Hello folks. 
I would like to share with you my experience as a novice rider and novice into getting a motorcycle street bike.  I wanted to share this experience because I got all my information and my decision into getting what type of motorcycle through the different forums and thus i wanted to contribute my experience in case another newbie is looking for answers or advice or just see what people has been through. 

I will first start out on how i got about buying one. I always wanted a motorcycle and decided that due to gas prices now would be a good time to do so.  I first search the internet to low cost motorcycle by going to the manufacture website and checking the pictures and the MSRP prices.  I was comfortable in paying up to $7200 for a  motorcycle.  I went for looks and price as oppose to whether it was good for a new rider or not. I knew that i was not getting a 1000cc bike but was sticking to 600cc or less.  I settled on Yamaha FZ6.  I even went as far as going to the dealer and seeing how much there were willing to sell me an FZ6.  Well fortunately for me... the dealer was asking way to much for the motorcycle and I did not end up buying it.  I then went into forums again and found interesting articles about which is the best begginer motorcycle and settled on the SUZUKI GS500F.   I settled on it mainly due to 4 reasons.  Price.  Forum kudos as a begginer bike. I like the look of sports bike as oppose to cruiser and the 500cc.

So now I was really ready to buy a motorcycle.  Throughout my reading.. i wanted to know how to go about negotiating a price for the motorcycle.  This is where i heard about Dealer Invoice.  According to the article it is the price that the dealer paid for the motorcycle.  Sweet.. I thought this would be a great chance for me to know that i am not getting jacked by the dealer.   So the website i went to was www.cyclebuy.com. For 15 bucks i could get that Invoice.  So for those of you wanting to buy a dealer invoice the 2008 GS500f  is $4600.  I rounded that up btw ... its actually 45something.. i forget.  That is including the shipping and the cost to put it together at the dealer shop. It states on that paperwork that if you get that at that price the dealer will not make any money if sold at that price. So you are basically using that to see where they are trying to make money off of you and how much.  The cycle buy says that they expect dealers to make 5 to 10 % of the over the cost..

Well suffice to say.. having that paperwork is a good tool to have and a good bargaining chip to have. However you must yourself be a good negotiator.  I unfortunately am not.  While i did get that information. I can tell you right now I dont think i fully took advantage of that knowledge.  So i chose a store located in Bellevue WA as i was near that area at that time.   I went in and they did not have the motorcycle for me.  However i was at this point in a state to buy the darn thing. nothing was going to stop me.  Hence my bargaining power just dwindled to nothing...  Anyway i will try to explain my nonexistent bargaining deal which may help you readers know what NOT to do.   I informed the dealer which bike i wanted. He said they dont have it in stock but can get one for me in 3 days.   I said.. perfect lets deal.  He qouted me a price of $6900 out the door.  Out the door means basically all cost is included  even the taxes and the paperwork for the title.   Ok so knowing my Dealer invoice and just knowing the total cost.. i knew minus the taxes the dealer was making $2000 off of this deal.  Not going to happen.  So at this point i had to come up with a price that i was comfortable with. I showed him the dealer invoice and i told him well... i know you guys must make money.. and i know exactly how much you bought this motorcycle for... i am not willing to pay that much.  I said.. how about $6200 Out the Door and you throw in Scorpion EXO 1000 helmet.  So they would be making aproximatley about 1000k from me.  While that looks high to me as i write it.. It really was about how comfortable i felt in paying for the bike and how much i wanted it right then and there.   So i settled for that amount.  Of course he had to go to his manager to check on it and came back with a counter offer..  That was where i was a bad bargaining person and ending up paying more around $6500 out the door with the helmet included.   So that is the story of my first bought new 2008 GS500F..

But wait theres more..  So I call the guy and ready to pickup on Friday.  I had not bougth any accesories for myself except the Jacket which i got from amazon.com.. tourmaster jacket.  During the time that i was waiting for my bike to be picked up i looked at youtube and watch videos of bike being stolen.  So i figured..well that was something i wasnt thinking about and need to ensure i get either an alarm or definetly a lock for the bike.  So i settle on Scorpio i500SE  alarm which i now believe might be an overkill...but i was not going to be a victim.. I am also planning to buy a UBolt and a disk bolt.   Most of the theif video they just kinda ran off with the bike.  Those things will defienitly ensure it does not move when i set it down.  Since i only bought a jacket.. i needed gloves and pants and shoes.. Well suffice it to say.. they sold me on all those accesories and ended up paying an extra 1000 for the alarm..and gears.  Which added to the total cost.  So really this little paragraph is more to show you newbies that motorcycle cost is not the only thing to think about ... accessories will definitley need to be thought of in the total price if you plan to finance. 

Signed allt he paperwork on Friday and the finance guy tried to sell me on extended warranty.  And reduced price on getting your motorcycle fixed if anything happens to it or when they do the required maintenance on bike. I refused that as well.  And gap insurance..  These things you should be thinking about when buying a bike as well.  I never researched it online and was taken aback when he was asking me about it and was not very informed as to where i should consider it or not.  At that time i just did not want to add more the the price as i already bought accesories.  So i just declined all that.

When i got my bike home (i picked it up via motorcycle trailer)... i rode it around for a bit and found that the idle was at 4k.  I was surprised by this and did not know what to do. I called my sales guy and he said that he thought the choke was on. I informed him it was not and the next word out of his mouth was that "Well we checked the bike before it left here and it was not doing that".  Pissed me off because that implied i somehow messed it up.  I asked him well how do i get it down.. and since i know a little bit about motorcycle i said probably somehting to do with the idle rpm.. i said where do you adjust that..at which point he informed me.   I then changed the idle speed and that resolved the issue.  I then looked into this forum to see if anyone else had that problem to find that it was common.   This made me feel better because now i KNOW i did not cause the problem. So now I will call my sales guy on monday to Buddha Loves You at him that this was a common problem and that they did not see it when they checked the bike.. and to never assume i broke the damn bike first. 

So now the bike is working fine and idles around 1100rpm.   Perfect.   Rides well and just getting used to when to change gear and handling both the front and rear break at the same time.   This is a really good begginer bike no doubt as it does not shoot you like a bullet if you accidentally rev up and let go of the clutch too fast.. its definitely controllable.  Thank you all who posted with your opinions on this bike.

Well this is my contribution reading to those new guys... hope it helps you.   Those of you who bought the bike for less.. laugh and point..  and those of you who will buy bikes...hope you are better negotiator... but i am happy with my investment...
So i hope to browse this forum often and learn and learn from all of you who take your time to contribute and write problems in forum. 

BLUEHAZE Proud owner of SUZUKI GS500F ...........

Well, I wouldn't say you skint them, but congrats on the new GS500F.   Sweet machine.   I'm sure you will be enjoying it long after it's paid for.   You really don't have to tell anyone how much you paid, or you can be like me and just lie.   You got the gear, so anytime you feel like you paid too much, just gear up and jump on, and I 'm sure in a few miles you will be bonkers happy again.   Works for me.

On the note of the cost...
Whenever you feel bad about paying that much for the bike -
Lean back
Say to yourself: "Hey, at least i didnt buy it in denmark!"

Retail for an F here is roughly 15.000$

It all comes down to how you look at it
Congratz on your new bike, and welcome to the community 

Quote from: TheTazZ on June 29, 2008, 04:59:04 PM
On the note of the cost...
Whenever you feel bad about paying that much for the bike -
Lean back
Say to yourself: "Hey, at least i didnt buy it in denmark!"

Retail for an F here is roughly 15.000$

Hey, $15.00 isn't bad!

Ok so i have been riding this bike now for 4 days now.  As a newbie i would have to say the only gripe i have is always fretting what gear i have it on.   I always have to make it a point to remember what gear i am so when i get to a stop light or a turn i can go down without accidentally going to first right away and jerking the bike if i skipped a gear while slowing down.  I am getting more used to it .  But it is one more thing to think about when stopping in middle of road to make a left turn and figuring out what gear you are on to ensure you leave the road without turning off the engine. Any tips?  My fear right now is making a left or right turn and i am one gear too far up and causing the engine to die halfway to a turn.

Thanks.

Watch your tach and get a feel for what gear you're in and what speed you're at.Also see the links posted.

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=15563.0/

http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=39580.0

Hey Newbie,

I just bought my 2008 GS500F last wek (July 23rd) from a dealer in Orange County CA.  I bought the bike for $4790.  You did some good research but for everyone else, check out OTDMotorsports.com.  They will give yo the quote within seconds on just about any bike you wish.  They are usually 20-30% less than any dealership.  I used their price and negotiated with the internet sales department at Hahm Motors, in which they say they will beat any price by $200.

Being that this was my very first bike purchase, it is a wacky industry, but once I got through all the BS of Gap insurance, extended maintenance agreements and all the nonsense of the finance and sales departments, it was a good purchase and happy on my new Suzuki.  It's a great bike and hope to have years of SAFETY riding to come.

This is a great forum by the way, lots of great information.

Sorry to bring back an old thread. Can anyone who got a new 08 GS500F tell me what they paid. I read between 4750 and up, but I mean the cost of everything.  The bike, fees, registry, doc fee. and OTD. I hate haggling with dealers! lol. Thanks guys

Regarding gear changes, it really doesn't matter which gear you're in when you're going along, as long as it feels right. There should be power available to speed up in the gear you're in, but it shouldn't be wringing the engine at crazy revs. Aim for a cruising speed of 4-6 thousand RPM.

The only time when you need to know the number of the gear you're in is when you stop and need first, so as you're slowing down just nudge the gears down until they won't nudge no further!

Wow, not to bum you out, but you know MSRP on a GS500 is only $5199 right? MSRP includes a profit for the dealer, so they made massive bank off you unless license and title paperwork was $500-800. You can get Scorpion Exo1000's online for right around $300. Not to piss in your Wheaties dude but you got jacked. In comparison, I bought an '07 that was a year old, but had 92miles on it for $4500 out the door with all the document and registration fees. Bought an Exo700 with smoked visor off sportbiketrackgear.com for $185shipped and it's all good. Thought you should know, not trying to gloat, just be more patient when you buy your next bike...

Lol... bridge over water bro... you dont realize how much smile this bike has given me... i dont even think about it anymore.  Bottom line.. i am happy with it.. i am sure i got jacked..thats why i posted it here for future buyers.. learn from me and move on..

Thanks for the input

Hi Newbie, I'm one too. Your post reminds me of something an old old friend once told me. All the real lessons in life cost you money! Hopefully you are now better prepared for your next bike and playing a little tougher.

I bought my 08 GS500 in OC for MSRP $5199 plus license. Cash. I bought the extended warranty. They originally wanted $800! Got it for $395. They still made some dough but I felt it reasonable. The GS is a really good 'adult' learner bike, very comfortable and with enough speed if you need it. I'm already thinking about the next upgrade..