I'm living my dream and am buying a brand new Road King soon and am concerned about dealerships ripping me off. I have been researching prices and it's left me with more questions than answers. I learned the MSRP on the basic stock bike I want is $17,499 but I"ve been quoted $20,995 - $22,995.

Don't get me wrong, I know there's tax,title,and other fees but it still seems high. How do I know what's a fair price? I don't expect something for nothing but I've been working toward this for 4yrs (you don't want to know what it's cost me) and it's the first time in my life I'ver ever bought anything new.

One last thing, my old Harley is staying in the family so I don't have a trade-in and I already have a loan so I don't need financing.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated,thank you

 

Some dealers charge MSRP.
Some dealers charge over MSRP.
Some dealers will discount the price and some of the fees.
Some dealers charge MSRP plus add on extras charging the item price plus labor.

Best to shop around and remember,someone will always say they got a better deal!

 

Shop several dealers and asked them to itemize all cost. Add on all accessories you want and then decide who will give you the best service. If you need to drive any distance take that into consideration and then decide who get your bucks. Lowest price doesn't always mean the best deal. First hand knowledge here. Also check with your friends who have purchased bikes from dealers, they can answer question about service.
Be aware of paralysis by analysis it's a killer.

 

Everybody does their own thing,personally I don't add accessories to be financed.You'll be paying for that new pipe or whatever for as long as your loan is.If you make a deal & your *** doesn't hurt when you walk out then you made a fair deal.

 

http://www.seedealercost.com/product...ug/powersports


Found this web site in a thread a few years back.

 

This makes good sense. It's far too easy to add on things during the deal and make it a "nice neat package" which drive up the cost the new bike well beyond what you wanted or needed. Besides, what looks good in the showroom or catalog isn't necessatily what will work or you will like in the end. Piper59 is right, you end paying for it for the next 5 years.

Here's what worked best for me (after doing it the other way afew times!): Keep it simple! Buy the bike as a stand alone unit. You're better off keeping it stock initially anyways, riding it a while and breaking it in, getting to know it. Taking your time to decide what, if any, upgrades it might need. A lot of the stuff sold at an HD shop is grossly overpriced anyways, and you'll do better researching your upgrades here before pulling the trigger on them.

An uncomplicated deal leaves the dealer less room to f--k with you.-and they will, given half a chance. My position when buying a vehicle is "What is the selling price of the vehicle?" Period. I DO NOT CARE what the monthly payments are. That is my problem/concern. I already know what the available interest rates are, so after we agree on a selling price, I'll "let" you try to beat the interset rate I've already locked in at my bank or credit union. If you want an extended warranty (not always a bad deal, depending on your needs), then negotiate that too, separate from the sales price of the vehicle.

Don't fall for "tires for life" (ALWAYS a hidden catch) or other dealer gimmicks. Don't bother with the "maintenence package" they offer. You'll probably want to swtch over to a quality synthetic like Redline at 5000 miles anyways, so why spend extra $$? A dealer will always try to throw a bunch of stuff at you, do the "razzle dazzle" to get you to sign on the deal. STAY FOCUSED.

Use the KISS principle in your negotiations. Be prepared to walk. Be polite but firm. You're the guy with the $$. They need you, you don't need them, and there are more than one dealer in your region.

Check out mtbottle's post too. Use this forum as you are now. Lots of experience here. Good luck. RIde safe!

 

I tried to walk out of the dealership 3 times before they gave me the price I was looking for...they want your money, but you have to have a reasonable number in mind. I told them I was probably going to buy a "barely used" bike off ebay, but wanted to see what they could offer me before I did.

 

If i'm not mistaken ALL Harley dealers are required by Harley Davidson to charge the MSRP.
Add-ons, delivery costs ect. are all negotiable and thats where there will be variations in price.

 

This is true. You don't want to be the dealer who discounts from MSRP then whines to the MoCo about needing more inventory.

 

I wonder how reliable this is....being you can't find it anywhere else like car prices.

I find this very hard to believe.