Trade in value

N

Nick

New member
Visit site
I was looking into trading in my 22 R18 B a few weeks ago and was completely floored by how terrible the depreciation is. I bought it less than a year ago new off the floor.

It has less than 2,000 miles on it now. At the dealer ship I went over the items the bike had on it as well as the options it came with. The sales man came back with both his boss and the finance guy. They stated that it was only worth around 8,500 and none of their wholesalers wanted it. I figured it was a dealer trick by Harley so I contact the BMW dealership I bought it from. I explained I was interested in getting something different , and we agreed to look at the K1600 B.

The dealer, that I BOUGHT IT FROM called me back and said none of his wholesalers wanted it. And they could only give me 8,000.

I was contacted by Harley and advised they had new sales and they wanted to get me out from under a bike that lost 14,000 in value over less than a year. When I went back they said the bike lost ANOTHER 600$ in value over the course of a week. At this point I was told everyone’s afraid to touch it because of the past stop sale BMW issues. Even tough it has been lifted no one wants it. Has anyone had any experience in having a vehicle lose so much value in a shaper time? If so. What did you do to get around it?
 
BMW are discounting 21 & 22 bikes heavily, other brand dealers are afraid of it. If you really want it gone your only hope to get a better deal would be a private sale to someone that wants one.
 
Sadly this is the case but I firmly believe you will get a buyer if advertised privately. Check the local dealers pricing and then mark yours a bit lower. Good luck.
 
That is the way dealerships work , i got a good deal trading in my 2019 1250RTLE they actually offered me more than other bike buyers , and i think only because they wanted to shift the 2022 R18 Classic as well because of slow sales , but i was happy with the deal , trading in you are always usually on a loser , i agree though that depreciation is crazy but i,m sure you will get more with a private sale good luck .
 
Yea. Funny how no matter what it is we want to sell/trade in, it’s always the wrong colour, the wrong spec, a bad time, not a popular model. Yet when you buy the damn thing none of that is mentioned! Seriously though, we do lose a lot of money when we buy new and sell a short time later. I had this once on a Honda Crosstourer, lovely bike. I was looking to change and dealers I contacted refused to take it in, I couldn’t believe it. I expect the US market may be even more brutal though because HD does have a vice like grip on the cruiser market and it’s in their interest to absolutely crush interest in the bike. What surprises me more, no change that, what disappoints me more is the BMW attitude. I don’t know your situation and wouldn’t be rude enough to ask but if the trade in is so low, and you can afford to, I’d keep the bike rather than literally giving it away. That way you don’t actually lose. Best of luck with it.
 
Rufus said:
Yea. Funny how no matter what it is we want to sell/trade in, it’s always the wrong colour, the wrong spec, a bad time, not a popular model. Yet when you buy the damn thing none of that is mentioned! Seriously though, we do lose a lot of money when we buy new and sell a short time later. I had this once on a Honda Crosstourer, lovely bike. I was looking to change and dealers I contacted refused to take it in, I couldn’t believe it. I expect the US market may be even more brutal though because HD does have a vice like grip on the cruiser market and it’s in their interest to absolutely crush interest in the bike. What surprises me more, no change that, what disappoints me more is the BMW attitude. I don’t know your situation and wouldn’t be rude enough to ask but if the trade in is so low, and you can afford to, I’d keep the bike rather than literally giving it away. That way you don’t actually lose. Best of luck with it.
Click to expand...
I believe I am going to keep it. I don’t hate the bike. Just looking for an upgrade. I see some of the mods people do here. I may try that and just ride it till it dies. Haven’t had any issues with it yet.
 
Puck said:
That sounds like some BS at that price. The cheapest B on cycletrader for the whole country is at 15k.
Click to expand...
I am sure they are out there but I would not expect an HD dealer would like to have this on their floor.

In the end, for any dealer, after bike prep and service they will want 15-20% on any trade. There is possibly lost B&O tax to take it in trade and wholesale it as well but I don't know that.

So taking all that into account, your 15k for sale bike that actually sells for 12-13, the $8500 is low but not BS.
 
The Heritage line will gain traction, supply of new units will get balanced with demand, and your bike will have better value next year, than today. It’s a new market for BMW and they’re still sorting it out.
 
Last edited:
emgarciax said:
The Heritage line will gain traction, supply of new units will get balanced with demand, and your bike will have better value next year, than today. It’s a new market for BMW and they’re still sorting it out.
Click to expand...
Are you new to BMW? I have been riding them for a couple decades. They have historically terrible resale. I personally don't see that changing; but would love to be wrong.
 
Nothing, repeat, NOTHING has good trade-in value...NOTHING!

The ONLY time a dealer will offer a good deal is if they are desperate to get your particular vehicle, and they are willing to take a hit to their own profit.

It's just business to them and, while you may be emotionally disgusted at the lowball offer, put the shoe on the other foot and look at it from their point of view.

Do you have a storefront?

Do you have employees? Health insurance, taxes, 401k plan, etc.,?

Do you have liability insurance, other forms of insurance to pay for?

Business loans to pay off? Lines of credit to maintain?

Etc., etc., etc.,

All of these things are factors that a dealer needs to factor in when buying/selling motorcycles, even when offering to buy your trade-in.

They NEED to make their $$$ back. Otherwise, they won't be a dealership for very long...

The ONLY way you'll make a decent buck off your used motorcycle is if YOU sell it private sale, real talk.

Mike
 
Nick,

The depreciation on ANY new car or bike in one year is massive, not to mention we are in a global recession. I just bought the brand new 2023 anniversary edition, 1.Because that was the bike I wanted, and secondly hoping because it's a limited production I won't get completely murdered when and IF I sell it. But my thinking is....I'll just keep it, and If another bike comes along I have to have I'll find a way to get it. Bikes, boats, cars, et..are ALL a loss game. Try and enjoy the bike and forget it. If you give it to a dealer they will kill you. You might try mechanics around town offering them $500 for ANYBODY they send you that buys your bike. They usually know guys that are thinking of a new bike...
Good Luck.
 
MilwDave said:
I buy my bikes new after much research and deliberation. I don’t buy unless I’m certain I will be happy over the long haul and usually don’t look at their value for 10 years minimum.
I’m willing to bet 10 years from now my R18 will be worth about the same it is today.
Click to expand...
Agree. If I look at the used prices of once relatively unpopular bikes over here (UK) that is exactly the case. One example Honda F6C 1800. Around 2015 when Honda pulled the plug and stopped selling them (after only two years) they were unsold at £9995 gathering dust in dealers. Today, there’s a good half dozen used ones for sale with a range of £11k to £15k. Time will be our friend.
 
Randy Kahn said:
Nick,

The depreciation on ANY new car or bike in one year is massive, not to mention we are in a global recession. I just bought the brand new 2023 anniversary edition, 1.Because that was the bike I wanted, and secondly hoping because it's a limited production I won't get completely murdered when and IF I sell it. But my thinking is....I'll just keep it, and If another bike comes along I have to have I'll find a way to get it. Bikes, boats, cars, et..are ALL a loss game. Try and enjoy the bike and forget it. If you give it to a dealer they will kill you. You might try mechanics around town offering them $500 for ANYBODY they send you that buys your bike. They usually know guys that are thinking of a new bike...
Good Luck.
Click to expand...
There’s a guy who runs a YouTube channel that I ended up watching (algorithm 🤷‍♂️). His thing is EV and he had a very expensive Porsche car that he was focusing on with his content. Anyhow, he traded it and it lost about £70,000 in value in just over a year. Gulp.
 
Nick said:
I was looking into trading in my 22 R18 B a few weeks ago and was completely floored by how terrible the depreciation is. I bought it less than a year ago new off the floor.

It has less than 2,000 miles on it now. At the dealer ship I went over the items the bike had on it as well as the options it came with. The sales man came back with both his boss and the finance guy. They stated that it was only worth around 8,500 and none of their wholesalers wanted it. I figured it was a dealer trick by Harley so I contact the BMW dealership I bought it from. I explained I was interested in getting something different , and we agreed to look at the K1600 B.

The dealer, that I BOUGHT IT FROM called me back and said none of his wholesalers wanted it. And they could only give me 8,000.

I was contacted by Harley and advised they had new sales and they wanted to get me out from under a bike that lost 14,000 in value over less than a year. When I went back they said the bike lost ANOTHER 600$ in value over the course of a week. At this point I was told everyone’s afraid to touch it because of the past stop sale BMW issues. Even tough it has been lifted no one wants it. Has anyone had any experience in having a vehicle lose so much value in a shaper time? If so. What did you do to get around it?
Click to expand...
It's the same in uk 🇬🇧 I will just keep mine till the wheels fall off
 
I guess I'm pretty fortunate that I haven't had the itch or need to sell my Model B; I purchased it new, knowing I was going to add some of the TC wind management items to it in order to make it perfect... Outside of the stock exhaust, I knew this bike was a good match for me long-term, knowing what I wanted on my next bike.

It's well made and high quality "as is" off the showroom floor IMO.
 
Rufus said:
There’s a guy who runs a YouTube channel that I ended up watching (algorithm 🤷‍♂️). His thing is EV and he had a very expensive Porsche car that he was focusing on with his content. Anyhow, he traded it and it lost about £70,000 in value in just over a year. Gulp.
Click to expand...
Right now old classic Porsche's are worth a fortune, some much more than they cost new. Not to be a complete nut....but it's NOT impossible that in the next few years they legislate bikes with motors this big out of production claiming they are eco unfriendly. In California where I am, it's impossible to find a Dyno shop and LOT'S of aftermarket exhausts cannot be shipped into the State. Your better off getting caught with a bag of Coke rather than an illegal exhaust here....
Anyway....Having one of these is a luxury. Motorcycles or any toy make no sense financially, especially when you add thousands of dollars in mods that you'll never see when you sell it....
 
Randy Kahn said:
Right now old classic Porsche's are worth a fortune, some much more than they cost new. Not to be a complete nut....but it's NOT impossible that in the next few years they legislate bikes with motors this big out of production claiming they are eco unfriendly. In California where I am, it's impossible to find a Dyno shop and LOT'S of aftermarket exhausts cannot be shipped into the State. Your better off getting caught with a bag of Coke rather than an illegal exhaust here....
Anyway....Having one of these is a luxury. Motorcycles or any toy make no sense financially, especially when you add thousands of dollars in mods that you'll never see when you sell it....
Click to expand...
Without doubt I think you are right, the eco-mentalists here do want us off the roads. It won’t happen overnight but the two main political parties are broadly going in the same direction and Europe definitely is (with ever tighter Euro Regs) so sadly, it seems somewhat inevitable. I’ve got maybe 10 good years ahead when I hope to be able to ride bikes so I may just scrape it but for young kids now I reckon bikes like the R18 will be static displays in museums.
 
Rufus said:
Without doubt I think you are right, the eco-mentalists here do want us off the roads. It won’t happen overnight but the two main political parties are broadly going in the same direction and Europe definitely is (with ever tighter Euro Regs) so sadly, it seems somewhat inevitable. I’ve got maybe 10 good years ahead when I hope to be able to ride bikes so I may just scrape it but for young kids now I reckon bikes like the R18 will be static displays in museums.
Click to expand...
Couldn't agree more....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top