This spring I am trading in my '08ZX for a '14ZX, what have you guys done with your aftermarket goodies? Do you keep them on the bike or take them off and ebay them? I have a Brocks pipe and PC that I am not sure what to do with, If I keep them on the bike I have a feeling they won't give the bike extra value.

* Last updated by: TaintedTattoo on 12/26/2013 @ 8:27 AM *

If I keep them on the bike I have a feeling they won't give the bike extra value.

I agree and that is what I have always been told.

When my 08's day comes, I will remove all aftermarket stuff and part out on forums a/o Ebay.

you won't get close to half what you paid if you sell the mods with the bike.

I have a Brocks pipe and PC that I am not sure what to do with

* Last updated by: Rook on 12/26/2013 @ 10:34 AM *

what kind of Brocks is it?

couldn't you use the PC for the new bike??

It's the Gen 3. I dont think the PC will work on the new one, I will indeed check it out first, I know the pipe will not.

I'm not a fan of trading in a bike on a new one. You have the dealer working against you on both deals, he wants to pay bottom dollar on the trade-in while getting top dollar for the new one. They are masters at making you feel like you're getting a great deal but it's almost never the case. I try to remind folks that dealers do this all day every day and we do it only a few times in a lifetime. Even if it seems like you're getting "above market" for your trade-in, you will not get more than the KBB trade-in price.

Not sure what part of the country you are in but even in Central Indiana there are folks buying and selling motorcycles on the private market. You have CraigsList, CycleTrader, and even eBay as options to research what bikes similar to yours are selling for (not asking price) and you will almost always get more than the trade-in price with a private sale. You also are more likely to find a buyer who will appreciate your aftermarket add-ons and get some extra bucks for them than you will at a dealer.

I'm also not sure of your financial situation but if you can swing it, buy the new one now, even if you have to finance it, and then sell the '08 once springtime hits. Be sure you get a loan that has no pre-payment penalty and you can end up paying interest on only 3-4 months of the loan. I'm sure that 2014 ZX14's are not exactly flying out of the showroom this time of year and, just as with cars, buying in the last week of the calendar year often gives you some extra negotiating room as a buyer. Remember the dealer and the salesman have annual targets and Christmas bills to pay, they may have 2013 sales incentives from the factory and all of that get reset to $0 on January 1, 2014.

A couple of other things I forgot to mention. Shop around for the new ZX14. Deals and willing to discount vary widely. The INFORMED buyer is the dealers worst nightmare! How far would you travel to save $1000 or more? But even if you don't go remote to buy, just the threat of that can help you negotiate a better price from the local dealer.

Also, don't fail to consider a new 2013 ZX14. There are probably still plenty of new 2013 in stock and they can be excellent deals. I don't think there is any significant differences between the 2013 and 2014 models.

jwh20; All good tips. Only I hate letting people go for test drives. I'll take a hit on the trade-in just to avoid that nightmare.

Just say, "no test rides, cash only" in your ad for it. If the bike is well cared for it will be obvious to a serious buyer who already knows what he wants. Many dealers don't allow test rides either. I've never test ridden either a new or used motorcycle I purchased. Here are my comments on the various ways to see a bike:

1) Check around with your friends and riding buddies. You might find a great home for your ZX14 right in the family so to speak. Just don't sell it to someone you know won't take care of it, motorcycles are like kids (to me anyway), I hate to see them get messed up. You also might post it here and some of the other Ninja and Kawasaki-related forums out there. Kinda like extended family.

2) CraigsList - Good local exposure but you get all sorts of riff-raff. Just be specific in your posting about your terms and you can sort out most of them. No serious buyer will come to look without cash in his pocket. If you get someone coming from a distance away, that's a good sign. Lots of scammers but if you are careful who you choose to deal with you will be good. Just be specific about your terms and don't negotiate with idiots. A ZX14 is a serious bike and an 08 is going to fetch a serious cash price. A goofball wannabe buyer is not going to show up with a thick stack of $100 bills that will be needed to buy it. Be sure you talk to the potential buyer before you invite them over to look at it. If he sounds like an idiot, say "sorry"...

3) eBay & CycleTrader - Of course you pay for selling and you will likely find an out-of-area buyer. If you don't want to hassle with shipping, just say so. Buyer can arrange shipping himself. Most serious buyers will want to come and get it themselves because they don't want to get a scratch on the bike from the shipper. They will fly in and drive the bike home or will come with a trailer and haul it back. These are serious buyers and you will probably meet a new friend. This type of buyer loves motorcycles the way you do and has already fallen in love with your ZX14 from the pictures. With this type of buyer you can even get paid now and deliver later as they may want to lock in the sale but need to wait for better weather to come and get it. The other thing about this sort of buyer is that they will appreciate you add-ons and their value. So you are more likely to get "above book" for a customized bike than at the dealer.

* Last updated by: jwh20 on 12/27/2013 @ 4:46 AM *

Agree with everything posted above.
You will never get all of your money that you have invested in your bike back.
The only way to get *some* of it back is to sell privately.
Yes, it can be a pain, and I have done both...trade-in and sell privately.
Selling privately can end up taking a bit longer, but in the end I find it more rewarding, mostly due to what jwh20 has already mentioned...you know that your bike is going to a good home.
I actually had one guy come and look at my 2001 ZX-9R, who fell in love with it on the spot. He went on to tell me how hard he was on his bikes and then offered me almost exactly what I was asking. I flat out told him no, sorry.
I ended up getting slightly less for the bike, but I sold it to someone who really appreciated it and I knew was going to look after it.
Actually...kind of wish I still had that bike...man it was sweet.