Well, when you compare how many units the average car company sells per year as compared to Harley, it's pretty easy to see why car dealers are more willing to negotiate. Take Ford as an example. In 2012, they sold over 2.5 million units. GM sold even more. Compare that to H-D's meager 249,849 units in 2012. That's less than 10% of what an average car company sells in units per year. Also consider the fact that your average H-D costs about 1/2-2/3 the price of an average car. Their margin per unit is also a lot less than a car, so given that information and the fact that we're heading into prime riding season, why would you expect the dealer to negotiate that much off of MSRP?

You want a deal? Wait until riding season is over and they're making room for the 2014 models. You might get a grand off if you're lucky...

 

Maybe things have changed since 08 but it's kind of hard to believe that if you have that many dealers to play with you can't (given enough time and patience) work a deal to your advantage.

I bought 2 bikes in 08 and I got them both well under msrp. I'm talking $1500-$2000. I have about 5 dealers within driving distance too and I have a choice who gets my money. The ball is in our court. I want THIS bike. What is your best out the door price?

In the impossible event they want to stick to msrp, I would buy a used low mileage bike which in the end is a better buy anyway.

 

Entirely different market now than in '08. H-D has cut production back to meet demand; and demand is growing once again. Back in '08, production was far outstripping demand and they were desperate to get rid of bikes...

 

I agree with Jimmers; "buy used".

I fell in love with a '09 Heritage that was priced right at the NADA book value.
Being the savvy negotiator that I thought I was, I was shocked to not be able to get the asking price down more than $750.

I walked out thinking that I'd get a call from the salesman making me a better offer however the call never came.

Two days later I stopped by the dealer again and overheard another person negotiating a price on my Heritage.
I heard the prospective buyer state "let me sleep on it and I'll call you tomorrow".

Two hours later, I was riding my new Heritage home.
The final deal was the dealer's asking price minus $750 plus $1000 in store credit.

After going over the bike in my garage I added up over $4000 in add-ons, a lot of which I would probably have added on myself anyway.
So in the end I got the bike that spoke to me at a price that I obviously can live with that wasn't as bad as I thought.

So long story short; buy what speaks to you and worry only if you can afford it.
Don't let the bike of you dreams disappear over a couple thousands dollars.

 

buying a bike is just like buying a car...

U just have to look around for the best price.. or,,,, best dealer, some dealer may beat the others a couple hundred $$$ but the could have really bad service,, Pends on what U value more.




.

 

I agree with the others, they may all be quoting the same price but see what add ons you can get from the dealer, some will give you 10 or 20% off parts for up to a year, try to get them to throw in the first service free, a T shirt, free labor for parts you add on before you ride off into the sunset, gift cards, local HOG membership etc.

You might find that these extras sweeten your deal.

 

It's spring time (at least in man parts of the country, but not here in WI). So what, you ask? All dealers are fully stocked for the start of the riding season and it's far toooooo early to be discounting things - simply economics at this point - demand is climbing is they have the supply.

So your best bet is to negotiate a few freebies (upgraded floor boards, 20% of your next P&A purchase, a free t-shirt). Good luck.

 

If I didn't want to pay MSRP on a new one I'd find a 2011-2012 with low miles, haggle the sh*t out of them and call it a day...

 

I'm in agreement with those who say look for a good used low mileage bike. Getting to be a bad time of year for getting deals.

 

My wife and I each bought a new Harley at the same dealer. (One year apart). The dealer was 1.5 hours away. We got a smookin good price on the bikes. Problems is, the buying process sucked really bad. The sales guy was great, the sales manager, was pushy and made us feel very uncomfortable, especially when the sales manager insulted the sales guy in front of us. I learned then, the best price wasn't always the best deal. This dealer couldn't even recognize or repair a problem with my wife's bike. The service manager was rude. So, what's the point. Our local dealer, which is about 35 minutes away, was the complete opposite. The service department was friendly. The service manager made sure he got my wife's bike fixed knowing her bike was not bought there. Although we didn't buy either of our bikes there, our local dealer treated us just as if we did. We both got 15% off on parts and accessories. The service department even offered to install the chrome rocker box cover, and lower rocker box on my wife Sportster at no charge. We took their offer. They even took care of the gaskets.

So, when the CVO Breakout was announced I was checking it out at the bike show in NYC. I knew I couldn't afford it. But it looked really cool. Then, just last week while lurking on the HD website I saw the new Breakout non CVO. I wanted it. I went to my local dealer to order some parts for my Wide Glide, and there it was, right before my eyes, the exact one I liked. A Black 2013 Breakout non ABS. So we bought it, we didn't argue the price. The dealer discounted the bike a little, waived prep and threw in the first service. We would have paid full MSRP, It didn't matter, we wouldn't buy it anyplace else. This dealer added additional value to our purchase. They did it by treating us very well even before we considered buying anything there. So once again, yes everyone wants the best price. But I feel that customer service is way more important than getting a rock bottom price. Any dealer could if they wanted to give you a rock bottom price. But, very few dealers could give you the best customer service. That takes teamwork, and good caring employees. If the boss treats their staff well, the employees will treat their customers well too.

HRCH