Good morning,

I was wondering if anyone here has bought a dyna in the last few weeks, and if you would share your experience.

I am almost set to buy a new 2014 street bob. I have spoken to a few dealers, and done credit apps and talked money.

One hang up I have is the interest rate. I am a 800+ credit score, and the best rate I can get through HD is 5.99 if I put 10% down (7.25% nothing down) . Has anyone gotten a better rate recently? If it was closer to 3% I would sign today.

Another thing I am coming across is the dealer fees. Even if I get a great price on the bike, the fees are $1500 - $2000. Tax is $350 - $400, but the freight and setup among other things is crazy. Is this normal?

This would be my first Harley, but I have bought numerous other bikes over the years.

I am real close to MSRP out the door. Should I jump on it? I want the dealer to make money, but I don't want to leave extra money on the table.

One last thought, I wonder if HD will change any incentives for November if I wait a few days.

 

HD Credit will loan to just about anyone but they charge high interest, even with your good credit score. Check the loan rates at your bank or credit union. Generally speaking, you'll find a better rate at a local brick and mortar bank/cu than from the dealer's HD program.

Also, everything is negotiable. If the dealer you are working with isn't budging, try another dealer, or two, or three. It is unfortunate but often to get the best price on a motorcycle or car you have to do some leg work.

 

If you are looking at a 2014 HD credit is offering 0.9% for 60 months.

 

It's only on specific models.

 

I will avoid HD financing the next go around, as they were a pain in the rear to pay off early. I called them to get the pay off amount so I could send the check in, only to be told in didn't process in time; so they charged me the normal monthly payment like 30 days after I sent in the payoff. Then I had to fight them over the refund.

 

As mentioned on interest rates your best bet is to go to your local financial institution. That being said, you can sometimes use HD's rate as a bargaining chip for reduced overall price or store credit (but with your credit score there's no better than a group like capital one or your bank). Simply let the dealer know that their deal is not good enough (but make sure you go to other dealers as well so you can back up the claim).

I purchased my 2014 Street Bob during the summer and was still able to get out the door for about $1k under MSRP, I've heard others do even better depending on location and inventory size. I had one dealer come to me with even better rates but he was too far away for my comfort level and I wanted a dealer that I would be happy to continue to do business with.

Like you say, you want the dealer to make a reasonable profit and have a positive relationship but you also want the best deal for yourself. You can have both if the dealer is willing to go to bat.

 

I like Eaglemark, they can be competitive and offer specials from time to time. Remember, the dealer gets a cut on financing so there may be room for negotiation. Also, a good dealer will have local sources for financing.

On your price, I suggest you just be concerned with the net amount and compare dealer prices. One dealer may give you a break on MSRP but charge set-up and vice versa.

 

I went in to buy a new HD with a pre-approved Credit Union check in hand. I gave Harley Davidson Financial Services (HDFS) a chance to beat my Credit Union rate and they did. HDFS (Eaglemark) is a reputable lending institution, but make no mistake, making money is the goal.

Freight on any bike is standard, based on size and weight. Freight for a SB is 390.00, base MSRP with no options is 13,449, add 395.00 for security and 795.00 for ABS. So, your bike cost, freight, dealer fee, and tax, title, and license (TTL). Dealer fee is everywhere now, no uniformity in the process. For example, my dealer charges 499.95 regardless of bike, new or used. However, they attempt to offset the cost with benefits. For example, the dealer fee includes the 1K service, 129.00 battery tender, and a few other small items. So, the 1K service and battery tender can cost 300-400 dollars depending on location. It makes the fee easy to accept, noting there is no cost for the 1K service.

So, I'd pay no more than MSRP, dealer fee, TTL, and the interest rate you can live with. I'd start 1K under MSRP and settle at 500.00 under MSRP to offset the dealer fee, your best interest rate, and everybody walks away happy.

Simplify the process, dealers can move numbers around anyway they want, charge for this, give for that, do this, do that, but in the end, if you're financing, only three numbers matter:
(1) Total amount financed (2) Length of loan (3) Interest rate. The only assumption made in these 3 numbers is you're working with a reputable banking institution under simple interest loans. If so, focus on 1,2 and 3.

Only you can decide the value of buying local where yo will have the service done. I'd argue there is a value, but you must determine what it means to you.

I tend to wonder in these discussions, no insult on intelligence intended, but having purchased what feels like a thousand bikes and cars, I like to keep it simple, final price, interest rate, and term, if not paying cash.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

These dealers are a bit foreign to me. I have spoken to several now, and they all seem to have similar fees and rates.

Comparing them to car dealers it's like Honda vs Ford. They are just different animals.

They also don't seem to like to share the details and specifics of the deal. Like how we get from a $12,000 price on the bike to $13,900 out the door. Tax is in the $400 range, freight is around $390, setup is around $300, the rest is just magic.

 

That's a great deal, I am looking at left over 14's and you still did a lot better than what I am coming across.