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Mark Hinchliffe·
Tips/trainingFinance advice
··4 Comments·2 min read

How you can score a good motorcycle deal

Motorcycle industry dealer showroom deal customer
Morgan & Wacker has a tasty display of bikes

If you are a good customer, behave yourself, smell ok and act intelligently, you have a better chance of scoring a good deal.

We have already given our top 10 tips to salesmen on how to treat customers properly. Now it’s time for customers to learn what salespeople expect and what will help you get a better deal.

Follow these tips from industry experts and you will gain the interest of the salesperson, ensure they take you seriously and score a better deal.

Many salespeople are trained to evaluate your potential in the early questions and if you appear to be a timewaster, they will treat you as such.

Motorcycle dealer showroom deal

  1. Don’t be too demanding. Ask what is possible.
  2. Pick your sales person. Most dealerships will have have a sales person that each customer can relate to. Don’t be upset if the female salesperson doesn’t get your male sense of humour or if the 20-year-old motocross rider doesn’t know who Giacomo Agostini was.
  3. Try to appear reasonable and sane. Many people are not comfortable talking to strangers and come across less than intelligent. The sales person will evaluate you as a time waster immediately.
  4. Try to smell nice. If you or your riding gear have an odour, no sales person will want to spend long enough with you to arrange a test ride or bargain. And they certainly won’t want you trying on any clothing.Motorcycle dealer showroom deal
  5. Don’t expect anything at cost. If the dealer doesn’t make any money, they can’t offer any backup service or support. They will do their best to ensure you go to the next dealer in future.
  6. Try to bundle the deal. It’s the best time to get a well-priced jacket, helmet or exhaust slip-on. If you are doing a finance deal, you will get all the goodies for almost no noticeable difference in weekly payments.
  7. If you intend to use your own finance, have that ready before shopping. If you leave after the salesperson has offered the deal, it may not be there when or if you return.
  8. Back to Q1. Ask what is possible. Be nice. Be firm. Don’t expect miracles, but maybe you can get riding lessons, a helmet, first service etc for free at time of sale if you ask nicely. Nobody wants to play hardball or deal with dickheads. Motorcycle dealer showroom deal
  9. Don’t expect a test ride if you are not ready to buy in the coming weeks. Not saying it won’t happen, but you are wasting time that the salesperson could be spending elsewhere.
  10. Ask the salesperson how long they have been working there. If it is two weeks, be gentle. If it is 10 years, respect their advice. 
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Mark Hinchliffe
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4 Comments

  1. If they treat you like a second class citizen BEFORE you lay down your hard-earned cash, how do you think they are going to treat any warranty problems after the sale?
    Best advice is to walk away.
    Note to salesmen: Very unwise to make judgements based on the the way people look and smell. It often is no indication of their financial position. If it’s a problem, go back to the lingerie department at Myers.

  2. I would also say:

    1.) Approach at the end of the month. A lot of dealerships have monthly sales targets. You’ll find very good deals if they’re close to meeting that target with a day or two to go for the month.
    2.) Be honest. If I have X amount of money, that’s all I have. If you can’t get to a deal where I can afford the bike, then I need to look at other options.

  3. This is advice goes without saying comes from a dealer.

    1. Don’t be demanding. Ask what is possible
    Response: Be demanding know what you want and don’t ask what is possible. He will think all his birthdays have come at once. You be assertive when he walks off and expects you to obediently follow him like a lap dog stand your ground and keep looking at the bike. He is trying to assert his authority over you. Wait till he politely asks for you to come with him to his office.

    3. Try to appear reasonable and sane. Many people are not comfortable talking to strangers and come across less than intelligent. The sales person will evaluate you as a time waster immediately.
    Response: Every purchaser starts off as a tyre kicker. The high pressure salesman deems everyone as a tyre kicker if they don’t fall into what he believes is his magical charms and don’t sign on the dotted line in 5 minutes they are just tyre kickers. Other sales people are lazy and just want an easy sale. ‘Appear reasonable and sane’ whoever advised this probably is tied of dealing with the public and can’t cope with anyone a bit different.

    4. Try to smell nice. If you or your riding gear have an odour, no sales person will want to spend long enough with you to arrange a test ride or bargain. And they certainly won’t want you trying on any clothing.
    Response: ok everyone got that. don’t be insane and smell nice.

    5. Don’t expect anything at cost. If the dealer doesn’t make any money, they can’t offer any backup service or support. They will do their best to ensure you go to the next dealer in future.
    Response: expect everything at cost particularly if they are down on sales at the end of the month. A dealer gets a handsome rebate cheque at the end of the month from the factory if the sell so many bikes within that month. Look at dealerships as just vending machines you put your money in and xyz motorcycle pops out. That motorcycle is the same whether you buy it from this or another dealership. They will offer back up service it does not matter how much you screwed them down in price. It is the factory ie Yamaha Honda etc that are offering the warranty not the dealer. The dealer gets paid by the factory to perform warranty work. If you go back and they won’t sell you another bike because you did so well on the last deal a huge congratulations is in order you are the highest of high achievers in negotiations. But let’s get back to reality. Firstly, apart from 50% of Harley owners and some European bike owners most of us are not brand loyal particularly with the fab 4 Japanese bike companies. You probably will not be returning to that particular dealership unless they carry several brands and they have the new bike you are after. Secondly, the musical chairs syndrome is constantly being played out in dealerships making a high turn over of sales staff in many dealerships. When you go back in 2 or 3 years there will be all different sales staff and if there is the same salesman there he won’t remember you anyway.

    6. Try to bundle the deal. It’s the best time to get a well-priced jacket, helmet or exhaust slip-on. If you are doing a finance deal, you will get all the goodies for almost no noticeable difference in weekly payments.
    Response: yes get a bundle deal by all means but don’t pay for it. Do your homework on extras and compare quality aftermarket products with the factory offerings. This phrase is a salesman’s bread winner ‘you will get all the goodies for almost no noticeable difference in weekly repayments’. He knows you are excited now because you have bought the bike and all the neogotiations are over and time to relax. THERE IS NO RELAXING IN A SALESMAN’S OFFICE! You think Wow! only $15 a week for all those shinny new things. I might use some of them but for small change I get all those things. Note the term ‘weekly repayments’ it makes it sound very cheap. But $15 x 52 weeks x 4 years = $3120 that $15 pw put into your repayments will significantly shorten your loan and save you a lot of interest. Beware of dealer loans shop around building society and banks.

    8. Back to Q1. Ask what is possible. Be nice. Be firm. Don’t expect miracles, but maybe you can get riding lessons, a helmet, first service etc for free at time of sale if you ask nicely. Nobody wants to play hardball or deal with dickheads.
    Response: in a dealership there is no truer saying that ‘nice guys finish last’. Don’t worry about being a dickhead once a salesman works out you are not a wood duck he or the manager will take on that role. Just remember this what ever the salesman is saying is bull shlt. Remain firm and calm.

    9. Don’t expect a test ride if you are not ready to buy in the coming weeks. Not saying it won’t happen, but you are wasting time that the salesperson could be spending elsewhere.
    Response: don’t worry about this comment. The market place is so competitive dealerships bend over backwards to offer test rides. Victory offers free weekends away with accomodation and fuel.

    10. Ask the salesperson how long they have been working there. If it is two weeks, be gentle. If it is 10 years, respect their advice.
    Response: who cares how long they have been working there. It is all about the deal. Know as much as you can about the bike and prices before you walk in. If they tell you something about the bike you didn’t know that is nice but remember, that is his job.

    Most important bid of advice be prepared to walk out. The BS you have to sign now etc ignore it and walk out. They will contact you in a short period of time trying to make a deal. Once you know the bike you want just Shop! Shop! Around. Then turn it into a Dutch auction. Have them competing for your business. Once you have got the best possible deal sign up on it asap and enjoy your brand new bike.

  4. Since I’m wanting to get a new motorcycle, I do have to start looking at some time sooner than later. Now as you said, I should be reasonable as I shouldn’t ask for a ridiculous price or extra options. I would treat the salesperson just as they treated me.

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