Can anyone give me some advice on a best time to purchase a 1-2 year old bike. Wait until the 2024’s come out and buy or does it make much difference if I bought now?

 

I believe that being in the right place at the right time and being patient enough to find a good deal is what really matters. It took me over 2 years to find the last bike that I bought, but it was well worth the wait.

 

Middle of the winter is good time for shopping dealers that are in the middle of snow and yes wait till new models come out.

 

Op apparently lives in hell so I don't think snow is a factor (unless it's Hell MI)

 

As mentioned winter is a great time to buy if you live in an area that doesn’t have a 12 month riding season. Also late January’24 could be an excellent time to buy. Depending on what changes HD makes to the MY24 bikes there could be a lot of used bikes available.

 

I would agree with waiting for the "best" time and place. My wife got a crazy good deal on her new 21 Heritage. April. We still can't believe it! I went back to that same dealer on a snowy day in February to buy my used 19 Heritage. It was not a fantastic deal, per se, but I walked away satisfied.

That is not to say you cannot get a great deal now. Some are selling theirs back waiting for something to appear in the showroom over the winter or in the spring. Perhaps they just upgraded for something bigger - or smaller. Perhaps they are waiting for the new 2024's and they know (or think they know) what they want. Then there are is the market factors. My wife didn't trade her Sportster when she purchased the Heritage, she sold it to the dealer months later. It was in awesome condition and Sportsters seem to be rare in our area. She got back 3/4 of what she paid after riding it for 7 years!

My point is, if your local dealers are on Cycle Trader, your "off-season shopping" is very easy online. If not, check individual dealer websites. Still easy. I am convinced you just never know when you are going to see something special. That said, it is not always about the great deal. At the end of the day, it's about the bike that speaks to you. In the showroom and beyond

 

i did the googles, i think this was a good answer, straight to the point

In the Winter The end of the year, in particular, tends to be a good time to shop. Dealers are usually doing two things at the end of the year: trying to meet their yearly quotas and preparing for next year's models to arrive.