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Dealer fees

5K views 32 replies 8 participants last post by  mastershokhan 
#1 ·
Hello! I'm planning on buying 08 Ninja 250. The dealer quoted me 3800 OTD. So I'm wondering what the average dealer fees are and if tags,tax,etc or done at the dealer's or DMV?
 
#2 ·
Not for sure about "dealer fees", but if they said $xxxx Out The Door then they should not try to tack on any extra $ to that price. Now, is $3800 a good price? I honestly couldn't tell you. I haven't looked at what they are going for. Since the 250 has been redone for '08 they may keep it close to sticker, maybe. Shop around with differnet shops.

DMV handles all tags,plates,tax......
 
#6 ·
I think MasterShokhan doesn't have access to the forum anymore for some reason (computer-related) but he lives on the North Side.

Also, drur, maybe you can give some tips on negotiating the price of a bike because I thought it was pretty much a given to pay MSRP plus whatever wacky fees and taxes the dealer decides to tack on. How do you go about talking them down from $4k (which is about what they'll charge I'm sure)?

I know the fees are bogus ways for them to make money but it doesn't seem like there would be much leverage for the buyer if the bike is in high demand (which this one seems to be). Any help would be much appreciated.
 
#7 ·
Shop around with dif dealers. Dealer may set a price, but ultimatly it's the consumer that dictates the actual selling price. Yep, it's new so it will be hard to get them to come down, but if you don't let your emotions get the best of you (which they want to happen), you can still deal with a reasonable price. If they don't budge, don't buy. Now, if every buyer gives into the dealers price/fees/ect then there isn't much you can do except buy something else that will work for you.

My opinion is the same as drur. Not a penny over msrp. I don't care if it's the latest & greatest, there is always another option.
 
#8 ·
Did you ever strike a deal for the 08 250?
 
#9 ·
Funny you should ask. I just got off the phone with MasterShokhan and he had some new news about his bike. A black 250 Ninja came into the shop he was dealing with last week, but before he could bring his money in they sold it! So no bike for ol' MasterShokhan, but he did get quoted $3800 from the dealership, then he'll have to pay for TTL on his own.

On another note, can anyone suggest a good dealership in the St. Louis area? My buddy Shokhan is having a heckuva time dealing with Extreme Toy Store and hopefully we can change that. The guys at XTS seem to be either shady or incompetent or both, but he's decided he doesn't want to deal with them after he buys the bike (or better yet, before he does).
 
#13 ·
{update} 20mins after I got off the phone with Midwest Kawasaki on Saturday, The Extreme Toy store called. I started laughing because I knew they found out I was looking elsewhere. They were really nice this time around...said they would get a 250 for me in 2wks.

Today I called Midwest for an update and he was nudging me toward buy from Extreme. I think I being stone walled.

end
 
#14 ·
Yeah, I'm sure they're all in league together, unfortunately. The really bad thing is that even if you buy the bike from somewhere else, you still have to take it to one of those places for service unless you can find another dealership that doesn't specialize in Kawasaki.

Oh well, at least Extreme is coming around. Heck, maybe they'll throw in some gear or drop the price a bit to keep your business.
 
#16 ·
I work at a Kawi store in FL. Our owner owns 8 different stores in the area. I can tell you that everything is negotiable. Decide what you want to pay, and make the offer, all they can say is no. We always start at MSRP +++ (fees) but after that, make an offer. You'll need to be prepared to buy when dealing, otherwise they prob wont take you seriously. Its almost impossible to call and get a 'best price' over the phone. Everyone will tell you to get your best price in writing, and then bring it in, then we'll beat it. But honestly, no one will do that. You can go through all the motions in person, and find out the best deal, but you wont get it in writing. You can do all this, and then maybe save another couple hundred bux, if you feel that is worth it. I tell everyone, "Lets sit down, run some numbers, and then you can make me an offer", I'll take any offer to the Sales Manager, as long as your ready to buy. Thats really how it is done. The 08 250s are easily bringing MSRP + TTL. That is about the best your going to get right now, if you can get that without any other fees thrown in. There are always dealarships out in country that dont really want to sell the sportbikes, so they just blow them out until they are gone. Finding them before they are gone is the challange. Good luck...
 
#17 ·
#19 ·
Not that it matters, but I saw brand new 2007 baby ninjas for $2399. Makes me want to go get one just for shits and grins, but then again, it wouldn't be worth the fight with the mrs.

I still say wait until the end of the year and get an 08 for list or less. It is ridiculous to pay one cent over MSRP. Never done it, never will.
 
#20 ·
I still say wait until the end of the year and get an 08 for list or less. It is ridiculous to pay one cent over MSRP. Never done it, never will.
Yeah, but the problem is that you have a motorcycle and we don't:neener I'm not a big fan of paying over MSRP but right now the dealers have all of the leverage in the case of the Ninja 250. So the choice is go another season without riding to save a few hundred bucks, or bite the bullet and shell out a few extra dollars to get what you want.

I think it's also a matter of how much value you feel you'll get out of the bike. I see people here (and other places) buy a bike every other year, and if that's the case you should get as cheap a bike as you can. However, if you think you can keep a bike for 3-5 years then why not pay a few extra bucks?
 
#22 ·
Is this your first bike? Just learning to ride?
 
#23 ·
#24 ·
Yeah, I am just learning to ride and it is my first bike. To be honest, you might be right about out growing it. But right now I can't understand why I would need to go faster than 100mphs on two wheels. Yes, my " Man-pride " does get to me every time I talk to another rider. My brother and my dad give me shit about it! Peer pressure never did work on me, but the first time a girl wants to get on the back of my bike I will be f@#ked :eek:nfloor Good looking out, though! I'm still open to all advice.
 
#27 ·
Not to threadjack, but I had a question that I am trying to get to the bottom of and it's sort of related to this topic. Most people who ride have bikes that, while street legal, aren't really made for the street (even slow bikes go over 100mph). And I hear people saying to start small, but they assume that eventually everyone wants more power (and probably sooner rather than later).

My question is, what do people mean by "more power"? Are they talking about torque or top-end speed? I can understand wanting to have that eyeball sucking feeling when you're taking off because it's a thrill. However, going over 100mph is not only dangerous but impractical, so I don't really understand it. I don't speed in my car because I don't like tickets and high insurance, but it seems like there's an unspoken understanding that going well over the legal speed limit is alright (if not condoned).

Do most people want faster bikes because they accept not only the inherent dangers, but also the risk of getting caught and having their driving record jeopardized?

Or do most people just want to get to highway speed quicker than some bikes can go? Maybe people like more pull going up hill and through traffic (again, torque).

I'm not trying to knock anyone so please don't be offended (that's not my intention). I'm trying to be as straightforward as I can be with this question because I want to get to the bottom of it. I'm about to be in the market so I want to make a wise decision. So again, do people want more torque or more top end speed, and more importantly, why?
 
#28 · (Edited)
Personaly if I get a b***** bike I would want it for the bottom end torque. Thats is where I spend most of my riding at, on the street. Most people IMO want a big bike for strokin' ego, not all, but most. Two up riding is also better with more cc too. I've been riding 600cc bikes for 14years and have never been bored with them. Would I take a b***** bike? Sure I would! I would also have a blast on a 250. I would highly doubt that I would get bored on one either, but thats just me. If I'm on two wheels I'm happy. I could give two shits if someone else thought that it was lame because I'm too busy havin' fun riding.

To me straight line speed is boring! Yeah the first few times is awesome, but after awhile you realize that it doesn't take any skill to twist a throttle. Instant gratification wears thin after awhile to me. Corner speed and being smooth is something that I can work on continuously when I ride no matter where I maight be.

If I raced I would have a dif outlook on it, but I'm a street rider that knows where most of my time is spent in what RPM range. You can gear a bike for more top end speed (to an extent) but most will change the sprockets to have more acceleration.

any motorcycle can jeopardize your driving record. :)
 
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