Stopped into one of the local dealerships yesterday after work to buy a pair of muffler clamps and I noticed that virtually all their new bikes were without price cards on the handlebars. You could not tell the price of anything. So I asked the young salesman who was following me around if this particular dealership was a MSRP dealer or not. He said they were not.

I asked how much above MSRP they typically were and he said "Maybe 2-3 hundred dollars unless it was a CVO and then 5-6 hundred."

So I got to wondering if removing prices from new bikes was common practice today and how many people were actually paying above MSRT for new bikes? For my part, I would never shop for a new bike unless the retail price was posted and I damn sure would never pay over MSRP.
But I am old and could be out of tune.

 

I'm with you on your MSRP policy. That's why the next time I buy a new bike I'll probably buy it in the month of January when fewer people are in the market to buy. We will see if that works!

 

I noticed the same thing at a local dealer. Seemed really weird. The dealer that I use always has MSRP listed (same price as listed on HD website) + $500 setup fee. The same on every bike on the floor. Seems reasonable to me because if you negotiate at all you can get a new bike slightly less than the posted MSRP. I would never buy from a dealer with no prices posted. Seems really dishonest.

 

I paid $2250 under MSRP including set up and that was in march. Off months and at the end of the month is the best time to buy. The dealers need us....... we can choose the dealer WE want to work with. We don't need them. There is always another dealer to work with.

 

How is it dishonest? Are they lying by not hanging a price tag?

 

Nothing dishonest about it. It's a sales technique.

It forces the consumer to speak to a salesperson. By having the customer initiate the conversation, the salesman doesn't have to worry about breaking the ice and they can let the customer come to them. This creates a low-pressure sales environment for the customer and an easy-in for the salesman.

This is business 101 folks, direct sales. Nothing new here.

Do you see price tags on houses for sale as you drive by them? Nope. You have to either ask the owner/realtor or go online and find the listing.

My company doesn't advertise our prices either. We want you to talk to us.


If you don't want to talk to a salesman, don't.

If you have questions, ask.

You hold the power, as the customer/consumer.

If you just want to know the MSRP, there's a website for that.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/

 

If I don't see prices I move on. This works the same for me in person as it does online. I don't think it's dishonest, however I want to know if that place is worth my time. As others have said, there are many dealers around so find the one your most comfortable with in your dealings. My dad was a used car salesman. And he always told me to be leery of a used car with no price. New vehicles are obviously a little different, but on new models just out how often do they jack up the price? Back in the early to mid 90s' when HD's were flying off dealers showroom floors and you had to place an order for a bike and wait up to a year to take delivery, I found more than a few jacking up the price over MSRP.

 

Most of the dealers in Ohio do not have the tags with MSRP on them usually says ask for price. I asked why they dont advertise the price and the response i got was "So we can give the best price" I laughed and walked away

 

At that time if they had made quota for the month they will deal. If they have not, all the more reason to make a deal.

 

It is a federal law that a dealer must have a manufacturers window sticker on a new motor vehicles that are for sale Many states adopted this law for street motorcycles as well. Obviously not all states have or we have dealers bending the rules. A dealer that doesn't post an MSRP on their new bikes is looking to lay somebody out.