Value of a 1917 Indian Power Plus?

[moon wolf]

Hi,

An older couple wants to sell their 1917 Indian Power Plus. They haven't taken it out of storage yet, so I haven't seen it, but it is supposedly original except for the paint (was repainted twenty or thirty years ago).

It's been in the same family since the twenties, and until recently they started it on a regular basis.

I will try to get pictures, but meantime I'd like to get a ballpark idea of value.

Any information will be appreciated.

[Oldchief]

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.as...I&gc=AM&gtc=MC

[Northwoods_Maine]

Oldchief - How accurate do you believe the NADA guide is currently. It seems like when the economy goes to hell in a handbasket and prices started falling dramatically, that it takes NADA at least 6 months to catch up with the lowered valuations. Just an observation, not neccessarily 100% fact. What are your thoughts?

[Oldchief]

Gentleman, let me play devil's advocate here for a moment.
It depends on the actual condition of the cycle. The bike runs, but does it run well? Have you heard it run? I can't tell you how many times someone has shown me a carb and told me that it was working when they took it off the bike!
Working and working correctly are two totally different topics.
It was mentioned that it was repainted 30 years ago, so the original paint is long gone. Was it a professional repaint that has a nice aged patina on it now or was a backyard spray-bomb job? Has the engine ever been apart? Since there are no frame numbers for that year, is the engine number correct for the year/model that it is described as being? Does it have the correct carby? Are there any modifications the the frame, such as cuts: stretched, shorter, tabs cut or all in place?
There are many significant factors to look at prior to purchasing a motorcycle, taking into account as many variables as you can to come up with a reasonable price. The NADA guide is just that. A guide. To me, whether or not the values in the guide trail the economy is not as important as looking at all the miscellaneous variables and then coming to a reasonable conclusion as the value of a bike.
These are just my thoughts, I don't mean to offend anyone.

OldChief