[olhogrider]

My dealership relegates Royal Enfield to the used bike building, leaving the high dollar BMWs and Triumphs to the new bike showroom. The last time I was in the RE section it was 30 minutes before anyone spoke to me. They were downright eager in the $$ room. This week I realized that I have only ridden the Triumph three times in the last year. It is setup as a comfy touring machine with windshield, hard bags and a Corbin seat. My wife proclaimed it as comfortable as our old GoldWing was. But with Covid there is no place to go and no one to ride with.

We have watched every episode of Itchy Boots. That got me thinking maybe something more "adventurous" would get more use. I went to the local Honda dealer to check out the 2020 CB500X. The website showed they had one in red. When I got there they "had one in the back but it's still in the crate". How do you hope to sell bikes without putting them on display? I asked about the Africa Twin. Same answer. They had a three year old VFR12000 adventure bike. I didn't even know they made such a thing. Apparently nobody else knew either since they stopped making it. Marked down from $16k to $9k it seemed like a good deal. Then I asked about trading in the Triumph. They offered about 60% of what it is worth. I said goodbye.

So as I'm checking out the RE, BMW and Triumph dealer's website they have a trade in calculator. It valued my bike exactly what I had figured it was worth. I was checking out the Ewan MacGregor style BMW R1200GS. That is an amazing machine! The next morning at the crack of 9 I got a call from the dealership. It was too early for me to talk to anyone but I think I'll stop by later in the week. As I always suspected, If you are there for a high dollar machine they love you.

[GlennF]

This week I realized that I have only ridden the Triumph three times in the last year.

Yeah, the cost per mile/km of my bike is something like 10% gas and maintenance and 90% registration and insurance recently.  In US terms I do about 500 miles a year lately and pay roughly $US500 in annual registration and insurance. So it has been costing me a buck per mile (before gas) the last few years ...

[Richard230]

Yeah, the cost per mile/km of my bike is something like 10% gas and maintenance and 90% registration and insurance recently.  In US terms I do about 500 miles a year lately and pay roughly $US500 in annual registration and insurance. So it has been costing me a buck per mile (before gas) the last few years ...

Well, that sucks.  I just received the yearly registration bill for my Zero electric motorcycle and I am getting squeezed by California for $250. And here I was thinking that CA had about the highest vehicle registration fees around.  Where do you live? NYC?   

[Chaz Michael Michaels]

The RE dealers in Oregon are worthless. Both are Harley dealers with RE's relegated to a satellite building. On top of that they both dealers add on between $800-$1000 per bike. Example: 2020 INT 650 Orange Crush OTD price = $7800. That's with no options, bone stock. And they don't really seem to care if they move them or not. I've dealt with 3 other dealers:
Northwest Moto in Seattle
Socal Motors in Brea, CA
MotoZilli in Ohio

All are European dealers (Ducati, Triumph, BMW, etc.) and have always been easy to deal with and their prices are aligned with MSRP.
Example: 2017 RE Classic in Tan/Maroon OTD price= $6100.
Just seems like the HD dealers are not into it and don't really care if they sell or not. Maybe there is no incentive? Not sure. But we all know there is much more to buying a bike than just the sales price. If it's a great dealer then you're coming back for service and all the other good stuff. But, this has just been my experience. YMMV.

[GlennF]

Well, that sucks.  I just received the yearly registration bill for my Zero electric motorcycle and I am getting squeezed by California for $250. And here I was thinking that CA had about the highest vehicle registration fees around.  Where do you live? NYC?   

Australia ... the $500 US figure is compulsory costs plus insuring the thing for accidents theft etc.

[Richard230]

Australia ... the $500 US figure is compulsory costs plus insuring the thing for accidents theft etc.

Our DMV yearly registration "fees" are basically a lipstick-painted-pig tax. 

I am getting a real bargain insuring my motorcycles, though. I have my motorcycles insured for $250K/$500K third-party liability only (no collision or comprehensive damage insurance) and am being charged only $36 for a year's insurance premium for the Duke and $22 for my Bullet. But I am getting soaked for $79 to insure my Zero electric motorcycle.  My motorcycles are insured with Progressive West, AKA Drive Insurance.

On the other hand, I have to pay $545 a year to AAA Insurance for my 22-year old Saturn station wagon for the same coverage and I only drive that vehicle about 300 miles a year.     (You do the math.)

[tooseevee]

     I have never bought a motorcycle from a dealer and have never had any work done by a dealer.

[K1KHJ]

The RE dealers in Oregon are worthless. Both are Harley dealers with RE's relegated to a satellite building. On top of that they both dealers add on between $800-$1000 per bike. Example: 2020 INT 650 Orange Crush OTD price = $7800. That's with no options, bone stock. And they don't really seem to care if they move them or not. I've dealt with 3 other dealers:
Northwest Moto in Seattle
Socal Motors in Brea, CA
MotoZilli in Ohio

All are European dealers (Ducati, Triumph, BMW, etc.) and have always been easy to deal with and their prices are aligned with MSRP.
Example: 2017 RE Classic in Tan/Maroon OTD price= $6100.
Just seems like the HD dealers are not into it and don't really care if they sell or not. Maybe there is no incentive? Not sure. But we all know there is much more to buying a bike than just the sales price. If it's a great dealer then you're coming back for service and all the other good stuff. But, this has just been my experience. YMMV.

Yep. I bought mine at Cascade and told them I wasn't paying the dealer mark up. I still paid too much.

[AzCal Retred]

I bought my '99 red Bullet used with 5800 miles from a dealer in the Bay area. The intake rubber was rotted & wrapped with black electrical tape. The tappets were way too tight. The timing was about 10 - 15 degrees too advanced. All cables dry & frayed. Front brake almost non-operational. The air filter was deformed in the housing & leaking. Oil was black. Low beam burned out. Primary filled with brown "mystery" oil & clutch was slipping. Both tires well dry rotted. Chain dry and stiff with old "dried" oil (may be a desert phenomenon - oil becomes a hard "plastic" after a few years of dry air & non-use) Obviously someone's trade-in that sat. None of the "12 year old" (really 18 to maybe 30) service staff had a clue about 1940's motorcycle maintenance requirements.

If you don't like doing all your own maintenance, getting greasy & involved with nuance & arcania, the I.B. Bullet likely isn't the right bike. I really enjoy my little R.E. herd, but I can't imagine a 20-something owning one. I read in horror of folks in more contemporary forums routinely taking their bike to the shop just to get a flat fixed. My experience with shops is that I'll probably end up redoing any work I've paid others to do, so the stone-axe I.B. Bullet works well for me. It'd take a pretty specialized shop to have the actual knowledge & tooling sufficient to work on these, and I know eventually I'll have to find one when crankshaft-rebuild time comes due. Any suggestions for the So-Cal area? - ACR -

[Richard230]

Speaking of air filters, I just replaced the original air filter on my 2011 B5 after 8K miles and it was really dirty and black. I bet some of that filth was from sucking in the air of our smoky atmosphere during the past month. 

[Morgan65]

The RE dealers in Oregon are worthless. Both are Harley dealers with RE's relegated to a satellite building. On top of that they both dealers add on between $800-$1000 per bike. Example: 2020 INT 650 Orange Crush OTD price = $7800. That's with no options, bone stock. And they don't really seem to care if they move them or not. I've dealt with 3 other dealers:
Northwest Moto in Seattle
Socal Motors in Brea, CA
MotoZilli in Ohio

All are European dealers (Ducati, Triumph, BMW, etc.) and have always been easy to deal with and their prices are aligned with MSRP.
Example: 2017 RE Classic in Tan/Maroon OTD price= $6100.
Just seems like the HD dealers are not into it and don't really care if they sell or not. Maybe there is no incentive? Not sure. But we all know there is much more to buying a bike than just the sales price. If it's a great dealer then you're coming back for service and all the other good stuff. But, this has just been my experience. YMMV.

The trouble is REs sell faster than they can get them on the sales floor in the Northwest.   I've seen RE of Portland sell four REs in just one Saturday alone. Supply and demand. I've had the best luck buying my REs from the owner of RE of Portland.  He's a motorcycle rider and a RE enthusiast. I've tried Northwest Moto in Seattle but sadly I have found they put $1000 to $1,500 extra markup on their bikes. Also Seattle has a lot more DMV fees than the rest of the state of WA.  As far as service goes I have the dealer do the first service so they can adjust the EFI if needed, then I do all my own service after that.

[REpozer]

I have no problem purchasing a garage sale Harley from the 1990-2010s for a dime on the dollar.

[Bilgemaster]

I have no problem purchasing a garage sale Harley from the 1990-2010s for a dime on the dollar.

Although you're way up there in Alaska, I never tire of hearing about bargain used vehicles, in case you wished to elaborate.

[9fingers]

My first experience at an RE dealer did not go well.......heavy push for Triumph and more push to move me up to a T120, cause "your a tall guy and it fits you better". I asked if it came in red and he said no, black. So I told him no thanks. Then wandered over to the RE's and asked about them. "Their made in INDIA......." was all I got. He was inferring that they were crap. When I asked for a brochure they said they had no literature and to go on line. I wrote to RE USA that night and told them their dealers suck and are not supporting their product and that they should sell them on-line, direct, and just give the dealers a fee for set up and perhaps a commission. I still think they should. Sounds like some of you have decent dealers, and maybe mine has gotten better since they seem to sell a lot of Himis and 650s. I met a dealer from Brooklyn NY at last years NYC bike show.....pre Covid....and they told me they would sell me a 650 for list price plus $389 freight and prep and that they would deliver it to NJ. I will likely take them up on that next Spring, though I would probably pay $200 more than that for the local dealer IF they would go that low. Seems like they want $1,000 for the same service.
9fingers