has anyone cracked the leasing model yet? is the biggest hurdle inexperienced newbies damaging the goods?

 

Huh?? Do you mean has anyone leased one yet OR bought a previously leased/rented bike? Either way, I'd put them in the same category as leased cars/trucks. They're usually maintained very well and have records to show it. Any damage is repaired and most people who lease vehicles take good care of them because they don't want to get slammed with charges when they turn it in.

I'm not sure if that's what you were looking for, though. Your post is a little cryptic...

 

I agree, the post is a bit hard to decipher.

My 2011 RKC was a dealer leased bike in FLA for its' first 2 years of life. I bought it from a small mom & pop dealer in Iowa. I think it's a good way to go since the dealer requires scheduled maintenance as part of the lease.

 

whoops. crypticism not intended. question is: i have yet to find a company that leases motorcycles. in my area anyway. and i am wondering why leasing is not a common option, as with cars. if memory serves, the guys at glendale harley were thinking about it a few years ago then decided not to.

 

I imagine there is just not that high of a demand for it. I figure the majority of HD owners like to customize their bike to some extent (some way more than others) and the idea of a leased bike that has to be returned stock after two years with 10,000 mile or less is not a appealing option.

 

I would think most people would shy away from leasing HD just because of the costs associated with it.

 

It's hard to say why they decided not to lease, but it seems like there is a fair amount of dealers who do. Personally, I'll never lease a vehicle again. I leased a new Navigator in '98 & got slammed when I turned it in with more than the allotted miles. Plus, for all the money I put out, at the end, I had nothing to show for it. I bought the next 3 Navigators and had "equity" in them for the trade-in. If your money is that tight, maybe a Harley isn't in the cards right now. Especially one where you're gonna make years worth of payments and get nothing from it in the end. Just my opinion, though.

 

The good things on leasing a bike is you can ditch it in two years or you can find a great bike and decide to buy it for market value after lease is up. I might lease one because I'm close to retirement age but don't really want to buy my last bike until I do retire. I know some dealers around here will lease used bikes for two years with little or nothing down and some won't do it at all.

 

Google search for Harley leasing showed a number of results.

https://www.google.com/search?source...harley+leasing

 

Me thinks that most people who ride a lot and can afford the down payment on a lease, can afford to buy their own bike. Those who can afford it, but don't ride much would rather rent a bike for those few times a year they want to ride. JMO