Time to sell?

[baylensman]

So I've come to a cross roads. I'm a little to busy and a little to old to enjoy wrenching on my car and my bike (Nothing extremely wrong I just want everything perfect at all times, so that little squeak you all live with is something I take care of now!). Also She doesn't want to ride any more ( big reason) Parking is becoming an issue the park (many more folks with multiple vehicles in a community designed around 1 car per house hold). My ankles and Knees aren't what they used to be) Am i one weak moment from dropping that heavy beast at a light?

 

I'm thinking of upgrading the car and bike combo to a late model V-6 automatic convertible Mustang. I want to do it for as little cash out of pocket as possible.

 

So here's the question on my '07 with all the extra chrome LED conversions for turn signal Driving lights and headlight other LEDs on the frame and under seats. Cup holder phone holder ECT. new tire new clutch plates (sky doc conversion). Is $8k too much the prices i've been seeing in the south east are a high of $8 and low of around $5500.

[Freebird]

You didn't mention how many miles are on it. We all know that mileage isn't much of a factor on these bikes but to the buying public, it can still be an issue.

[XV1100SE]

...I'm thinking of upgrading the car and bike combo to a late model V-6 automatic convertible Mustang....

 

Can't advise on the price to list your bike (I understand your reasons)....but if you are going to go Mustang... get a GT. Nothing like 8 cylinders under the hood ! I sold my 2007 GT a couple months ago and driving an 8 cylinder (4.6L) was much better than a 6 cylinder. If you are going to "go"....go all the way !

 

I will add though....be careful !!! The Triton motors have a spark plug design which is different. The OEM/Ford provided plugs are a two piece design. If they seize at all in the head, when you go to take them out it is common for them to break, leaving the bottom end of the plug in the head. There is a special tool you can use (and it works) to get the plug out once it breaks. See my post about this - http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?113606-Ford-spark-plugs-Ford-Triton-motor . There is one or two plugs made which are a one piece design. Before you buy a Mustang, have the owner pull the plugs for you before you buy the car.

Edited December 28, 2017 by XV1100SE

[baylensman]

You didn't mention how many miles are on it. We all know that mileage isn't much of a factor on these bikes but to the buying public, it can still be an issue.

Sorry was just getting a feel. its got 22K miles and is galaxy blue over black. I have a set of Harley mufflers for it also. Prewired for battery tender (goes with the bike) small repaired crack in the base of the trunk. new ( 1 month old) F4 custom windshield extra tall with vent. Also have two head seats for half helmets ( has head band) 12 volt compressor and flag stand.

[Freebird]

It's hard to determine. In my opinion, these bikes should bring more on the used market than they are bringing. From most of the ads that I've seen, you may be just a little high but I would at least start there. Wherever you start, somebody is going to try and get it cheaper.

 

Mine is an '05 and I can assure you that I would be above market on it but I've got a ton of extras on it. People don't want to pay for extras but they are getting hard to find for these bikes and if they want it, they will have to step up.

[baylensman]

Can't advise on the price to list your bike (I understand your reasons)....but if you are going to go Mustang... get a GT. Nothing like 8 cylinders under the hood ! I sold my 2007 GT a couple months ago and driving an 8 cylinder (4.6L) was much better than a 6 cylinder. If you are going to "go"....go all the way !

 

I will add though....be careful !!! The Triton motors have a spark plug design which is different. The OEM/Ford provided plugs are a two piece design. If they seize at all in the head, when you go to take them out it is common for them to break, leaving the bottom end of the plug in the head. There is a special tool you can use (and it works) to get the plug out once it breaks. See my post about this - http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?113606-Ford-spark-plugs-Ford-Triton-motor . There is one or two plugs made which are a one piece design. Before you buy a Mustang, have the owner pull the plugs for you before you buy the car.

 

I was thinking V8 but, i decided to go with the six for a few reasons. Reliability is one. the V6 doesn't break as many parts as the V8 when its romped on. I haven't changed that much I will use all the available horsepower! I currently have a 4.6 295 HP lincoln I want to get away from that also. I've heard the plug stories, and I know a few tricks from friends in the business that's not a deal breaker if I find v8 at the right price. which is the third reason a similar milage V8 is usually $3k more than the six.

[Condor]

I know your feelings and can sympathize... $8000 for a 22K/'07/RSV is what it's worth. I gave $6,000 for my '07/RSV with 80K on it, but here's the big kicker. Who's going to buy it?? Competition on used RSV's is high, and driving prices down.. The old supply and demand rule. Also the value of all the extra bling is dictated by whether you're buying or selling. Priceless if you're selling, and not worth a damn if you're buying. I also have a '99RSV with a ton of bling on it and fairly low miles. I'd be lucky to get $4,000 for it, which is less then the retail price total of the bling.... And right now it's the wrong time of the year to be selling. 5 months from now would be best... Now keep in mind all this advise is coming from someone who only knows how to buy RSV's, and hasn't figured out how to sell them yet... :-)

[BlueSky]

I will add though....be careful !!! The Triton motors have a spark plug design which is different. The OEM/Ford provided plugs are a two piece design. If they seize at all in the head, when you go to take them out it is common for them to break, leaving the bottom end of the plug in the head. There is a special tool you can use (and it works) to get the plug out once it breaks. See my post about this - http://www.venturerider.org/forum/showthread.php?113606-Ford-spark-plugs-Ford-Triton-motor . There is one or two plugs made which are a one piece design. Before you buy a Mustang, have the owner pull the plugs for you before you buy the car.

 

That type of plug is in the 4,6L engines with 3 valves per cylinder. And mechanics have learned how to get them out without breaking them. The older 4.6L engines have 2 valves per cylinder and they tend to blow out if not torqued properly due to having only about 4 threads in the heads. And if they blow out there is a reliable repair method. My 2000 F150 with the 5.4L 2V engine had 170k miles on it when I lost track of it and now plug issues. My current truck with the 5.4L 2V engine has 147k miles and has not had the blowout problem. (Knock on wood!) I wouldn't let the plug design keep me from buying a V8. And some of the newer V6s have as much or more hp as the older V8s. Also, I know the truck 5.4L 3v engines had a different plug design starting in 2009 that eliminated the breaking plugs.

[bongobobny]

There is an unfortunate fact of life that pertains to cars as well as bikes. Regardless of how much we spend on farkles, they, unfortunately, do not help with the resale value. Actually, some people feel that accessories "personalize" a vehicle, and that may not represent the buyer's personality.

 

That being said, asking 8K is not out of the question, but it may take a long wait for the right person to come around. I guess it depends on just how fast you want to get rid of your bike...

[grubsie]

Don't know what the market is like in Florida, but here in New England, you would be lucky , really lucky, if you got $6,000.00 for it no matter how nice it is.

 

Late fall in 2016, I picked up an '08 RSV with 4700 miles on it in mint condition for $4,500.00. But then in the spring of 2017, I sold my 2006 Midnight RSV with 48.000 miles on it and in great shape for $3,500.00. It sat on the market for 3 1/2 months until someone finally called, came by and bought it. I let it go at that price simply because nobody had called on it for months and at that point, I just wanted it gone.

 

These are great bikes. As far as I am concerned, there's nothing else on the market that rides better. But they are in very low demand and don't command a high resale price. I see RSV's and RSTD's listed and then re-listed on and on and on, on CL for months on end.

 

I hope you follow up when you sell it to let us know how much you got for it.

[cowpuc]

WOWZY Bay,,, sorry to hear ya talking this way BUT I TOTALLY get it brother!! Godspeed as you proceed in doing what cha gotta do..

Back when we were in the business I had a salesman who worked for me here in Michigan during our top sales months. He and his wife would pack up at the end of each season and head down to Miami to work for a huge Honda dealership down there and he and his wife would stay there during that area's high volume months (perfectly opposite of ours = worked great!!).. My sales back then would start about mid February and by the time Randy got here in mid March we were going great guns. I was never involved with the Honda shop down there in any way but I do know that Randy told me November to February down there were his best months.. You being in Florida - may be now is a good time to list it locally?

As in all businesses, the internet (at the time, ebay mostly) changed everything and by mid 2000's - my market studies in predicting trends was pretty much solely based on Ebay and trade wholesale auction sites.. A lot could be learned by monitoring such sites and probably still could be?

"Bling" in my experience actually worked against us. Our best sellers were always clean, low mileage, completely stock bikes. Interestingly enough, even my "customs" (I LOVED OLD SCHOOL CHOPS) sold better with no high dollar paint job because, as already mentioned, the farther down that road ya go the more "personal" it becomes = sort of like painting yourself into a corner so to speak.. Trade in wise, I ALWAYS appreciated owners who had personalized their machines but kept the OEM stuff and gave it up on trade in.. That said, if your gonna hit the open market it might be in your best interest to put it back to stock as much as possible? Advertising here on the clubhouse wall would be different IMHO as most of us know first hand the kind of hard work and costs associated with bling..

So,, what's it worth??

Couple years ago my neighbor comes to me and says he heard thru the grapevine that I used to deal in bikes? Asked me to help him sell his 25k mile, 1500 Wing, being a good neighbor and one who still loves scoots - I agreed.. Got around to the ? of value.. He said he needed 4 grand for the scoot and trailer.. I told him I thought that was way high but agreed to write up a CL ad for him and see what happened.. Trailer sold for a grand shortly there after.. The bike got very little attention.. I played with it on Ebay for him - used an old method of mine that had been successful = start em at a dollar with no reserve to get lots of bidders and then end it early if it was obviously not gonna meet the mark (was legal back then - not sure but I think it still is as long as you do so 12 hours before auction ends = READ THE RULES if your gonna try this!!). The bike never got over 1300 bucks.. A year later and that same scoot was sitting in my neighbors driveway and I relisted it on Craigs for him.. 2 months = not a call.. I had just finished telling my neighbor that we may have screwed up "playing the game" because 1st exposure is always the best one when a guy driving by see's the bike setting there, stops and writes a $3000 check on the spot..

Concerning the 2nd gens specifically,, back when I felt better I used to goof around all winter watching prices and it always amazed me at the major deals down in Florida/Texas and California.. I distinctly remember a number of "Millenial Additions" (which always caught my eye cause I always liked the looks of em) at the time for well under 4 grand.. This may or may not be significant at this time because that was a couple years (or more) ago but I have a gut feeling that it does because the 2nd Gen's have been around long enough now that many riders probably know they are pretty much the same bike all the up.. I know that HD is cutting back in production now cause times are slow and that Polaris is all but giving away their left over Indians (some dealers have them all the way back to the '14's in left overs) - a little shopping and WOWZY is it a buyers market,,, IMHO of course..

So what would I do if I were you?? I would probably hit up some car lots - find a Mustang of my liking and then do a trade in = book for book,, wheeeeelll and deallll:dancefool:!!!

What ever ya do,, however this works out - hope ya know there is NO LEAVING THIS CLUB OF MISFITS!!! Just thought I would toss that out in case there was any question in your beeeener concerning the matter:hurts:

[djh3]

For what it's worth my thinking on looking at a used touring machine I kind of expect a couple things, or at least look for them. Cup holder for driver, decent seat if the OEM is known to be uncomfortable, drivers backrest is a plus. Highway pegs are a plus. Anything else is "nice" say a luggage rack. Here in Fla it may actually be easier to sell at this time of year because it is cooler to ride. Price is I guess whatever you can get. NADA says around $5500 By the same tokin it says my 2013 Victory Cross country Tour is around 9 k low and 12 k high. They are going more in the 8-10 range. Good luck. And I would go with the GT, just better looks and performance in my book. I had an 90 with the 5.0 5 spd convertible. Got about 25-28 mpg on the highway I think. Better than my PT Cruiser turbo we had at the time.

[Chaharly]

I personally think you'd have a much better time selling it on the highway and maybe your local craigslist. I agree that if someone does a little shopping they can find these bikes at next to nothing but I still see early 90s GL1500s sitting on the highway for 5000 OBO and get sold up pretty quick. Hell they even have an 84 Venture at the local dealer they're trying to get I think 3500 for. One quick look over and the fork seals leak, and I believe the front springs are shot as well. Has a few mods etc, but they're totally dreaming if they can sell that bike for half the price. But I think someone will come through, talk them down a thousand and walk out with his head held high thinking he got a good bargain when he was actually paying way over market value.

 

Set her out in a safe place while the weather is nice and cover it at night and I think you ask 8k you should go any under what you decide is best for you.

 

Or go Puc's route and trade that sucker for a sick stang!