By: Nathan T. Lynch
Do you want to know how much your motorcycle is worth? Are you curious as to what its trade in or retail value is? Maybe you just want to know what you should expect to pay for a new or used bike. Well you might be interested to know that there is more than one resource available to you for these purposes.
There are two main pricing guides in the United States - the Kelley Blue Book and The National Automobile Dealers Association or NADA guides. Some people feel that the NADA guides are a better source than the Kelly Blue Book because the National Automobile Dealers Association is currently the largest publisher of Appraisal Guides in the world. NADA has been in business since 1933 and their handbooks provide information for almost every motor vehicle that has ever been made.
Kelley Blue Book is the most well-known pricing guide and has been in business for more than 80 years. But they publish more than one price guide for used vehicles including motorcycles, so be careful if you are consulting a dealer because the one they are using is likely to be the version labeled "Kelley Blue Book Auto Market Report – Official Guide”. The book says that ‘suggested retail values’ represent Kelley Blue Book's estimated dealer asking price, but you can bet a dealer won't show you those figures. Better to grab your own copy and do some pricing research yourself so you don’t get taken advantage of.
Check out motorcyclebluebook.com for pricing on a huge selection of bikes. By selecting the make, model and year of the bike you’re interested in, the website will send you an email with information on the value and selling prices for any particular motorcycle.
One more pricing guide you may want to look into is Edmunds.com. This is an online information site which also supplies you with the value of your motorcycle, or expected pricing for the make and model that you are interested in.
You can purchase the books or visit any or all of these websites. Enter information about the condition of the motorcycle you presently own and want to sell or appraise, including any custom work and options, or do a query for pricing on a new or used bike you want to purchase. You will be provided with trade-in, suggested retail value and private party pricing. You’ll want to keep in mind also that motorcycle prices vary, sometimes greatly, depending on where you live, locally and globally. A good tip is to check the books or websites and your immediate market area to get the most comparisons for the best accuracy on cost and value.
