Why are there so many Harley's for sale in the newspaper classified?

Question

I strongly believe people don't want to sell good bikes. People sell their bike cause they don't like it or it has problems.
Or many HD Owners sell their bikes in the classified cause their dealer offered them too low of a trade in price.

Answer 1

Because there are so few in the salvage yards.

Answer 2

starting in '07, the carburator faded into history. no hd will have a carb, and that isnt an option either. starting in '07, every scoot above the sportster has a 6 speed tranny, and a 96ci engine thus sending the venerable tc88 to 'ancient' status.
in the case of fuel mileage, out of all the bikes of the fleet, its the v-rod that is the most gas thirsty besides the much heavier electra-glide. hmmm, and i'd figure a water buffalo would be easier on gas. not so for the v-rod. the sportster's mileage seems to have been increased by a good 5-7 mpg over what i get on a '05 carbed 1200.

seems every1 wants to get their mitts on a 96, but they cant afford to pay on 2 bikes, or they dont have the space for 2 bikes....so the older 1's get the heave ho. out of all the bikes, the sportsters are usually sold the cheapest. also, alot of buyers dont give a chit how much chrome u add on, whether it has python, screamin eagle, or cobra pipes....alot of dudes i know would much rather buy the bike stock instead, and they do their own customizing. chrome wont get u home.

Answer 3

Well you are really opening the door for the abundance of Harley haters out there. I think there are basically 3 reasons. One is that there are many, many Harley's sold so obviously there will be many being re-sold, why are there so many Ford's for sale in the paper? The second reason someone else already mentioned, they buy a Harley on impulse and find out later they are in over their head, Harley's are very expensive. The third reason is that many Harley owners make enough money that they can afford to buy a new Harley every couple years and sell their old bike. I do not however believe that it is because they are bad bikes. The reason I say this is because in all the years I've spent around various bike shops and motorcycle riders in general I have never heard this phrase..." Yeah that Harley I bought was a piece of crap so I went and bought me a Honda instead."

Answer 4

A lot of yuppie guys, just like the movie WILD HOGS portrayed.

They end up putting about 6000 mile or less on the bike, during this time they discover how hot the bike get's in the summer and how much the wind beats you up.

It seems many people get buyers remorse, then sell the bikes.

Some are buying the wrong model Harley for them and want to up grade to a bigger bike or different one. Most new harley owners were never riders before, other than a small dirt bike as a kid.

The fuel mileage is okay on a stock Harley 45-49 mpg. But after they change it, the fuel mileage drops more to 35 mpg.
Pretty sad when a motorcycle get's the same or worse than a Toyota car.

Answer 5

First off, there are far more Japanese bikes for sale than there are Harleys. I watch the classifieds on a regular basis keeping my eye out for a good deal to buy and flip.

Next Harleys usually sell for top dollar, there is no need to accept wholesale or trade in from a dealer which is 10-15 % less than a bike can sell for private party.

Additionally, few dealerships are willing to accept a bike older than 5yrs as a trade in ( bikes over 5 yrs are next to impossible to get financed).

Lastly, people sell thier bikes for many reasons, to get a new bike, short of cash, or as in my case, if I want another bike, I would have to get rid of one to make room.

With what Harleys sell for used 5k for a Sporty, 10k + for an EVO and 12.5-15k for a Twin Cam , the 10-15 % is a significant piece of coin, why give it to the dealer.

Answer 6

I would have to agree completely with KB2002. Many factors could go into this. But you are a Harley hater so why do you care really? I know many Harley riders who upgrade every 2 or 3 years because the geniuses at HD continue to come out with new &innovative things every year, such as the 5 speed tranny, etc. They are the best so they can afford to have the best people on their payroll to stay steps ahead of the competition always. They are the American Legend! Thanks for the concern though, it's touching!!

Answer 7

Good question. I don't believe it has to do with the quality of the motorcycles. I've been a rider for 36 years, HD and others. Harley solved their quality issues in the early 1980's with the advent of the evolution motor.

I've bought and sold probably 80 or 90 bikes over the years, and it's been my experience that guys buy these bikes for the image.

Then they neglect to take a safety course and get out on the road with a 700lb motorcycle. Standing next to a bike with a three day growth of beard and $1000.00 worth of leathers, do not make a Biker. Sooner or later they realize that the beast is to large to handle and they sell it, usually blaming their spouse for having to get rid of it. I've purchased three year old bikes with 900 miles on them. My personal scoot is a 1983 Electra Glide, with 146,000 miles on it,and no it doesn't
leak oil :)

Lucky

Answer 8

I agree with answerer #1 and totally disagree with answerer #2.

The Harley has been around since near the beginning. I believe only Indian and Triumph were around before.

Harleys were reliable bikes and developed a reputation for same. I will say that the competition has pretty much caught up in the area of reliability, but Harleys are a comfortable bike to ride cross-country.

Many people selling Harleys are doing so because they are upgrading. Some are short of money, Some quit riding, etc etc.

But the bottom line is: The reason you see more Harleys in the advertisements is simply because there are more of them around.

I don't ride a Harley and don't personally like them either. But facts are facts.

Answer 9

Many reasons. Most listed above.

There are also tons of Hondas for sale.
There are not as many Yamahas. Why?

The makes with the most sales will also have the most used available. The ones that sell the least are not going to be there.

Answer 10

There are no more Harley's than other bikes sold. Short answer VOTE ME BEST CAUSE ITS REAL