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[lilcoot]

I don't know how they get away with it, but I get really pissed off at Harley dealerships sometimes.

This past week I have been to 4 dealerships, 2 in NorCal an 2 in SoCal.  All four had '13 CVO Ultras in red, orange and black.  That is an amazing color combination!  Almost as good as   hot   citrus   orange  .

What bothered me was the mark up they added to the MSRP.

Two dealers added $5000 to the price, and another one added $4000.  This was before tax, license, and fees.  Only one, San Jose HD, was asking only MSRP.  I asked salesmen how they could charge so much for bikes that are going to be last years models in just a couple months, and are obscenely expensive to begin with?  They said "It's called market adjusted pricing", "Because we can", and "The owner would fire me if I sold it at MSRP".

If these were the best performing and most reliable bike made, maybe they could justify the prices, but they're not.

Am I the only one who thinks this is sh*tty business practice?  Did anybody here pay more than MSRP?  

Confession:  I paid $1000 over MSRP for mine, but I justified it because it was in Sept of '11 for a '12 model, and the dealer originally was asking for $3000 over MSRP.  I guess if fools like me keep paying, HD will keep getting away with marking up their prices.

[JCZ]

Those that will buy the bikes that were over MSRP will justify it to themselves similar to the way that you did.

In this Market, dealerships closing down due to lack of sales....why would anybody ever pay MSRP or over MSRP?  That's the question.

[VaEagle]

I'm sure the short answer is supply and demand...the dealers charge what they can and somebody will pay their price. I decided years ago that a bike was a want not a need so I have never paid more than MSRP plus setup fees. I know there are many posts on this site that members have posted that they paid below MSRP and No setup fees but in my limited experience I have never met an owner that got that kind of deal that wasn't a relative or very close friend of the shop owner. That certainly doesn't mean it does happen though.
As you mentioned the 2014s will be out in a few months but it has limited unknowns such as what features will be on the new CVOs, what color will they be, and when will they arrive in dealerships? etc.

I don't know how many owners buy after doing research and hunting for a specific bike or do they just check local shops and buy what is in the showroom and catches their eye. They buy more on emotion than financial sense in that case. Prices tend to be higher in the spring due to demand from riders who have had cabin fever from the winter months. From what I have read the prices can be higher in tourist areas near large bike rallies too.

[soulfly]

I did and it was the lowest over MSRP around!?  New Hampshire has a upper class section in Meredith and this was the dealership selling for 5K over, near Laconia, so like VaEagle said near rallies too. As you go farther south it gets easier on the wallet!!  But on here you will find people who pay MSRP and some below!  The issue I had was I was going to pre-buy it before they got it in!  How could you ask for a better customer?  I didn't need a sales pitch?  So I paid 1K over and I am happy it's over.  I feel your pain and feel like MoCo should step in on this!  But, in the end it's like anything for sale, it will end up on eBay or somewhere else and a 3rd party will get the $ that they should have got!  Just like the guy who got the 13 CVO RG Annv #1 of 900, it went on eBay for 6K over??  It would have been my lucky day to get the #1 RK!  In the end, it's what it's worth to you and if you're happy because you don't buy these every year, at least I don't.  

[Robmay]

.......I guess if fools like me keep paying, HD will keep getting away with marking up their prices.

I think you have your answer here. 

[Hog95023]

Maybe they did did you a favor. I think starting in 2013 you can't have aftermarket pipes on 13 and newer bike in case regardless where they came from. Parked on the street or being ridden

[grc]

The answer is very simple.  If the price is unfair, and the product involved isn't necessary to sustain your life, then just walk away.  Just because some other idiot doesn't mind spending $45k for something barely worth $35k doesn't mean you can't use your superior intellect and just refuse to be screwed over.

There isn't anything Harley sells that is worth a nickel more than MSRP in my humble opinion.  And some of their stuff isn't even worth MSRP.  If owning a Harley and being "cool" is more important than one's own self respect, so be it.  Let those other folks waste their money, and you just go about your business.  I've walked away from several things I really wanted over the years when I felt the seller was trying to screw me over.  It didn't make my life useless or meaningless, it didn't make me any less "cool" (as if I give a chit about that), and it never kept me awake at night.  And btw, I also don't stand in line outside the Apple store for a week waiting for the release of the "latest and greatest" whatever.  Harley and it's dealers are definitely not the only folks conning people and overcharging them.

JMHO - Jerry

[jprkzoo]

I know in our area of the Midwest, a 13 CVO Ultra can be had for MSRP ..... they are not selling as well; nor are the CVO Road Kings.  The CVO Road Glides are another story..... they are hot in this part of the country; and dealers are not budging off of 4K above MSRP.  Disgusting ? Yes.  But demand is the ultimate driver with what they can get away with ..... and they are getting it on these bikes.  The CVO RG's disappear quick here. 

[JakeB]

I just picked up a CVO breakout.  I put a deposit down at my local dealer in Kennewick, WA on one that was to ship in June....before I even had the asking price from the dealer.  Turns out they wanted 5K over MSRP!  In the mean time, I managed to line one up at a dealer in Yakima, who obtained one from Marysville, WA that a man had a deposit on but backed out.  I put a deposit down with Yakima and they wanted 3K over MSRP.  Meanwhile they had the bike shipped across the state after I gave them a deposit.  Slept on it and decided I was not going to pay over MSRP.  Called Yakima up in the morning and told them such, and they came down to 250 over MSRP!  I then called up the local  dealer in Kennewick and told them I was disgusted with them that they would ask 5K over MSRP, told them I had a bike in Yakima, and they could sell their Breakout to some other dumb ass for 5K over MSRP.  They ended up coming down to 500 over MSRP with a 1000 dollar HD chrome card!  In the end I ended up paying 250 over MSRP in Yakima even though the local dealer gave me a better deal....but I just couldn't wait for a late june ship date with a bike 60 miles away waiting for me.  I guess the moral of the story here is.....it is supply and demand, and I had a deposit down on two bikes and each dealer was willing to deal with me after they learned I had another option...although I'm sure they could have told me to get lost and each sold the bikes to someone else for more money...

[lilcoot]

Don't get me wrong... I'm not in the market for a new bike.  I just happened to stop at theses different stealerships, and noticed that all four had the same model, but with different prices.  Along with my recent experience with HD service, I'm pretty disgusted.

I think you have your answer here. 

Ouch!  Rob, you're brutal. 

[Alan Perlin]

So I will just say this, I paid $1000 over MSRP a year ago (and had to go 1000 miles away to find it..) which certainly didn't make me thrilled at the time but I have loved every 1 of the 11000 miles I have put on since. A friend of mine I work with that I was looking with refused to pay MSRP much less any amount over as he has always been a cheap guy. He bought a Victory for $50 over invoice which he bragged about for about 6 months until he borrowed a friend of his CVO RG and decided to admit that his Victory though in his opinion a mechanically superior bike, not even close to as much fun. He has been trying to sell it for months now and is getting his head around the fact that he is going to take a absolute "bath" to sell it. Even he will admit that there is a reason why the CVO cost so much. When this whole deal is over for him, he will cost himself thousands more to end up where he would have been if he paid that $1000 over MSRP in the first place.
At the end of the day "there is no free lunch" and you get what you pay for!
None of us here would be happy if HD made too many of these (or if nobody wanted them) and we could walk into a dealer and get a huge discount off of MSRP.
Then the "dealer beatings" would really be going hard here...

[Twolanerider]

Just because some other idiot doesn't mind spending $45k for something barely worth $35k

The lawyers in the crowd should jump up and yell "objection, foundation" when we say things like that Jerry.  I've been guilty of it too but, really, these bikes aren't "worth" the $35k MSRP in any sort of a comparative measure.  For just over $35k you can buy a new SS Camaro with a V8 and a six speed.  A machine with much more raw material, much more engineering and design effort, many more systems, more modern systems, etc etc etc.  Only self justification lets us sleep at night after we tell ourselves our bikes are "worth" what Mother Harley gets us to pay for them.

[tweeter13]

Remember when the PT cruiser came out.  People were paying 5 grand over msrp on them.
 
If you don't want it the next guy will.  I got 2 grand under in July on mine it was on the floor, and sitting there in myrtle beach with 6 miles on it.  Just happened to be in the right place at the right time on vacation.  Up in Ohio you almost had to be on a waiting list around my area if I wasn't trading another one in or want to charge me well over msrp as well.  Even was looking at goldwings and BMWs.  Than ran into it.  So either hold out or get it or just keep workin them.  Get your own financial stuff.  And tell them this is what you will give them out the door with check in hand.  Might work.  

If it were me I would say msrp out the door.  They are still making money.  If it's sitting there with no sold sign on it or sitting in the back.  


If I wasn't going to buy new house and build a bigger garage.  I just might pay 4 grand over for a Breakout.  Why people may ask.  Because I can't get one around here.  But it has to be the one I like.  But I sure would get them to throw in the ESP for that price.  And also I want it.   There are a few things in this world that I would pay more than what they worth unless its some thing that I want.  I don't often ask for much.  I drive my every day vehicle till they are junk.  It is a S10 with 280 thousand miles and still going.  Then my Explore 4 trax has almost 50 thousand now.  It will be my work vehicle next and then by another one then.  But I think it might be time for a car now.  


Back the the subject.  I see what what every one else is saying and respect that.  But I work for my money and if I want something that is hard to get.  If I want it now then I guess I am going to pay for it.    Kinda like buying something at a antique.  It's value is what you are willing to pay for it.  I don't plan on getting rid of it.  I have my 39 for Tudor sedan.  Won't part with it.  My Z28 it would take a lot of more than its really worth for some one to take it off my hands.  Just because of what's been done to it.  I know I won't get what I got into it out of it don't plan to.   When I sold my 442.  I said the same thing but I was at a car show and was made a offer that I could not refuse.  Do I miss it ya.  But can get another one of them they made a lot more than 2000 of them.    I still have some of my dirt bikes from the 70s and been offered stupid money for them.  A few grand and didn't take it.  Why people may ask.  Because I don't have to I might be a hoarder of some of the things that I wanted but.  I wanted it.   I also wanted my hayabusa but after a while I got rid of it.  But I didn't pay msrp for it.  I wouldn't have I could,have bought used one 1/2 that.  You can do that with a CVO.  

I would not even have a tv at the house if it weren't for the girlfriend and kids.
If the yard wasn't so big I would pave it and put astro turf down just to save time from mowing and trimming

It sure is a nice bike.  But it is a lot of money.  

[Robmay]

Don't get me wrong... I'm not in the market for a new bike.  I just happened to stop at theses different stealerships, and noticed that all four had the same model, but with different prices.  Along with my recent experience with HD service, I'm pretty disgusted.

Ouch!  Rob, you're brutal. 

Lol. I meant no disrespect. I don't think you or anyone else is an idiot for paying over MSRP for a bike. It's just what you said: as long as people pay it, they will sell for that much. I remember when VCR's first came out they were $600-700 for a "real nice one". 

[FLSTFI Dave]

I have bought two CVO road glides, and a CVO road king.   Never paid over MSRP.

I have 4 dealers with in 80 miles of my house.