When are you stuck with your Monster?

[He Man]

It`s a difficult thing to guage, what it`s worth until the right person sees it.

+1. Im a type of person who would buy a pre modded bike for cheap. This means i can sell the parts, or exchange them for someone who wants that particular piece.

other people rather buy fresh mods, but those people are generally in a better economic situation than i am. So it ends up being, whos intrested. I purchased my bike 95 M944 for 4800 (mins tax and fees). It was modded up the ass. the thing was modded to hell. Probably only 25% of it was still stock. Ended up selling it fr $3300. I needed the money. I wanted an IE bike. So i took the hit. Sure the bike was worth more, but its only worth as much as the person that can afford it (and that you can reach out to).

I buy used parts all the time. In fact, there are no new parts on my bike. I bought a crashed speedy moto clutch cover, refinished it, used clutch plate, had it reanodized. Used cycle cat bars. used headlights. So theres defintely a market for used parts.

[Grampa]

when its more than just a bike.


its family.

[corey]

the worthless mods conundrum goes the same with cars. i had a 1988 Ford Mustang LX 5.0. Sweet ride, most fun i've ever had in a car. i paid $2k for it, bought off my uncle. i dropped about $2k into the suspension and brakes, the car handled like a mini cooper S, it was incredible. It handled so well in fact, that when i tried to oversteer it through a bend one day, it ended up catching traction and catapulting me into a grass embankment, and off a 3 foot drop. needless to say, i need to have some things straigtened out... This aside, after investing all this money in the car, i found that when i went to sell it, it was still... well... a hatchback 88 mustang with 100,000 on the clock. mods don't change shit on KBB or NADA, so unless your willing to take them back off, count on them being money invested, but not returned.

[Spidey]

It kinda depends on your goal in selling the bike.

To get the most $?  
To get it out of your garage?  
To sell quickly?  
To have to go to a owner who loves it?

[MadDuck]

Consider this, you've got a 10 year old bike that performs like a 20 year old jap bike.

To a non-ducatisti, what's it worth?

OUCH!!  But, so true.

I always regretted selling my '69 Norton Commando Fastback back in '72. I tell myself that this bike can be (is) another cool bike to keep until it dies, or I do. 

I knew going into the deal that the mods would only be worth it to me or somesuch other smitten Ducatisti.  However, if I sell this bike and the Gixxer 750 then I could get an 848, maybe...... 

[Drunken Monkey]

Sell a bike?

That's blasphemy...

Seriously, I'll let cars come and go but only recently (with *my* garage being invaded with the wife's stuff and then the kid's stuff) have I started parting with vehicles.

And yes, the best money is to return the bike to stock (except the fiddly little bits) and sell parts separately.

[cgos4r]

Consider this, you've got a 10 year old bike that performs like a 20 year old jap bike.

To a non-ducatisti, what's it worth?

Yeah, but it is a Ducati! That's what most people know.

[BumpaD_Z28]

I now have 6973.20 (eXcel spreadsheet) in my bike ...

That includes the $4400 purchase price last year ....

I would hope I could sell it for $4500, still in this economy ...

So yea I consider myself "STUCK" with a really cool bike !!!

Just wish I could justify having TWO bikes as a 2006 GSXR 1k is sorta calling my name

~DaVe

[COWBOY]

IMO, mods aside there is a sweet spot.  The sweet spot has nothing to do with age or model but rather having a bike for sale with less than 10k miles (less than 7500 is even more ideal).

Using the forum as a guide for micro examples.  derby's s4r sat forever with the only real tell tale being the 16k plus miles.
my s2r likewise sat for over 3 months at a price well below book with or without the mods,  my bike likewise has 16k plus miles.

Thankfully I have rode out the storm and will be keeping it - good thing because unless I was willing to sell it for 3k or less (fat chance) i'm officially stuck with it. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

Using the forum as a guide for micro examples.  derby's s4r sat forever with the only real tell tale being the 16k plus miles.
my s2r likewise sat for over 3 months at a price well below book with or without the mods,  my bike likewise has 16k plus miles.

I have 30k+.


No offers, yet.

[bryant8]

I have 30k+.


No offers, yet.

I want your bike, I just don't have the funds right now to make it happen 

[Popeye the Sailor]

I want your bike, I just don't have the funds right now to make it happen 

I accept liquor, various drugs, and attractive women. 


Ah well-hopefully it'll go to a good home.

[DoubleEagle]

I read recently that there is a glut of used bikes for sale in the US and that Dealers may not in some cases take trade-ins this year since the Dealers have too many used bikes in their inventories.

With all the new models coming out in '09  this is going to be a very interesting year especially if the Dealers don't take trades !     Dolph

[TAftonomos]

I didn't try long to sell my 03 base 999.  It had 07 "S" motor, and tons of other goodies.  NADA was $8500, I was asking 12500.

I've gotten north of 18K parting it out, and I'm not done yet. 

Glad I parted it

[lauramonster]

Vehicles are notoriously bad investments.  We ride them for the thrill they give us, the fun of modding them out and making them our own, and cry at what we have to sell them for in order to get them out of our garage. 

Don't put money into a bike for a return on investment.  Do it because you love it and want it (no matter what the price!!)