anybody got some negotiating advice?
 

First off I suck at negotiating but I am looking at a local dealership at 2 used bikes, and was wondering what is the best way to get a a deal on em. You think they would work with me a little more because of buying 2? Just trying to figure out how to get the best deal. One bike is 19990 the other is 11990.

1.) Research, Research, Research . . . you have to know exactly what they are worth. NADA, KBB, eBay Sold List, etc.
2.) Patience which includes a sincere willingness to walk away from the bike.

Typically dealers will not deal much at all. Bikes are not like cars where yo ucan negotiate them to death. You may get a little off the price, but will have a much better time getting them to throw in some gear. $500 to you only cost them $25 (exaggerating, but HD owners know what I mean)

Quote them a price (lowball), raise it twice and NO MORE unless you get within $500 of each other then offer to split the difference.

Try not to be to show excitment over the bikes. On my last deal I studied the model I wanted, compaired prices from ebay and other internet sites then offered him a resonable price I thought it was worth and what I wanted to pay, tell them to take it or leave it. Play hard ball with them, plan on walking away. I learned this from my boss who just purchased a 1.2 million dollar aircraft that way when they were asking 2.5 million for it. If you are in the ball park don't worry they'll be in touch.
Don Enlow (FlyLow)

Do your homework and shop in the dead of winter to get the best price. There's no reason for them to deal when people are filling up the showroom looking to buy a bike.There's more wiggle room on a used bike then a new one. Figure out what you can afford then plan your attack.,,

Play the dealerships against one another in the area. Do not be afraid to say no, and even walk out the door if you need to. Whatever they offer you, tell them no and you have a better deal waiting...you were just stopping by to look/talk just in case they could do better, etc. If you are not comfortable walking out, just tell them no way, you already have a much better deal ready to go and you'll just look around at merchandise. They will come get you again.

Also, work some store credit into the deal. I'd say any where from $500-1000 is pretty average.

When negotiating, don't go by monthly payment, go by the overall purchase price of the bike.

Lastly, research. Buying a 2010 bike will have them wanting to do whatever is possible within reason to get you to buy it, whereas a 2011 bike might not be so easy.

All good advise above. But there are some dealers out there that simply WILL NOT negotiate. And when that's the case, it's typical for the other dealers in the local area to stand firm as well. Almost as if they have an agreement to stick with MSRP and/or resale value. So I would add on top of what's been said that you have to be willing to travel a little to get the best deal.

That said, I think THE BEST negotiating skill is patience and willingness to walk away.

thanks for the responses both bikes are used one is a 2003 the other is a 2010 with only like 400 miles on it. the book on the 03 is like 10500 but I did not know whether they go by the book or not.

Negotiating is an art form when done correctly. If you are looking at used bikes you need to figure out 2 numbers, 1 about how much do they have into the bike, 2 how much are you willing to pay for the bike. The first number is the hardest to come up with, but a lot of research on trade in values will get you in the ball park. Getting the retail value is easy, NADA is the average selling price of that model in your area based on the paper work turned into the dmv. You also must remember that if you don't get the price YOU want you must be willing to walk away, you can always find another bike.

Now that you have done your homework, walk into the dealer ship and tell the salesman that if you can reach a deal you will BUY TODAY. Make sure they see your check book and title to any thing you are wishing to trade. Salesman talk to bull shitters every day, they need to know you are willing to make the deal today. When you make your first offer don't be to unrealistic, it should be a couple of hundred dollars over what you think they may have in the bike. And now the fun will begin. Just remeber that you must have a max amount that you are willing to spend and walk away if you don't get your price. Some times you have to visit 3 or 4 different places to get the deal you want, but if you are patient you will get the deal you want.