General Harley Davidson Chat Forum to discuss general Harley Davidson issues, topics, and experiences.
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Financing

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 01:28 PM
  #1  
highwayman's Avatar
highwayman
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
From: Pikeville, Kentucky
Default Financing

Hey all!! How's Harley's financing? A buddy of mine said, "if you take a 10% down payment to a dealer you'll get a bike". I think he meant no matter what your credit is (I THINK). My credits not to well right now, but not awfull. Do ya'll think they'd finance me?
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 01:38 PM
  #2  
Axor's Avatar
Axor
Novice
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Default

There's really just one way to find out. Go ask them at the dealership.
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 01:58 PM
  #3  
highwayman's Avatar
highwayman
Thread Starter
|
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 193
Likes: 0
From: Pikeville, Kentucky
Default

True!
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 02:43 PM
  #4  
RollaMo's Avatar
RollaMo
Grand HDF Member
15 Year Member
Liked
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 4,581
Likes: 669
From: Rolla
Default

With less than perfect credit, they might still finance with 10% (or more) down.
But I am betting you will NOT like the interest rate they will give you.
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 05:24 PM
  #5  
jdc48160's Avatar
jdc48160
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Whittaker, MI
Default

My experience with HD and their financing didn't seem too horrible. Price tag on the bike was $5769, sales manager said he'd do it for that price out the door. I filled out a credit app to see what my monthly payment would break down to, just to see if I wanted to venture into monthly payments. Came back with $127 a month for 48 months with 10% down. Not too bad, but I decided I really don't want a payment. So, I asked the sales manager if he'd do the bike for $5000 CASH out the door. He wouldn't do it, so I walked out of the place.

My credit score is like 610, not horrible, but not super great either, and they got me approved.

I have since decided I'm just gonna find a Sporty and buy it cash, whether it at a dealer, or from a private seller locally.

In fact, I just talked to the Matco tool guy who comes into the auto shop I work at about a '04 Sporty he's selling. I told him, "You've got a month to think about this Larry, 4 grand cash for the bike." He had said previously he wanted like $4500 for it. He's selling it so he can get the wife a Heritage. He then jokingly told me I should buy his Road Glide for $15K so he could buy a new bike for himself. Mind you, his RG is only a 2007. I just kinda laughed about it and told him, "If I had $15K to spend on a bike, a Road Glide honestly wouldn't be my first choice. I'm not a big fan of baggers, I'd get a FXDL."
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 05:56 PM
  #6  
Rugar's Avatar
Rugar
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 356
Likes: 0
From: Berdoo, So Cal
Default

Originally Posted by jdc48160
My experience with HD and their financing didn't seem too horrible. Price tag on the bike was $5769, sales manager said he'd do it for that price out the door. I filled out a credit app to see what my monthly payment would break down to, just to see if I wanted to venture into monthly payments. Came back with $127 a month for 48 months with 10% down. Not too bad, but I decided I really don't want a payment. So, I asked the sales manager if he'd do the bike for $5000 CASH out the door. He wouldn't do it, so I walked out of the place.

My credit score is like 610, not horrible, but not super great either, and they got me approved.
But what was your interest rate that they were offering you? My guess is that it was fairly high with a 610 credit rating. I'm willing to bet that he would have dropped the price by a small amount if you would have financed it, and then made it back up on the finance charges. If you had the cash you could have just financed it to get a better price, and then payed it off when the first payment was do. This works great if your contract doesn't include a penalty for early pay off. But it sure pisses off the dealer.
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 05:58 PM
  #7  
PastorTom's Avatar
PastorTom
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,151
Likes: 0
Default

Originally Posted by highwayman
Hey all!! How's Harley's financing? A buddy of mine said, "if you take a 10% down payment to a dealer you'll get a bike". I think he meant no matter what your credit is (I THINK). My credits not to well right now, but not awfull. Do ya'll think they'd finance me?
Problem is then they want ya ta make those dern payments....

 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 06:47 PM
  #8  
Big Pig's Avatar
Big Pig
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 6
From: Greensboro, NC
Default

Originally Posted by highwayman
Hey all!! How's Harley's financing? A buddy of mine said, "if you take a 10% down payment to a dealer you'll get a bike". I think he meant no matter what your credit is (I THINK). My credits not to well right now, but not awfull. Do ya'll think they'd finance me?
Normally, (but the current credit crisis may change this) if you can fog a mirror and have at least 10% cash down Harley will finance you with bad credit, BUT you will pay as high as 24.9% interest. I have a friend that his DA self financed a Fatboy for 84 months at 24.9%, $580.00 a month payments. With teh down payment he'll end up having like $50,000 in it when/if he pays it off! CRAZY!
 

Last edited by Big Pig; Dec 9, 2008 at 06:50 PM.
HD Forum Stories

The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders

story-0

7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

 Verdad Gallardo
story-9

Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 06:52 PM
  #9  
Big Pig's Avatar
Big Pig
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,069
Likes: 6
From: Greensboro, NC
Default

Originally Posted by jdc48160
My credit score is like 610, not horrible, but not super great either,



Oh, you under-estimate yourself, a 610 is bad. Bottom of the "Poor Credit" rating on the FICO Scale. With that score you'll get Harley's "Stick it in your azz" rate.
 
Old Dec 9, 2008 | 07:20 PM
  #10  
jdc48160's Avatar
jdc48160
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Whittaker, MI
Default

Originally Posted by Big Pig
Oh, you under-estimate yourself, a 610 is bad. Bottom of the "Poor Credit" rating on the FICO Scale. With that score you'll get Harley's "Stick it in your azz" rate.
While I appreciate your oh-so-insightful commentary, I was just looking at my credit score and info the other day, and cehcking some other info, and it doesn't classify my score as "poor credit" as you say it does. Get your facts straight. Yes, I may get higher rates on stuff, which is part of my reasoning for not wanting to finance the bike. I don't wanna pay crazy interest and fees. I was just kinda looking into things with the dealer that day.

My credit was worse due to some issues in the recent past, but I have since cleared stuff up, and am working on rebuilding my credit. I've got a couple low-limit credit cars I use now and then. When I use them, I pay them off in full when they are due to show a good payment record. I also have some stuff for my job thru Snap-On Tools on their Snap-On Credit thing they have. It's $2500 worth of stuff I purchased earlier this year thru them. I have a weekly payment of $25 I make on that. Haven't missed one yet, haven't been late, I've even paid extra almost every week on it.

It's a slow process to rebuild credit, but I'm trying my damndest to make it happen.

I also have some student loans that are not yet in repayment status. Once they are, the interest rates are less than 5%, some of it is no interest. Payments will be very low on them, since I don't have a ton of student loans to repay. It's somewhere around $25K for the 4 years of schooling I'll have completed after the upcoming winter semester. That 4 years is about equivalent to one year of what my sister is having to repay from her 4 years at the University of Michigan, so I don't feel so bad about having taken out those student loans to get myself thru school.

I just love internet know-it-alls on message boards.
 



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 10:50 AM.

story-0
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles

Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-29 16:50:35


VIEW MORE
story-1
8 Best Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: Not every Harley gets it right, but these are the ones that genuinely earned their reputation.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-15 14:23:21


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Worst Harley-Davidson Motorcycles Ever

Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-01 20:01:09


VIEW MORE
story-3
Killer Custom's Jail Break Is The Breakout That Refused to Blend In

Slideshow: Killer Custom's "Jail Breaker" build focuses more on stance and visual aggression than mechanical overhaul.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-18 19:20:32


VIEW MORE
story-4
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?

Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-07 16:15:30


VIEW MORE
story-5
Harley-Davidson Reveals Super Cool Cafe Racer Concept

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's new RMCR concept revives the café racer formula with modern hardware-and it may be exactly the reset the company needs.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-04 12:23:37


VIEW MORE
story-6
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II

Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-02-24 18:19:44


VIEW MORE
story-7
10 Motorcycles You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There is no shortage of great motorcycles to buy, but we would avoid these ten.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-02-19 14:50:51


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Things Harley-Davidson Needs to Fix in 2026

Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-13 18:33:17


VIEW MORE
story-9
Southpaw Super Glide: A Left-Hand-Drive 1979 Harley FXE Built to Fit the Rider

Slideshow: Graeme Billington's left-hand-drive Shovelhead is as much about problem-solving as it is about classic Harley form.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2025-12-30 11:27:08


VIEW MORE