I have pathological weakness for H-D police bikes! All Harleys have soul, but retired PD-issue bikes have additional character imparted by the service/sacrifice of the very finest men this nation has to offer. So I locate a beautiful 04 Dyna Defender at a large H-D dealer 100 miles north. I go up for a test ride and it is cherry, runs/rides like a dream and all LE equipment is included. I decide on the spot it’s a must-have. So I begin 2-hr haggling session with dealership salesman. We start out $2k apart and each time I make him a counter offer, he runs to the mgrs office with it. I spend lotta time sitting on every bike in the showroom - and I fire up two of em. That gets him outta the mgrs office pretty snappy-like! So after 2 hrs, I make my final, final offer which is $700 over Blue Book. Off he goes again to mgr, and I fire up a used Fat Bob with open V&H Big Radius pipes. Man, I thought the windows would come down! Never heard anything that loud. Anyways, he literally runs out to shut off the Bob & gives me their final final counter, which is $1400 over Blue Book. I said "no way" and head for the truck. BTW, no one tried to stop me as I walked out this time, even though I was the only customer in the showroom. So I drive 100 mi home in empty truck. Oh well, it happens.

Then less than a week later, I stumble across info on web indicating a guy in MS has a fleet of Dyna Defenders for sale purchased at auction from a western PD. I called him & set up a meet to see his bikes. Bottom line: I buy an 04 Defender exactly like the one at the dealership (except has white tins rather than black, and has considerably more miles) for half - yea HALF - what the dealership wanted! It runs perfect. I think I'm in love! Or at least in poor-house, as my intent is total restoration.

I certianly expect and want HD dealers to make a reasonable profit and stay in business so they'll be there for me when/if I need them, but it really kinda ticks me off when they think it should all come from my backside!

P.S. A week after I bought the private-party Defender, the dealership salesman called to ask me to come back, that he could practically guarantee I would be leaving with the Defender I rode. I suggested (in the friendliest possible manner) that he should take that jar of KY he had reserved for me and . . . That's not exactly what I said, but as this is a family forum, you get the idea.

 

Congratulations on your latest purchase.

If more people would simply "walk" after a reasonable offer is refused by a dealer, the better off future buyers will be.

As long as some folks bite the bullet and pay top buck.....dealers will continue to get that top buck.

 

Agreed. And my concern is for the very survival of the Moco. I believe H-D needs to get a clue.

I obtained my first bike in 1969, but it was not an H-D. Couldn't afford one. But I always felt H-D was the very pinnicle of motorcycling and always wanted one.

Young folks today, by & large, do not share that attitude. H-D is seeing its customer base get older & older. And some in the business & their dealerships seem to think things are still like they were in the 80's & 90's when dealerships sold out of their allotments by Sept and you had to pay a hefty premium over MSRP for a new Harley. I suspect those days are gone forever.

I'd really like to see H-D go on forever, but with the current business model, I'm just not sure that's a given.

 

I tryed to buy a Dyna at the local HD dealers but just could not get a deal. I drove 3 hours to another HD dealer and saved $2000. To top that off the one I got is a 2007 and what I had looked at was a 2005 and 2 2006 models at the locals.

 

I think often times on used vehicles at a dealership they are into them for a certain amount. They took them as trade based on a certain dollar figure on their books. When they are negotiating on the sell price they are very unlikely to go below that number that they are treating like it was their cost on the vehicle (what they "paid" on trade). I have seen this before with used SUV's that have been on the lot for months. The price they need to get to not take a loss is no longer reasonable. Very frustrating when the dealer has a vehicle you want and is not willing to sell it at the current market price.

- Dan

 

Double post...

 

When I traded in my old bike toward my Dyna, I was completely up front with my sales guy. I told him, "Look, we both know you're getting a bit more than you paid for the Dyna that i want and you're gonna make even more when you sell my bike. I gave you the number that works for me, if you can mak that work, I'll sign the paperwork right now. Otherwise, I will just keep shopping around." He just said, "You're sure you're ready to buy today, no question about it?" when I told him yes, he made one last trip to the financing office and came back with exactly what I asked for.

As someone who works in sales, I can say for sure, I don't mind when someone respectfully asks for a better price and I'll do what I can to hammer out something that works for both of us. Any salesman that can't handle that don't deserve your hard earned money. Now trying to weasel your way into an unfair price and not showing any interest or respect for my costs and my product knowledge, etc. is a different story. That's not a customer I really care about building a relationship with either!

 

Trouble is, the slaesmen are not given the full autonomy when setting up deals, these are the guys on the front line with a feel for the market and the finance guys are just bean-counters.

I used to manage a bike shop and we sold heaps of bikes and heaps of spares because we were more concerned with turning the stock over and keeping people coming to the shop and going away happy....sure, we lost money on some bikes but we made heaps on others.....if your reputation is good people will buy from you in preference to other dealers.

Its not all about bottom line because bikers don't buy purely on bottom line, they buy from people they like and trust and so what you lose on one deal will come back to you long-term.

No-one likes to come away from a dealer feeling they have been shafted....and the dealer that rang you back should have called you the next day, not a week or two later.....after all, you were in the market for a bike and if he could do it for less 2 weeks later he should have sold it on the day for that figure....now he has lost a customer.

As for your pathalogical desire for ex-Cop bikes......I know a good therapist ;-)

 

The main problem as I see it, as a rider of ALL brands of motorcycles, is that HD has made their stuff so overly priced that it is pushing hard against most people in this economy.

I looked at jackets at my local dealership and couldn't find anything leather for less than $300

I looked at t-shirts and everything was at least $40

Helmets were $200+

I looked at their used bikes and every one of them had a tag advertising NADA value, which is usually over inflated for bikes. Every one of their bikes was $3k-$5k over what the same bikes are listed for on cycletrader, ebay, or even on a brand specific forum like this one (where prices are usually a tad higher than market).

That is part of the reason I bought my last 2 bikes from private parties used instead of a dealer....

All in all, I would say if HD doesn't realize how tight times are in today's economy it's days are numbered. Hopefully it doesn't go the way of Pontiac..

 

As for your pathalogical desire for ex-Cop bikes......I know a good therapist ;-)

He just bought one..... You know the saying.... "You never see a Harley parked outside a Psychiatrist office" It's worked for me....so far..LOL