How much discount?

[robxxxx]

Me and the other half have decided that we want to replace the Girly for something newer. Still not sure what though. Had a look at a Multistada today, and the new KTM looks to be good. Tiger Sport is also a possible.
Only thing is, last time I bought a new bike was in the eighties!
So, if I walk into a dealers and want to do a deal on a new bike, can I expect to get anything off?

[iansoady]

IME the best way to get a good deal is to sell your Tiger privately first then go in with a handful of cash. You'll never (well hardly ever) do well with a part/ex (although my experience with new bikes is even less than yours!)

Although having said that, I know that some dealers make a lot on their finance deals so that may be worth a few bargaining points.

[cosmo]

I dunno how it is in Ol' Blighty, but here in the colonies, where I worked new auto sales for awhile, every deal is different. Some folks get a LOT off, some pay extra. Most in between.

It all depends on how you are at negotiating. Being willing to finance can cut a bit off the price due to kickback from the bankers (shocked, you are?). If you can afford cash, finance, then pay it off. Works better than trying to negotiate with cash.

Also, try at the end of the month. If there are sales figures that they need to meet, and haven't, you're sitting pretty.

Buying used can open up greater savings. Wanting a year-old new bike works, too (is how I got mine, an '06 bought in March '07).

Good luck, and remember the BEST negotiating tool is walking out. SERIOUSLY!! (but be willing to walk back in, THAT'S when the magic happens)

Cosmo

[robxxxx]

Yes Ian the Tiger will go private sale. I don't think many main dealers these days would bother giving very much for anything the age of our Tigers.  It would be a cheap trade sale bargain that they could chuck on a huge profit and turn round quickly.
Yes Cosmo, thats the same here. I was in retail years ago, and even then dealers got a commission when finance was arranged. Even on 0% deals.
I don't know if your idea about finance, then pay off, would work. I seem to remember that some finance companies would still charge interest even if the balance was paid off quicker.   

[Chris Canning]

The short answer to you question is NO!!,things have changed since the eighties,profit margins on new bikes are a joke they are that bad and to make things worse the KTM and the Tiger are new models you'll be going some to get in the queue never mind chipping them on the price,depending on where you go you might be able to chip a dealer on a Multi I can think of couple that don't have a problem devalueing their bikes!!! because thats what they are doing.

I'd spend more time concentrating on who do you choose to look after the bike,you've not a snowballs chance in hell of self service with the latest stuff,most KTM dealers are small setups as is KTM,with Ducati when it comes to service the best dealer in the country is JHP but don't rock up looking for a cheap Multi cuz you won't get it.

Frankly price and who's going to service them is a minor detail,what you are going to buy and what spec is the problem,anything with electric suspension is a mighty black hole,check up on the Multistrada forums for 'Two up set up',or check suspension threads blimey it's a drama for the electric boys.

You can order a KTM without all the bells and whistles for about £700 less,the Tiger is interesting because on paper it's not much quicker than a 955 on top end but hopefully more grunt,and the down side of all of e'm they've all got much smaller tanks!!!,as you can see with my homework I've been trying to make some sort of effort of bailing out of my 955 for the best part of 18 months,things are more complicated as I've attempted to keep mine up with 21st century with wheels/brakes/suspension,and it's a world away from a stock 955.

I've yet to ride a 1050 sport,but Multistrada wise the smart money is on a bog stocker(still has the same motor) and then put an  Ohlin on the back.

Best tip for buying abike from a dealer,go in and mean what you say,don't go in all 'Wishy Washy' I'll go home and think about!!!,be prepared to put you money where your mouth is,having recently had the same experience buying a car it's great fun when they realise your not there to muck about,because I've found that they don't either then.

But don't P/X thats a rich mans past time,normally practised by the complete opposite.

[Chris Canning]

What I forgot, be sure on what ever you buy is the right decision becuase the only way out is a big bucks loss,I've been looking at secondhand Multi's for over a year and I've only seen one sold privately because who the hell is going to pay 10 grand for secondhand bike!!!,certainley an expensive one way ticket.

[Sin_Tiger]

There was a comment in one of the mags I read in the last week or so, journos bemoaning the fact that many of the main dealers couldn't give them demo bikes as they were all going out the does so fast. Might be worth hanging on for a bit if you can.

[Bixxer Bob]

Good advice from Chris based on his own thorough research.  I have a mate whose Multi has just gone up for sale at Ducati Coventry.  Knowing him it will have been well looked after and I know for a fact it was the very first one to be sold in this country.  Now I've posted, you'll have to beat Chris to it though!

[robxxxx]

I am struggling to find anything about the suspension problems you mention Chris. I'm looking on multistrada.net and ducati.ms. I am seeing the usual niggles, the kind of things we get here and any bike forum come to that.
Your right about dealers though, I need to make sure I find a good un. I have heard about Coventry Ducati, so may take a scoot over sometime. I have not visited a KTM dealer yet, but not hearing good things at the moment about them. Why do I get the impression that they might sell combine harvesters as well!
Interesting bit on the G-Tec website about the Stretta and Evo engines not having any timing marks.

".......and the belt tension values are measured in Hz. It should be noted therefore that these engines should only have the belts fitted, timed, and tensioned with the appropriate tools and meters."

So thats DIY out the window.
Sin, last weeks MCN had a road test on a bunch of adventure bikes. One was the new 1200 Caponord. They had problems with it not being fully run in. Might be because Aprillia want to get them sold rather than tested?
Bob, I will let Chris beat me to it, he's welcome. I am looking towards the end of the summer and am even prepared to leave it until winter. Out of season may see some better deals. And I am still waiting on an R/R to arrive for the Girly so I can get that sorted, do a valve check and think about selling it.

[Chris Canning]

Well I'm ahead of the game because I've been through this electric suspension lark before I bought my K1200r Sport,BM had been very clever with their marketing as they realised your average biker doesn't know a shock spring from a bed spring!! and give e'm a button to press to change the suspension and they'll love it,now regardless of the pro's con's of it being any good,by the time the owner has 10/20,000 miles on the bike and the suspension is starting to wear there's no way of uprgrading or stiffing it up, and when they go wrong or leak their £1800 a pop thats just for the rear,hence why I bought a K without,but in fairness it's only been the last 6 months(bikes been out since 05) that it may!!! be possible to get one fixed.

Re the Multi suspension,blimey your not looking very hard,the first Multi came out with either stock Sachs or electric Ohlins,sport mode on a Multi is what dreams are made of,the trouble being if your a big guy or ride two up it's ain't very sport and there's umpteen threads about what folk got up to to try and sort it/stiffen it up,from various shimming to Ohlins offering another spring and of course it's still new tech so there's a lot of fumbling in the dark.

Ducati have now dumped Ohlins and gone solus Sachs and have the new active 'SkyHook' system,without doubt the Multi and the new KTM have moved the game on HP wise,and as i said in the other post I reckon it's just as important as who's going to look after the bike as to which one your going to buy.

The prices on Multi's reminds me of the 4x4 jeep market in eighties when prices stayed high,but in the end their were so many of e'm there was alog jam and prices dropped,certainly Duc owners are notorious for buying new storing and doing no miles,It's a waiting game.

Thats the result of all the drama I'll look for another post.

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/216-2010-current-2nd-generation-watercooled/152017-ohlins-upgrade.html

This is just a sample but their manyl like this including guys who have come up with various solutions.

http://www.ducati.ms/forums/216-2010-current-2nd-generation-watercooled/102677-mts-1200-shock-spring.html

There are also some great threads on having a stock Multi suspension done as well if look.

[Spud]

With regards to a discount be bloody cheeky and be prepared to walk away if you had to. My kids hate shopping with me because of my bartering I got discounts on Ipods for the kids at HMV.

cheers Spud 

[Nick Calne]

Find the salesman that looks like he's struggling, the loser in the pack... He'll give you the best discount.
How do I know? I had lunch with the chairman of one of the largest vehicle dealership chains a few weeks ago and he explained a lot about how sales works and how they motivate/Discipline sales staff. It is brutal!

[robxxxx]

The award for Man who listened to Martin Lewis the most goes to........

With regards to a discount be bloody cheeky and be prepared to walk away if you had to. My kids hate shopping with me because of my bartering I got discounts on Ipods for the kids at HMV.

cheers Spud 

And this year we have a new category, the psychological warfare award.

Find the salesman that looks like he's struggling, the loser in the pack... He'll give you the best discount.
How do I know? I had lunch with the chairman of one of the largest vehicle dealership chains a few weeks ago and he explained a lot about how sales works and how they motivate/Discipline sales staff. It is brutal!

[Chris Canning]

Find the salesman that looks like he's struggling, the loser in the pack... He'll give you the best discount.
How do I know? I had lunch with the chairman of one of the largest vehicle dealership chains a few weeks ago and he explained a lot about how sales works and how they motivate/Discipline sales staff. It is brutal!

At the risk of pointing out the obvious thats cars!!!,George White cured any such notions in the bike trade,you want to haggle?? buy second hand there'll be a bigger profit margin and wriggle room which a new bike doesn't have.

Traders(bike) have found times might be hard,but giving stuff away isn't the way to survive.

[robxxxx]

Thanks for the links Chris, but when I looked at the posts, they date back to pre-2013/Skyhook models.
We may be at odds on this, but I'm not seeing big problem type threads we seem to get. I would have thought that if this was a big issue it would have been a "sticky".
And anyway, I'm not a big fat American, and neither is my wife (she told me to say!)