Just found out last night that the guy 2 houses down from me has a 2001 883 for sale he never rides it and it only has 687 miles on it. has hd leather bags and windshield- any ideas what it is worth?

 

Personally, given the overall improvements since 2001 (most notably rubber-mount), I would not pay more than $4,000, in fact $3,500 might be my top price to pay. While the low mileage is inviting, it is 5 years old and NOT running these bikes is NOT good. They should not be allowed to sit around unridden for very long at all. I would drain all fluids and wash out the gas tank and primary with fresh gas (letting it dry) before refilling with oil. Check carb closely for leaks/sticking float. Condensation and varnish build-up from sitting can be devastating to these engines. Also check fork seals for leaks. Just my $0.02...

Whatever you decide, Good Luck!

 

I agree with Thumper. Bikes prior to 2004 have less value due to the rubber mounted engines and sittin' ain't good.

 

This brings up an interesting point that I've thought about with used bikes. It seems like there is this median milage that makes a motorcycle more acceptable. If the milage is too low (e.g. they have not even hit 1000 miles in the first year it's way too low) then you end up with a motorcycle that has not been properly "tested". In the worst case, you might have a 5 year old bike that has never had the fluids changed. On the other hand, you might not want to buy something that has been through a few Iron Butt rallys. Then again maybe you would.

I've been browsing the ads for used motorcycles and debating with myself on what I would consider to be the ideal median milage that tells me the motorcycle is solid, but that the milage isn't so much that it would feel "worn out". I'm not sure if that seems silly or not, but it's just something I've kept in the back of my mind.

 

My "hardcore" friends who tour as much as they can put 12,000-18,000 miles on per year. Others I know, who ride when they can, put about 2,500-3,000 miles per year on. I consider the 3K miles/year a fair average given everyone's other responsibilities. I've always considered an average of 3K/year a representative amount for most bikes, unless the bike comes from Florida or some other year-'round riding climate. That's just my "rule of thumb"...

 

I just bought a 2001 883. I paid $4800 for it. It was in excellent condition though, with 10K miles on it. It had the 883 to 1200 conversion done on it, and vance and hines pipes. Bike looked great and sounded awesome. I think the 1200 conversion added some value to it though.

 

Ask the person about maintinence on the bike. Just because the wheels were not adding mileage to the speedo does not mean that the guy didnt start the bike and do regular fluid changes as well as keep the wheels in good shape (Moving the bike a bit to avoid flat spots)

I bought an 2001 with 190miles on it and the guy maintained the bike superbly. Due to illness he could not ride but he could keep it in shape and did.

Even so, ask questions. Find out features. I would say 4500.00 would be fair. Find out if maint has been done, if it has you are most likely good to go. Would have to see the bike to make a better judgement call.