Buying a new bike, how much can I haggle

[Freddie Spencer]

Buying a new Honda RC-51 and I have never bought a new bike before. Just wonder how much, if any I can haggle off the price?

 

[DenverDude2002]

depends on the dealership and if the bike is a leftover from the previous model year. youd probably have better luck trying to get the dealer to throw in some accessories/riding gear.

 

[Future SNA]

Motorcycles are exactly like cars, the price is negotiable. Just look at how much they take off the price when it's been sitting in their show room over a year. An RC-51? I've owned lots of bikes, including this one, and for the price, would suggest others, but I'll just leave it at that since your mind is probably set already. Last and final thought, your timing couldn't be worse, when it comes to new or used, eVERYBODY wants a bike before summer starts, and EVERYBODY want to get rid of it 1.)after the summer ends, or 2.) after they've had it for a year(they get boring after you've faced death for a year or so). If you feel like waiting, wait till AFTER summer, man I got a steal on a GSXR-750 one year, I hardly paid a peeny just because the guy needed it gone. I can help answer any other q's you might have, hope this helps, and have fun, twins kick arse.

 

[Swass]

How about a...........

New ZX-10? I just read an article on that bad boy, holy crap. Small as a 600 and 160+ hp, they said it was tough to keep the front wheel down on it if you have a twitchy throttle hand . That's one bad sumbitch.

 

[flyifrvfr]

There is not much haggle room on the RC-51 because the demand for them is high. This is a race-type bike which honda produced in order to race this bike. I can't remember the term completely (homogolation) or something like that. Honda, by race rules, had to produce atleast 50 RC-51's which they did and then some, and they are very popular. Supply and demand applies and because they don't sit on the showroom floor for long you don't get to negotiate like a car.

Remember when the Yamaha R-1 hit the streets, the dealers couldn't keep up with the demand and most R-1's didn't see the showroom floor. The high demand worked in the dealers favor, if you wanted a R-1 you would pay MSRP plus a thousand.

 

[Future SNA]

I disagree with just about everything flyifrvfr has said, BUT, it could be his experience is buying from somewhere in Florida or California where it's nice a lot, hence they can't keep them on the floor. Where I'm from, we actually see winter-and snow, hence there's a BIG slump in cycle sales and a big climb in atv sales, so you CAN AND DO negotiate the price of your bike. I've boughten a 99 R-1 new, a 2000 GSXR-750-new, and an 01 Gixxer 750, all new, all negotiated.

I agree about msrp+1000, I think it's bullshiznit, but yeah, I've seen that, it usually doesn't last. Just like a Ford Mustang Cobra, when the came out in 94-95-96-97, they tacked on this frigain $3125 LUXURY TAX fee, which again, was bullshiznit, it went away in the later years.

In conclusion, I guess where your at could manipulate success at negotiating, never thought about that, again, but why pay more when you can find it cheaper elsewhere, were pilots for god's sake, travel and get it. And yeah, the new zx-10's are badarse, of course, no matter what anyone says, TL1000R's and the **CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED****CENSORED** coolest bike around, and you can get one for the right $$$, which makes them even cooler.

 

[flyifrvfr]

Future SNA, I live in Baltimore, Maryland and we to see snow and winter and such. In Maryland, I can buy a 2004 Kawasaki ZX9 which has a MSRP of $9,999.00 for $9,400.00 on the road. The RC-51 will sell at $1,000 dollars above it's MSRP because it is a popular bike. The RC-51 has not seen the showroom floor in maryland but in the last 2 to 3 years the R-1, R-6, GSXR-750, ZX6, ZX9 has seen the showroom floor. This means on these bikes, you can negotiate.

The GSXR-1000 has not seen the showroom floor, so it to will sell at a thousand above MSRP, but you are right, the price won't last.
Motorcyycles are alot like computers, get the model home that you just bought and the new and improved model is right around the corner. I have bought maybe a dozen bikes in my 34 years and I pretty much know the market for sportbikes. Sometimes when you want the latest and greatest, you must be willing to pay for it. Remember, if you wait and try to haggle, the bike you want may be gone, and that's what the dealer is counting on.

In 99' I wanted to buy a R-1 and the dealer couldn't get me one because they were sold out of their allotment in feb. I bought the ZX-9 for $9,400 instead. The dealer told me that the R-1 would not see the floor and I didn't believe him, now I do.

 

[bart]

Bet you could get a screaming deal on this bad boy:

Dream Bike

 

[sky37d]

wait, don't do that. I saw a great bike at PWA, last week. A real screamer. Hot.

Hot Bike

Oh, and oh so cool looking too. Check out the exhaust.

 

[FracCapt]

Oh, and oh so cool looking too. Check out the exhaust.

Dayum! I'd burn my leg on that exhuast every time I stopped...I wonder what engine it has in it....probably a Solar T62T. They produce anywhere from 80 to 200SHP depending on the model. It'd be fun to take it for a spin..

 

[sky37d]

350 SHP. Cruiser