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Looking for input. Have 2 bikes, 03 road king that was my father's that I will be holding onto. Only reason thinking about selling is i have found myself in a tough spot. I won't be able to ride for 3 years. Thinking of holding the night train and doing a few things to it over the next three years. Or sell it in hopes to get something 3 years or so when I am able to ride again. Maybe a dyna or something different 103 or 114 engine? Not really sure what to do. Not the worst spot to be in, well kinda chitty not riding for 3 years. Looking for some insight. Thank you for your help.
Last edited by IzzoQuazzo; Mar 2, 2022 at 03:00 PM.
Sorry to hear about your three year hiatus for riding. I hope the situation isn't too bad for this to happen. Now on to your question.
Right now it's a sellers market. Bike prices are very high compared to a couple of years ago. If it were me, now would be a great time to sell and buy another when some resemblance of normalcy returns.
Yes, it IS a sellers market. My wife sold her Sportster last year and got way more than expected. In all fairness it was VERY clean (almost perfect), relatively low mileage and a few nice accessories. We did the sell-back rather than a trade since the dealership we purchased her new one was 2 hours away. Just easier that way since the Sportster was clean.
However, I would wait a bit right now. The new models are arriving at dealerships and there will most likely be a lot of byiong and selling activity in the next few months as the riding season begins. I would wait until the inventory (new and used) is down - maybe mid summer and try then. If it is like last year, the bikes will be sold as fast as they arrive.
To answer YOUR specific question, play out the scenarios in your head. Do you love the bike? Is it comfortable? What is the mileage and how clean is it? What happens and how would you feel doing the mods and looking to the future? How would you feel if you sold it? Depending on your situation, would you be paying insurance (in case of fire or theft) and not actually riding it?
Remember if you are patient, there is always another bike that will catch your eye. Does keeping the Night Train give you pleasure?
Sell that Night Train. I sold an 09 Road King last summer to a dealership. They gave me $200 over KBB value. I could've probably done better selling to an individual but I didn't want to deal with tire kickers and joy riders. The dealer gave me a check and I was on my way. Easy-peasy.
Last edited by Bubba Zanetti; Mar 2, 2022 at 09:14 AM.
22,000 miles on it just bought it last Halloween. Didn't have much time to ride it say only 500 miles. I think I got a good deal on it when I purchased. In good overall shape. So chance of coming out ahead especially with market should be good. Not partial to it, but bought it for fun. Was going to swap out the pipes, it has mini apes and my road king has 18's so I was gunna get some drag style bars on the train and say maybe 8 inch risers. Small things like turn signals upgrades, headlight upgrade, larger tire maybe in front. I'd have the three years to futz with it and make some upgrades, but if I sell it I can just do the upgrades and such to the road king instead, if I choose to. I am just worried some what if I get rid of it then who knows if I end up getting something in 3 years or not. I will still have the rk so it won't be all bad either way.
Thinking maybe it would be good to just test the market and see what I could potentially get for it in a month or so. Any ideas on what I should list it for? $7,500??? Thank you all for your comments already.
Last edited by 03rk...fireroasted but still rollin; Mar 2, 2022 at 08:23 PM.
Originally Posted by 03rk...fireroasted but still rollin
22,000 miles on it just bought it last Halloween. Didn't have much time to ride it say only 500 miles. I think I got a good deal on it when I purchased. In good overall shape. So chance of coming out ahead especially with market should be good. Not partial to it, but bought it for fun. Was going to swap out the pipes, it has mini apes and my road king has 18's so I was gunna get some drag style bars on the train and say maybe 8 inch risers. Small things like turn signals upgrades, headlight upgrade, larger tire maybe in front. I'd have the three years to futz with it and make some upgrades, but if I sell it I can just do the upgrades and such to the road king instead, if I choose to. I am just worried some what if I get rid of it then who knows if I end up getting something in 3 years or not. I will still have the rk so it won't be all bad either way.
Thinking maybe it would be good to just test the market and see what I could potentially get for it in a month or so. Any ideas on what I should list it for? $7,500??? Thank you all for your comments already.
People do all the time, and honestly I would never sell a bike myself. Your POV: Would you really want anyone test ride it? Buyer POV: Who would purchase a private bike without riding it first?
I would check KBB and NADA. Look at comparable bikes on cycletrader. Not just one time but over a few days or weeks. Estimate based on similar mileage/year/features. You'll soon find out what it is worth. Like I said before, if you time it right with dealer inventory low, you'll get an easy, top dollar buy.
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Looking for advice
