Death of loved one.

[tyeo86]

Hey ya'll.

Sorry to say my stepdad died recently of covid leaving us heartbroken.

Not only has he left us but he has also left his Harley! Being a car man I have no f'''ing idea what is it worth or how to sell.

If i post some info can someone guide me?

It is a HARLEY-DAVIDSON XL 1200 N NIGHTSTER 1200 with about 11500 miles black and orange. 58 plate with some extras. That is all I know.

Thanks in advance....

[thatdude]

Best thing to do in the first instance, with regards to a sale price, is to look on autotrader (they have a "bikes" section) and look at similar age and mileage bikes, and price accordingly.

Try and get all the paperwork together for it - V5C, handbook, servicing receipts etc.

As for your loss - my condolences, very sorry.

[tyeo86]

Thanks.

[Pat H]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

First off, don't act in haste.

When my Dad snuffed it, I inherited a nearly new BMW R850, which really wasn't my scene.

I felt like I needed to do something with it, so wasted no time in flogging it.

A few months later I started to regret selling it. Now, many years down the line, I rather wish that I had kept it.

So, is it likely to hold some sentimental value for you or any other family member? If so, just hang on to it until the dust has settled.

If you are certain you want to sell it, then how you go about it depends on what sort of shape the bike is in.

My Dad's bike was like new, so i approached my local BMW dealer (the late Doug Hacking in Bolton), who plonked it in his showroom and sold it for me in no time and with no hassle.

Alternatively, eBay is the obvious way to sell it.

It will probably be a painless experience. I have sold loads of bikes on eBay and only ever had one time waster. Harley buyers tend to be mature and sensible these days, so it's less likely to attract tossers than some types of bike.

Did he have any biking mates? Word of mouth often sells bikes in this situation.

Good luck.

[Zooks]

Very sorry about your dad.

2008 nightster somewhere between £5000 - £5500 depending on condition. Orange/Black is a nice colour combo for these.
Don't give it away. It will never be worth less than £4500 even if it was a complete shed.

Like the other poster i'd keep it. Their great bikes and they really don't depreciate much so take your time.

[Pothole]

I'm not a Harley fan, but I've been reading some news items and Harley-related vids recently suggesting that the Sportster's (of which this is one) days are numbered as the market shifts and the company shifts with it...if H-D even manages to survive the next few years. All that meaning the value of what has always been their best-selling model will rise. If you have somewhere warm and dry to keep it for a few years, I'd suggest doing that. Unless you really need the cash.

[irocfan]

TBH in the scheme of things it's not a large amount of money you're looking at, especially if it's got sentimental value. As others have said, if possible, hang on to it for a while

[Pothole]

Of course, this is the opportunity you didn't know you were waiting for to do your bike test and join the dark side!

[Davel]

Autotrader as already suggested.

Maybe chat to the dealer who supplied it or maintained it - not to sell to them but to get an idea of likely value.

Sorry for your loss...

[Rubin215]

For a 'what they sell for value' look at completed items on ebay.

Ignore what people advertise things for; that is how much someone wants.
Look instead at what they actually sell for; that is what someone else pays.

[tyeo86]

Thanks everyone. These are great points. I may just keep it.

£5k isn't a lot for something that could be worth more in the future. I would never ride it though. My wife and mother wont allow it.

Stay safe everyone.

[Bumblebee7]

tyeo86 said:

Thanks everyone. These are great points. I may just keep it.

£5k isn't a lot for something that could be worth more in the future. I would never ride it though. My wife and mother wont allow it.

Stay safe everyone.

It's fine, they all say that at the beginning, trick is to do it anyway. Been biking 3 years now and my wife now has her own spiderman helmet. I also rented a 250cc enduro and we did a 6 hour trip on it in Vietnam last year. Forgiveness is much easier to obtain than permission...

[Darkslider]

tyeo86 said:

Thanks everyone. These are great points. I may just keep it.

£5k isn't a lot for something that could be worth more in the future. I would never ride it though. My wife and mother wont allow it.

Stay safe everyone.

Condolences on your loss.

Pretty normal response that most of us encountered when starting out to be honest! At the tender age of 16 when I broached the subject of wanting a motorbike my mum vehemently claimed she'd put the firewood splitting axe through the tank of any bike I brought home! My parents even helped me with car driving lessons to try and make me forget about the idea... Lasted all of 12 months before I heard of a non running Kawasaki ZXR 400 for sale by a friend of a friend. Did my CBT and test in the space of a couple of weeks and brought this extremely fast looking (to me anyway) thing home to test the theory. The bike remained axe free although I did have to spend more than the machine itself cost me on good quality gear to keep Mum 'happy'.

If you've got any motivation at all to do your bike test I'd consider it a nice tribute to your step-dad, I'm sure he'd love to see the bike getting some use in your hands.

[Krikkit]

Bumblebee7 said:

It's fine, they all say that at the beginning, trick is to do it anyway. Been biking 3 years now and my wife now has her own spiderman helmet. I also rented a 250cc enduro and we did a 6 hour trip on it in Vietnam last year. Forgiveness is much easier to obtain than permission...

Exactly what I did - just went out and did it. She still throws a jeb once in a while, but 15 years of "speed kills" has turned her into a weirdo when it comes to driving and the roads.

[Prof Prolapse]

Probably not the best time to pressurise the chap into joining us reprobates?

Condolences for your loss OP.

[Pothole]

OP, dependent on where you are, if you need someone to come over every couple of months and take it for a gentle run to keep it in tip top condition, I'm available. I only charge one cup of tea per visit!

[HairyMaclary]

Sorry to hear of your loss OP.

Why don't you ride it?

It's usually better to seek forgiveness rather than permission to start riding. It could have resulted in divorce for me but she has come round now and wants to ride pillion.

[Pat H]

Prof Prolapse said:

Probably not the best time to pressurise the chap into joining us reprobates?

Yep. They have just lost a father. The last thing they need is the worry that the OP is about to start riding a death machine.

The OP should remove the battery, cover the chrome with grease, blow up the tyres and chuck a dust sheet over it.

Then give it to his son/daughter/grandchild on their 21st birthday.

[Bumblebee7]

Pat H said:

Yep. They have just lost a father. The last thing they need is the worry that the OP is about to start riding a death machine.

The OP should remove the battery, cover the chrome with grease, blow up the tyres and chuck a dust sheet over it.

Then give it to his son/daughter/grandchild on their 21st birthday.

The storage ideas are sound, certainly no harm in doing that.

Pointless giving it to son/daughter etc. at 21- what are they going to do, stare at it for another 3 years until they're even eligible for the DAS?

Also, no one is suggesting going out and doing a bike test tomorrow. Just to consider all options and not rush into a decision. The Harley is unlikely to drop in value regardless of how long the OP keeps it so unless they're desperate for the money just keep it for now and consider alternatives.

[Pat H]

Bumblebee7 said:

Pointless giving it to son/daughter etc. at 21- what are they going to do, stare at it for another 3 years until they're even eligible for the DAS?

Bah humbug.

For some reason my brain thought DAS was 21.

There was none of that nonsense when I were a lad...