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[harley56]

I think it would be just the opposite. The ones that are distant and knowing they are only getting that one time point of contact ($$$) I would think would be inclined to charge over MSRP. Dealers make more profit off Part/Accessory sales, Motorclothes sales, and Service then they do from sale of the bike.

 
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
 

I see this stated about where profits at a dealership come from all the time and it's incorrect, profits at a Harley dealership do not work like the auto industry.  I've worked for the MoCo for ten years visiting many many dealerships and for the last eleven been a part of two dealerships.  The majority of revenue, 65-70%, or even more, comes from the sale of motorcycles.  (About ten years ago the MoCo took a look at some of it's top performing dealers and discovered that without bike profits, a dealership made no money.)  This is not necessarily the case in the auto industry.  The service dept. contributes about 5-10% of the revenues, but after overhead is a break-even proposition at best for many dealers.  Parts & Accessories and Motorclothes has the greatest margin, but inventory turns, employees and overhead hurts these departments as well.  Harley has been working with stores on trying to turn this around, but unfortunately if harley's start selling like cars and become a commodity there will be very few dealerships left.

[deucedog]

... but unfortunately if harley's start selling like cars and become a commodity there will be very few dealerships left.

We're already beginning to see signs of the bikes becoming a commodity.  If the economy continues in a southbound direction, they can only play the "scarcity" and "limited production" card for so long.  Aside from the large quantity of newer used bikes on the market, there are plenty of 07's still on the dealer's floors going unsold.  It's always a catch 22, do you reduce production, maintain the pricing, contract the business and wait until the inventory is absorbed?  Or do you start reducing the price at the retail level to give incentive to the public to buy a bike? 

Whatever the direction Moco decides to go, I hope that they don't forget about the people that got them where they are in the first place - the customer.     

[rmarion]

our Business purchased two 2006 CVO Ultra's. Only one dealer had two bikes still coming in. $4k over MSRP. So we put down depo's on those two CVO's. Most So-Cal shop were asking 3k-5k over MSRP. My partners (color) bike came in first, we paid $4k over MSRP for his bike. I ended up getting my ride from Orange County HD, when I won a raffle from them to purchase my SEUC. Saved 4k, which I gladdly started to customized my ride to my perferance.

[deucedog]

our Business purchased two 2006 CVO Ultra's. Only one dealer had two bikes still coming in. $4k over MSRP. So we put down depo's on those two CVO's. Most So-Cal shop were asking 3k-5k over MSRP. My partners (color) bike came in first, we paid $4k over MSRP for his bike. I ended up getting my ride from Orange County HD, when I won a raffle from them to purchase my SEUC. Saved 4k, which I gladdly started to customized my ride to my perferance.

Business? Please fill me in on how that works, if, of course, you are deducting the purchase of the bikes through the business.   

[rmarion]

Business? Please fill me in on how that works, if, of course, you are deducting the purchase of the bikes through the business.   

of course they are company vehicule's...... we do pay uncle Sam for our personel use on them..........

I use mine while at work all the time..........

[hafbad0]

I paid MSRP +$500 (setup $135).  I had to drive 225 east of Houston.  The dealerships here in Houston wanted $3500 over MSRP and gets it.  The only three or four that have sold here only stayed on the floor two days or less regardless of the mark up.   It a crime!

[napalm]

I paid MSRP, no freight or set up for my '07 SEUC, at Highland HD, LaValle, Maryland

napalm

[MadTrucker]

After a short very heated discussion 
I scored mine for MRSP, -$495, no freight, no setup, and free first service. 
Kind of helped that it was the third new bike I bought from them this year.

[Fruitcake]

I paid MSRP $29.500 at Southampton HD in MA.

They gave me $14,500 for my 2002 RKC with 22,700 miles on it. I had to beat them for that price it had the 95cc big bore kit, Andrews gear driven cams Rinehart exhaust and a hole lot more.

I was a dope I let it go with mustage seat and back rest, pegs, windshield bag, I should have taken all of that off before showing the bike to them.

Bike 2007 FLRSE3
Born on date  June 26th 2007 It just might be the last 2007 FLRSE3 built in 07 I bought it in August.

I have been told trhat HD starts the 08 CVIs in July I don't if that is true or not.

Bob aka fRUITCAKE AND RWTK  ( HD Rode King That IS)

[deucedog]

I paid MSRP $29.500 at Southampton HD in MA.

They gave me $14,500 for my 2002 RKC with 22,700 miles on it. I had to beat them for that price it had the 95cc big bore kit, Andrews gear driven cams Rinehart exhaust and a hole lot more.

I was a dope I let it go with mustage seat and back rest, pegs, windshield bag, I should have taken all of that off before showing the bike to them.

Bike 2007 FLRSE3
Born on date  June 26th 2007 It just might be the last 2007 FLRSE3 built in 07 I bought it in August.

I have been told trhat HD starts the 08 CVIs in July I don't if that is true or not.

Bob aka fRUITCAKE AND RWTK  ( HD Rode King That IS)

I think they paid you a ton of money for your bike and you got a nice deal on the CVO.  Wish our dealers out on the Left Coast were that generous...

[Fruitcake]

The futher north you go in New England the better the deal.

The HD dealers In Southern Ma treat us like we lived on the West cost, but the dealers north of us have a shorter selling and riding season, and the economy and pay is a lot less, so in order to stay alive they deal, hopping you will return for parts and clothing, and service.

I just went on line to Littleton HD in Littleton NH looking at their 08 inventory for CV O's. Thy have an 08 Rode King Custom  in stock blue and gray and thy are advertising it for below MSRP. 

Southampton HD is in the western part of MA. The rich southern MA and RI HD dealers wanted $31.500 Except one Ocean State HD in RI thy have been selling HD At MSRP for over 30 years but they are always out of stock. 

RWTK

[Robmay]

As I continue my search for an '08 CVO Ultra, I'm amazed at all the reasons the dealers give me for why they are charging over MSRP?

Some of my favorites include "They are rare"...  OK, let's work it out...  4200 CVO Ultras for '08.  1800 are Anniversary editions.  Which means that 3600 of the 4200 are either the Red/Silver or White/Silver combo.  Now if my math is correct, knowing that The MoCo did an even distribution across the line that means that there are...  let's see here 3600 divided by 2...  You guessed it approx 1800 Red/Silver and 1800 White/Silver models to be made.  So much for rarity.

Then there is the "once they're gone, they're gone" line.  Indeed - so how do you explain the fact that there are seven '07 CVO Ultras currently available on eBay.  Four with under 1000 miles and two with less than 200 miles on the clock.  So much for the once-in-a-lifetime argument.

I particularly liked the guy who told me that retail prices are set by the MoCo.  I won't even begin to discuss the variety of reasons that one doesn't hold water.

Just once I'd like to hear a salesman say to me "because the owner of the dealership is a greedy sumbitch who likes scrooin the customers".

OK - with that rant out of the way - tell me...  How many of you got your CVO new for MSRP or less?  I'm curious if it can actually be done.

Harley.

Just today I was at Daytona Harley where they have 2 of each of the 2007 SE CUSE2's on the floor all slashed and priced to sell at $39,995.00!! And they have the 2008 orangish/silver and the white/silver. I jokingly said I guess these are going for $49,000............ to which the salesman replied "don't forget the $995!! He said the crazy thing is that we sell them and will sell everyone of these. I said I gues you do or you wouldn't ask for it..........

So a plethera of 2007 and 2008 CUSE's at Destination Daytona for all those willing to drive, not wait and get hosed!!!

[Rhino]

Yesterday I wanted some amusement, so I also stopped at Destination Daytona.  The salesman talked a bit, and of course I asked what the FLHTCUSE3 Anniversary was they just got in. No kidding, he quoted 54,900 out the door.  Same as always. Hope this does not permeate all of the other 13 dealerships he now owns. 
 
Rhino

Just today I was at Daytona Harley where they have 2 of each of the 2007 SE CUSE2's on the floor all slashed and priced to sell at $39,995.00!! And they have the 2008 orangish/silver and the white/silver. I jokingly said I guess these are going for $49,000............ to which the salesman replied "don't forget the $995!! He said the crazy thing is that we sell them and will sell everyone of these. I said I gues you do or you wouldn't ask for it..........

So a plethera of 2007 and 2008 CUSE's at Destination Daytona for all those willing to drive, not wait and get hosed!!!

[HarleySoftailer]

I was at Steel City H-D in Washington, PA yesterday.  They had an '08 Ultra CVO (White/Silver) on the floor for MSRP + $770 freight and set-up.  Today, I talked to the sales manager and owner of the three H-D dealerships here in Columbus.  What these guys told me is that the MoCo is cutting back everyone's allocations and, effective immediately, not only will they not let any CVO go for less than MSRP+$3000, but they won't even sell a regular (non-CVO) touring bike for MSRP.  They're marking those up by at least $1500 over sticker.  Apparently the dealers just can't get enough bikes to meet demand, especially touring bikes, and every one that they can get, they're marking up.

MSRP + Freight & Prep is starting to looke like a good deal.  The stock Ultra with all the added chrome and accessories that I wanted ended up being $1400 MORE here in Columbus than the Ultra CVO would cost me in Washington, PA.

So walked out of the showroom of my local dealer, sat in his parking lot (still drinking the free bottle of water he gave me with his dealership's logo on it) and called Steel City and put down my deposit on the '08 Ultra CVO.  I guess customer loyalty really isn't worth that much nowadays.  Oh wait a minute, that's not true.  It's worth a free bottle of water 

[RioGlide]

Greetings all, my first post on the CVO forums.

Paid MSRP in mid July for black ice 07 CVO Road King.   No prep fee, no handling charges, none of that.  Plus the owner (of Williams HD in Lebanon NJ) threw in a "pick out whatever leather jacket you want" for my wife, which was worth another 350 or so retail.

So not bad - but it probably doesn't hurt that I also bought a Night Rod Special from the same place only 3 months earlier.  Paid MSRP (plus the prep fee in this case) for that one.  Hence my screen name, btw - same one I use on the V-rod forums, helps me keep things straight.  I've got enough logins / passwords to remember....

Anyway, I think this dealer is terrific in terms of both sales and service.  The whole staff is really terrific to deal with, I recommend them highly.