Is this a fair price?

[Tarheels74]

I have a chance to buy a 2007 Venture for $4500. It has 26,000 miles and seems in good condition. Garage kept. What should I be looking for and listening to? Thanks in advance for your help.

 

George

[uncledj]

Sounds fair. Keep in mind that if it grabs ya, don't spend too much time worrying about if you're getting it at the cheapest possible price. Pics would help, but if it's in decent shape I'd go for it.

As far as things to watch out for I'd say there's a chance the clutches will slip under load. It's an easy fix and a lot of us choose to upgrade to stronger springs.

When sitting there, bounce it a few times and see if the rear shock squeaks. That seems to mean there will be a shock replacement in your future.

You may want to check the brake / clutch reservoir window for the color of the fluid. The darker it is the longer it's been in there...not a problem, but will need to be changed soon.

These bikes are generally pretty reliable when maintained....hard to go wrong with a Venture.

Good luck....visit often...

[CaseyJ955]

Check tires/date codes. Steering head bearings, fork seals and VC gaskets, pretty much anything that can leak or age. I use a service history to help me decide value and show me if the PO has been doing the reqd maintenance. I remove quite a bit of value for an absent service history and add a bit if they are meticulous. Valve adjustment intervals are another thing, if it's about ready for that then maybe you can factor that into the price. I think this one is not due for awhile though.

 

If your not in a hurry you might wait a year. I have a feeling that this coming "downturn" is going to see prices plummet even further on luxury items like motorcycles. You would not believe the screaming deals I got on a couple bikes and a truck when the dotcom jobs all evaporated overnight. All that being said, his price does sound fair if it's really that nice.

[BlueSky]

Try to look at the rear shock. They tend to leak after a while but with that low mileage, it's probably okay. If you get to ride it, you will probably hear the infamous clutch basket whine that doesn't hurt anything but does make some noise on almost all Gen 2 Ventures.