How do I find my bike's value?

Finding your custom bike's value starts with a baseline from a standard pricing guide, then requires adjusting for the custom work itself, since blue-book tools were never built to price one-off builds.

Kelley Blue Book, JD Power, and dealer trade-in tools can tell you what the donor motorcycle (the stock year, make, and model before modification) is worth, but that number is only a floor. The real value of a custom bike lives in the build: the quality of workmanship, the builder's reputation, the parts and engine work used, and how well the modifications and provenance are documented. Two bikes with the same donor model can differ by thousands of dollars depending on who built them and how well the work was recorded.

To get a defensible number, gather:

• Year, make, model, and mileage of the donor motorcycle.
• A full list of modifications and the parts used, with receipts where possible.
• The builder's name or shop, plus any documentation of the build process.
• Photos from multiple angles, and any award or show history.
• The intended purpose of the valuation (insurance, sale, estate, or tax).

That last point matters most. If the valuation is for personal reference or a private sale, market comps and dealer tools may be enough. But if you need the number for insurance scheduling, an estate tax filing, probate, a title bond for a missing or defective title, or a legal proceeding, you need a custom motorcycle appraisal prepared in accordance with USPAP, since guide-book estimates and informal comps generally won't hold up under scrutiny from an insurer, the IRS, or a court. See Is KBB the only motorcycle valuation tool? for more on why standard tools fall short for modified bikes.