A lot of folks skirt the issue above, but to summarize: the Spyder does not hold trade-in or re-sale value. Period.
For a variety of reasons:
1. It's an essentially new product. It has no track record of popularity, reliability, or aftermarket support outside of a closed dealer network. It could be the best vehicle ever made, and those factors would still be true.
2. It's a very expensive product. People who are in the marketplace for $20K++ motorcycles are in the toy market, essentially. These customers prefer to buy new rather than used.
3. The 2013 problems will crater the used market for a long time to come. Anyone doing even a bit of research will be wary of buying a 2013 Spyder (unfairly or not), which will drop their prices accordingly. Selling or trading 2013s will require a steeper price cut than normal as long as there is a glut of 2013s. Unfortunately, we all know there's *also* a glut of *2012* and earlier model year Spyder on dealer lots. If dealers can't move brand new unused Spyders off their lots, they're certainly not going to be eager to offer high prices for *used* Spyders.
Vehicle companies have to go to great lengths over years, even decades, to establish their brands in the consumer's mind. Witness how long it took Japanese car companies to go from a rust bucket reputation to something worth buying, even preferred. Likewise, Korean car companies have spent 20 years selling cars at cut rates with ridiculous warranties knowing they had to suffer until they could prove to the marketplace that they made competitive cars (and even now, when Hyundai puts out quality cars that I'd put up against anybody else's, you can see for yourself how miserable their resale value still is).
Bottom line: it takes a long, LONG time for new products to develop a reputation for desirability and quality. The Spyder won't get there for some time to come... if ever.
Unfortunately, BRP may have suffered a huge hit with the 2013 year (they don't release sale numbers, we're working on anecdote, but the anecdotes are consistent). Any year right before the release of an improved model will inevitably suffer, but BRP took a *double* hit with the quality concerns in 2013. At the price points they want-- natch, *need*-- to sell Spyders at, I'm not surprised at all that they're delaying the 2014s a little while to make sure the rollout is perfect. After 2013, if they botch 2014, we may not have Spyders around for much longer.
And if that happens, we'll all look back at $15,000 trade-in prices as the glory days...
P.S. My advice to any new Spyder buyer-- other than reading Spyderlovers.com!-- is to appreciate the value of the Spyder to them, and budget accordingly. Meaning, be prepared to spend a lot to *buy* the Spyder, be prepared to spend a lot to *maintain* the Spyder, be prepared to spend a lot to *farkle* the Spyder, and be resigned to never getting anywhere near that money back once you sell or trade-in the Spyder.
Your Spyder is sunk-cost; just be sure to get the fun out of it that you want.
pps
