I have been doing some thinking as of late...ya know how people here are always saying that ad-ons don't increase your resale value (except when a dealer is selling your trade-in used) & you basically lose $$ on them?

Well, I have come up with some ideas how to get the most resale from your ad-ons,IMHO, and I am employing these measures on my RK (not that I would ever consider parting with it). They may not get you a lot more $$, but they will make your bike more desireable to a broader range of people. Here they are, for what it's worth:

1. The best mods & customization, for bikes & cars, are those that look factory. Even the best custom stereo in a car doesn't look as good as the cheap factory unit. Even though the CVOs are garish & gaudy, they still look better than custom bikes because they look FACTORY.

2. Avoid themes--Even if you have thousands in "Live to Ride" or "Willie G skull" crap, they will only appeal to a limited market. I once bought a bike festooned in "Live to Ride" crap, & was embarassed riding it home till I could put the stock stuff back on.

3. Custom paint, no matter how nice, is never as desireable as the stock paint job. Sometimes you have no choice if the stock paint is ragged or damaged, but spending 6K on a custom paint job may actually decrease resale value, especially if it's a mural.

4. Never put radical custom crap on a basically stock bike. Ness mirrors or air cleaner may LOOK good, but on a basically stock bike it is very out of place looking. Save that for the radical builds.

Since I've come to terms with the fact that I will prolly never sell my RK, I am slowly making it into the bike I want it to be. I am having cams & dyno tune done as we speak, but that's as far as I'm gonna take the performance work, as I don't wanna go further into the motor for the sake of reliability. Cams make a bike more appealing, but a radical engine build does not. I am replacing all the ugly parts with nice but conservative ones, such as replacing the stock shifter rod with its chrome,heim-jointed counterpart, instead of the fancy tribal or H-D emblazoned ones. Replaced the grips with simple get-a-grips, instead of fancy billet or others, & the ugly stock levers with simple chrome ones. I avoid most covers like the plague, preferring instead to replace an ugly part with a chrome one instead of covering it up. Certain things look good chromed; others do not, because it is hard to keep them clean. IOW, I feel that if you do mods that are aesthetically appealing, conservative & reliable,instead of fancy or radical, you will have a better chance of recouping most of your money when it's resale time, & your bike will look more appealing. Mods that you don't see or notice too much are the best.

One more thing--If you are a CHICK, do NOT have your bike painted pink, or any other female trapping. No guy will buy a pink bike, & even most chicks won't. Unless you are giving it away. Also, making a bike look like a chick bike is, IMHO, a dangerous thing to do. If you are riding solo, you don't want anyone looking at your parked bike & knowing that is a chick riding alone.

My next mod will be an IDS in the rear sprocket, & possibly shocks, but only when mine are worn, & then possibly chrome hardware. That will prolly be it. Maybe.