The things dealers will do to make a sale

[bill14224]

Mary's dealer is fantastic, no doubt about it.  I only bought a new bike once, and the experience was fair.  27 years later they're still in business, so I guess they're pretty good.

The thing that keeps getting me is how many of you tell the dealer what you want to spend.  DON'T EVER DO THAT.  Telling them what you can spend is like playing poker with a mirror behind you.  If you tell them you can spend $15,000 most will sell you a bike they'd be willing to sell for $12,000 or $13,000 for $15,000 and they'll throw-in an accessory to make you feel like you got a deal.  Harley dealers live off this, profiting handsomely from yuppies with more money than sense.  Have them show you bikes you're interested in but when it's time to talk turkey your finances are your business, not theirs.  When they ask how much you have to spend, the correct answer is "It depends on what I end-up buying."  The salesman will instantly know you're no fool and your odds of getting a good deal and good service down the road just increased remarkably.  Also don't shop until you're serious.  Don't waste his time.  If you want him to be considerate, you have to be considerate.

The best way to get a good deal is to become knowledgeable, have more cash than you need to get what you want, and keep your finances PRIVATE.  And of course, cash is king.  Finance charges can be ridiculous, so they're best avoided, especially when buying toys.  Toys should not be financed in my opinion.  If ya ain't got the cash, ya can't afford it yet.  Save up.  Then when you plunk down for your dream bike it will be all the sweeter.  My friend Dom's brother-in-law saved for 20 YEARS for a new Vette.  He bought it last year, CASH.  He's still grinning!  Had he financed it he'd be worried about payments and his enjoyment would be severely curtailed.

[drduimstra]

Financing sucks . . . learned my lesson the hard way !!! So never again

[adidasguy]

Bill makes some good points.

Fortunately, I did homework before going in to the dealer - including checking out GStwin.com! Also, the dealer was recommended by other bikers who were friends and trainers at the gym.

A friend at my gym told me about sales for GS500F and Ninja 500. I researched both including what they were going for (both on sale for under $4k). It helps to do your homework. So when I went in, I knew pretty well what I wanted and what I should pay. "I'll pay cash today if you...". They did and I bought it. Glad I did. Love the GS. Almost 1000 miles in my first month. My dealer is great. They always have time for me when I go in. Too bad there are bad dealers that make people think all dealers are bad. We have many great dealers in the Seattle area.

If, like me, you prefer a dealer so you have someone to stand behind the product, find a cluster of bikes (or is it a gaggle, pod, school, flock or herd?) like on a sunny day at the beach. Find the bikes that interest you. Find the owners, ask some questions and find out who they think is a good or bad dealer.

[mister]

Dealers Love finance. It makes them more $$$. If you pay cash you can let them know that You know they make more $ from finance.

Also, they get Floor Terms. Which means, they can have the bike for 90 days as Floor Stock before they need to make a payment to the manufacturer. So if you walk in to a dealer and see a new bike, then keep checking back to see if the one on display is the same one. Cause in the last month of their 90 free days, they would be more willing to make a deal. Of course, if bikes keep selling, then no bike sees the end of the 90 days. But it's something to keep in mind.

I've always found it a good idea to Make Them Think there is also another bike you are interested in that they don't sell. Such as a Honda CB400 vs the GS500. If you said you were tossing between a SV650 and a Gladius, they know they have a sale either way. But, if the choice is between a bike they have and one they don't have, they are likely to try to make a better deal to Stop you riding the other bike. Of course, if the deal is good - and you'll know cause you did your research - then jump at it. Cause if you come back after supposedly riding the other bike, you need another set of ploys to play otherwise they'll think the sale is in the bag.

With bringing bikes into Aust from OS, there is Import Duty and Goods and Services Tax which will be added on. GST is 10% and Import Duty could be 20%. So that $4000US bike which was $4700 Aust and only cost $500 to ship for a total so far of $5,200A, has 20% Import added. Which takes $4,700 up to $5,640. Onto which GST will be added to make it $6,204. It costs you $500 for shipping so you're into it for $6,700 now. And you still cannot get it registered cause it's not compliant. Maybe another $500 to make it compliant and you're now into it for $7,200. Not really worth it.

Oddly, years ago Ford made a car in Aust that they also shipped to the USA. In Aust is sold for $28k. In the USA it sold for US$14k - even though it was made in Aust. Go figure.

In Aust, we've just come off 11 straight years of sales growth in the bike industry. This year sales have dropped off. So they are hurting Compared to previous years growth. But still doing ok seeing as sales had been growing by 10% a year.

Michael