Triumphrat

deep6blue · 05-25-2009, 01:07 AM

So I'm looking to buy my first new bike. I had a used Yamaha years ago as my first learner.

I'd like to get a Bonneville SE from a local dealer. The issue is, I've never dealt with a motorcycle dealer. Car dealers yes, but not motorcycle dealers. With auto's, I alway get all my research completed first, invoice pricing, options pricing, taxes, tags. And I'm familiar with all that extra stuff they try to sell you (warranty, paint protection, etc). I feel a little unprepared for stepping into the motorcycle dealer.

Where can I get this information?

I know the MSRP is $8399. But what else will they try to push?
What is a typical price most people are paying with regard to MSRP? I mean, no one pays MSRP do they?
What about dealer holdbacks and such?
Do motorcycle dealers disclose invoice pricing?
What kind of things can I negotiate into or out off the deal?
What about service contracts? Will they push these? What is a good price to pay for one and what should it include?

Can you all offer any lessons learned from your buying experiences? Is there anything you wish you would have gotten at the time of the deal, rather than later? What about things you wish you hadn't got?

In all my questions the one thing I'm not asking for is dealership preferences and such. These questions are really meant for the motorcycle purchase and are not dealer specific.

Thanks in advance for the knowledge!

kokbaba · 05-26-2009, 03:55 PM

Bought my new Bonne SE last month (love it); it's the 4th new bike I've bought from my local Triumph dealer in the last 33 years (2 Meriden Bonne's & 1 Kawasaki dirt bike previously). Here's how my transaction went: MSRP + freight of $300 minus a discount that more than covered the freight (freight is typical at many m'cycle dealers) + Triumph grab rail (discounted 15&#37

with free installation & a promise for a free EFI remap once the Dominator silencers are available.* This deal was negotiated on the only blue/white SE this dealer (the only Triumph dealer in town) had & is likely to have, thus making it likely that it's the only one in this city. I've never been to a dealer in these parts that disclose invoice pricing, there's a price tag on the handlebar as opposed to a window sticker on a new car. I've never asked or been asked about a service contract. Negotiating MSRP, accessories, freight, first service is perfectly acceptable- how much you get is another thing depending on your market & how hungry your dealer is!
*cash deal

deep6blue · 05-27-2009, 12:46 PM

Thanks kokbaba. That really helps. I've talked to the dealer a couple times and it looks to be a similar deal to yours. I'll post the details when it is all done.

BigAl8295 · 05-27-2009, 06:33 PM

Call around!

FLIronButtRider · 05-28-2009, 04:24 PM

Motorcycle dealers are just as horrible as car dealers. The difference is that you don't have the ability to get enough information to protect yourself going into negotiations. While you can find all sorts of info on cars online, this same info is nonexistent for motorcycles. What makes it even worse is that some dealers, particularly those who hold the only franchise in town (BMW, Ducati, KTM, Triumph, etc) usually have a bad attitude in that if you want the bike, you have to buy from them or not buy at all.

Call around and don't be afraid to take a day or two to travel and get a bike. Even if it takes a full day to get somewhere and a full day to get back, if it saves you $1,000 or so, that's $500 per day. Not sure about you in particular but most folks I know don't make $500 per day to make up for it.

Beemie · 05-31-2009, 10:13 PM

Go to more than one dealer to see how the personalities strike you.

For pricing, it IS Spring, but times are tough.
My favorite dealer is always prepared to negotiate, and the co-owner who sells new bikes is the kind of fellow anyone would like to have as a friend outside of the shop. I like to spend my money with people that I like and want to help.

Personally I'd always walk away from a dealer that charges for setup.
I think that is part of the list price.
I've seen a few that have shipping and setup on the tag but offer to eliminate those costs without being asked.

MSHarleyChick · 06-03-2009, 10:35 PM

There are only 3 dealers in our state and I called them all ..I ended up in Ohio because it was the lowest price I could find. I tried to deal with the others and as bad as the economy is in Michigan you would think they would have been more than happy to sell a bike but ...so I would call around ..I started looking at Cycle Trader Online that's how I found my bike at a great price.

Silverhawk · 06-03-2009, 11:14 PM

The dealer in Pensacola was very good but I didn't dicker either. After going to 6 different motorcycle dealers I was about burned out. The 2 local HD shops acted like they were doing me a favor just to talk to me. I even said I was ready to pay cash out the door. One of the HD salesmen wouldn't even let me let me hear a used bike run let alone test ride one.

Speaking of test ride, that was probably the trick that stuck the deal with the America. I did one ride solo and then a second with the wife.

Triumph just tried harder to please compared to the others. That's worth a lot too.

Doug48843 · 06-04-2009, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSHarleyChick

There are only 3 dealers in our state and I called them all ..I ended up in Ohio because it was the lowest price I could find. I tried to deal with the others and as bad as the economy is in Michigan you would think they would have been more than happy to sell a bike but ...so I would call around ..I started looking at Cycle Trader Online that's how I found my bike at a great price.

I'm also in MI and contacted two of the three dealers. I also contacted one outside of Cleveland, but honestly I wasn't prepared to go that far out of my way.

I was given a very fair deal on my bike and whatever accessories I wanted and honestly couldn't have been happier with the service I was given prior to, at the time of and after the sale at Life Cycle in Kalamazoo.

To me service is as important as price on a major purchase and as someone else said, I do business with people I'm comfortable with and and who I like. If I have an issue with my bike I know they are going to be there for me and handle any concerns (and provide a free service loaner). To me that's far more valuable than saving a couple hundred bucks and having a dealer out of state.

MSHarleyChick · 06-04-2009, 10:58 PM

Doug you have extremely good points about service etc.. All of which I took into consideration but the bottom line for me was price. I am seriously considering taking it to LifeCycle for it's 1st service though...We have a place south of Traverse City so it will be between Classic and LifeCycle something about Detroit Triumph just didn't rub me right when I was there ...not sure what it was ..their RAT group seems nice enough though.