As with cars and anything else of value, how much an object is worth depends on it's condition, it's uniqueness, and a myriad of other factors. And it's generally a safe bet that when you trade something in, you won't actually get what it's worth. The key to getting your money's worth out of your trade in is knowing how much it's worth before negotiations even begin. We have some tools to help you determine you trade in's value, how much you'll get versus how much it would retail for, and whether it's better to sell it rather than trade it.

• Mint: 2000 miles or less a year, Clean, no scratches or dings, has regular maintenance performed, does not need Brakes, Tires, Battery, Has not been raced, have owner’s manual, maint records, and extra key.
• Average: 2000 to 6000 miles per year, clean, minimal scratches, no dings, regular maintenance, some wear on tires, does not need Brakes or Battery, never been raced.
• Fair: 6000 to 10000 miles per year, minimal scratches and dings, maintenance performed, some wear on tires, may need brakes, never been raced.
• Poor: 10000 plus miles per year, not clean, some scratches and dings, needs maintenance, may need tires and brakes, may have been raced.

Trade numbers are reflected in NADA, Kelly Blue Book, etc as the average number that these units should trade in for. But unless you are a dealer, you won’t have access to these numbers. NADA.com will give you high and low retail numbers, which you can use to make an educated guess.

Retail and trade numbers depend on the market in the local area, what type of bike it is, how that type of bike is selling, and the inventory of the dealership that you are trading it in to.

Here is an example of what you can expect when you trade:

You save on your taxes, the dealership makes the same amount of profit whether they take in your trade or not, they just need to put a number on your bike so that they can sell it later. You can negotiate to get more out of your trade, but there will be a number that they will top out at.

You may be able to sell your bike for more than the local dealership is offering you. You do not have to charge sales tax to the buyer, so that does give you an advantage. But, you will save sales tax money by trading it in. You only pay tax on the difference between the sales price of the new bike and your trade amount. Also, if you trade, you don’t have to worry about fielding all the phone calls and setting up times for people to come out and see the bike. The local dealership can offer financing on their used bikes where you most likely can’t. You may get another $1000 out of your trade selling it yourself, but you may have saved $300 or more in taxes by trading. Is it worth the time, time taken selling your bike and time waiting to get your new one, and the aggravation over trading?

We are not suggesting one way over the other, just know what the options are, and what you are getting into.