Is an offer of $4,000 a fair price for a 1999 1500 Drifter with 24K on it? The person selling it wants $5,000, which seems to fall in line with what others ask. I guess I want to know if a $4,000 offer is an insult. It has saddlebags, rear rack, and nice light bar on it. NADA says $3,300 and KBB says $3,500 but I know those market price sites don't always take in account the appeal of the bike among those of us who are attracted to it. Is 24K too much - what do I look for at that point? Thanks in advance for your advice.
Not an insult, but I'd definitely tell you no. I wouldn't sell mine for $5K either, for that matter. In negotiations you have to compromise. I'd go for it.
I just turned 24,000 on mine saturday, i have been offered $5,000 for it.
I just like it too much..
although I probably should have taken it.
I see the guy about 2 or 3 times a month, and he still ask if i want to sell, but i know him, he will get it, and trade/sell it in a month..
Just the way he works, he has gone through 4 bikes this summer alone, he just likes to wheel & deal..
45 Bravo
Yeah, I know someone like that - wanted to buy an old Honda I have but did not offer enough for it. I know he would have sold it soon after as that's the way he is. I guess there is nothing wrong with that, but with a cool bike you like to see it go to someone who will appreciate it.
Personally, I wouldn't let mine go for $5K... not a 99 - but being the first year that should make it more of a keeper IMHO.
I just paid 5k for an 03 with 14,000 and bunch of stuff on it, offer the 4k, all he can say is no. Good luck!
Dirty Irish
There is a guy in memphis area , has an 04 800cc drifter, it is painted nice, but asking 8000, a little steep i think, but you can ASK what you want..
I agree with the irish above, offer the 4, see what sticks.
you can always go up.
45 Bravo
BUT!! These things tend to sell in spurts... as with any deal... you may lose out entirely if you dicker too long.
As a new Drifter owner. I looked at 800s and a 1500. I am glad I got the 1500. If you plan on riding 2 up, consider the 1500.
Quote from: ChilliDrift on August 23, 2012, 10:33:54 AM
As a new Drifter owner. I looked at 800s and a 1500. I am glad I got the 1500. If you plan on riding 2 up, consider the 1500.
Good point - thanks for the help
Quote from: ChilliDrift on August 23, 2012, 10:33:54 AM
As a new Drifter owner. I looked at 800s and a 1500. I am glad I got the 1500. If you plan on riding 2 up, consider the 1500.
Having ridden both just once or twice on test rides, I kind of favor the 800 only because I am used to 650s.
The 1500 and the 800 are two VERY different machines... it really is NEW tech vs OLD tech.
EFI vs carbs, shaft vs chains, dual shocks vs monoshock, differences in gearing, differences in looks. You need to consider how you ride, where you ride and when you ride. EFI keeps the bike running consistently regardless of altitude. The 1500 will run 80 all day on the interstate with power to spare, regardless of loading. The 800 simply is not designed that way... it has all the benefits and shortcomings of the old tech bikes.
Quote from: chief on August 24, 2012, 10:18:47 AM
The 1500 and the 800 are two VERY different machines... it really is NEW tech vs OLD tech.
EFI vs carbs, shaft vs chains, dual shocks vs monoshock, differences in gearing, differences in looks...
Absolutely agree - chain is a pain, having to check valves is a pain and costly if you cannot do it yourself. I ride mostly in the midwest so altitude is not a problem (although cold is) and I very rarely use the interstate, much prefering the old back roads. But, yeah, there is a lot of modern stuff to love about the 1500 - stuff that pays for itself in maintenance and in greater flexibility of riding conditions and locales. Thanks, Mike
Yea, I am not a haggler either, I look at what is there, compare it to what i know.
Figure in how much I really want to spend, is the bike realistically worth what he is asking, what are the chances of finding another similar to it, what will i have to spend to get it road worthy.
Just like shopping on ebay, once you start looking specifically for something, i don't jump on the first one i come to if it is out of my price range.
If we can't come to an agreement, there will ALWAYS be another coming down the pike.
Yes there are not as many Drifters out there, but they are there, you just have to turn over a few more stones..
45 Bravo
I think there are really a few things people overlook when considering the price of a Motorcycle. It's not an investment, it's a vehicle. If you're going to use it as a vehicle, then the big thing is total cost of ownership over the expected service life. I bought my '01 out of a barn with a broken transmission and no start. I paid $1,000 for it, dragged it home and started the restoration process. It arrived at my house on Aug. 14th of '09, and after spending about $3800 on repairs, the only money spent has been on tires (and a u-joint for $25) and oil changes. 31,000 miles of near perfect performance. I'm a hands on type, and if I'd just left it alone, I could have saved some money, but I gotta fiddle, so there were some added expenses....BUT...when I look at the TCO of this bike as compared to my TourGlide, it's about 60% cheaper to keep her! If the mechanicals hold up as well as I expect, by the time it has the same mileage (200,000) as the TourGlide I sold, that TCO will be down to about 20%. I run it, every day, have 8,000 miles on so far this year, and will easily get my annual 10,000 by the first snow...The only thing I will NOT be looking forward to is parking it in the garage for the winter, and not having anything to do to it....helps pass the time. My W-650 is no help in that department, either. It's got 21,000 miles on it and needs NOTHING but a good cleaning!
Ditto what troll said. I have NEVER bought a bike thinking about resale value. I think I have always bought based upon how it makes me "feel" and anticipated repair/maintenance to keep it reliable.
Well, I just sold mine.
I asked 6500 and took 6250.00
The guy sowed up with 6500 but I told him if he showed up and was serious I would do it for 6250 because I had so many calls and few ever showed up at first and I was getting frustrated, I had a trade deal with a guy in Texas who wanted it for 5500$ and I was going to ship it to him towards another bike so I told this guy if you have 6250.00 cash and show up by 3 it is yours, lol and he showed up.
IF I could get a 99 with bags and a 2 up seat and windshield with 24k on it I would expect to pay at least 5k maybe 5500.00
I bought mine for 4300 with a 2 up seat and a small windshield, no bags or anything.
IT had 4300 miles on it when I got it.
IT is all about the condition and what you want.
I have seen them listed for over 10$k and thought, yeah right, this guy really doesnt want to sell it unless he is going to get mad money for it.
I see 800's for sale all the time for 5k$
I think it is a matter of how emotionally attached the seller is and how badly you want it.
I could have bought an 02 Indian with beach bars lowered with a 1600 and a lot of chrome for 10k$ so to get 6500 for my drifter was a real nice sale I thought.
I would show up with 4500.00 in hand and after going over the whole bike and listening to it, considering mods you are going to do to it, I would offer him 4k$ and see what happens, maybe you can get it for somewhere in between.
The best I have seen is Drifters at car dealers who took them in on trade.
They dont know what they have, they go by book value and will always take cash for a quick sale.
I found a beautiful 99 in great shape with a lot of cool mods in Springfield ma I almost bought and I talked them into 3800 over the phone and they were asking 4300.00.
The only reason I didnt buy it was one that sold on eBay I wanted called me and said the buyer flaked and if I wanted it I could have it for the final bid, 4300$ so i grabbed it.
IT had custom paint, beach bars, was 1/2 blacked out, etc..
A very nice looking drifter, like I said it sold a year or two later for 6500 and I had several calls.
Anyway in this economy cash talks and if you have it on you and go in person you never know, I have seen some crazy deals this year with vehicles, especially toys.
Good luck.
Lump
What the hell, its only money.........1500 cc's of fun in the sun is worth 5k.........and you can customize the heck out of these bikes. Just today I cut out left and right barefoot images out of brite aluminum plate and screwed them to my floorboards. Cant do something silly like that to a twenty plus grand streetglide......hehehe
Unless the bike is a total wreck it is well worth $5K... "worth" a lot more IMHO.
they only made drifters for 6yr if can get a 99 for that price get it ive got a99 with just over 10,000 and woundet sell it for 10 k but thats me bullride28
Quote from: chief on August 20, 2012, 10:58:04 AM
Personally, I wouldn't let mine go for $5K... not a 99 - but being the first year that should make it more of a keeper IMHO.
I agree...ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE COOL BLACKED-OUT VERSION LIKE I HAVE!!!
I bought mine here in Jan of '12'...went all the way to Lafayette La. from San Antonio,Tx.
The guy ONLY wanted $3,000 AND IT BARELY HAD 7,000 MILES. Found it on craigslist.
I waited a year and a half looking all over the country for the right look and price. It paid off.
Outside of having some surface rust (which cleaned up real easy/aluminum foil on the chrome) it was real clean. Upon getting it home I flushed the radiator with vinegar then borax. Refilled the radiator with a racing coolant and distilled water. I also drained the oil and put in 20w50 Amsoil. Anyway...I LOVE MY BIKE and i'm getting ready to repaint it this winter. I will post pics when done. It will be a LOOOOOOONNNNNGGGG TIME before i ever get rid of this relic of outright BEAUTY!!!
Buying mine for $3200 from the original owner with 12K on the clock.....and yes, i feel damned lucky.
I'm jealous. :o
Me too. Got my 99 this spring for 5250 out the door. No extras. 14k miles and I didnt care...lol had to have it, hell.... I want another one.
I have owned many bikes over the years, but I have never enjoyed any of them the same way I do my drifter..
It is a 99, with a few parts from newer years, and other vulcans. But that is what sets it apart from other drifters..
I enjoy the head turns from older guys that think it may be in Indian, I like to watch people do a walk around on their way past it, trying to figure out what it is..
Since I have owned it I have been offered trades for trucks, cars, and jeeps and other vehicles..
The Honda vtx, and the Yamaha vstar are both melting into a Harley clone, on some, from the right side it is hard to tell what it is until you see a badge..unless you see the huge harley primary drive cover on the left side
With the newer Harley's, you can tell the difference between a sportster and the bigger ones at 50 yards, but they are all starting to look alike once you get over 1200cc..
Same fairings, same bags, same trunk..
But you can tell a drifter at 50 yards, maybe not the exact year, but definitely a Drifter..
Oh I am sure there are guys out there that can just hear a hog and tell you what year it is, displacement, pipes, grade of fuel, color, and tire pressure.
But I ain't one of them..
To me it is just a Harley, and you spent too much money for a bike that looks just like 4 others that rode by in the last 10 minutes..
45 Bravo
. . . and well worth every cent you paid for it, I'm sure! 8)
well...i traded a 1986 Suzuki cavalcade for my 99 drifter 1500 with less than 9,000 miles on it...traded the original owner...swapped tittles and drove off....i never looked back. the previous owner said the paint scheme on mine was done by kawaski ...plus it has an engraved handle bar strap...don't know how true that is....but its a nice story none the less...i must say...the black and bone colors sure turn heads..
terry
How about a picture....
The engraved bar clamp was available from Kawasaki to the original owner of the 99's
A black and bone color scheme was not offered by Kawi as a '99 color, but the dealer may have painted it as a new bike. I've heard of several dealers who did this to new bikes that weren't selling to get them off the sales floor.
Sounds like a great color combo though!
PICS PICS PICS!!! Please! ;D
Regards and such,
49Reo
MBK, I'll weigh in for what it's worth, It's obvious that just like the rest of us here you have a thing for Drifters or else you wouldn't be here. That being said, One must ask oneself... What do you want? What's your dollar limit? Is it local? I'm sure most guys here will agree that we didn't buy a Drifter for the resale value, I know I didn't. I searched for a couple years, Traveled to a few states and monitored sites like eBay, Craigslist, and Cycle Trader looking for a Drifter. I was about to take a trip to NC to check out a prospective Drifter when I saw an ad on eBay that was within 15 miles from home. It was a '99 and the bid was at $4,000... This was about four years ago and I'd seen Drifters selling for between 5-6 k. When I factored in the cost of traveling to NC from PA as well as the cost of transporting, Fees etc. I knew what I had put aside for my Drifter Fund, I called the number the seller had and asked if he had it listed locally and if was he able to remove the listing... He said yes and it was game on! I had researched his eBay site and realized he bought and sold bikes (valuable information) Now that I knew he was flipping bikes I offered him $5 grand cash... I figured it was a Grand over the bid, Within my limit and he wouldn't have to worry about bidders with excuses or logistics. Needless to say he told me over the phone "I'm removing it from eBay as we speak" I was over there within 20 min with a $500.00 deposit and gave him the balance the next day. You'll have to ask yourself... Is it what I want? Is it within my budget?
Did his ad state $5 k FIRM? If not you won't insult him by offering $4 k... The most he can say is no.... He may even counter with $4,500... If that's the case ask yourself would you let it go for $500.00? If it's local you have to factor that into the cost. With regards to bags and a windshield... They're out there, I bought my saddlebags and Drifter brackets off Craigslist and the guy threw in the solo seat rail as well as a rack, I know that doesn't happen all the time unless you're kissin' leprechaun butt however once in a while... I'm a firm believer in never regret the things you buy... Regret the things you didn't. Don't know if it helps... Just thought I'd weigh in.
Good Luck,
Bake
thats more than likely what happened...the dealer had it painted
That is sharp! Love the red pinstripe between the black and bone! Really sets it off!
Sweet color combo Spidey! Truly unique, Love the nostalgic look.
Bake
thanks...everywhere i go i have to wipe drool off it.....just kidding ;D
as far as price tag for selling....nope....can't put a price on something that proven to be " PRICELESS "
IMHO.........TERRY
It's another Continent, but this is my experience.
I bought one and a half year ago my '99 800 with shield, guards, saddles and backrest por 3000eur and with 32.000kms on the clock. It was in perfect condition. Markets is so tight my the few drifters on sale, and algo by the huge crisis we are living now in Spain. Drifters are offered now at 5000eur, and i know one that has been sold for 6500eur, just becaurse the buyer just want it....jejejejeje
Here in Europe we prefer the 80 just becaurs the carburettor, the hidden rear shock and the colorurs. Thet purple red of the 1500 is not "strong" enough to be seen on the road and to deferenciate from hd bikes ;)
Nice!! Love those "old school" colors.
Regards and such,
49Reo
Traded a 05 Honda VTX-1300R that had less than 3K miles (paid $5,000 for it) towards an 02 Vulcan 1500-D drifter that had less than 10K miles, a fancy paint job, new brakes, decent rubber, Mustang seat (2 up, w/fringe). Besides the free and clear Honda, I threw in a Bushmaster AR15 with Eotech sight, competition trigger job, extra ammo, extra mags. If that doesn't convey how much I loved (and still do) that Drifter, nothing does. The Bushmaster was a sweet piece and highly modified despite being fairly new.
The dealer (small) actually wrote the deal up as even trade so that I could get my state registration etc. for only 10.00. I had owned the Honda for only long enough to get the title back from the state. I traded it the same day. My plans for customizing the Honda would have made it more expensive than the already tricked out Drifter.
I have added a few things to the drifter including a competition clutch spring (HD) that helps her lock up right away without all that slipping around. No, I don't race. But wow, what an improvement. Stay thirsty my friends!!
I got my 1500 "99" blacked out model 3 weeks ago he wanted $4400 had it sold at $4200 but she would not start so guypassed on it he wanted $3700 i got down to $3400 and when i drove 4.5 hours away ut did not start everytime but i wanted it and offered him $3000 and he took it. It was neglected and dirty but i have cleaned her up new pkugs oil and 50/ 50 cooling waiting to be installed when i get a chance i would not sell mine at all :-D!!!! Its a cool bike. Goid luck. Mine has 28000 miles on her.
That's a good deal... Not as good as Trolls. But darn good.
Beats my deal!
Quote from: Kimbershooter on December 28, 2012, 09:42:52 AM
I threw in a Bushmaster AR15 with Eotech sight, competition trigger job, extra ammo, extra mags. If that doesn't convey how much I loved (and still do) that Drifter, nothing does. The Bushmaster was a sweet piece and highly modified despite being fairly new.
Unfortunately for those of us in the US, If you wait probably 6 or 9 months from today, you could have just traded the rifle and accessories, and sold the honda free and clear.
I still think i have one of the best deals here, I paid $1000 with a 2up Kaw/Corbin, a Corbin solo that had been recovered to Ostrich skin by a shop in Tupelo, Backrest, saddlebags.
So far, only spent maintenance, new Front tire, and am waiting for a new Keyswitch.
and Gas..
45 Bravo
yea 45 I think your deal was the best... your still waiting onthat keyswitch?.. that sucks. hope your back on the road soon. Yo
Ya know with all the work I did to my drifter,new tires,service,dual exhaust,phat2 risers,crash bars, i am gonna sell her.Hips still bother me, so bought a bmw 1200lt with a hannigan sidecar. Anyway, do you guys think that 6500.oo would be fair. 01 with 16k and with oem saddlebags and corbin 2 up seat new, have all the oem take off items! All black paint. No indian decals, not my thing. Thanks Tim
Rough time to sell it, if you can wait ea few more months you'd of course be better off, or do you live in the warmer attitudes?. Anyway ,I believe its worth it. But they aren't going for that. Some guys say, sell the extras seperate, but even that won't generate as much money this time of year. All you can do is try. I'd like to see your new bike with hack. Good luck.
Here is a photo of bmw, can wait till june to sell, no problem at all. Really want to keep all the drifter stuff for the new owner as you can't find this stuff.Stock seat and extra bag rails, stock exhaust system,custon luggage rack.
Very cool ride. I hope it relieves your riding position. Good that you don't need to sell. Seems like guys start getting the itch in spring. I did..
Would I be able to put my bike on the classified board here? Thanks Tim
certainly,.. you could put it on now I suspect. its all donation supported. I imagine its free. look around the main vdr website.
found it, will take some new photos of her! May have snow here in Portland ore today, but it is nice and warm in the shop where my bikes live. Probably will not do craigslist for awhile. Tim
Darn it, photo did not take, try again.
Love the exhaust, but what's the story on the passenger footpegs?
6 year old granddaughter rides with me. Tim
This is the seat i fabbed up for her. It really works good. Tim
Ahhhh, gotcha!
Bought my 99 drifter for $4k w/ 32000 on the clock. Then again, this was me leaving a business card in the dude's seat 4 months prior and letting him know how much I knew about the original drifter, had wanted one since 99 and it had a bit of scuffing from saddle bags w/o proper brackets installed.... everything is situational. I don't regret it one second either... friggin' LOVE this bike!
Quote from: Rottyman on February 27, 2013, 19:51:45 PM
Bought my 99 drifter for $4k w/ 32000 on the clock. Then again, this was me leaving a business card in the dude's seat 4 months prior and letting him know how much I knew about the original drifter, had wanted one since 99 and it had a bit of scuffing from saddle bags w/o proper brackets installed.... everything is situational. I don't regret it one second either... friggin' LOVE this bike!
Welcome to the Forum, Rottyman! 8)
If you get a chance, post a message in the Introductions (http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?board=2.0) forum and tell us more about yourself and your ride. We'd also like to see some pics of your wheels too, of you have some. 8)
Welcome aboard! Just in case no one else mentions it, WE LIKE PICS!!!! When you get a chance. ;D ;D ;D