Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Member's Rides Can you help me price our bike...04 America

Hi everyone. Sadly my husband has decided to sell his motorcycle to pay for a very expensive knee surgery his dog needs. The difficult part is that he is currently deployed, so I am left to sell it. We don't know a ton about motorcycles, and I know there is some customizing on this bike, but I am not sure exactly what all are add ons. Would you all be able to help me price it? Also, could you all tell me the best way to advertise/sell this bike?

Here are the details:
2004 Triumph America
6,778 miles
dark green in color
We have the service manual,standard manual, a battery tender, and I think a small roll type saddle bag that fits on the front of the bike.
located in the Ft. Hood (central Texas) area.

Please note these pictures are the only ones I have right now, but they are a couple of years old. The condition is the same except that there are some spots on the chrome that have rust/oxidation from the bike being in a carport while we lived in Georgia instead of a garage. I will get new pictures once I can get my father in law down to help me get the bike out of the garage. Another thing that may or may not effect the price is that the bike is currently being stored in our garage while my husband is gone (gas drained, battery off the bike and on a tender,) but I can try get my father in law to get it going again.



The turn indicators stems were replaced after this picture was taken, and are now almost flush with the rear fender.






We have also replcaed the side view mirrors with a matching pair.


Thanks in advance for any guidance you all can give me.

I would ask $4500-$5000, but it probably will sit for a while at that price.
4 grand would sell it pretty easily I bet.

It should go at $4k. If you're desperate, maybe $3800 quickly.

That rear fender is something.

There is an 05 for sale in Austin for 4500, a fair asking price. It will probably bring 38-4000.

It is the exceptional and very rare Good Wood Green like my 05 so its pretty special. To us that is :-)

Good luck with the sale.

Thanks everyone for the prices! So it sounds like I would be ok to list it at $4000, and take no less than $3800 or does that sound like too much or little? Could you all let me know what pieces are different than a stock bike? I know the tail lights and brake light are reworked. Anything else?

Also, would craigslist be the best place to list it? Any suggestions on the best way to clean some of the chrome that has some oxidation/rust? Or is there no hope for those parts (like the screws on the side of the rear fender.)

Thanks again!!!

Dinah , start a little high , like 4300.00 and bargain down to your minimum of 4000.00 , I think given the mileage it's worth that .
Craig's list is a good selling media , but be very careful how you meet and deal with prospects , there's shady peple out there with evil intent , 'speshly since your bodyguard's deployed .

Just go to Wally or a parts store and get a bottle of chrome cleaner and some rags and go to it . Annnd , get a bottle of KIT Scratch remover and do the tank , fenders ,and side cover , that stuff's a great cover for fine swirls and wear .

I'm a wantin' so bad to do a fly 'n ride !

Tell Hubby thanks for his service , and we're here for ya !

The Goodwood green is what I wanted in 05 but it was damaged at the dealer. I wish I could help you out with it! my 05 has 28,000!

I have really enjoyed the uniqueness of my green one. If my wife wouldn't boil me in oil I would by this one too to keep mine company.

Sorry to see that a fellow soldier has to give up a bike, and also that there will one less Triumph rider on Hood.
But I do understand the importance and expense of a dog. Mine swallowed a pair of Vicodin and that cost me a pretty penny let me tell you. I should add, have you considered pet insurance? After that incident I got a policy just in case.

Anyway, I would add in addition to Craigslist, see about putting up a flyer at Kay's Motorcycle Mania - it's in Nolanville just off 190; take the TX-439 Spur/Nolanville exit, make a right at the stop sign (coming from Killeen) and it's just on the other side of the gas station.
If I wasn't deployed myself, I'd try to put a ride together to fund the surgery and save the bike.
Anyway, good luck - oh and I'll ask around over here, I know a few guys in my unit looking to get a bike when we get home.

I was going to say what Wade said, list at $4300 take $4000. If you take a bit of metal polish and a rag most of the oxidation will probably disappear with little effort.
Good luck

Thank you all for the help. This is truly a great community! I will work on cleaning the bike up, and my father in law is coming out next week to help me get the battery back on and get it started and running (since we have it set up for storage.) I will get it on craigslist as soon as that is done, and also put up a flyer at the place in Nolanville. I too hate for him to sell it, but we are looking at a $2500 surgery (if all goes well and that is with a military discount,) and there is a 60% chance his good knee will blow in the next year. Not good. This dog is my husband's best friend, so we have to get him fixed. Thanks again for all of your help, and if anyone knows someone looking for a America please send them this way, of course forum members would get the discounted price

is the dog issue an ACL issue? very invasive surgery that is not always required. My bulldog blew out her acl and is doing fine 6 months later. Many are finding now that those surgeries are simple cash cows for vets. Just a thought.

darn i missed your last post, sounds like a ACL issue for sure. if you want to pm me i can send you some very informative info on this. otherwise good luck to you and your dog.

Thanks and yes we did use conservative management methods, but he is a big border collie (55lbs) that is a full on border collie! He has a partial tear, and since he is a very athletic(frisbee, agility, and dock diving) dog it really is a matter of when not if it will fully tear. We have taken him to the best ortho vet in Texas, and it just needs to be done. I am hoping by going with a CBLO (the newest method) we can preserve his good knee and avoid that acl tearing as well. sadly i was hoping CM would work for him, but he is just too much of a high energy dog for scar tissue to hold his knee together for the rest of his life. I am so happy though that CM worked for your dog. I wish that had been the case here and we wouldn't have to go through selling my husband's bike.

I am not a fan of any of the surgeries, the dog will develop arthritis real bad anyway you go and the surgeries are not 100% the dog should not be allowed to do many of those activities afterwards anyways, how long did you try to CM the dog? it will take a good 6 months of no activity other then a walk etc now and again and short, same thing with the surgery or he will blow out the other one, i have raised dogs all of my likfe, springer spaniels for field trials and now american bulldogs which are VERY active dogs, once that knee goes either the other one will or they will be done will all of those sorts of activities. I wish you and your dog well.

PS my bulldogs all range from 70 to 110 lbs and it worked for two of them, no problems at all today.

Dinah, for the rust spots on your chrome, try rubbing it with a bit of tin foil (the stuff you wrap meat in for roasting). It's a tip I got off someone on here and it does work. Scrunch the foil up first.

I hope your dog gets better

BTW, you should get more $$ for the bike being green, if it had been an option when I got mine, I'd have paid the extra

Again, thanks everyone for the help! I have listed the bike online. I thought I should go ahead and list it at $4200 since there is a bike an hour away that is a 05 and they are asking $4500. Here is the listing: http://killeen.craigslist.org/mcy/2610349393.html

I plan to take new updated pictures once my father in law comes down next week to help me get it out of storage mode and cleaned up a bit. Please let me know if you all think I should change or add anything to the ad. Again, I can't tell you all how much I appreciate the help with this.

And Wade, I would always be willing to pick you up and the nearest major airport if you want to fly in

Thanks for the aluminum trick it worked like a dream. I already have someone lined up to come check out the bike. So hopefully all goes well. Now lets just hope it doesn't give us any trouble starting since it has been in storage mode for a few months now

Two things. Make sure it runs before you show it. And when you have someone coming over to see it, make sure it is dead cold. Buyers want to start a cold bike as opposed to one that may have starting/running issues that don't appear when the motor is warmed up.

Ok, thanks. Sadly the guy who was going to try it out backed out saying he sat on a similar bike at the local dealer and the forward pegs hurt his hip. Here is hoping someone else falls in love it.

Also make sure to send the buyer to this site.

Good luck with your dog.

Just bought 2004 black one with 7200 miles for 3500

I saw a 2003 Speedmaster with 3500 miles sell for $3000 at a dealer, and it was in impecable shape.

That's depressing.

very depressing.....

Thanks everyone for all of your help. I ended up listing the bike at $4,000 for a quick sale since there was a 2005 and 2006 for sale within 4 hours of me. I sold the bike today for my asking price, and I know it sounds corny but the bike now has a great home. The buyer was really excited about it. I did tell him about this board and website.

Again, thanks for all of your help over the last couple of years. Hopefully we will see you guys again if and when my husband gets another bike!