Never pay your payments over 30 days late, very few credit inquiries, only have a couple of credit cards with balances that are far below the credit limits. If you have old credit that has been 30 days late, it will stay on your report for 7 years. If it is older than 7 years, contact the credit bureau and have it removed.

Ride safe,

 

yea...pay your bills on time

 

I agree with a lot of these post. Go into a private sale with yourtrade and get the extra [art of it, (the upside down 3500). Then shop for a deal on interest. Then I would look for a dealer that wants to sell the bike and a salesman that you feel works for you. I have had 3 H~Ds but not 1 dealer did a damn thing to make me want to return. I buy a new bike at least every 3 years. I like having 2 bikes at a time. My local fealers could be selling me a lot of bikes but without that warm and fuzzy feeling the heck with them.

 

Well I really dont know what the issue with Harley salesman are but a lot of my friends say the same thing. they act like their doing you a favor rather than being thankful for the business. At any rate ,I've got some great advice here and I think you. I hope to join the Harley family soon. You guys are the greatest.

 

Last August I told my dealer that I planned to buy a 2007 UC from him when I sold my motorhome. After telling him what color I wanted he said he had one coming in in September. He told me he would pencil me in for the bike. I told him that if no-one bought my motorhome I would not be interested. He said no problem he would put it out for sale. He said I would not have to put anything down that my WORD was good enough to hold it until I sold the motorhome. As luck would have it the day after I sold the motorhome over labor day weekend, the bike came in. Good to my word I bought it and paid cash, I was also able to pay off my balance on my home equity loan I used to buy the motorhome. I was really lucky.

A couple of weeks ago I decided to buy my wife 07 sportster if I could sell a 1955 Les Paul guitar I had for Valentines day. As luck would have it again I sold the guitar and bought the bike. The dealer sold me the bike at MSRP less freight and setup charges. He also gave me a $1500.00 instore gift certificate for all the stuff you need to be cool.

I am lucky to have been able to convert a motorhome and guitar in two nice new HD's that I plan to keep for awhile. Most important I was treated with respect even though both times I told them the sale depended on contingency's some what beyond my control. It was refreshing to deal with a dealer that was straight forward and understood what one's word was and I am glad we have developed a good working relationship.

I also want them to make a good profit. You see I don't know anything about repairing either of these bikes. I also don't have time or want to learn. All I want is for someone to be close by, knowlegeable, honest, and efficiant when something goes wrong. I am sure someday I will want another bike or something else. I will continue to trade with the dealer and depend upon him for these things. That is why he is in business and I am the customer. If you sell at a loss for two long you go broke.
I have ran my own business for over thirty years now and I know this. YOU EITHER GET SERVICE, LOW PRICING, or QUALITY. Pick any two... you never get all three.

Just my thoughts not worth much to anyone but me.

 

I put $500 down to hold my Road King. It wasn't a down payment for a loan, it was just to hold the bike. Obviously the $500 was rolled over to the loan. I also didn't pay a cent over MSRP! I would shop around and find a dealer that will waive the freight. Although when I bought my previous bike the dealer had it sold, but the gentleman never put any money down, so they sold it out from under him...

 

The credit inquiries are real killers too if you have too many of them. Those at least don't stick for 7 years, the tend to fall off your record in 12-18 months. So keep those down as close to none as you can! That of course on top of nothing late.

Also keep in mind your debt to income ratio determines part of your score as well. If you make $50k/year, but have $200k in debt (assuming house is most of it of course), your score won't increase until you pay alot of that down.

 

84 month loans no wonder HD is doing so well they are getting top dollar plus for the bikes, and then they are making another 7200 in interest over 7 years @ 7.5%

Personally IMHO if you can't pay it off in 4 years you can't afford it.

If it gets stolen or totaled and you are on a long loan you are still on the hook for thousands of dollars you are upside down on the loan that the insurance company isn't going to pay for. Same for trade in in 4 years.

25K no money down 7 years 7.5% you still owe 12.5K on the bike at the end of year 4, if you are lucky you'll get that on a trade, ans HD has made 5700 in vig. The house wins, you loose. You just spent 18 grand over 4 years and have nothing tangible to show for it.

 

I bought a new Streetglide in Sept. put $800.00 down fin. 23500.00 and road out the store.
Sorry to here they sold it out from under you THATS WRONG.

 

I say if you can't pay cash, don't buy it! Yeah right!! Think I'll start saving and pay cash when I'm 93. Life's too short and Summer's near. Think of it as reverse motivation. Buy the toy and figure out how to pay for it later....lol. It's working for me, better than expected. Sorry, but I have Mack Truck Syndrome, you are walking out of Wal-Mart and BOOM!. Hit by a Mack Truck, game over, can't take the toys with you. Enjoy life NOW!!!!! I'm sure I'll get alot of criticism, but I get tired of hearing older people saying "one day". If you have the means I say go for it!!!