Do Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Hold Their Value Well?

Harley-Davidson motorcycles are some of the most well-recognized and popular motorcycles available, and is by far the most popular American motorcycle brand. The Harley-Davidson brand traces its history back to 1903, when William Harley and Arthur Davidson decided to start making motorcycles by attaching single-cylinder engines to bicycles. Since then, the brand survived The Great Depression, the rise of international motorcycle manufacturers, and generations of Americans with widely different tastes.

A big question that owners and potential owners have when looking at Harley-Davidson motorcycles is how good their resale values are. Every type of vehicle that is sold as-new loses value as soon as it leaves the showroom. That remains true with Harley-Davidson motorcycles, with 2015 models losing anywhere from $21,000 for the CVO Road Glide Ultra to $4,000 for the Street 750 on average.

One of the ways the Milwaukee-founded brand stays near the top is by offering a multitude of different models for nearly every type of motorcycle rider. Offering different motorcycles like the classically designed CVO Road Glide Ultra and the affordable and beginner-friendly Street 750, there is a Harley-Davidson motorcycle for every type of driver. While there are Harley-Davidson models that lose significant value over time, there are others that do a fantastic job of holding value. The most important indicator when determining the value of a used motorcycle will be the condition of the bike, its age, and how many miles are on it.

The 2015 Harley-Davidson motorcycle that has lost the most value since it was new is the 2015 CVO Road Glide Ultra, which had a starting price of $39,649 out the door. The average 2015 CVO Road Glide Ultra has a trade-in value of around $13,000, less than a third of what the motorcycle was originally worth. While owners may only get about $13,000 for a trade-in, the average listing price of a 2015 CVO Road Glide Ultra is $18,000. If you bought a brand-new 2015 Harley-Davidson CVO Road Glide Ultra and were planning on making back your money by reselling your bike, you should plan on eating about $21,000 of the original bike's price.

That drop in value for a bike like the Harley-Davidson Street 750 is significantly less. With a starting price in 2015 of just $7,499, the Street 750 is one of the most affordable motorcycles on the market. The beginner-friendly Street 750 can be purchased now for an average price of about $4,000, meaning the bike loses almost half its value over the course of 10 years. The trade-in value of the Street 750 is less than its average listed price, with most good-condition models worth around $3,000.

Two other popular Harley-Davidson motorcycles have also seen a drop in their value after 10 years, though neither drop is as low as the Street 750's or as high as the CVO Road Glide Ultra's drops. Motorcycles like the Street Bob or Heritage Softail Classic offer iconic designs and meet the expectations Harley-Davidson owners expect from their bikes.

The 2015 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic had a base price of $18,349, making it about half the cost of the CVO Road Glide Ultra when both models were new. Ten years later, the average price paid for a 2015 Heritage Softail Classic is just $10,000, giving the bike a drop in value of about $8,000 over 10 years. For current owners who want to trade their bike in, you can expect to receive about $7,000 for a model in very good condition.

The 2015 Street Bob offers owners a minimalist design and cost $13,449 when it was new, making it cost almost twice as much as the Street 750. Now, the average price for a used Street Bob is still high, at around $8.000. If you're planning on trading your 2015 Street Bob in, you can expect to receive around $5,800 for a model in good condition. Regardless, if you're looking for a used Harley-Davidson motorcycle, you'll find some great options.