$29,995.00 was in fact MSRP for the 2005 SEEG2. I remember calculating that the dealer's gross was right around $6,000.00, based on paperwork I saw at the dealership. This was based on MSRP versus Invoice and doesn't include any holdback or incentives from H-D which will increase that number. It didn't apply to my purchase, but there is also significant extra profit for the dealer in the other goodies they offer like financing and ESP. Not half bad, and significantly more than the average auto dealer makes on one vehicle in the same price range.
No one needs to try to make me feel sorry for the typical Harley dealer; they have enjoyed massive profits with very little effort expended over the past 15 years, especially those who raped every breathing thing that walked in the doors. In my little corner of the world we have three dealerships, two of which have always been MSRP places and one run by a shuck and jive artist from the used car world who jacked up prices well above MSRP on anything and everything. I find it very refreshing that of those three dealers, the only one showing signs of distress in the current economy is the shuck and jive artist. The other one's are still spending money on their customer appreciation day events (free food, entertainment, discounts, etc.), supporting community causes, and moving some iron. The dealers who are in it for the long haul and understand the importance of customer service will survive and prosper, the other's will not be missed by folks like me.
Jerry