Value of a 1998 Harley Sportster Hugger?

[CliffB]

When the 883's were first being sold, I remember Harley offering to buy them back at the price you paid if you'd step up to a bigger model.

That's hilarious considering most of the Sportsters end up with a small windscreen, soft bags, crash bars, a sissy bar with pillion pad, and a custom seat. People will buy an 883 or even a 1200 and try their absolute best to make it into a budget Softail and it never works.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

 

[CliffB]

List it for $3,500 and if you can find a cheap replacement turn signal go ahead and swap that out so that it doesnt give the buyer even more negotiating leverage. $3,500 is a fair starting point but I'd still be prepared for offers to come in closer to $2,500. You should be able to find the right buyer for around $2,800 and maybe even $3,000 if youre willing to wait. Looks like a good bike to start with and plenty of room to modify it to suit the new buyer. Those bars are awful though. lol

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

Three pics of the damage caused by dropping it on the right side.

I have not replaced the rear right turn signal, although I temporarily rigged something up using an amber clearance marker light --intended for a truck or trailer.

I did also put a tablespoon of two part epoxy over that rip in the vinyl passenger backrest so that it would be water resistant. However I do need to sand down or file down the high spots of that lump of hardened gray epoxy, and then touch-up paint it black.

 

[GAgunLAWbooklet]

... Those bars are awful though. lol

Well for some people these handlebars might take them back in time to a feeling they haven't had since they were six years old on their tricycle.

 

[CliffB]

View attachment 5707042


Well for some people these handlebars might take them back in time to a feeling they haven't had since they were six years old on their tricycle.

I honestly doubt your buyer will be above the age of 40 at the absolute most. Youre absolutely welcome to prove me wrong but I transport a few hundred bikes a year and I've never met a 50+ Sportster BUYER. I've picked up plenty of Sportsters from older guys that are making room in their garage but rarely ever am I taking them one. Beach bars are not a popular bar style on a Sportster. A softail? Sure maybe. A Roadking? Absolutely you'll find guys running beach bars on a Road King. An old sportster is going to get either drag bars or a more straight across bar with less rise and less bend.

 

[DinkyDau]

When my son was young, I rode a 79 lowrider and every sportster he called a piglet.

 

[CliffB]

Also if you look at my other post about "typical sportsters" this one fits it to a 'T'. It's black, has a sissy bar with pillion pad, it has soft bag brackets, it's got the little Softail visor over the headlight and the bars were replaced with a more "touring" friendly bar for comfort. This bike is a textbook example of someone trying to build a budget softail.

 

[the_great_white]

Three pics of the damage caused by dropping it on the right side.

I have not replaced the rear right turn signal, although I temporarily rigged something up using an amber clearance marker light --intended for a truck or trailer.

I did also put a tablespoon of two part epoxy over that rip in the vinyl passenger backrest so that it would be water resistant. However I do need to sand down or file down the high spots of that lump of hardened gray epoxy, and then touch-up paint it black.View attachment 5707033View attachment 5707034View attachment 5707035

After seeing that, it may be worth it to replace a few of those things to get top price, assuming you have parts in your garage or somewhere cheap.

 

[keith089]

When the 883's were first being sold, I remember Harley offering to buy them back at the price you paid if you'd step up to a bigger model.

Just the 883 hugger