I think you hit the nail on the head. That and just a matter of gettin while the gettins good. I'm pretty sure I'd be trying it if it were me. My dad always said " the easiest way to get what you want, is to ask for it".

I personally haven't seen any price gouging on the new ones. But I've never seen a dealer hold a gun to anyone's head either.

 

Heard that about a couple dealers in the LA area. Up north here they are holding to straight MSRP and any options + $435 shipping + $200 for Cali CARB and this is before taxes only variable I've found is each dealers setup fee and some of these guys are hitting the pipe, been quoted anywhere from $700 to $1200 for what amounts to 3 hours work maybe for a Road King.

 

Local dealer had 3 2015 Lowriders, Saturday I bought a silver-black one $13500 out the door, dealers are making deals to move 15-16 inventory. they also had a softail deluxe 2016 priced it Saturday $18000, both bikes all fees,tax,plates,title included.

 

So just spoke to my contacts today, TwiZted you were right about what you said in the other threads. HD is watching all dealers on profit margins and what their profit percentage is on 17s, not sure if that means they can not budge off MSRP but I think that is about the gist of it.


This is a gamble for HD, one I think they will lose but at the same time not much downside for them, I really do not think the sales are there for them either way.


Some of you may know my other threads about the used market, and I think I have been proven right. This is the moco's attempt to hold prices up, it aint gonna work.


We have reached peak Harley.


They can not cut production, the minute they do that wall street will flip out, all they do is tout how they ship more bikes than the year before.


This is not just a HD problem. It is worldwide in the motorcycle industry.
I just returned from Japan after my second trip this year. The motorcycle market there is dead, the kids do not ride, it is all collectors chasing older stuff and the export business....it is a far cry from what is was in the 90s...and no HDs are not selling for anymore there than they are here.


Used market just keeps getting more saturated and there are great deals on low mile mint bikes under 5 years old that provide just as much enjoyment as a 17 will.


I have a 2002 VFR800 Honda....its like the Accord of bikes, it does it all, and Honda makes a newer updated one but I just don't need it and the one I have I can never put enough miles on to wear it out....just like many of the HDs, with normal maintenance they will go for a very long time.


I am not knocking HD here, the problem is industry wide, although I think HD is in a worse position then say the Japanese manufactures as they have a very diverse product line with off road, adv bikes etc etc. HD has one thing basically, and its kinda played out with an aging demographic and a SHITLOAD of quality used stuff languishing on the used market.


I have not ridden the new M8, but it sounds like it has good reviews, but doubt that is enough to get many people to upgrade.

 

Well, $3,000 would rebuild the motor in my bike so I could ride it another 10-15 years, so......

 

My thoughts as well.

 

Yep, when the fxdls came out, for the first time since I bought mine I considered a trade but when I added up the cost of the trade and then the cost to fix what I don't like about any factory stock bike I decided to upgrade instead. Big bore & cams & all thoughts of a new one are gone... And I'm about 10 grand better off.

 

If the MSRP on a 2017 CVO Ultra Limited were $5,000, would you still stand firm on refusing to pay MSRP?

 

Never seen a setup fee on a bike here in Atlanta, the freight is the non negotiable number. Where they tend to try to rip people off is documentation and tag fees, I have seen doc fees from 500 to 1000; last two cars I bought were both 250 fees.

never would pay MSRP for a new bike and I won't pay that for accessories at purchase, if you want to me farkle my bike on purchase discount the accessories or throw in the labor.

 

"Setup" on harleys seems like a rip off. I've seen them come out of the crates - they're already assembled. It takes about 7 minutes to open up the crate and roll it out. I don't know what other things have to be done in terms of adjustments and whatnot. I can't imagine it takes more than 30 minutes - 1 hour.

I've seen other bikes come from whatever factory requiring major assembly - wheels and brakes need to be put on, handlebars put on. Up to 3 hours of assembly for some sport bikes.

Maybe I'm wrong, but a several hundred dollar setup fee for any HD just seems like dry-reaming of the customer.