Do BMW Dealers Discount?

[Bob B]

I have an '05 ST1300. For reasons that are much too lengthy to go into here, I went to the dark side and made an offer last week for an '08 BMW R1200RT at my local (Greensboro,NC) BMW dealer. I wanted to trade the ST. Long story short, he wouldn't budge off of MSRP for the RT.

Is this the norm for BMW, they don't discount at all off MSRP? He claimed he only made 10% on his new bikes,and wouldn't make any money if he sold for less. I've read that they make between 12% and 18%, and get a "holdback", just like car dealers. And of course ,he was going to make money off the sale of my ST as well. Before I travel 80 miles to the next closest BMW dealer,I wanted to get some feedback from anyone who has an opinion about this, bacause no way I'm paying MSRP.

Thanks for any insights you may have.

 

[Bones]

BMW dealers discount, perhaps just not the one you saw. Shop around. I can't imagine with a softening economy they're going to sell a whole lot of bikes for MSRP.

 

[Chris Parker]

I have an '05 ST1300. For reasons that are much too lengthy to go into here, I went to the dark side and made an offer last week for an '08 BMW R1200RT at my local (Greensboro,NC) BMW dealer. I wanted to trade the ST. Long story short, he wouldn't budge off of MSRP for the RT.

Is this the norm for BMW, they don't discount at all off MSRP? He claimed he only made 10% on his new bikes,and wouldn't make any money if he sold for less. I've read that they make between 12% and 18%, and get a "holdback", just like car dealers. And of course ,he was going to make money off the sale of my ST as well. Before I travel 80 miles to the next closest BMW dealer,I wanted to get some feedback from anyone who has an opinion about this, bacause no way I'm paying MSRP.

Thanks for any insights you may have.

I got a substantial discount on my new RT from Touring Sport in Greenville SC, but I was getting mine at the end of the model year... Give John Moore or Fred Zust a call at 864-232-2269. Tell them Chris Parker sent you... they know me like "Norm".

Chris

 

[Papa Bear]

Like a car dealer they may not discount on a trade in deal, only on a cash deal. This is pretty common with both car and motorcycle dealers that I have dealt with.

PB.

 

[Bob B]

Ok ,thanks to all who have responded so far. Very interesting that you don't believe that they will deal if there's a trade-in involved.

This is the first vehicle of any kind I've tried to trade in. I would think they would be more willing to deal with you, because not only are they going to make a profit on the new bike, but they are of course offering you less than retail for the trade in, so they will make a buck there as well.

 

[RP3]

Dont kid yourself " Very interesting that you don't believe that they will deal if there's a trade-in involved." -There is no dealer anywhere that I am aware of that will not make a deal if it makes sense to the accounting/financial department. They all need to make money.


I was in the car business for years and when it comes to trade-ins and the purchase of an in-stock inventory item it is the difference between the two that matters. If they discount theirs, give you more for yours than ACV, (actual cash value - a wholesale number at which they can dump your bike if it doesn't sell soon enough - probably a number they were given by a Honda dealer) or adjust both numbers it doesn't matter. If you want to make the transaction less murky just sell yours and don't trade it in. You may want to investigate whether or not you will be receiving a sales tax break by trading due to the fact that the tax has already been paid on yours and they are like items (this is true in WA), because if this is the case you may be better off trading the bike in and not having to deal with all the hassle of selling it yourself. Good luck and enjoy the new ride.

 

[Bob B]

Steve thanks for the offer to ride. I have not been doing a lot because of the reason I wanted to trade the ST. I've got the high speed weave problem. That's a whole other subject which I won't bore anyone with, but its inhibited my riding.

Anyway, I know I could get more money by selling it myself, but I've become lazy in retirement: I don't want to have to deal with the hassel of selling it myself. Your comments about the local Greensboro BMW dealer rang true, it was definitely "take it or leave it ". They didn't even counter offer my two offers. As Bones mentioned, with the economy headed the direction its going, I would think they would be willing to do some business. Perhaps as Chris mentioed above, I should wait until the end of season, and see if their attitude changes.

 

[Bob B]

Steve- I admit there is a part of me that does like the BMW that has nothing to do with my high speed weave problem on my ST. But to answer your question, yes I would keep the ST if I could for sure get rid of my issue. Your right, it's pretty expensive to get another bike, especially the BMW RT.

I am in the middle of experimenting with different preload/damping settings as a way to resolve the problem. From just about everything I've read about the problem, the advice was to really crank up the preload (turn clock wise) and back off just a half turn or so from full right on the damping. That didn't help. However, a few folks actually said the opposite; lighten up the preload. The theory there was the short wheelbase and steep rake and trail on the ST made it less stable at highter speeds, and a stiff preload actually made this worst somehow?

So a few days ago I did that and the bike did seem a little better, but I didn't have a chance to really get out on a road where I could run at a higher speed for a sustained period of time. And of course I check my tires and run 42 lbs. all the time, no top box, and shield is mostly low to mid position.

Anyway I appreciate your offer. If you have any suggestions you can think of other than preload /damping and tire pressures, yes please let me know.

 

[STArnie13]

All dealers will deal. Some do it more than others and then the time of year can help. Most will tell you they have to have the regular price if you trade in but all they are doing is trying to make as much money as they can. Go in with the knowledge of what you will pay and if they aren't interested walk out.

 

[Gonzo]

I suggest you always try to make your deal near the end of the month. They usually want to finish up each month with the best numbers and get hungry to deal then.

 

[lorenzell]

I hope your suspension adjustments do the trick. If you have an itchy check book, just do a search on "CycleTrader". It lists dealers selling bikes. I did a local search on the BMW you listed and came up with 3. One had a thousand plus miles 2007 that was way below list and there was another advertisement for a 2007 that was discounted about 10%. Keep in mind, there are more than just your closest dealers that sell these bikes, and BMW made quite a few of them.

HOpe your problem gets resolved.

LZ Happy Easter.

 

[st11ray]

I live in GSO and am somewhat familiar with the BMW dealer you reference.
I think you were pretty lucky these guys even talked to you since you were riding a Honda. Usually they stay behind the counter unless they know the individual wandering through the showroom area. I know a few (former) BMW riders and they confirm that this is the normal behavior for these guys.

For the best price you may need to sell the ST then bring cash. I have seen Harleys, Hondas and other brands for sale there so I guess they take trades. I suspect that they want to name the offer, not you.

When you are in the mood give me a PM. Maybe we can ride.

Our local BMW dealer was sold a few years ago and they now operate like these guys. You may want to try Asheville if you decide to trade.

 

[bmcdonau]

Bob, what are the riding conditions (speed, wind, top box, pillion?) when your bike weaves? My bike weaves like crazy with a top box and pillion.

 

[omsbitaro]

I bought 2 BMWs in the past from my local dealer and they gave me fair amount of discount each time. I bought one in end of June, that was same year model and another in March that was last year model. If you are OK with 07 model, they would deal, I think.

 

[Larry7721]

Hey Bob, I've been there and done that. I'd think it over some more. Your trading a great bike for merely a good one. Honda's are much better values. Honda has far more dealers. Honda sells more Wings than BMW sells motorcycles every year!! WHY?
Cost of maintainance is higher with the BMW. A BMW oil filter is over $20 ! BMW's seem harder to sell, at least in my area. Read some of the comparo's in the monthly magazines. You've got a better machine. After you trade for the Bimmer, you'll know it. Good Luck !! RIDE SAFE, whatever youre on.

 

[Bob B]

To reply to some of the posts: I do not have a top box. The bike weaves beginning at approx. 65-70 mph. It's worst of course in windy conditions, and on the interstate. I've been really trying to tweek the preload, damping, and tire pressures the past week or so, and I believe I've actually reduced the problem.

I now have the preload about 2 1/2 lines from full in, damping 1 1/2 turns from full on, and tires at 37/39 psi front/ rear. I know everone says 42 front and rear, but I read somewhere that the reduced psi makes the contact patch larger which improves stability, and I believe its helping me.

As to the Honda versus BMW remarks, well ,I certainly agree the Honda is an all around "better value". More reliable, more dealers, love the ST engine. But dispite all that, if I can't get my bike to the point I can ride it down the interstate and feel good about it, then all those attibutes don't mean much in a sport tourning bike. I'm going to give my bike a little more time and see how the above settings work over a range of conditions.

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

[tlartist]

Your ST should not weave. How do you ride with the windshield, up or down? Is the windshield in the lower or higher set of screw settings? Do you lean pretty heavy on the bars or do you have risers, keep the weight off your hands? Do you kind of fight the weave when it starts or take your weight off the handlebars?

If you have the windshield in absolute lowest position, take your weight off the hands and maybe let the bike move some when it weaves this might help.

If you are still under warranty you could just take it in to the dealer and see if they can figure it out.

 

[grindz145]

BMW really squeezes their dealers, and its true they make very low margins. The times when you get a discount are when they're getting rid of older models or its a demo or the dealer bought the bike themselves and the warranty is therefore started. Unless its a really huge BMW dealership (daytona or something) don't expect to get anything off of MSRP unless its direct from BMW.

 

[gregj]

Try Morton's BMW in Fredericksburg, Va, or Bob's BMW in Md, I think both will deal with you.

http://www.mortonsbmw.com/

http://www.bobsbmw.com/

Best of luck on your search.

 

[Bob B]

Your ST should not weave. How do you ride with the windshield, up or down? Is the windshield in the lower or higher set of screw settings? Do you lean pretty heavy on the bars or do you have risers, keep the weight off your hands? Do you kind of fight the weave when it starts or take your weight off the handlebars?

If you have the windshield in absolute lowest position, take your weight off the hands and maybe let the bike move some when it weaves this might help.

If you are still under warranty you could just take it in to the dealer and see if they can figure it out.

I've tried all the things you mention: adjusting windshield, light grip on bars, preload/damping adjustments, tire pressure changes etc., all of which helps to some extent I believe, but never completely eliminates it. You're right, next step is the dealer (torque steering head bearings?), which I have been avoiding.

Frankly there are several reasons I'm not real happy with the ST: weight of bike; my wife doesn't like to ride with me ( uncomfortable, too much wind), the hassle with the weave issue, and to some extent the heat issue (I always ride in a one piece "stich"). Hence my offer to a BMW dealer for the R1200RT. That's an expensive solution which on reflection I'm rethinking, but if I can resolve all my issues with the ST by buying an RT for a reasonalble price, I may do it.

Thanks again for everyone's input.