Opinion, not fact. GDP was up 5%+ last quarter, unemployment is still historically low, stock market is booming, personal income is up 0.4% in November, auto sales are running up 10% year over year. Whats happening in the used bike and used car market is supply chain shortages during covid artificially inflated used prices to new vehicle levels and now things have reverted to normal.

*** Automotive Forecast: New-Vehicle Sales Pace Remains Muted Despite Higher Inventory Levels - *** Automotive Inc. (coxautoinc.com)

 

I think Eaglemark loan rates alone will stifle new and used sales. 8 and change % for new bikes, and 12 and change % for used, for good credit borrowers.

And that’s sorta where the lending market is, all that good news above notwithstanding.

 

Some of you kids, should have been around to see interest rates way back in the 90s.

 

As stated, opinions, these reports are not factual by the eye test and asking the working people. Not the fat cats who’s not losing their income to a level of despair and reporting alls well.

Low unemployment doesn’t mean a lot when you’re making minimum wages and can’t afford to buy what you need.

 

There are people like me that look at what we have, and think how tough it would be to get it again today. Unless desperate I’m not selling anything for cheap. Things are changing not for the best imho.

 

Real household income (taking inflation into account) is the highest it's ever been in history. The American worker, far from making minimum wage or being unable to afford luxuries like motorcycles, are probably just discouraged from doing so because people typically borrow to buy these things and interest rates are high.

I have enough cash on hand to buy anything a dealer has for sale. The only reason I haven't given this serious consideration is 1) every dealer I have visited has surcharges above MSRP for new motorcycles and 2) the used prices are an insult that doesn't take market conditions into account.

I was at my dealer last week and it was so full of used motorcycles that areas that normally have clothing and other accessories are now housing motorcycles. The prices haven't moved nearly enough.

I stopped looking as aggressively as I once was, but the dealers are counting on H-D closing enough dealers to give them more pricing power.

 

well no kidding gdp is up, the price of everything is up. if 2 widgets cost 25$ at the beginning of the period, then 2 widgets cost 50$ at the end of a time period, gdp went up 100%. that doesnt mean theres more demand, it means it cost more for whatever reason. if inflation is at 35% and gdp goes up 5%, it actually shrank.

 

Believe it or not, it is off season in California for bike sales, even though you can ride year round. The market slows down in the winter. And interest rates are high now so people are not buying from dealers so much when it’s 8% or more to buy a used bike. The last couple of bikes that I bought off Craigslist I got for what I considered a good price, but they had lingered there for a long time. However, in the last year I sold two bikes on Craigslist and they sold fast and I got what I was asking, which is more than I thought I would get. I think I was lucky and posting at the right time somehow. I think as we get closer to the general election we will see interest rates drop. Now is a good time to buy if you have cash, and maybe hold off on selling if you can until things improve.

 

During Obama we said the the unemployment was trumped up. Then year later, went down half percent, under trump, we said historic lows. On the low end you can't get anyone to work anymore. I am curious where all those people went, clerks, waitress, bartenders. Higher end you got people change jobs too.

People like you will say wall Street is just rich people gambling, but for us regular people it is our 401k invested in mutual funds. Last 15 years have had some bad years, but the market has gone up. Sure gave me more hope than I had 15 years ago.


It is very short sighted to see wall street is a reflection of the economy. I am not saying poor people don't get screwed with inflation. But most of us, my whine about $20 more at grocery store, but it hasn't changed our lives a lot. If you are honest and do that math.

 

Wages are rebounding some. They have not caught up to inflation yet. Our purchasing power is down. The lower your income the more it's felt. The bill at the grocery store has gone up faster than wages. Average people can feel the inflation of the last 3 years. It's reflected in every thing you buy. Wages have not increased near as much. Even worse for those of us on SSDI, and disability insurance. My purchasing power is down by more than 10% over three years, as my disability insurance payment has not changed and will not change. SSDI did go up, but not even half of inflation, and its a very small amount of money.

I'm not sure what level of income you have to have to believe that we didn't, and don't have inflation, and our financial condition has not changed for the worse over the past 3 years? At 200K do you not feel it? or is it more?

Good article on purchasing power. Purchasing power.