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I have a 1996 Road King I hope to sell this year and need some help putting a fair value on the bike. The bike has 114k miles, the motor has 3300 miles on a complete rebuild. Replaced items are the heads, pistons, cylinders, cam, lifters, push rods, cam bearing, rebuilt the carb with 180 main and 45 low jets, motor is stock. Rest of the bike was gone through and anything that needed replaced was. Tires are a couple years old, battery the same. I did the work and assembly, paint and seat was done by local paint and interior shops..
The bike was painted to resemble a 1962 Pan, windshield paint tinted with Candy Blue. Corbin seat and pillon recovered. A seller wants the highest price, a buyer wants the lowest. What is a fair starting point for this bike, fair if you were the seller or buyer. Location is Northeastern Indiana, during the winter the bike is covered inside on a tender. NADA shows $8500, KBB shows $5500 … a big difference … your help please.
From the Black Book of Prices, what the banks and dealers use:
With the rebuild paint and shape of the bike, I would add $1,000.00 and go from there. Probably ask the NADA Price and negotiate from there. If you don't get any interest then lower the price some. Year: 1996 Make: Harley-Davidson Model: FLHR Road King Model Type: Cruiser Displacement: 1340 Cylinders: 2 VIN: 5HD1FDL1T Finance Advance: $3,590 MSRP: $14,035 Avg Retail: $4,545 Auction Wholesale $3,475 Clean Trade: $3,445 Fair Trade: $2,890
In current market ask $6,000. if someone shows up close take it. The motor work adds value only if you show work was done at a good shop . Home build worthless. The repaint no madder how good break even at best most often lowers value
114k and unknown quality of engine rebuild (no offense) I think it's worth 3k and your going to have trouble selling it. No way in hell I would pay 6k for a bike with 114k on the clock and an unknown rebuild on the motor.
Again I mean no offense but I am talking realistically.
Now if you showed me receipts and some kind of provenance that you knew how to rebuild a motor, then we might go up a bit. But the way I see it is as a gamble.
A gamble on that you possibly rebuilt the motor to spec and appropriately, and a gamble that that trans (with also a 114k) isn't going to need to be rebuilt right after I buy it.
That's a tough spot to be in, it's a gorgeous looking bike. With so many used bikes available you might have to wait for the right buyer. I was in a similar boat selling my shovelhead 17 years ago, it had "no significant loan value" and I struggled to get $5500 for it. I wound up taking $3500, 2 trials bikes and a quad in trade. I'm in a similar situation with my '94 bagger - will have no book value when the time comes to sell it.
Good luck to you, it's got to be hard to let go of such a good looking bike.
Tough sell friend even though a nice bike,the market is saturated with used bikes these days.
The high mileage and age of the bike will hurt a lot.
Last year I sold my one owner 2000 Electra Glide Classic for about what I had in the fresh 103" build alone for $6000,it was a great bike and much had been gone through but it had 200,000 miles on it.
I was lucky to get that,only had one guy actually come look at and ride it and he bought it.
That fresh 103" motor sold him,I had receipts for the work and with 10:1 pistons Baisley ported heads and all S&S lower end with .575 gear drive easy start cams it was a great runner. Test ride left him grinning ear to ear.
On your bike,well might as well start at $6K and lower the price until people start calling.
No offence taken anywhere ... I opened myself up for all comments ... I do have receipts from the day I purchased the bike, and this is not the first one I've rebuilt, been wrenching since 1965 ... the suggestions do show me information I should include in my for sale ad ... my local HD dealer has one tech that is very good on Evo's, he checked everything after the build and gave his stamp of approval, I know this means nothing to anyone not knowing the HD shop but it does to me
Thank you everyone for your input and suggestions, I appreciate ALL of them ... I have a better idea of what to do and what to expect ... Thanks
If I were selling it, I would ask $7,500.00 and wave goodbye to it at $6,500.00.
As a buyer, I'd pay $6,500.00 without hesitation if it is indeed in as good of condition as you describe.
If it were not for the COV and raising prices on all bike $6,000 would not even be on the table. Market value and what bikes are bring are are not the same right now. Also there is a raising interest in owning EVO's. It will likely bring close to $6,000 if you find the right buyer of course. The problem is most that will look at it will be trying to buy it and flip it so they want it cheap.
Need Help with Value
