Buying a bike from a B&M dealer?

[crabjoe]

I've never purchased a bike from a dealer. The only things I've ever purchased are cars and boats from dealer.. And I need some info, after my 1st motorcycle dealership visit.

The bike in question was listed $5999, which is MSRP. The sales guy tells me by the time the fees, such as freight, PDI, taxes and tags are added, the OTD will be more like $7500-$8000. Then says there's room for negotiations. I was floored to say the least.

Based on what I've been reading online, on a bike that is usually sells new for around $5 grand, about the max a customer should be paying is around $1000, once all the fees are added. Am I wrong on this?

Anyone know what the how much freight usually is on a bike? I know with cars and trucks, it's usually around a grand these days. But a bike, I can't imagine it being even have that because of the size. Also, how much do most dealers usually charge for PDI or doc fees? Really what do they do on non-chinese bike that might cost hundreds to do a PDI? Isn't it more like cars as in unpackage, check/fill fluids, make sure lights, brakes and what not work? What am I missing that would add up to 2 grand on a $6k bike? Sales guy just greedy?

All I know is this.. based on the treatment I got from this sales guy, I know I'm not going back to this dealership.. And I want to make sure I'm informed on what to expect in terms of fees on a new bike with the next dealership I visit.

Thank all!

[Emerikol]

Don't buy from a dealer. The markup is more than the bike. If you're handy with a wrench (and even if you're not and just know how to watch YouTube), order the bike from one of the more reputable dealers and just have it drop-shipped to your door. You'll wind up paying about $1,800 or so all up, plus whatever it is to register wherever you live. I think I'm into my Hawk for about $2,100, not counting the new tires and battery I just put in it. There are a few 'must-do' mods and farkles that you'll want to do during the assembly. After that, you're going to have a perfectly functional (and cheap!) ride to cruise around on. For the kind of money that dealer wants, you could buy three bikes, assemble them all, sell two and pay for yours with the leftover profits without having to skin someone alive on the price.

[crabjoe]

Emerikol,

Thanks for the suggestion, but I highly doubt there's going to be a Chinese bike like the one I'm looking at.

I'm looking to purchase either the Royal Enfield Interceptor 650 or their Continental GT 650. Old school looking bikes with more oomph than any Chinese bike I think is available in the US.

But because I've never bought a motorcycle from a dealer, I have no idea in what to expect. I just know my visit to the 1st dealer was painful and didn't seem right. But then again, it might have been because it was a Harley dealer selling REs as a side business... I'm thinking they use the REs to get potential customers in, then try and upsell to a Harley.

[2LZ]

Thanks for bringing this up crabjoe. I've been going through this for a short while now.
So far, I'm seeing 1700.00 in total fees, (tax, lic, reg, doc, dealer setup, etc..etc...) above the initial sale price of a bike. Of course, I'm in CA.

I walked away from a sale (Suzuki DRZ400SM) because they were completely inflexible on the dealer markup. It was a "new" 2018 model on the floor! He said, "We have employees and brick and mortar to pay for."
It's unnerving that they are being so inflexible on a fee that they can actually wave or negotiate on, if they want the sale.

The problem is, like you, there are few, if any, bikes on Cycletrader or CL that I'm interested in. I'm currently weighing it out between the Kawasaki Z400 and the KTM Duke 390. Very few are available used in my market area. I'm prepared to buy new....but man.....these guys gotta be willing to play or I'll keep searching.

[crabjoe]

Thanks for bringing this up crabjoe. I've been going through this for a short while now.
So far, I'm seeing 1700.00 in total fees, (tax, lic, reg, doc, dealer setup, etc..etc...) above the initial sale price of a bike. Of course, I'm in CA.

I walked away from a sale (Suzuki DRZ400SM) because they were completely inflexible on the dealer markup. It was a "new" 2018 model on the floor! He said, "We have employees and brick and mortar to pay for."
It's unnerving that they are being so inflexible on a fee that they can actually wave or negotiate on, if they want the sale.

The problem is, like you, there are few, if any, bikes on Cycletrader or CL that I'm interested in. I'm currently weighing it out between the Kawasaki Z400 and the KTM Duke 390. Very few are available used in my market area. I'm prepared to buy new....but man.....these guys gotta be willing to play or I'll keep searching.

I'm surprised that they're not trying to give away a 2018 model. 2021s are coming out now and I've found that as this happens, the manufactures usually start packing on rebates to get them out of stores.

Keep shopping! I just got off the phone with another dealer and the additional fees (Taxes, tag, and all the dealer fees) are only a grand more.

I'm on a Royal Enfield forum and when I asked about these dealer fees, a guy in Ca replied back and on his $6,000 bike, he paid just under $7 grand out the door. There are dealers out there they will negotiate. You just have to find the right one.

As for that one dealer you ran into that wouldn't budge... I guess he doesn't mind paying floor plan on a bike that's going to keep depreciating as it just sits in his showroom.

[Emerikol]

My apologies. I misunderstood what you were hunting for. I thought you were looking at a China bike at a dealer. As for the Royal Enfields, there's a really good dealer out here in Phoenix (actually Peoria, but it's a suburb, and the weather is the same :lmao:) that has them very reasonably priced. I almost bough one myself, but I'm running out of room in the garage as it is. There's a guy on YouTube who bought a RE and took it on a shakedown roadtrip across the country. If you're looking to get out of the house for a week or so, come on out and take the scenic route home. Just a thought. Here's the website to the dealership I was mentioning: https://www.goazwest.com/

In regards to a Harley dealer not really wanting to sell a certain brand, and doing the old 'bait and switch' bit, it happens far more often than it should in a civilized society. I would try to stay away from them as much as possible. There are plenty of dealerships out there that will be happy to earn your parts business (once you finally get the bike) over the phone of website. Please keep us posted as to how your search pans out.

[crabjoe]

Here's the website to the dealership I was mentioning: https://www.goazwest.com/


Holy smokes, that cheap! I wonder what kind of dealer fees they might be charging. This is the 1st place I've seen actually advertise a price under MSRP.

If I were closer, and the dealer fees were resonable, I'd take that one for $4350 in a heat beat maybe even both. They sell around here for $6250 plus all the non-sense fees.

I was so interested, I tried to call them, but they're closed on Sundays and Mondays!

[Emerikol]

Is it cheap enough to buy the bike remotely and have it shipped out to you? Figure it cost me $825 to have a bike shipped from mid-state New York to out here in Phoenix, so about the same to go back that way. If you can save the money on the purchase to make it worthwhile, I'll be happy to do anything I can to help you out on this end. I still think that it would be an epic road trip to fly out, buy it, and hoof it back to that part of the world...

[crabjoe]

Is it cheap enough to buy the bike remotely and have it shipped out to you? Figure it cost me $825 to have a bike shipped from mid-state New York to out here in Phoenix, so about the same to go back that way. If you can save the money on the purchase to make it worthwhile, I'll be happy to do anything I can to help you out on this end. I still think that it would be an epic road trip to fly out, buy it, and hoof it back to that part of the world...

The bike price is cheap enough, but it would depend on the dealer fees.

The bike they're asking $4850 for sells for $6250 most everywhere. This makes me think that they have really high fees to make up the difference.

I do know that freight is $495 on these bikes, then there's usually some doc and PDI fees the dealer adds on top. Then there's the usual taxes, tag and license fees, which are State charges. I'm going to call this place in AZ to see how they came to this price. If they say the RE is offering some kind of rebate, I'm going to ask my local dealer to see about those discounts.

Locally, the dealer is will to basically just charge me the price of the bike and freight, taxes, tags, license, but nix the PDI and Doc fees.. At least that's what I think the dealer is doing, based on the price he gave me. And if this AZ dealer says there's some factory incentive, I'm going to ask them to give those to me.

Thanks!

[2LZ]

Is it cheap enough to buy the bike remotely and have it shipped out to you? ...
A friend of mine here in Nor Cal did what many do and that's run over the hill to Reno NV to get the smokin' deal on a bike. He even rode his new FXD back over the hill in the sleet and rain....but he saved a decent chunk compared to our local HD dealers here.

Then he had to go into the CA DMV to register it. Youch.... The sales tax he had to pay was painful because he didn't purchase it here. Did he end up saving some? Yah. Was it worth the two hour ride inn the freezing rain? I'll have to ask him. ;-)

[2LZ]

So here we go. I found a bike I was interested in, at a decent sale price, at one of the dealers around the Sacramento area. I wrote them an email last week letting them know that I'm interested but that I live in the sticks, and before I make the long drive, could they please email me a quote and cost breakdown of price, taxes, dealer markup, registration, etc...etc... I specifically asked for an OTD price. I just want to know if it will be worth blowing a day in the car and the gas to go there.

I get an email back:
"Hi...it's XXXX at XXXXX XXXX. Please call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX."

I wrote him back and let him know that I prefer to deal via email at this point and if he could possibly email me a cost breakdown and OTD price of the bike, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Again, that was last week. So far, nothing but crickets......

[crabjoe]

So here we go. I found a bike I was interested in, at a decent sale price, at one of the dealers around the Sacramento area. I wrote them an email last week letting them know that I'm interested but that I live in the sticks, and before I make the long drive, could they please email me a quote and cost breakdown of price, taxes, dealer markup, registration, etc...etc... I specifically asked for an OTD price. I just want to know if it will be worth blowing a day in the car and the gas to go there.

I get an email back:
"Hi...it's XXXX at XXXXX XXXX. Please call me at XXX-XXX-XXXX."

I wrote him back and let him know that I prefer to deal via email at this point and if he could possibly email me a cost breakdown and OTD price of the bike, I'd be greatly appreciative.

Again, that was last week. So far, nothing but crickets......

I say give them a call and see what the OTD price is.. If it's in the range with other dealers, you know that's about what you're going to pay.

Still doesn't make sense why they won't give you what the pricing would be. They know what fees they'll be charging and what they'll sell you the bike for.

Just remember, the bottom line pricing for you is what you pay OTD. It won't matter if the jack up the price of the bike then reduce their fees or reduce the bike price, but jack up the fee. The bottom line is what comes out of your wallet.