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[Richard230]

Not too sure about the rest of the USA (let alone the world) but if you're looking for trade-in values here in New York ALL of the dealerships refer to the "Blue Book."  That is either the Kelly Blue Book, or NADA.  Unfortunately, the latter doesn't even LIST Zero as a manufacturer, but here is a link to the Kelly Blue Book page:

https://www.kbb.com/motorcycles/zero-motorcycles/

Even they don't list resale values for all of the models.  For example, in 2016 (the year I'd be interested in knowing) they only list the resale/trade-in value for the SR model, not the S models.

Thanks Jamie.  That was an interesting resource.  Plugging in my zip code showed that a 2012 Zero ZF9 S has a dealership trade-in value of $4,160, while a 2014 11.4 S has a trade-in value of $6,770.  Personally I think both of those numbers are too high and I doubt you could get them from any motorcycle dealer.  Not because the bikes might not be worth it, but because the potential market is so small that most dealerships would be worried about having the vehicle hanging around their showroom too long and their money being tied up in it, before being sold. 

What you could sell them for on the private market remains up in the air in my opinion as it would depend upon luck finding someone who wants to ride electric and has enough disposable money to give it a try as an "early adopter".

I might also comment that I believe that a 2014 S is worth more than a 50% premium over a 2012 S. (The 2012 models had really crappy chassis, suspension and body parts.) I might also add that the Blue Book charts don't include Zero models with "power tanks".  There goes that original $2,900 for the power tank down the drain. 

I'll be visiting my BMW dealer today and will see what they have to say regarding this subject.  Since they are selling Energica bikes, as well as the C-Evolution, perhaps they will have a better grasp regarding actual resale values than your typical IC motorcycle shop. 

[Fran K]

  Unfortunately, the latter doesn't even LIST Zero as a manufacturer, but here is a link to the Kelly Blue Book page:

https://www.kbb.com/motorcycles/zero-motorcycles/

I played around on that site a few minutes ago.  Same as years ago they have nothing in their formulas for what is still available as new left over bikes and the prices that are easy to search up on a New York dealership I have dealt with.  Example 2015 their price for an excellent condition 9000 mile used bike is only $800 less than the new left over Yamaha FZ1.  Also note the trade in price is coming up good condition and the for sale price is for excellent.  Town tax uses NADA not KBB.  An answer to the question here could be to look at your tax assessment or talk to the assessor.

It does not seem to be an option to lease a bike.  I have watched advice about not buying a new electric automobile but lease one on non commercial public access TV if one watches those channels.

Fran

[Richard230]

While at my BMW dealer today I asked my question and was tossed a copy of the NADA book.  In the back of the book I found a page with every Zero model ever sold and its price when new.  But not a peep about resale values.  Just a note at the top of the page that said that the used electric motorcycle market is odd and they have no information regarding used Zero values.    So I assume that if you are a dealer taking in one on a trade-in you are on your own.   

[JaimeC]

Yeah, every dealer I've worked with over the years ALWAYS pulls out that little NADA book when talking trade; doesn't matter if it's a car or a motorcycle.  I get the impression if its not listed in NADA, it doesn't exist.  At least the Kelly Blue Book has SOME data on used Zeros.

[NEW2elec]

Richard I am shocked at the actual honesty from both your dealer and that book.  You must really be (as I figured you were) a very nice respected person and valued customer at that dealership.

That statement in the book is right, there just isn't enough real sales data for the formulas they come up with for most bikes.  The best thing I can say is watch the big for sale sites Cycle Trader, Ebay (hint there is a new listing for a 14 S on there right now) and see what people are asking for them. 
Asking aint getting but it is close. 

[Richard230]

Richard I am shocked at the actual honesty from both your dealer and that book.  You must really be (as I figured you were) a very nice respected person and valued customer at that dealership.

That statement in the book is right, there just isn't enough real sales data for the formulas they come up with for most bikes.  The best thing I can say is watch the big for sale sites Cycle Trader, Ebay (hint there is a new listing for a 14 S on there right now) and see what people are asking for them. 
Asking aint getting but it is close. 

I have been buying BMW motorcycles from this dealer since 1985 and I prefer not to think about how much money I have spent at the shop.  So yes, I am considered a valued customer.  However, I am not sure how "respected" I am - although they were impressed when I told them that I currently owned my fifth electric motorcycle and have been riding them since 2009. 

I have my doubts that the asking price of a used electric motorcycle has any relationship to the actual selling price. Unfortunately, most electric motorcycle owners are enthusiasts trying to sell to a market full of people who likely don't share their enthusiasm or knowledge and are not quite sure what they would be buying.  Plus, most people have cell phones and other new technology, which loose value very quickly, as new products and versions come on the market.  So that would make potential interested buyers pretty cautious when it comes to investing in a used electric motorcycle that they may not be familiar with. 

[NEW2elec]

The biggest problem is if people need a loan to get the bike.  The lack of data will scare the crap out of a bank I'm sure.  That's where the dealers' money guys come in.

People also need to know that mileage is a good thing for these bikes.  It shows the battery is (or at least has been) healthy and it's been rode, charged, and rode again.  A 2014 with 1500 miles?  No thanks.

I bought mine sight unseen.  I had never even been on one.  It still had a few months of warranty left which eased my mind.  But for what I paid I could have dropped thousands in repairs and still been ahead of buying new.

There is some young person out there who fits that 2012 just right.  They don't care about a rougher ride they just walk it off.  If you put it out there for $3000 and take the first $2500 I feel it will be sold by spring.

[Richard230]

The biggest problem is if people need a loan to get the bike.  The lack of data will scare the crap out of a bank I'm sure.  That's where the dealers' money guys come in.

People also need to know that mileage is a good thing for these bikes.  It shows the battery is (or at least has been) healthy and it's been rode, charged, and rode again.  A 2014 with 1500 miles?  No thanks.

I bought mine sight unseen.  I had never even been on one.  It still had a few months of warranty left which eased my mind.  But for what I paid I could have dropped thousands in repairs and still been ahead of buying new.

There is some young person out there who fits that 2012 just right.  They don't care about a rougher ride they just walk it off.  If you put it out there for $3000 and take the first $2500 I feel it will be sold by spring.

I spoke with my son-in-law today. Now that he has the 2012 Zero S running well, with its new encoder circuits, he wants to keep the bike and not sell it.  Instead, he wants to sell his 110,000-mile 1986 Honda VFR700FII. (And it has a new battery too, which he needed to buy this morning before he could go out on a ride.  I guess batteries are nothing but trouble.  )

[Manzanita]

I've been trying to sell my 2014 S for a couple months on craigslist and kelly blue book without the power tank is $9,645.

I have the power tank, selling for $8800 and no one is interested, not a single email. I guess I should bump my ad on the forum here. 

[NEW2elec]

Cycle Trader and Ebay have much better reputations than Craigslist.
Selling local would be great but be willing to work with a buyer's shipper.
Also putting up a You Tube video of the bike riding and charging as it should helps an out of state buyer.

[Richard230]

I really feel sorry for the early adopters of the Energica brand motorcycles.  My recollection is that when they first came to the market they were selling for the mid- to high-$30,000 in the U.S. Then last year (at least in California) the price dropped into the mid-twenty thousands, USD.  Now the prices for the 2017 bikes are between $16K to $20K, or so.  There goes the old resale value - except in the eye of the California DMV, who reduces the yearly taxable value of vehicles by only 10% each year, based upon their original selling price. 

[mrwilsn]

I know what sellers are asking for their bikes, but what I was wondering was what they were actually getting for them?     And I really wonder what dealers are giving Zero owners as a trade-in on a new purchase?

I just recently sold my 2014 Zero S.  I took it to a dealer near Chicago in Dec 2015 and got a quote for trade in of $8800.  That same dealer had a 2012 Zero S for sale for $6500 in 2014 when I bought my 2014 Zero S from them in Aug of 2014.  I ended up keeping the 2014 Zero S but eventually bought a 2017 Zero SR in Dec of 2016.

In Oct of 2017 I took my 2014 Zero S to a dealer in St. Louis and asked about trade in but they didn't want to trade.  The concern was how long it might take to sell.  The dealer in St. Louis has only been a dealer since Apr 2016 so they don't have any experience trying to sell a used Zero.  I ended up leaving the bike with them on consignment and listed it for $7500.  I felt it was a very fair price based on the condition of my bike and listed prices of other bikes on craigslist, cycle trader, Kelly Blue Book and here on EMF.  My bike was in very good condition since I had replaced all the plastic as well as several other parts prior to putting the bike up for sale.

I actually didn't post it for sale here on EMF until Dec of 2017.  When I originally priced my bike, one thing that I took into consideration was that a possible buyer would not be local and would have to ship the bike.  That turned out to be a good decision because I was first contacted by the person that bought the bike 6 weeks later in mid Jan 2018 who turned out to be located back in San Francisco.  After exchanging a few emails the buyer agreed to pay my asking price.  The buyer was responsible for shipping costs and they ended up using UShip to get the bike back to SF.

The whole sale process did take a while. The buyer shipped a certified check but there was a mistake on the check so I had to send it back to them.  They quickly sent me a new check as soon as they got the original back which helped me keep confidence in the sale.  Once I received the corrected check I deposited and then waited 10 business days before allowing the buyer to pick up the bike.  This was on the recommendation of my bank.

From the time I was first contacted by the buyer to the time they had the bike in San Francisco took almost 30 days but in the end I am very happy with the sale.  The bike went to a rider that just recently purchased a 2017 Zero S and his wife caught the bug.  The buyer purchased the bike for his wife and she is very happy with the bike.  I am glad the bike will be ridden and well taken care of.

I probably could have gotten a little more for the bike if I was willing to wait longer for a sale but I am very happy to sell it at a fair price to someone that will really appreciate the bike and make good use of it.

[Electric Terry]

On the facebook group there has been at least one post in the last 2 weeks of someone buying a 2014 11.4 from a dealer for $6000 flat and so that would tell me the trade in is less than $5k perhaps now.  It seemed low mileage (doesn't matter) and good condition.  Another owner said he traded up to a 2018 and traded in his 2014 for the upper $5k range.  Just for some more data. 

Also in Aug 2017, user Brian West traded in his 2014 Zero for $6800 towards his new 2017 SR, for a 3rd data point that is 7 months old now, and one model year older too, so it can be assumed to be below $6000 for a 2014 now, except for the SR or having a powertank perhaps.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155697916741617&set=pcb.1422900421112495&type=3&ifg=1

[legalian]

It's hard to get a real value because it's value versus demand.  I have a 2016 Zero S 9.8 for sale for only $7500 but have only had a few nibbles.  I feel like most of these people buying Zeros are people upgrading and they all want bigger batteries.  So it is much harder to off load older models with smaller batteries or no R versions .

[hubert]

After checking the french 2nd hand web site, I found a handfull of zeros at "fair" prices, and also a handfull of "BMW C EVO" asking prices near list price of new bikes. Does it mean that the BMW depreciates much less or that those sellers just overestimate the BMW reputation?

Finally I was willing to buy (13 months ago already!) my '14 S from a guy in Paris, about 500km far away from home. At about half price of new, with only 5kkm on the clock. And it took me 1.5 days (including endless recharging) driving it (slowly) back home.

The bike I bought was put on sale first at the parisian Zero retailer and later on the web site for private transactions, it took over 6 months for the seller finding a buyer (me), at 2k€ less than original asking price.