my dealer in Pa. charges $290. for dealer prep and 1,000 mile check-up is Free

 

Some Dealers add a few things from parts & accessories and charge you twice for them too.

 

I haven't paid a set up fee on any of the 4 new bikes I have bought, and don't intend to ever do it. Also to go along with the set up fee is that awesome $100 documentation fee for them to carry the papers from one guy to the next.

I walk into a dealership, tell them what I will pay OTD for the bike (I usually shoot for right around MSRP for OTD) so thats taking off TTL and Prep and freight, and if they tell me no I leave and go to the dealer that is 30 miles away. It's worked for me so far.

 

There are two dealers in my area of upstate NY. One of them charges $120 for setup and the other charges nothing. $600 is way too much.
The fees are negotiable as well. I recently made a deal with the first dealer and they agreed to wave the fee. Shop around.

 

Exactly. It's a revenue enhancement fee.

It's designed to increase dealer profits by some people paying the fee, and other people paying MSRP for the bike and feel good about the deal because they got "free setup."

Same thing as "Dealer Added Markup" on car window stickers. It just sounds more palatable than "markup."

 

I had the setup discussion with my dealer a few weeks ago when I purchased my SGS. I also purchased a black front end, 10" PYO, Daymaker headlight, air cleaner, & exhaust along with some other goodies. When reviewing the paper work I saw the line item for setup and told them no way was I going to pay $595.00 for setup especially since they were essentially tearing the bike apart. Ended up not paying freight or setup in the end...

 

As always, there is a negotiated price between a free buyer and a free seller.

Dealer can tell you what his price is, and you can say yes or no.

Customer can tell dealer what his price is, and he can say yes or no.

Everybody tries to get the best end of the deal, and it usually ends up where the buyer feels like he is paying a bit too much, and the dealer is feeling that he is making too little.

That's the marketplace.

 

$1200 freight and prep when I bought mine.

 

0 freight. 0 setup fee. 20% off all accessories and labor for anything bought and/or installed with the bike purchase.

Not all dealers sock it to their customers.

 

I just look at the out the door price and work off that number. I don't really give a crap how they break it down on their end.