Bike dealers

What’s the deal with them?
Every dealer I found locally who had a used sv650 in stock (most are Harley dealers for some reason) doesn’t list prices for their used bikes. They insist that you call them. Really? Are they trying to get me to commit to buying a bike before I know the price or do they just think that having me on the phone makes it more likely? This is irritating. Just tell me the price :ahh

it’s because you call them, they say, and i quote “i’m not sure of the exact details on the bike, let me go check my inventory information and i can call you back”… now he has your name and cell phone number and can stay in touch with you when he needs to make a deal. it’s very common and it’s not really a big deal, if you don’t like the price of the miles then it’s done.

grow a set and make a call

All I’m doing is shopping around, I’m not gonna call a dozen dealers just so I can compare their prices. That’s a waste of their time, and more importantly, my time. It’d be like craigslist postings telling people to call for price.

the difference is. you do that and in the end it pays off by you getting a GREAT deal on a bike… taking it the easy way ends up costing you more in the long way… i’m talking from expereience… but do what ya want man, it’s your money

Great as in a grand more on average than the price I would get from a private seller? Come on :rofl
The only reason I’m looking at the dealer sites at all is because there is nothing on craigslist or wantaddigest in our area this time of the year.

dude i bet i could get the same price from a dealer as you could from a private seller, and i would much rather buy from a dealer then private as you have lemon law coverage.

like i said tho dude, your money

As a disclosure, Crazybrew is in the business, I suggest you listen.

While it is irritating, make the best of it. Call, show interest but say you’re shopping around. Dealers have goals to meet and work on commission and bike sales are slow this time of year. Combine that with the fact that dealers get bikes for dirt cheap on trades don’t be surpised if dealers start fighting over you to get a sale.

dealers will fight tooth and nail over business and if they get only $100 profit out of a bike i bet they would be happy this time of the year

I dunno, there’s plenty of bikes I have seen on cycletrader within a 150 mile radius all with big mark-ups - just search for sv650 on there with our area as the center point. They all are listed at 4k to start, and they few I emailed never responded.
Hardly desperate, and there is no way those price are what they paid for those bikes. Besides, this time of the year I’d have to pay to store the bike at the dealer or arrange to buy it in spring, which negates any advantage.

a. if your looking at a Harley dealer. chances are they are not big into internet sales

b. buying a bike now and paying cash for it is a pretty good deal to the dealership.

c. you can negotiate to have them store the bike for you until april

d. your a cash buyer, with money in hand. one phone call telling them that you want to buy now is deff what the dealer wants to hear.

just my .02 cents

If I find one that actually has the exact model I want I’d buy it, but at this point none of them do so all I am doing is shopping around gauging how much I’ll be paying eventually. I’ve got a bike to ride so I’m not in any hurry to part with my money. Thanks for the tips though.

You can still to this very day buy brand new sv650 and gladius for 6500 at griffins and seymours so 4000 seems a little far fetched for an used entry level bike

That’s my point.
They hold their value, but not THAT well. Those dealers with jacked prices must have them sitting on the floor for months if not years.

or they are just waiting for interested buyers to CALL them and make an offer, so they can sell them

Well, I guess they can afford to wait. I am not very familiar with the haggling in dealerships, but calling a bike dealer with an expectation to get a 25-30 percent off seems strange to me.
Maybe that’s the way they work, I don’t know.