This motorcycle dealership business-what a racket!

[berettafan]

Going through my annual 'want a bike' phase a bit early this year and for ****s and giggles emailed a couple dealers for pricing. $7k bike 'discounted' to $4500 bike ends up being $6k BEFORE tax and tags. What the heck? 33% profit margin AFTER a 30% discount?!

I guess this works because in the response was a link to the finance app. Captive audience that can't pay cash takes it up the arse because they can't afford cash for used private party.

Yeesh is that terrible.

I'll almost certainly get through this as i do every year but it's getting harder as i get older and the 'i'm gonna do what suits me' trait is growing stronger.

[flatbutt]

Cash is King. I paid just under 24k for my trike that had 5,000 miles on it. New ones were over 30k.

[rfuerst911sc]

Lots of people can't afford to pay cash so credit is king . Many never realize what an expensive mistake they have made . But they impress the neighbors

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Lots of people can't afford to pay cash so credit is king . Many never realize what an expensive mistake they have made . But they impress the neighbors

I suspect some of them are Pelicans

[rfuerst911sc]

Unfortunately the working poor are hardest hit by their bad decisions . Once you get behind on high credit card or title loan debt it is a death spiral . Especially if you are only making the minimum payment . Very difficult to get above it .

[Baz]

I would never buy a new vehicle - bike or motorcycle.

PLENTY of used ones that are a bargain.

You just have to be patient and ready to strike, cash in hand, when the right one appears.

[Steve Carlton]

It's so hard to find a nice VFR. Otherwise, I'd have a dozen of them.

[pavulon]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Unfortunately the working poor are hardest hit by their bad decisions . Once you get behind on high credit card or title loan debt it is a death spiral . Especially if you are only making the minimum payment . Very difficult to get above it .

Was shopping for a used Honda Pilot for one of my daughters a few years ago. Stopped at a dealership and test drove on with salesman. He only wanted to talk about financing and stopped talking about a sale when told there would be no financing. Ray Charles could read between the lines.

[stevej37]

We get a weekly rag here with classified ads and the regional auto dealership ads.
A person can't find a retail price on any new cars...it's all monthly payments.

I toss it without reading it.

[Bill Douglas]

Whenever I made a car purchase, or guns. boats, things... I buy near new, looks like new, but is already 30% or 40% off.

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by Bill Douglas

Whenever I made a car purchase, or guns. boats, things... I buy near new, looks like new, but is already 30% or 40% off.

Exactly. Let someone else take that first big depreciation.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Exactly. Let someone else take that first big depreciation.

Exactly how I got the trike.

[juanbenae]

Best time to buy a bike is in fall early winter from a shop with a bunch of stock on hand. Buying in the spring when the new models are in you get no breaks.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

It's so hard to find a nice VFR. Otherwise, I'd have a dozen of them.

Good one!

[rwest]

Originally Posted by pavulon

Was shopping for a used Honda Pilot for one of my daughters a few years ago. Stopped at a dealership and test drove on with salesman. He only wanted to talk about financing and stopped talking about a sale when told there would be no financing. Ray Charles could read between the lines.

Cash isn’t king anymore at dealers, your best strategy is to work a price based on financing the car and then after you buy it, pay the loan off right away.

[LWJ]

I find December is an amazing time to buy motorcycles.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by rwest

Cash isn’t king anymore at dealers, your best strategy is to work a price based on financing the car and then after you buy it, pay the loan off right away.

This... But you have to make sure there's no penalty for paying off the loan early (I've worked in the automotive industry).

[varmint]

Boats, motorcycles, cars are now nothing but bait used by credit card companies.

[KFC911]

Originally Posted by Steve Carlton

It's so hard to find a nice VFR. Otherwise, I'd have a dozen of them.

LOL

Ea$y credit .... the opiate of our $ociety...

"It's my ??? ... and I want it NOW!" ...

Get 'em hooked early .... and it lasts a lifetime

Something changed from when we were kidz ....

[flipper35]

Originally Posted by Baz

I would never buy a new vehicle - bike or motorcycle.

PLENTY of used ones that are a bargain.

You just have to be patient and ready to strike, cash in hand, when the right one appears.

Last time I bought new, I could get the base sedan with a 4 banger and 25k miles in some sort of silver, or for $2k more get one in an eye searing blue with a 6 cylinder and touring suspension and brand new. That was 2014. Used is getting up there again though.

We still have that 2014 sedan with 110k miles on it. Sometimes new makes sense.