Is this markup normal?

[dentheman]

I went to the stealership to sit on some bikes and to see if the cash I have saved so far was getting somewhat close to the cost of a bike.

I specifically asked about the 2010 Ninja 250 with a msrp of $3999. I knew I didn't have enough cash, but I told the salesman how much I could pay and asked if he could give me a good OTD price just so I would have an idea of how much more cash I would need. He said he would get as close to my dollar amount as he could, and went to talk to the manager.

Then he came back and said the BEST HE COULD DO WAS $4900.99! (That's right, couldn't even take off the 99 cents!) IS THIS NORMAL?

I do realise there is sales tax of 6.25%, registration fees, etc, etc. but the price still seems extremely high. I don't think he even tried to give me a reasonable figure.

[alanmcorcoran]

It's a typical starting point. If the bike is popular and in short supply, it may also be the ending point. Typically new bikes are loaded with $500 shipping fee $200-$400 assembly fee and possibly some other fees (safety check) and then you have the tax and registration fees.

You'll do a lot better if you look at an '09. I don't know about that particular model (I think it is one of the more popular ones) but it's not unusual for a larger dealer to have "NEW" bikes that are two and even as much as three years old. I bought my second two bikes as "New" old models after I got hosed on my "NEW" new GZ.

If he didn't really think you were ready to buy, he may have "blown you out the door." This is what salesmen do when they don't want to waste time with a "tire-kicker." (Don't ask me how I know this...)

If you do your homework, even if the bike is popular, you should be able to find a "new" new one somewhere for list, plus shipping plus tax. About 4800! I bought an '09 KLR for about 2K below list plus shipping and tax.

Good luck. BTW the dealer doesn't care whether you have tax or finance. In fact, many times they make more money off you if you finance. They only care if you have cash if you aren't credit worthy.

[Water Warrior 2]

I think the baby ninja is a popular small bore rocket that will always demand a good price. Do as Alan suggested and look for a new in the crate older bike. The recent fuddle duddle with the economy has left a lot of unsold bikes in warehouses. The baby ninja may be one of them.

[dentheman]

I don't think he blew me out the door, we were having a pretty good conversation about us both being stationed at the base here, and he was showing me some of the bikes and explaining some of their particulars. I think he was glad to have something to do since they were all just sitting around with no customers because the temperature was in the teens and there were a couple inches of snow on the ground. He pointed out a couple bikes he thought would be good for me, and steered me away from even considering the in-line 4 I was looking at. He said the best one he had for me was the 09 Vulcan 500. That is a beauty!

I know they make more money if I finance through them, but I don't want to pay the interest and full coverage insurance.

At least I got a ballpark figure of how much cash I might have to spend above msrp if I buy new. But now a used bike is looking more attractive.

[alanmcorcoran]

Was the 09 Vulcan new? Should be able to do a lot better on that one (relative to list.)

[bonehead]

IMHO there are so many clean, low milage bikes for sale that there is no reason to give the dealer the 1000+ he adds on for a new sale.
And you can usually get "more" bike for your money.

[jonathan180iq]

Yep. Buy used.

[frempath]

You may also want to look at a different dealer. One a little way down the road may be more amicable.
Broadening your search to new old stock and lightly used as suggested is also a good idea. You may also want to think about what you want the bike to do and consider alternatives. The 250 ninja is a good bike, but would a Buell Blast or Suzuki GS 500 do the job?

[mrlmd1]

Definitely look at used bikes. A year ago on Ebay I got a 2006 Ninja250 with less than 4000 miles in pristine condition for $1600, and I sold it 9 mos. later for $1900 (could have gotten more).
FWIW, many members on the multiple Ninja 250 forums prefer the older gen Ninjas - they are quicker. easier to work on, better gas mileage, much less expensive, and only very slightly different in bodywork which is hard to notice. If that's what you want, definitely look at a few years old used bike, with all the required maintenance done on it.
And you can tell the dealer that the shipping fees, setup and prep fees and everything except the sales tax and registration fees are BS, that's his cost of doing business. I did that with a dealer negotiating the price of a new bike and he IMMEDIATELY took them off, hoping he could get away with them. If your dealer wants to keep that bike sitting around indefinately or until some sucker pays that price, than he can keep paying his loan or floor costs on it forever. There is a Kawi dealer near here who advertises those bikes for $2999, but OTD winds up about $4300. Kiss my butt and keep the bike. There is an ad here on CL for a brand new Vulcan 500 with 61 miles on it that the owner decided he doesn't want a motorcycle and he's asking about $4300 and will undoubtedly take less as his price has been slowly coming down from originally about $4900. There's also 2009 Yamaha V Star 950 looks new, 1810 miles, for $4000, as the 80 year old owner recently died. Look around, there's lots of options, and the season and weather help lower the price. Used bikes also often come with accessories like windshields, saddlebags, tankbags, sissybars, etc, and sometimes gear thrown in, and as you know the prices of those things new is ridiculous.

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by alanmcorcoran

Was the 09 Vulcan new? Should be able to do a lot better on that one (relative to list.)

One mile on the odometer. And it called my name when I sat on it (maybe it was just a little euphoria on my part).