Motorbike Dealerships...

[Trinith]

A good eye for detail and a fair bit of knowledge about bikes will go a LONG way in getting a great deal from a private buyer. However, I've -never- come across someone selling a bike privately that didn't lie about its condition. The guy I bought my current bike from told me it had never hit the ground, yet -both- bar ends were ground down, as well as the end of one of the passenger pegs. It had definitely been wrecked. However it rode straight, and I couldn't see anything seriously wrong with it, so I got it for $1500 less than I was actually wanting to spend AND it came with some goodies. As far as I care it was a damn good deal.

Dealerships will occasionally work with you on price, and you can be reasonably sure that you're not being outright lied to, but you're still going to pay more. Whether or not they will honor a warranty depends entirely on the place. I've seen some that are great with warranty work, and I've seen others who do everything they can to squirm out of it, even to the point of claiming someones warranty information was forged.

The way I look at it is if you can afford to spend a bit more for the same thing, go to a dealer. But do your research on that specific dealer first and make sure they aren't in the habit of raping customers. If you're hunting for a truly great bargain, either make sure you know a lot about the mechanics of a bike first or grab a friend who you know does (not one who claims they do) and go find some private deals.

Just remember, it's surprisingly easy to make a crashed bike look great. Most people couldn't look at mine and tell that it's been in no less than 2 pretty severe wrecks, and most of the parts that were damaged are still on it.

 

[ToastToGo]

I went to the local dealership for gear and blatantly said "if you look after us (me and my GF) we will keep coming back. Since then.he gave us small discount on gear but lately he has been giving us 40% off and freebies like chain lube whenever we need it. So build a rapour with any dealership and they will look after you.

A good dealership will do this for every customer, without the customer needing to initiate this.

...I knew my dealership sucked...haha.

 

[Chuckles85]

Most buys will happen on the net, so I like to see what deals they give you and I'd rather pay a little more at a local dealer than a knock off shop in china and keep someone in a job here and buy kit which is legit.

 

[Trinith]

I went to the local dealership for gear and blatantly said "if you look after us (me and my GF) we will keep coming back. Since then.he gave us small discount on gear but lately he has been giving us 40% off and freebies like chain lube whenever we need it. So build a rapour with any dealership and they will look after you.

A good dealership will do this for every customer, without the customer needing to initiate this.

...I knew my dealership sucked...haha.

I've decided that 80% of American bike dealers suck ass. I've only been to 1 that didn't treat me like just another transaction.

 

[Bloke]

I get a flat 10% off everything in my dealership. Which actually makes a heck of a difference, plus my dealership is awesome for deals anyway.

Just wouldn't trust a private seller.

"would I lie/embellish the truth to sell a clunker?"

Yes.

so thinking that i'd think everyone would do the same to me.

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[XXX526]

My Triumph/Suzuki dealer has been great. No discounts, but they attempt to make up for it with donuts, lol, and everyone's on a first-name basis. The service techs are very sharp and trustworthy, getting ripped off has never crossed my mind. When the bike is in for a service, I'm free to ride anything (used) on the lot until ready to go home.

I would agree that this is an exception, the far majority of dealerships I've dealt with were compete asses, both in sales and service.

 

[AZZ3R]

"would I lie/embellish the truth to sell a clunker?"

Yes.

Nice, this is why people try to aviod people like you. So instead of looking after someone who is now after your bike, you will take every penny you can from their hard earned pocket & then leave them with a pile of crap. Truly nice work. :?

If a newley passed rider wanted to buy your bike, you knowing they might not have massive amounts to spend, yet you are admitting you would still do them over.

I hate people that screw other riders over, theres no point in it!


You can tell a decent private seller when his bike is looked after, You want them to talk of pride & joy of their bike, What it's been through. & almost not shut up about it. When I sold my RS I let the guy do all the question he wanted, mentioned the recent problems I had & which were fixed & he still walked bought it & I delivered it for him.

Best thing to do when looking at a 2nd hand bike is ask the seller to make sure the engine is cold & has not been run.

FI bikes start high & tone them selves down ( you cant tell from sound if it is warm)
Carb shouldn't start if they do they shouldn't hold a idle if the engine is cold. (also depending on weather)

Best time to buy a bike, end of season, October/November time. Milage shouldn't be an issue if the seller has good service history or has serviced it them selves with proof & at regular intervals.

When buying after winter time ( around now, Jan/Feb) look closly for salt still on the bike (swing arm, rear shock, forks, Down pipes & engine).

 

[Bikermole]

Heres my opinion.
A good dealer is worth their weight in gold. A good rapport not only may prove fruitful for your wallet, but you may get jobs done quicker if they know you.

As for 3 month warranties not worth the paper they are printed on, the Sale of Goods Act 1979, states that all goods must be 'fit for purpose' so no serious problems which may prevent to use of the bike. 'As described' so if there are no isuues disclosed when you buy the bike. Bike dealerships have to conform to the SOGA BY LAW. So if you have a problem not related to wear and tear, they have to fix it BY LAW. You can still aplly the SOGA up to 10 years after purchase, as long as you can prove the problems were there when you buy the bike (admittedly difficult, but you can see my point)

Nearly all dealerships give Pre Delivery Inspections before you collect, meaning they give a final check over the bike befor you ride away.

Yes, dealers are more expensive than going private. But, the is still room for negotiation. Only on Saturday, I went to Orwell Bikes in Ipswich, and asked about a 4 year old GSX650F. When speaking tp the chap I was dealing with, he admitted the price was higher than private, but he said he would throw in a Givi top box worth £125, and do me 60% off a one-piece leather suit. Therfore saving me a lot of money.

The other thing a dealer can do is Finance. I walked into the dealer on saturday, and could have walked out with a brand new bike, without a penny leaving my bank account. Finance is usually a lower intrest rate then a bank loan. My first bike was 17.9%APR, a bank loan would be 22.9%APR.

I know some of you will pick apart what I've said, but I dont give a sh!t its my opinion

 

[CurlyBlakey]

When me and Extreme601 tested the Ninja 250 at Orwell Motorcycles they gave us chocolate muffins, that is the best way to secure my custom

 

[Chuckles85]

My Triumph/Suzuki dealer has been great. No discounts, but they attempt to make up for it with donuts, lol, and everyone's on a first-name basis. The service techs are very sharp and trustworthy, getting ripped off has never crossed my mind. When the bike is in for a service, I'm free to ride anything (used) on the lot until ready to go home.

I would agree that this is an exception, the far majority of dealerships I've dealt with were compete asses, both in sales and service.

my honda dealer is a star, not only do I take the bike there but I take my car there to, great customer service all round and the thought that they don't know what they are doing never crosses my mind, unlike many other backstreet mechanics. I don't think I have paid full price for anything for the last 8 months from them, and freebies are quiet freequent. (e.g. chain lube, anchor bolt for the bike etc)

 

[gpzDave]

When me and Extreme601 tested the Ninja 250 at Orwell Motorcycles they gave us chocolate muffins, that is the best way to secure my custom

Haha awesome! :lol:

 

[Bikermole]

When me and Extreme601 tested the Ninja 250 at Orwell Motorcycles they gave us chocolate muffins, that is the best way to secure my custom

They gave me coffee Its worth the 20 mile ride just for free coffee

 

[RoadcraftNottingham]

Dealers being crap is exactly why I started up. I used to tell pupils where the dealers were and they weren't impressed. Someone said to me "if you sold bikes I'd buy one from you as I trust you after this training course" so I started in 1996 and it moved on from there.

I can honestly say I couldn't sleep at night knowing I'd ripped someone off, I'll never be rich but my conscience is clear.

 

[Friz]

Every time I go to my local Honda dealer where I got my CBR from I have a chat with the guy who sold it me (who still remembers my name and all our previous conversations).

Free coffee and usually between 20-40% discount too

You just have to find a good one!

 

[lauriejennifer]

Let the record show that Trinith and I completely agreed. Our two posts say the same thing. This deserves a mark in the calendar. LOL


We get a lot of customers at our shop who, after we've been chatting with them and helping them for a bit, will vent about bad experiences with other dealerships. I've been to dealerships I did not care for. I really like ours. And I strive to offer great customer service and make a personal connection with customers. There are only a small handful of very consistent regulars whose names I can remember. I'll remember at least a vague sense of our conversations, but we're a large dealership and I'm bad with names. I'm not shy to ask apologetically, though. I usually remember what they ride, but not their name. LOL

This attitude bothers me, though: The "try it on at the dealer and then buy it online." You're taking their time and taking advantage of the local shop, but not supporting them with your business? Keep this up and there will not be a local shop for you to try on before you buy, nor that you could go back to if you had questions or problems with your purchase, or wanted advice. Ask about discounts, too. Our shop, for example, will price match online dealers. But here's what you're paying for with that extra 15% or so: You're paying to have qualified, experienced people you can go to, a brick-and-mortar you can drive/ride to and try on the products and get advice, a place where you can go back to with questions and concerns. You're having a living, breathing human being. It's the human contact, and it's almost always a fellow rider. There's a connection and relationship there, and community. There's also the convenience of having a shop and a person just down the road. Don't give in to the island mentality of the internet, and certainly don't do so on the backs of the local shops. Support local. And support the shops that give you good service. You can't whine about them "taking advantage" of you, if you're doing the same to them. By going there and having them help you and trying things on, you're already admitting through your actions that it's a service you would (and do) use. Yet then you give your money not to the business that helped you, but to one in a remote location. This does not keep the money in your community, either. Long term economics, this is an unhealthy practice. </rant>

 

[Bloke]

Re: Re: Motorbike Dealerships...

"would I lie/embellish the truth to sell a clunker?"

Yes.

Nice, this is why people try to aviod people like you. So instead of looking after someone who is now after your bike, you will take every penny you can from their hard earned pocket & then leave them with a pile of crap. Truly nice work. :?

If a newley passed rider wanted to buy your bike, you knowing they might not have massive amounts to spend, yet you are admitting you would still do them over.

I hate people that screw other riders over, theres no point in it!


You can tell a decent private seller when his bike is looked after, You want them to talk of pride & joy of their bike, What it's been through. & almost not shut up about it. When I sold my RS I let the guy do all the question he wanted, mentioned the recent problems I had & which were fixed & he still walked bought it & I delivered it for him.

Lol panties twisted?

Would you walk away from a store saying nothing if they gave you too much change accidentally?

Do you download pirated content?

Would you try to haggle when buying privately?

All of these things screw over someone at some point. Chances are you've done at least one of the above.

My bike is well maintained, I love it, I've got stories for days about it, chances are I wouldn't shut up about it and I'd put it through an MOT and happily deliver it to you.

Guess I'm a decent private seller after all!

All that avoidance for nothing.

I said i'd embellish the truth/lie.

My bike has been dropped at low speed, it had a scraped fairing and bent foot pedal. I've since replaced the fairing aside one piece and the dealer replaced the foot pedal.

Now would I say to someone (once I've replaced the one remaining bit of fairing) "it's had a minor drop" or would I just not mention it unless directly questioned about it by the guy pointing out a bit I missed.

If it's been wheelied a few times (it hasnt) I may say I can't do wheelies.

If it's been around a track (it hasnt), I may not own up to that.

Would I mention a broken plastic clip that holds the fairing (there isn't one in my case) but because it's not there there is an annoying buzzing sound at 8000rpm? Probably not, if they didn't spot it in the test ride.

Don't get me wrong, like you appear to have done.

I'm not going to try and flog a piece of mud as a piece of gold. But I am going to minimise any reason that the buyer may have to haggle me down.

I know if I would do the minor things above, others would do worse.

So I don't trust private sellers unless they're good mates where I practically know the history of the bike anyway.

Your advice above is useless to determine a decent private seller, real conmen will easily pass your criteria through the gift of the gab; and the rest of us who just don't want to emphasise the warts also appear to pass them too.

Re: the whole bikers together vibe in your post.

I'm not in it to join a clique, it's not a fashion accessory for me; nor is it my primary social circle.

I ride because I enjoy it, I have mates who are bikers but that's what they are mates first and foremost who happen to ride bikes.

I don't brand everyone who only has two wheels worthy of my attention (nor do I discount them) so if i'm selling a bike, it could be to an experienced biker or a learner the aim is the same; it's to get something better or to recup some money neither of which is helped by a misplaced sense of cameraderie.

I'm not a dealer so loyalty doesn't mean much to me as a private seller taking to some random from ebay.

Mates however I'm always kosher with.

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[Trinith]

When me and Extreme601 tested the Ninja 250 at Orwell Motorcycles they gave us chocolate muffins, that is the best way to secure my custom

The Honda dealer here has free popcorn you can munch on while you meander through the bigass warehouse of a showroom, and free hotdogs I FULLY intend to chow down on while they change my oil in a day or two. Someone got the hint at 'build a dealership' school, and realized that the way to our heart really is through our stomach. :lol:

 

[lauriejennifer]

When me and Extreme601 tested the Ninja 250 at Orwell Motorcycles they gave us chocolate muffins, that is the best way to secure my custom

The Honda dealer here has free popcorn you can munch on while you meander through the bigass warehouse of a showroom, and free hotdogs I FULLY intend to chow down on while they change my oil in a day or two. Someone got the hint at 'build a dealership' school, and realized that the way to our heart really is through our stomach. :lol:

Twice a month in the riding season, we have a free cookout (hotdogs, grilled chicken, chips, pop) from 11am to 2pm. And donuts every Friday, all year.

 

[ToastToGo]

MAN!...dealerships around me REALLY suck after reading about all these nice gestures they have. I need to move haha. I'd like discounts every now and then on maintenance items. I go there often enough that the people actually recognize me, and most of the time know I'm not in there to buy a bike. 10% off every now and then would be fun...but that never seems to happen.

EDIT: Okay maybe they don't REALLY suck...it's just they don't do anything special to keep me coming back other than recognizing me. Which...I guess is good enough for me.

 

[AZZ3R]

Re: Re: Motorbike Dealerships...

Lol panties twisted?

If you reall want to know, no there not, actually on straight today.

Do you download pirated content?

No.

Would you try to haggle when buying privately?

Haven't had to

All of these things screw over someone at some point. Chances are you've done at least one of the above.

I've sold 3 bikes & been completely honnest about each & every one, 2 people have walked away after telling them what I has happend while riding.

My bike is well maintained, I love it, I've got stories for days about it, chances are I wouldn't shut up about it and I'd put it through an MOT and happily deliver it to you.

So your bike is maintained yet its a "clunker?" Your'e going completely backwards, if the bike was on it's way out you've admitted you would lie to their face! This is what I & I'm sure most people hate, when the seller lies, What's the point?

Now would I say to someone (once I've replaced the one remaining bit of fairing) "it's had a minor drop" or would I just not mention it unless directly questioned about it by the guy pointing out a bit I missed.

I never mentioned anything about admitting, you said you would lie to sell a bike thus being if someone is to ask you a question you would lie. & Yes I have admitted I've crashed, I've also admitted I've droped it but also explained why I dropped it.

If it's been wheelied a few times (it hasnt) I may say I can't do wheelies.

If it's been around a track (it hasnt), I may not own up to that.

Again I never said anything against admitting, theres a difference between admitting & lieing,

Has it been dropped? "Yes" < admitting
Has it been dropped "no"< Lieing
(examples) (just to get it in to your daft understanding)

So out of the 2 you would choose the 2nd one, no?

Would I mention a broken plastic clip that holds the fairing (there isn't one in my case) but because it's not there there is an annoying buzzing sound at 8000rpm? Probably not, if they didn't spot it in the test ride.

Don't get me wrong, like you appear to have done.

So you admitting you would lie to sell a "clunker" & me telling you that, thats why people try and aviod people like you is wrong? Don't think it is I think it's more truthful if you ask me.

Re: the whole bikers together vibe in your post.

[/quote]
Please quote me where I mentioned anything about a bikers together vibe.

I'm not in it to join a clique, it's not a fashion accessory for me; nor is it my primary social circle.

I ride because I enjoy it, I have mates who are bikers but that's what they are mates first and foremost who happen to ride bikes.