Avoid being ripped off by dealer on new bike - possible?
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
I can tell ya....no deals at my dealer....they're are the only ones within a 15 hour drive of me, so they don't really have to. To top it off, they are sold out for the year, and had to get a bike from another dealer for me. But they haven't inflated any pricing with me, treat me good, and always get me exactly what I want. I'm willing to pay for that. I did check the dealers down south just for the hell of it, I could have saved a couple hundred on a new bike, and thats about it.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 4,229
Likes: 10
From: Oklahoma
Buying a new Harley is not like buying a new car, you are going to pay close to msrp. Depending on the model, you might get a little off but not much. It's not uncommon for the dealer to make more in the F&I office than the sale of the scooter. The best time to buy, depending on your area is the dead of winter. And some deals can be had on left over previous year models after the current year models are plentiful. I bought a new '11 in Feb, '12, it was 28 degrees when I rode it home. I was happy with the deal I got, a little under msrp and a couple of incentives (and of course 2 t-shirts - lol).
Dealers want repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising, they are not necessarily out to get you.
Dealers want repeat business and word-of-mouth advertising, they are not necessarily out to get you.
Last edited by mmcbeat; May 18, 2012 at 07:37 PM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
Harley does NOT haggle with the MSRP.
Dealers may mark up that price, add extras ect. to increase the value from there but at the end of the day they cannot charge LESS than the MSRP.
There are some fees like setup charges, shipping ect also that they may or may not make deals on
Dealers may mark up that price, add extras ect. to increase the value from there but at the end of the day they cannot charge LESS than the MSRP.
There are some fees like setup charges, shipping ect also that they may or may not make deals on
MSRP is exactlyl that. "Suggested Retail Price". And they don't care what a dealership sells the bike for. They've already gotten their money from the dealer, which is quite a bit less than MSRP. The dealership usually won't lose money, but they have a lot of room to negotiate with since they usually mark everything up at least 1k.
OP, a lot of good advise here. One thing to do is make sure they have your phone number. Go in knowing what you're willing to pay for a bike and any accessories that you want. But the most important thing is this. If they won't budge, walk away.
You'll have one of three things happen.
1. They won't budge. You'll leave there and go work a better deal somewhere else.
2. They'll call you later that day, or in a day or two willing to deal.
3. They'll chase you down in the parking lot and negotiate with you before leaving.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 20
From: Shamokin, PA
Don't rush anything. It's a lesson that I've, and I'm sure many others learned the hard way. I had to have a harley right away, I had to buy a Jeep as well. I could have saved quite a bit more on the harley, but the Jeep was a spur of the moment mistake. I wish I could redo it.
Road Master
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 785
Likes: 2
From: SE TN
I was $250 different between what I was willing to pay and what the local dealer offered. They didn't budge so I walked. A few phone calls later, I paid what I wanted and got what I wanted from a dealer about 2.5 hours away.
And, magically, it was below MSRP
If you know what you want, start calling.
And, magically, it was below MSRP
If you know what you want, start calling.
Tourer
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 454
Likes: 0
From: NEMO
I'm currently working with three dealerships all within two hours of me trying to get the best deal. They should all have the model that I want in stock this next week so I hope to have something done soon. Its hard though having to wait, one salesman told me to wait and get the one I want and not to just buy one to have one. I'll probably buy from him if possible. I still get a kick out of just going in and hanging around the shops though.
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Pay attention to that pesky interest rate. I managed to get 'em down to 3.99 by going between two dealers. Then I lost interest in buying a new bike. LoL.
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 717
Likes: 1
From: Deatsville, AL
I just got the wife a '12 Iron 883 back in March and after going to one local dealer and getting a final price, i used that to go to a second dealer who knocked off the freight, setup and then a couple hundred off list price. I turned down the GAP insurance and all that crap. I plan on always paying more than the monthly payment so i'll never be "upside down".