 98 with 65k miles or was a similar reaction, but a guy bought it and it was over 100k before 00.

But these are generally the exceptions and most want that low mileage garage queen (for a song).

[ohiorider]

For me motorcycles are experiences.  How much do people pay to experience tropical islands, cruises, and other forms of recreation.  I don't buy bikes or cars or anything else that depreciates based on its perceived low depreciation.  I buy what I will enjoy.

I like the way you look at this.  It is, after all, a form of recreation.  It'd be difficult to take an expensive cruise, and then try to sell off our residual memories on CraigsList.

Bob

[ohiorider]

No that makes it a high mileage, crashed bike.

At least that's how the world sees it.

Your should have seen the reactions I got back in 95 when I was trying to sell my 93 XL1200 with 40k miles on it. Eventually an exporter bought it and rolled the odometer back to 5k.

When I was selling my 96 RK in 98 with 65k miles or was a similar reaction, but a guy bought it and it was over 100k before 00.

But these are generally the exceptions and most want that low mileage garage queen (for a song).

I was able to sell a 2000 W650 in 2007 and a Triumph 2003 T100 in 2012 at the lower end of the-then normal asking price.  Each bike had 50,000 miles approximately on the odometer.  In both cases, these sold in large part because I kept a full, easy to read, maintenance history on an Excel spreadsheet.  I've attached a screen capture of one page of several.  Pretty anal retentive, I agree!  Works for me.

Bob

[Kev m]

I was able to sell a 2000 W650 in 2007 and a Triumph 2003 T100 in 2012 at the lower end of the-then normal asking price.  Each bike had 50,000 miles approximately on the odometer.  In both cases, these sold in large part because I kept a full, easy to read, maintenance history on an Excel spreadsheet.  I've attached a screen capture of one page of several.  Pretty anal retentive, I agree!  Works for me.

Bob

I should be clear that I sold both of those Harleys for the price I wanted/expected, which was only a couple grand lower than new MSRP. It just took more time.

Of course the market will no longer bear prices like that, but I'd adjust my expectations down accordingly.

[guzzi771]

The only two bikes I ever made money on was a 1985 Yamaha RD500 LC European model and a mint 1977 RD400 . Now I have 2 V7III's and a 2016 Norge at 63 I've owned over 40 bikes mostly Japanese and a few HD's and Buells . I did get most of all of my money back on the 2010 Buell XB12XT because it was one of the last Buells made and the best .

[cliffrod]

So far, lots of complaining and rationalizing from the "oh woe is me" perspective.  no one has said "don't you hate to buy a great bike for a give away price?"....  How many here have done exactly that and love to tell the story?  It takes two to play the game. 

Like some have mentioned, doing or playing with expensive things cost money.  Profit isn't always a tangible thing.  Every bargain deal that I or you have ever gotten means someone else lost money.  Other than being giddy after closing the deal with a poker face, did you lose any sleep over that?  Did you go back later and hand over a few hundred or thousand $$ just to ease your mind?  Or did the eventual profit turn into more/better bikes, more profit, even more better bikes, ??   Maybe now it's your turn, because you helped create this world by fueling the motorcycle craze.

Think about the role you can play in the next motorhead's life by letting them have a thrill and potentially life changing opportunity of a getting great bike for little $$.   That's very cool..

[MadMike]

No that makes it a high mileage, crashed bike.

At least that's how the world sees it.

I didn’t crash...I had to lay ‘er down!

[Kev m]

I didn’t crash...I had to lay ‘er down!

Right, that's a crash....

[twowheeladdict]

I didn’t crash...I had to lay ‘er down!

You forgot to put the  with that statment. 

If you were being serious, I know guys who took out deer and never went down and were able to ride the bike home.  A bike will stop much faster on its tires than on its side.