Negotiating prices on new motorcycles

Thanks to the helpful replies in this thread I went back to the local motorcycle dealer ship and inquired about what kinds of deals they were willing to do on the Honda Shadow 750series for 2002 and 2003 models. I have never bought a motorcycle before and the reply was surprising. I asked about the 2002 series re getting a deal and the reply was that the motorcycles sold for MSRP and the best “deal” I could hope for on a 2002 was maybe $ 100. or so off or maybe a saddlebag.

Now I don’t want to be an absurd cheapskate, but I don’t want to get my pocket picked either. Is this SOP for how motorcycles are sold? It’s not a huge dealership, but it seems reasonably professional otherwise. Is it because I’m not talking the “lingo” necessary to buy a mid-size bike? I could put 5 of these scooters on just one of my credit cards and I’d be kind of pissed if I’m just being blown off as a tire kicker (which I may or may not be, but one should never be treated that way by a competent salesman). I’m in sales myself and being handled dismissively is a pisser.

Do you have to go in ready to deal to be taken seriously? He didn’t seem particularly motivated to get my business. Are motorcycles sold differently than cars re negotiating?

Doh! Yeah that’s right… preview the text but not the title. Would a kindly mod change “pices” to “prices”.

A friend of mine just bought a '02 VTX and was able to get the guy down to $1000 below retail, but it was also their demo model and they were trying to get rid of it. As the year winds down, the prices start dropping towards retail, so they can get rid of them to make room, but most of them aren’t going to eat anything either. They figure that someone will come in who isn’t going to haggle as much. The fact that they are willing to knock off some profit on accessories would tell me that they do want to get rid of the bike and that the cost of the bike is the best I’ll get. Many dealers wouldn’t offer something like that.

O.K.

The trick is not to negotiate much on the price of a new bike, secondhand you can usually do far better in this regard.

First off, do your research, who else is selling it in your area and for how much ?

Look around the net and get some prices there, this will give you leverage.

Next off, you need to remember the cost of servicing and kit.

The Nighthawk 750 is very good on servicing costs as it has hydraulic tappets which self adjust, this makes quite a differance.

Be careful about tying yourself down to servicing from one particular dealer, some will offer you a reduced rate of servicing provided you pay in advance, but this then takes away your choice and commits you, when you may not know much about the standards of that particualr dealer, and it ain’t unknown for even large dealer chains to go down owing lots customers their pre-paid services.

Perhaps one of the best ways to save money is to get good kit thrown in with the deal, remember that the dealer is paying trade for it, so he can pass it to you at bery much reduced rates and still be in front.You can do even better if you try to pick out stock that is either not moving, or is last years models.

If you do this right you will get high quality kit for the price of the lower quality, do not buy kit on the basis of saving money, save up and get the real thing.

I’d look to get boots two pairs (one pair would be like heavy workboots and will be ok to walk around in, and the other pair would be longer, offer more protection but also more dedicated to biking), couple of pairs of gloves(light and heavy), one decent set of zip-together leathers, one piece jobs are not versatlie enough, at least one crash hat - maybe another for a partner, some sort of rainproof top, maybe even synthetic jackets made from cordura or the like.

Next, you can do deals on accessories, on a bike like that I’d have wrap around crash bars, not the little single loop ones, I’d have heated bar grips, I’d have a flyscreen, I’d have a luggage rack and box to fit, and I would have a very very strong chain and lock(cheap is definately not a good idea in this matter).
The lock and chain can then live in your top box for ready use, too many riders risk death and serious injury by carrying heavy chains across their bodies whilst riding, and on a long hot day its just bloody uncomfortable.
I’d also think about getting an automated chain oiler device fitted, such as Scottoiler, you will be amazed at how much longer your chain and sprockets will last, and since these are expensive items when you add in the labour costs it makes sense to maximise their life.

On an slightly differant note, do not try to save ten bucks on a chain, go for the best like a DID or somesuch, cheaper chains wear out dispoportionally fast.

When I was shopping for a Yamaha XJ600 Seca II in 1994 I looked around L.A. where I live and San Bernardino where I worked. Every place I looked had the bike priced at $4,495, but they’d “give me a break” and let me have it for $3,995. I went to the dealer in the town I where I went to high school and his Seca IIs were tagged at $3,995. IIRC I got the bike for $3,495.

Several months ago I looked at a new Yamaha R6 at Marina Yamaha. It was tagged at $7,995. I asked the manager how much he’d sell it for. He started going on about tax, license, etc. – the “out the door” price – and I asked, “No, I mean how much will you take off the sticker?” He said, “That’s the price.” He was unwilling to deal at all.

I called the dealer who sold me the Seca II and he said he could let me have an R6 for $7,495 – five hundred simoleons less than the other dealer. While he didn’t have the colour I wanted in stock, he said he could do a dealer trade to get one (which, although he didn’t say it, was extra work and expense for him). As it happened I suddenly had other responsibilities (or so I thought – the helicopter was a good price, but the insurance was a killer!) and I never did get the bike. But I’m sure that this dealer would give me a good price when I’m ready.

It pays to shop around.

Astro, go to another dealer. Often times there are dealer incentives and other rebates that can reduce the price of the bike but you have to know that this is going on and ready to haggle on the price and leave and go to another dealer if that dealer isn’t ready to deal. I got my 1998 Ninja 900 in 1998 for less than retail out the door, that’s right with tax(8.25%) and everything. You just need to shop around more. Time is on your side, October is coming up soon and sales will be way down.