Today I contacted multiple dealers only in California to find a 2008 CVO Ultra Classic to back up the one deposit I have that is starting to appear sketchy. The dealer thought it was an Ultra they had coming, but it turns out it will be a RK. They are calling me tomorrow to clear this up. So I went out hunting for the "back-up" bike.
What an incredible cross section of conversations I had with the dealerships! Here are the highlight quips from the people I spoke to at various stores:
1. "Yeah, we can sell all we get at 5 over, and we get 2500 over on the regular ones, we use Brown's chrome from Kentucky on 'em"

2. "We sell for MSRP, but we only get 5 of them and the waiting list is 20 deep, we're not taking any more names"

3. "We get 3-5 over, but I'll ask my manager if he'll let the next one go at MSRP, but you gotta do something for me if I can get you that deal, like buy a 2 year extended warranty or something"

4. "Yes sir, we have a Silver/White and Anniversary coming at MSRP plus Freight and Set Up of $995 - that's it, would you like to leave a deposit?" (Send me a PM if you would like to contact this dealer, they were real)

5. "We don't get many of them, and the ones we do get are spoken for"

6. "We can't sell out of our area, but if it gets slow around here, you never know what they're willin' to do"

7. "I got a regular Ultra, want that?"

Anyway, seems like the only way to get a CVO Ultra in California at MSRP is to first find the "fair" (like retail of $35K wasn't enough) dealer an give them a deposit. In California, all deposits are refundable, so the game appears to be to lay out a few depositis, sit back and wait for that call - the horse may sing! I have 3 deposits and I disclosed and was up front with each dealer that I have deposits with the other dealers because you never know for sure if the bike will come in, sometime the delivery schedules get goofed up, so I did it to hedge. The salesman at the "fair" and reasonable stores understood the multiple deposit syndrome. I have tried in past years to get one of these CVO bikes and this year we're determined, they sure look nice. We especially like the 105th Anniversary CVO Ultra. It's a color you either love or hate. We liked it and hope it comes in ...