Should i trade or wait?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 9,165
Likes: 1,910
From: Doghouse... mostly
Unless you're really hard up for the $$ or just JONESEN for the Scoot my advice would be to wait til the weather (spring) comes around. You'll get more for your sled and there will be more options to buy another come up.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 444
Likes: 1
My experience has been that H-D is the last resort finance option. If you qualify for a loan thru your local bank or credit union I can almost guarantee it will be cheaper than Harley financial. They used to offer the possibility to lower your rate after a year or two but stopped doing so. Even if you qualify for bank financing now the Sportster probably isn't worth what you owe and therefore possibly can't be refinanced without throwing some cash in with it. Your going to take some lumps on the deal no matter what you do. As previously stated, if purchased thru the trade in program, would be the best way to go. Why are you in so deep on the bike? Too many accesories, etc., in with the deal?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 4,271
Likes: 29
From: Green Country,Oklahoma
Now is the time to talk turkey to a dealer.See what they will give you for your bike on a trade,you might be surprissed.If you wait too long with a 09 your window of oppurtunity will be gone.I had a Nightster really liked the bike but it had too many issues at 10,000 miles.It was a 07 got 8,500 for it when I traded it off for a 05 FLSTSC that is a hell of a bike with low mileage.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,817
Likes: 2
From: Novi MI
The smart thing to do would be to keep the Sportster. If you have to have the FB, wait awhile to see if HD comes out with any promotions such as trading it for what you paid for it. Otherwise you'll get the most money back by selling the bike yourself. The problem is if you financed it for a long time, after you sell it you still may not get enough to pay off the loan unless you put a lot of money down.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 96
Likes: 0
From: Chicago
The Sportster has to be the greatest lure ever made...they use it to real in a lot of first time riders and HD owners with low msrp...talk them into thousands of $$$ in add ones + leather jackets,t-shirts and other riding gear...sit and wait for them to get addicted to this disease and to start salivating over the the bigger more trendy models and bam they got em!...The buyer gets back a fraction of what they put into the Sporty...none of the add-on's transfer over to the new bike...then the money train starts rolling again for add-on's for the new bike.MoCo and the Dealers have to make more money on the Sportster buyers than any other.The only one to blame here is the buyer for not doing their homework...I tell anyone who is looking at a Harley for the first time to start with the Dyna and look up...your up front cost may be more but in the long run you will be money ahead!
The Sportster has to be the greatest lure ever made...they use it to real in a lot of first time riders and HD owners with low msrp...talk them into thousands of $$$ in add ones + leather jackets,t-shirts and other riding gear...sit and wait for them to get addicted to this disease and to start salivating over the the bigger more trendy models and bam they got em!...The buyer gets back a fraction of what they put into the Sporty...none of the add-on's transfer over to the new bike...then the money train starts rolling again for add-on's for the new bike.MoCo and the Dealers have to make more money on the Sportster buyers than any other.The only one to blame here is the buyer for not doing their homework...I tell anyone who is looking at a Harley for the first time to start with the Dyna and look up...your up front cost may be more but in the long run you will be money ahead!
i paid $4000 for my sporty, $2000 on top of that to get it running and pass the annual safety inspection, another $1500 in upgrades. $1000 to fix it after it blew up on me the second mont hof ownership. went to look at trading it in on a used dyna, the dealer wasnt interested in takin it on trade cause of its age, and the other nearest dealer offered me $1500 trade in value " *** that" looks liek i am stuck with a bike the insurance company appraised at $12,000 replacment value hmmmmmmmmmmmm that gives me an idea LOL
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 791
Likes: 1
From: "Arlen", Tx
If you can use trade program with full MSRP go for it. If you cant hold what you have.
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Advanced
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 69
Likes: 0
From: Antarctica
I've read what everyone posted here and before anything I would like to thank all of you for your response. I have gone over it and it's very true what everyone says, aside from it being to early, it's not really necessary. Plus I love my bike as it is. What I will do is look for an outside loan; more like a refinance on my current bike, to pay off my HDF loan, and this way eliminate the high APR. I will talk to my bank or other places to see if I can get a refinance on my bike. You never know right? SB and FB are really nice, but not a necessity. I'll stick to my Nighty a while more.
Again, thanks to everyone for the time they took on this, it really helped.
Again, thanks to everyone for the time they took on this, it really helped.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 3,817
Likes: 2
From: Novi MI
The Sportster has to be the greatest lure ever made...they use it to real in a lot of first time riders and HD owners with low msrp...talk them into thousands of $$$ in add ones + leather jackets,t-shirts and other riding gear...sit and wait for them to get addicted to this disease and to start salivating over the the bigger more trendy models and bam they got em!...The buyer gets back a fraction of what they put into the Sporty...none of the add-on's transfer over to the new bike...then the money train starts rolling again for add-on's for the new bike.MoCo and the Dealers have to make more money on the Sportster buyers than any other.The only one to blame here is the buyer for not doing their homework...I tell anyone who is looking at a Harley for the first time to start with the Dyna and look up...your up front cost may be more but in the long run you will be money ahead!
Last edited by barjbar; Jan 6, 2010 at 12:48 PM.