Trade in question
Trade in question
Teaching the wife to ride and had a thought...thinking about buying an old sporty cheap, instead of teaching her on my shiny ,new one.
After she gets comfortable I can trade it in on a new one If she wants one.
My question is...Does anyone have any trade in experiences with HD?
How much of a loss am I going to take if I only pay 1500-2000 for an old bike then try to trade it in?
Thanx in advance for any help!
After she gets comfortable I can trade it in on a new one If she wants one.
My question is...Does anyone have any trade in experiences with HD?
How much of a loss am I going to take if I only pay 1500-2000 for an old bike then try to trade it in?
Thanx in advance for any help!
Last edited by jett14; Jan 30, 2014 at 03:07 AM. Reason: spelling error
Road Master
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 9
From: Auburn Ohio
Make sure to lubricate properly when you try and trade in that old Sporty. I just went through the identical situation. Picked up a '95 with 6k miles on it at $3k for the wife. She found a "01 Low Rider. They offered $1100. I tried to sell it on the lawn for $3k willing to come down to $2600. I knew it was a tough sell. Worked out good, though, after the wife figured she would not get what she wanted, it is sitting in the garage waiting for the weather to break with a dozen boxes stacked in the basement to make a fun bar hopper beast out of it. I bought her the Low Rider and took the Sporty from her in trade.
The variables working against her on the trade: 1) the dealers don't want a cheap sporty in the showroom, 2) she was not willing to take the cut 3) we found the Lowrider in July, after anyone looking for this type of bike either found one already, or was going to wait til next season.
My advice is buy her the cheap Sporty, but if she wants to upgrade, try and not trade it in, but sell it the next spring when everyone has the fever. Trade ins at Harley dealers, like everywhere else are ripoffs.
The variables working against her on the trade: 1) the dealers don't want a cheap sporty in the showroom, 2) she was not willing to take the cut 3) we found the Lowrider in July, after anyone looking for this type of bike either found one already, or was going to wait til next season.
My advice is buy her the cheap Sporty, but if she wants to upgrade, try and not trade it in, but sell it the next spring when everyone has the fever. Trade ins at Harley dealers, like everywhere else are ripoffs.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 654
Likes: 6
From: Buna Texas
I be traded a couple of bikes back to my local dealer and it works just like trading cars.more desirable models have better trade in value. However you can haggle on price. I have bought 6 new bikes and my father in law has bought 2. All 2012 and newer try to start at base msrp; no color fee or options; + TTL. That is good deal for both parties . How much you go up depends on how much you want that particular bike. Also in early Jan or Feb you may be able to catch a previous year model. I have also made some better deals when the weather really sucked all week . Hard time to sell a bike. Good luck.
Last edited by superman70; Jan 30, 2014 at 03:38 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,561
Likes: 187
From: Florida
IMO, if you want a cheap bike just for your wife to learn on, then plan to trade it in on a bigger bike, I'd suggest using an old, small, metric bike that you can buy cheap, and later on you can sell it sell cheap on your front lawn. Just because they weigh less than other Harleys, Sporties are not the easiest bikes to learn on. They sit high and have a high center of gravity. They are great bikes for what they are designed for, but a lot of people, even so-called experienced riders, find them more difficult to handle at slower speeds (learning speeds), than some of the bigger bikes.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,530
Likes: 607
From: Raleigh NC
+1 @ 1-2k you will find a lot of decent low mileage smaller docile metric bikes.
They will have bottomed out price-wise, and so long as your wife does not trash it... it will be worth what you paid for it, when it's trade in time.
They will have bottomed out price-wise, and so long as your wife does not trash it... it will be worth what you paid for it, when it's trade in time.
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Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,166
Likes: 14
From: Michigan
Agree
Agree
I wouldn't let her learn on Sporty...
as soon as she is comfortable on a Honda something...
I would go to Those new Harleys that look like a street glide but on a dyna frame?
But what do I know!
Hap
I wouldn't let her learn on Sporty...
as soon as she is comfortable on a Honda something...
I would go to Those new Harleys that look like a street glide but on a dyna frame?
But what do I know!
Hap
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 2,263
Likes: 36
From: Georgia Mountains
Even though I'm an experienced rider, I chose to let a qualified instructor teach her in a group class. After the class she spent some time on a throw down, used Suzuki GZ 250 before she got her Sporty. We've practiced advanced techniques together, but beginner stuff I think is better left to folks that teach beginners all the time
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 6,913
Likes: 87
From:
If you can get a running, fairly clean Sportster for $2K, I would buy it. You have a year round market in Tampa and I think you will always get your money back with a private sale. I have never understood buying a little rice bike and then moving up to what you really want. I do think there is merit in what rdam posted about beginners classes. She then gets the basics on a little bike and you only buy the HD.