Why are Sport Bike values Down?

jgos929 said:

I would think it has something to do with the fact that you can buy a brand new 1K for around double what your asking. Its to easy for people to go out and finance a new one then drop $5000 harned earned cash on a used one.

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Great point. Allow me to take it one further. Regardless of how often you see the words "adult owned," "like new," "dealership serviced," "garage kept," or my favorite, "never raced," the facts speak to the contrary. NO ONE and let me repeat again, NO ONE who owns a sport bike can say that they haven't put a little "right wrist" to it once in awhile. It's part of owning bikes that have racing in their genes. Nobody owns a Thoroughbred Race Horse and uses it to pull a plow. it just doesn't happen. In the case of buying a used sport bike it doesn't matter how many of the phrases (or many more like them) stated above come from the seller's mouth or printed want ads. All potential buyers know that at one time or another these bikes have been "got onto." Hell, my street bike (an '02 CBR600F4i) has been ridden hard on a "few" occasions and I'm over 50 and it's in (genuinely) showroom shape. The other fact which is a direct result of the above is insurance rates for sport bikes. They are higher than other motorcycle categories. More sport bike claims result from wrecks that were caused by riding too hard. Two of the four guys that I do trackdays with bought totaled bikes that had very low mileage and were crashed do to rider stupidity (not error, just stupidity). My one friend, John, rides an '07 CBR1000 that had 38 (let me say it again, 38) miles on it when the first owner made the mistake of stating those infamous words to his friends: "Hey, watch this!" and proceeded to attempt a wheelie. The result doesn't need to be stated. You can fill in the blanks. As a rule (And, yes, I'm speaking in broad generalities), WE are the reason sport bike insurance rates are high and resale stinks. We can't blame anyone else...

Yes, as you have so aptly stated, your CBR 600 F4i is in showroom shape and has been ridden hard upon occasion. But you didn't say, you've been riding stoppies or wheelies, or drag racing the bike on the street. If you are over 50 like me, riding a bike hard, is pushing it in corners challenging yourself on new and exciting roads for thrill. I have many friends who have mint well used sportbikes as well, but they, like myself are riders, not exhibitionists, who value their health (because it's a more difficult road to heal as you get older) and the health of their machine, over stunting and showing off. I've often said, and this pertains to gun control as well, "it's not the device that causes the carnage, but the operator, guns don't kill, bikes don't wreck, unless someone uses them in a reckless manner". So, in reality, a well cared for sportbike should be a decent value. Sportbike technology, like computers, races upwards, since the advent of injected bikes, the improvements in chassis design from year to year are tweaks. As for horsepower, what's the difference between 160 and 180 crank horsepower? They both are more than one needs for the street. When I got the 929, I was asked by friends what I felt of it's horsepower, I replied, "I run out of street before I can ever dream of utilizing it". Traffic, rough roads, poor visibility, keep savvy riders in check, limiting how many times that right hand is wrapped back. I think I've run that CBR to redline 7 times, in the eight years I've owned it. And that was entering an interstate on a Sunday morning with no traffic! There just isn't many openings to SAFELY push a sportbike, that's the ADULT perspective, and why, when I look for used machines I seek an adult owned bike ONLY, and perhaps pay a little more, but I get a showroom piece. I'm just looking to get that $500. premium for a well cared, respected bike, on my sale. I think my strategy will be to sell locally on Craigslist where I won't have to compete with the E-bay "pit" where a lot of BEAT bikes are sold.

John