If one was to shop for used bikes

[FirecrackerKTM]

Besides Craigslist that is ... are there any dealers that usually have a good selection of used stuff? I've only been in the big place up by Loveland.

Just curious, thinking about getting bikes, might do some looking around.

[CLYDE]

Mile High HD usually has a nice selection of used scooters. I-70, and airport Bl.

[kmon35]

Wierd, I posted yesterday, but it didn't take.

Most dealers will have a selection of bikes that were traded in. The news paper in Ft. Collins has had more than usual lately, so others probably will too.

I hear about different things for sale occasionally. Usually Harleys.

What are you looking for, looking to spend?

[ZappBranigan]

I noticed there's a new shop going up near 58th and I-25 that seems to specialize in used bikes.

Anyone know anything about it? It's South of Coyote Motorsports (the Yamaha dealer) and doesn't appear to be affiliated with it.

[FirecrackerKTM]

What are you looking for, looking to spend?

I don't totally know yet. Probably a Super Glide? We're still looking, tossing the idea around. We'd have to get two so I don't really know when we can justify that kind of money.

[kmon35]

I'll keep my eyes open. I have been tossin around the idea of offloading the Fat Boy for a full on Dresser, so I am at the shops in NoCo. Plus I have developed an addiction to want ads.

[FirecrackerKTM]

hm. Kris might like that. Keep us in mind if you send it down the road. No promises we'll be ready to buy, but do let us know.

[kmon35]

Will do.

I am not good about getting rid of stuff. I still have my first car, and I'm almost 40.

[Hayes]

I noticed there's a new shop going up near 58th and I-25 that seems to specialize in used bikes.

Anyone know anything about it? It's South of Coyote Motorsports (the Yamaha dealer) and doesn't appear to be affiliated with it.

Top Gun motorsports? I think that's the one, it is completely used bikes... There is also a place off Hampden and Sante Fe. It's a mechanic/sales place. He usually has some good stuff lying around.

[FirecrackerKTM]

Top Gun motorsports? I think that's the one, it is completely used bikes... There is also a place off Hampden and Sante Fe. It's a mechanic/sales place. He usually has some good stuff lying around.

holy shit ... their prices on 03-07 bikes were as much or MORE than the same 08 models!!!

[Hayes]

doesn't suprise me since they aren't taking them in on trade...

[FirecrackerKTM]

I'd rather wait for a good year-end deal on a showroom-new bike. Some of my friends have gotten smokin deals that way when they want to clear out last year's bikes.

How in the world can they justify charging more than a showroom-new 08 model?

[ZappBranigan]

I'd rather wait for a good year-end deal on a showroom-new bike. Some of my friends have gotten smokin deals that way when they want to clear out last year's bikes.

How in the world can they justify charging more than a showroom-new 08 model?

It's called the Harley Tax. ;)

Also, HD owners typically put several thousand $$ worth of accessories onto their bike when they buy it: Exhaust, jet kit, sometimes a new seat, windshield, backrest, etc. They want to recoup that money.

[FirecrackerKTM]

It's called the Harley Tax. ;)

Also, HD owners typically put several thousand $$ worth of accessories onto their bike when they buy it: Exhaust, jet kit, sometimes a new seat, windshield, backrest, etc. They want to recoup that money.

So do Jeep owners, truck owners, muscle car owners, etc. ... I've *never* seen accessories pad the resale value THAT much.

[ZappBranigan]

So do Jeep owners, truck owners, muscle car owners, etc. ... I've *never* seen accessories pad the resale value THAT much.

Sure but here's the thing: Some dumbass will pay for it, that's why they do it.

For years during the 90s Harleys were worth their weight in gold. People would charge whatever the market would bear. Can't blame 'em for that, either. It's the idiots who just had to have a Harley so bad they'd actually pay these extortionate prices that are to blame.

[FirecrackerKTM]

Yeah, that makes sense. We'll look for the best deal we can find on the bikes we want.

It's been suggested I start on a sportster and upgrade later ... I've been riding offroad since 2000, and taken (and passed) the MSF course, but I've never been on a street bike of any kind. However, I'm neither petite nor timid, which are the normal arguments for starting on a small bike. So I don't really know yet.

[CLYDE]

Sharla, sportsters are tall bikes, They may be called womens bikes, but the truth is, they are not very good at that job. They are lighter than a big twin, but I would say go low, lowrider, or fxrs something along those lines. Best thing is go sit on a bunch of different bikes and see what feels good, and what you can reasonably push backwards out of a spot if you have to..

[FirecrackerKTM]

I've heard lots of conflicting things ... if I bought a sportster I would get it because they are cheap.

But do I really need a low rider? I'm 5'7" with a long inseam, and can comfortably sit on most street bikes I've seen so far. I'm used to tiptoeing on a dirt bike with a 36" seat. Street bikes seem so low in comparison.

I have heard sportsters are not comfortable or stable on the highway. My fiance said I would like one of the Dynas best. But it's kind of hard not being able to test ride anything.

[kmon35]

I have to echo clyde. Dynas are low. Sporty's sit high, but are light. Without any work, they are generally faster due to the HP weight ratio. I don't think any of the Soft tail models would be too tall for you. They are heavier, mine is 667lb dry. It sits as low as any dyna, at least with my big a$$ on it.

Shop around, if you want a good deal, patience is your friend. I would probably ask close, within a couple grand, as a new one. I have put aftermarket stuff on it. Harley tax or just plain Harley, someone will pay the money.

I never wanted a motorcycle, but I always wanted a Harley.

[CLYDE]

A lot of big twins are going for not much more than sportsters, by all means stay away from 883s, you wont like the low power on those at all. The 1200s are pretty ballsy bikes, but you will want more before very long, thats why I say go big twin right off the bat. I know you are an experienced rider, so wont give you the whole starter bike lecture that I usually give :D:D:D

[FirecrackerKTM]

oh I don't care what's faster. Even an 883 would get me where I wanted to go, wouldn't it? After coming from dirt bike world that seems like so much engine. But then again my dirt bike weighs 215 lbs or so and rarely sees much over 40 mph, so it doesn't need much engine.

Clyde, do you think any of my dirt riding habits are going to get me in trouble on the street? I know it's a lot different. I mean I know how to ride as in how to shift and whatnot, but I've never been on a street bike except for the Virago 250 in MSF class.

Another question about used bikes: how old of bikes should I be looking for? I really don't want to be tinkering *too* much. Are all of the FI bikes good? How long have they been injected? Were the carbureted ones hard to tune?

[jeepn4evr]

I never wanted a motorcycle, but I always wanted a Harley.


Off topic but couldn't pass this up. Saw a bumper sticker other day that said "Bikers are a rare breed, but Harley riders are a dime a dozen" :D

[CLYDE]

oh I don't care what's faster. Even an 883 would get me where I wanted to go, wouldn't it? After coming from dirt bike world that seems like so much engine. But then again my dirt bike weighs 215 lbs or so and rarely sees much over 40 mph, so it doesn't need much engine.

Clyde, do you think any of my dirt riding habits are going to get me in trouble on the street? I know it's a lot different. I mean I know how to ride as in how to shift and whatnot, but I've never been on a street bike except for the Virago 250 in MSF class.

Another question about used bikes: how old of bikes should I be looking for? I really don't want to be tinkering *too* much. Are all of the FI bikes good? How long have they been injected? Were the carbureted ones hard to tune?
it doesnt take long to want a few more HP lol. thats why I would avoid the 883s, tho Marge is very comfortable on her 450 honda, but with her short legs, she has few options. fuel injection hasnt been around all that long, but is dead reliable in my experience, but the carbs arent that hard to keep in tune either. I would say for you to stay with something from oh, say 90 and up, look at the miles, and overall condition, leaks, wear on footpegs etc, that might reveal that one has more miles than the odo shows. There are literally tons of low mile HDs out there, since people tend to buy them as a status symbol, and then never ride em, now that the economy is tougher, people are dumping em on the market pretty fast. Its a great time to buy, because these things really never lose value, my 79 is worth 3 times what it cost new and its just an old ugly shovelhead:D If you guys are looking up north, get ahold of me, I would be more than happy to ride along and look at something if you need an experienced eye:beer:

[CLYDE]

Off topic but couldn't pass this up. Saw a bumper sticker other day that said "Bikers are a rare breed, but Harley riders are a dime a dozen" :D
truer words were never written.
One of my favs- 15 grand, and 15 miles dont make ya a biker.

[FirecrackerKTM]

it doesnt take long to want a few more HP lol. thats why I would avoid the 883s, tho Marge is very comfortable on her 450 honda, but with her short legs, she has few options. fuel injection hasnt been around all that long, but is dead reliable in my experience, but the carbs arent that hard to keep in tune either. I would say for you to stay with something from oh, say 90 and up, look at the miles, and overall condition, leaks, wear on footpegs etc, that might reveal that one has more miles than the odo shows. There are literally tons of low mile HDs out there, since people tend to buy them as a status symbol, and then never ride em, now that the economy is tougher, people are dumping em on the market pretty fast. Its a great time to buy, because these things really never lose value, my 79 is worth 3 times what it cost new and its just an old ugly shovelhead:D If you guys are looking up north, get ahold of me, I would be more than happy to ride along and look at something if you need an experienced eye:beer:
I think we will definitely take you up on that once we're ready to buy :) And buy you a beer for your trouble, too. :)

[ZappBranigan]

If you get a chance check out the XL1200R Roadster. I'm not a Harley guy but if I got a Harley that would be the one I'd get.

Keep in mind Sportys are top heavy. That can lead to difficulties when it comes to low-speed maneuvering.

Sportys are only "light" if you compare them to big twins or other huge bikes - I think even the 883 is over 500 lbs wet, that's a heavy bike, especially if you are used to riding light dirt bikes.

[Budman]

Off topic but couldn't pass this up. Saw a bumper sticker other day that said "Bikers are a rare breed, but Harley riders are a dime a dozen" :D

truer words were never written.
One of my favs- 15 grand, and 15 miles dont make ya a biker.

I have both of these stickers on my helmet.

Sharla, IMO one of the best deals out there are used 1100 Honda shadows. they are great bikes, and you should be able to buy one for around 5k, ride it for a few years, and sell it for close to the same price. I have owned 3 of these bikes over the years. The last one I bought as a 4 year old bike with 2500 miles on it for $4800. I rode it for 4 years and sold it with 86,000 miles for $5200. Once I worked out all the "Sitting" bugs, it gave me over 80k miles of almost trouble free riding. This model of bike was around for 15 years +/-, and was a great bike. One you get confortable, and decide what you are looking for in a bike, you can sell it and go looking for just the right harley.

I will one day in the near future buy a Road glide. I have worked my way up over the years to the bike I have now, and will soon be able to by my "Dream" bike. (Okay to be honest, it is ONE of my dream bikes, if I win the lotto, I will own many bikes).

As for a place to look, American Motorsports on Platte in the springs has a good selection of used bikes, and from all my dealings have been great guys.


ETA: www.cycletrader.com is a good place to shop online.

[ZappBranigan]

I have both of these stickers on my helmet.

The mere fact that you have a helmet I'm pretty sure disqualifies you from being a real biker anyway. :flipoff2:

Even though I know they're required on-base. ;)

[CLYDE]

Lol thats funny, but I have 2 helmets, one for riding in states with a helmet law, and another thats full face for when its really really cold, or for when I ride the honda, so nobody recognizes me. You know riding rice is like doin a fat girl,, its all fun, til your friends find out:eek:

[ZappBranigan]

Lol thats funny, but I have 2 helmets, one for riding in states with a helmet law, and another thats full face for when its really really cold, or for when I ride the honda, so nobody recognizes me. You know riding rice is like doin a fat girl,, its all fun, til your friends find out:eek:

So we're not your friends? :( :(

[CLYDE]

Hey, no pictures, it never happened:flipoff2:

[Budman]

The mere fact that you have a helmet I'm pretty sure disqualifies you from being a real biker anyway. :flipoff2:

Even though I know they're required on-base. ;)

:flipoff2: THat is why I put all the stickers on it. I am hoping no one will recognize it as a helmet. :flipoff2:

I used to have an old Tin pot, and a Nazi Helmet that I wore all the time, but the base guys figured out that they were not DOT approved, and made me get a real one. I have tried wearing K-Pot (Kevlar helmet) but they also tell me that that is not DOT approved. I tried to explain to the SP that it was airborne certified, but I don't think he even knew what that meant.

I may have to get some of those DOT stickers and fix my old Nazi lid up.

[ZappBranigan]

I tried to explain to the SP that it was airborne certified, but I don't think he even knew what that meant.


Only if you have the neck straps and the impact pad on the back! :tisk:




I may have to get some of those DOT stickers and fix my old Nazi lid up.



Don't most Harley shops sell big rolls of DOT stickers to put on the back of those "novelty" helmets? :rolleyes:

[rmjeep]

Wait for Sturgis and look at the schedule for the demo's. Or if you don't want to travel, Go to Thunder in the Rockies in Loveland over labor day and check out the demo's there.

[FirecrackerKTM]

I would be kind of chicken to ride a demo because I have so little street experience.

[ZappBranigan]

While most Japanese dealers don't maintain a Demo fleet, a lot of the non-Japanese brands do. Quite a few HD dealers will let you demo a bike and I know from experience that both of the Triumph dealers in town (Foothills in Lakewood and Erico near LoDo) will let you demo.

I know for a while Buell was even having some kind of promotion where if you demo a bike they give you some kind of trinket, so obviously they're OK with demo'ing. :shrug:

Many BMW and Ducati dealers also have demo fleets and will let you demo a bike.

The fact that the Japanese mfg's don't maintain demo fleets other than the ones at the "major" rallies (Sturgis, Daytona, Laconia, Laughlin, Aspencade, etc) has always been something of a puzzle to me. While I understand that it's not practical for every dealer to maintain a demo fleet, you'd think that in an area with as many motorcycle riders as Denver, they could at least maintain a regional demo fleet, say a fleet of 10-15 popular models that would make a "circuit" of dealers in the Rocky Mountain region on successive weekends. You could go to your local dealer and find out when the demo fleet would be there and go to demo a bike.

Seems to me that would be win/win for everybody involved. I'll bet the first manufacturer to do this will sell a lot more bikes!

[Budman]

I often wonder why the dealers in the bigger cities don't operate like home, but I guess it is just a difference in mentality. I have a buddy in MO who owns a Yamaha/Victory dealer. I used to haul my bike down there every year for vacation, then I discovered it ended up sitting in his storage shed while I rode the latest greatest product on his floor for 2 weeks. Now when I go down there I don't even bother loading my bike up. I just call him and let him know when I am coming, and he always has something cool for me to ride while I am there. It is great advertisement for him as I am out riding around and his bike is being seen instead of sitting on the floor. I am always sure to tell people what a great dealer he is and send them in to see him. I also carry a stack of his cards when I am riding his bike. So on top of the advertisement, I usually trade with him every couple of years. You just don't see that here, or any of the other big cities I have lived in.

Last time I traded with him, I took the bike home to the springs with me, and then shipped him my trade. He had not seen it since it was brand new, and still gave me a great trade.