Msrp
When a trade is involved, really then the only number that matters is "the difference" no matter how they arrived at it. That said, the bigger the trade number, on the purchase contract, the less sales tax you pay. At least that's how it is in my state. Tax is calculated on the difference/final purchase number. So, I always take the trade offer and add the tax to it in order to assess the "tax advantage" of trading.
Enjoy the new bike man!
Here is what you can do.
Go for MOCO financing. This will enable you to snag a price roughly 10% below MSRP.
ALSO: Tell the sales mgr you want 20% all future purchase of HD accessories for your MC. You know you are gonna be buying things right?
After one month, you call HD financing for a payoff quote and send them a check for your outstanding balance. You will have paid interest for only one month.
Trust me. This works.
The only difference was the sales tax rate from one county to the next. Eventually, the local dealer that I bought my Buell from discounted the price of the bike to offset the lower sales tax I would have paid elsewhere and threw in $2000 in gift cards and 20% off parts. Considering the bike was ordered for me from the factory and wasn't off the showroom floor I think it was decent. Especially since while I was there to sign the papers for the bike someone saw it and offered the dealer $2000 over MSRP for it. It was a white 2012 RKC. It was a cash deal.
Generally, the dealer won't want to budge too far from MSRP on a cash sale because they make a bunch of money on financing (I think the rate is like 10% at the LOW end) - The dealer still has to make money somewhere...it's just a lot easier to hide it with financing and make you feel like you're getting a deal. So when you say "I just want an out-the-door cash price" you're pretty much taken away every opportunity the dealer has to play the "hide my commission" shell game and MSRP markup is all they got. Harley Corporate also discaurages selling bikes at below MSRP unless there's a damn good reason to protect the price point. You're more likely to get "added value" than you are to get a lower price so you may want to look at it this way: you're going to pay MSRP or damn close (unless you live in the middle of nowhere)...how much can you get? You can probably get a few grand in accessories and labor.
Last edited by blarg; Jun 21, 2012 at 12:57 PM.
ALSO: Tell the sales mgr you want 20% all future purchase of HD accessories for your MC. You know you are gonna be buying things right?
Just b4 heading out to that dealer to finalize things, I stopped by my local dealer one last time. Went straight to the Sales Manager. Told him the deal I was getting elsewhere but was giving them one last chance to match. That I would rather support my local dealer. They still wouldn't come off MSRP. Off I went o buy my bike. They even bought the family and I lunch at a nice deli and threw in t-shirts.
Bought in Delaware which is tax-free. Had to pay MD the tax anyway though. If I had it to do over again I would've started an LLC in Delaware and saved another grand.



