##Buying your first motorcycle should be exciting.
But if you’ve never bought from a motorcycle dealership before, it can also feel a little intimidating.
What can you negotiate? Is the advertised price actually the final price? Should you finance through the dealership? What about extended warranties? Are they going to lowball your trade? And how do you know whether you’re actually getting a good deal?
I work in motorcycle sales, and there’s one thing I wish more first-time buyers knew:
You don’t need to know everything about motorcycles to walk into a dealership confidently. You just need to understand how the process works.
So here’s your dealership cheat sheet.
##Before You Even Walk Into a Dealership
Do a little homework first — but don’t feel like you need to have already chosen the exact bike you want.
Start with the basics.
Know roughly:
Your budget What kind of riding you want to do Whether you need a LAMS-approved motorcycle Whether you want new or used Your approximate experience level Whether you'll be financing or paying outright Whether you have a motorcycle to trade
And be realistic about your total budget, not just the price of the motorcycle.
You may also need money for insurance, registration, riding gear, servicing and potentially accessories.
A $10,000 motorcycle isn't necessarily a $10,000 purchase.
##A Good Salesperson Should Ask You Questions
If you walk into a dealership and say, “I'm looking for my first bike,” the salesperson shouldn't immediately point you towards whatever they want to get rid of.
They should ask questions.
What have you ridden before?
What licence are you on?
Where will you ride?
Are you commuting?
Weekend riding?
Highway?
City?
How tall are you?
What bikes have caught your eye?
What are you hoping to spend?
A good salesperson isn't simply trying to sell you a motorcycle.
They're trying to find the motorcycle you're most likely to enjoy owning.
And if you're a beginner, don't be embarrassed about saying so.
Seriously.
We all started somewhere.
Sit on LOTS of Motorcycles
This is especially important for new riders.
A specification sheet can tell you seat height, weight and horsepower.
It can't tell you how a motorcycle feels underneath you.
Two bikes with almost identical seat heights can feel completely different because of seat width, suspension sag, weight distribution and the shape of the fuel tank.
Sit on everything.
Put both hands on the bars.
Move the bike gently from side to side if you're comfortable doing so and have permission.
Feel where the controls sit.
Think about whether you can comfortably reach the clutch and brake.
And don't immediately eliminate a motorcycle because you can't flat-foot it.
You don't need two completely flat feet on the ground to ride a motorcycle safely.
What matters much more is whether you can confidently control the bike.
##Understand the Advertised Price
This is an important one.
Always establish what the advertised price actually includes.
For a new motorcycle, you may see a ride-away price, which generally bundles the motorcycle and applicable on-road costs.
Used motorcycles can be advertised differently.
Depending on the bike and dealership, there may be registration, transfer, stamp duty or other costs involved.
So instead of asking:
“How much is the bike?”
Ask:
“What is my total ride-away price?”
That gives you a much more useful number.
##Yes, You Can Negotiate — But Not Every Bike Has Thousands of Dollars in It
There seems to be a persistent belief that dealerships have enormous margins hidden inside every motorcycle.
Usually, they don't.
Margins vary enormously between manufacturers, models, used bikes and individual deals.
Sometimes there genuinely isn't much room left.
Other times there is.
A motorcycle that's been sitting on the floor for months may have considerably more negotiating potential than a brand-new model that's difficult to keep in stock.
There may also be manufacturer bonuses, promotions or incentives operating behind the scenes.
Instead of walking in and immediately throwing out an extremely low offer, try:
“If I'm ready to buy this bike today, what's the best deal you can do for me?”
Now you've given the salesperson something valuable too:
certainty.
##Price Isn't the Only Thing You Can Negotiate
This is one of my favourite dealership tips.
If the dealership can't move much further on the motorcycle itself, there may be other ways to improve the deal.
You could potentially negotiate:
Accessories Accessory fitting Servicing Delivery Riding gear Extended warranty products Registration A better trade-in figure
Sometimes $500 worth of something you were going to buy anyway is more useful than another $200 off the motorcycle.
Look at the whole deal, not just the sticker price.
##Understand Why Aged Stock Can Be Your Friend
Dealerships don't necessarily want motorcycles sitting around forever.
Stock ties up money and floor space.
That's why you'll sometimes see particularly good deals on previous-year models or motorcycles that have been in stock for a while.
That doesn't automatically mean there's anything wrong with them.
A brand-new previous-year model can sometimes be one of the best-value motorcycles in the dealership.
If you're not worried about having the latest colour scheme or model update, ask:
“Do you have any older stock you're trying to move?”
You might be surprised.
##Buying Used From a Dealership
Used motorcycles deserve a little more investigation.
Ask about:
Service history Number of keys Books/manuals Tyre condition Chain and sprocket condition Brake condition Modifications Accident or damage history where known What inspection the dealership performs What warranty or statutory protections apply Whether registration is included
Don't be scared of kilometres alone.
A well-maintained motorcycle with 30,000 km can be a much better purchase than a neglected motorcycle with 8,000 km.
Condition and maintenance matter enormously.
##Don't Assume Every Modification Adds Value
That $2,000 exhaust the previous owner fitted?
It doesn't necessarily make the motorcycle worth $2,000 more.
Accessories and modifications rarely translate dollar-for-dollar into resale value.
Some modifications can even reduce the pool of potential buyers.
If you're looking at a modified motorcycle, ask whether the original parts are available.
##Trading In Your Current Motorcycle
Trade-in values can hurt people's feelings.
I understand why.
You look online and see motorcycles similar to yours advertised for $8,000, then the dealership offers you $5,500.
But an advertised retail price and a trade-in value are two completely different things.
The dealership may need to:
inspect the bike,
service it,
replace tyres or consumables,
repair faults,
detail it,
provide applicable consumer protections,
advertise it,
and still have enough margin left to make selling it worthwhile.
They're also taking on the risk of owning it until somebody buys it.
You're essentially exchanging some potential private-sale profit for convenience.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't negotiate your trade.
You absolutely can.
But compare your changeover figure, not just the trade-in number.
A dealer offering $500 more for your trade but charging $700 more for the new bike hasn't actually given you a better deal.
##Finance: Focus on the Whole Cost
Finance can make motorcycle ownership accessible, but don't judge a finance offer purely by the weekly repayment.
A low-looking repayment can simply mean a longer loan term.
Ask about:
Interest rate Comparison rate where applicable Loan term Establishment fees Monthly or ongoing fees Balloon/residual payments Early repayment conditions Total amount repayable
Then compare it with other finance options available to you.
The important number isn't:
“Can I afford $X per week?”
It's also:
“What will this motorcycle cost me by the time I've finished paying for it?”
##Deposits: Ask Before You Pay
Before putting down a deposit, understand exactly what it does.
Ask:
Is the deposit refundable?
Under what circumstances?
What happens if finance isn't approved?
What happens if I change my mind?
When does the motorcycle get ordered, transferred or prepared?
Get the terms clearly explained before transferring money.
Never assume.
##Extended Warranties and Protection Products
These aren't automatically good.
They're also not automatically scams.
Read what you're actually buying.
Ask:
What's covered? What's excluded? Is there a claim limit? Are there servicing requirements? Where can the motorcycle be serviced? How long does the coverage last? Does it overlap with an existing manufacturer warranty? Is it transferable?
Then decide whether the protection makes sense for your particular motorcycle and circumstances.
An additional warranty may be much more valuable to someone buying an older complicated motorcycle than someone buying a brand-new motorcycle with comprehensive factory coverage.
##Don't Get Distracted by the Monthly Repayment
This deserves repeating.
Imagine you're considering two deals.
One salesperson says:
“It's only $78 a week.”
The other says:
“It's $91 a week.”
The first one sounds cheaper.
But perhaps it's financed over seven years instead of five.
Suddenly the supposedly cheaper deal could cost considerably more overall.
Weekly repayments are useful for budgeting.
They are not a good way to compare the true cost of two loans.
##Be Careful With Emotional Buying
Motorcycles are emotional purchases.
That's part of what makes them wonderful.
You sit on the one.
You hear it start.
Your brain immediately begins picturing Sunday mornings and winding mountain roads.
And suddenly you've mentally moved it into your garage.
Enjoy that feeling.
Just don't let it stop you asking sensible questions.
You can absolutely fall in love with a motorcycle and still check the numbers.
##When Should You Walk Away?
Walk away if you feel pressured into making a decision you don't understand.
Walk away if someone won't clearly explain the numbers.
Walk away if important questions are repeatedly avoided.
Walk away if the motorcycle genuinely isn't right for you.
And definitely walk away from:
“Someone else is definitely buying it this afternoon, so you need to put down a deposit right now.”
Could someone else buy it?
Absolutely.
Motorcycles get sold while people are thinking about them all the time.
But you should still understand what you're agreeing to before handing over money.
Losing one motorcycle is annoying.
Buying the wrong motorcycle is considerably more expensive.
But Don't Assume Your Salesperson Is Trying to Rip You Off
This is something I think gets lost in a lot of “dealership secrets” content online.
Most motorcycle salespeople actually like motorcycles.
A lot.
We talk about them all day, then go home and talk about them some more.
And repeat customers are incredibly valuable to dealerships.
A salesperson who helps you buy a great first motorcycle may eventually sell you your second, third and fourth motorcycle.
So don't walk into a dealership preparing for battle.
Walk in prepared to have a conversation.
Be upfront about your budget.
Ask questions.
Listen to their recommendations.
And if something doesn't make sense, ask them to explain it.
##The Best Question You Can Ask
Before you buy, ask yourself:
“If nobody else knew what motorcycle I bought, would I still choose this one?”
Not the bike your mates think you should ride.
Not the bike with the biggest engine.
Not the one that looks impressive outside the café.
Not necessarily the motorcycle with the best specification sheet.
The one you actually want to ride.
Because ultimately, the best motorcycle isn't the fastest, tallest, newest or most expensive one.
It's the one that makes you want to keep riding.
##Your First Motorcycle Dealership Checklist
Before you say yes, make sure you know:
✓ The total ride-away/changeover price ✓ What's included in that price ✓ Registration status ✓ Warranty coverage ✓ Service history if buying used ✓ Condition of major consumables ✓ Finance rate, fees, term and total repayment if financing ✓ Deposit conditions ✓ Insurance cost ✓ Any accessories included ✓ Expected delivery or collection date ✓ What you'll need to bring on collection day
Then there's only one thing left to do.
Pick up your bike.