Good Deal or no? - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

jabroni · 02-11-2004, 03:16 PM

I just got a call from a suzuki dealer back home. They offered me a 2002 Suzuki Katana 600 for 5500. I wrote them an e-mail saying i was possibly in the market for a used katana to see if they had any in. A salesman called me today to tell me that they are trying to get rid of a yellow 2002 Suzuki Katana that's still new. I was told they are trying to clear out room for the new models and they need to sell it, so they are selling it at cost. He said they paid like 5450 or something, so they are selling it for an even 5500. The bike also still has a one year warranty on it, and basically i'm asking to see if anyone thinks this a good idea to pursue this bike. I really haven't been looking that long, so i don't want to jump on the first thing that i think is a good deal. I am also pretty much a newbie. i have experience on a bike, but it was a few years ago on a bike with like 15 HP. Any feedback is appreciated.

wolph69 · 02-11-2004, 06:58 PM

no. not to me anyways. If a 2004 retails for exactly 6299 and they want to sell you a 2002 for only $500 less?? I highly doubt they only make $500 on each bike they sell. I'd call them back and ask how they stay in business only making 500 on that bike, cause i'd sure like to know.

jabroni · 02-11-2004, 07:31 PM

that's what i was thinking, but it is an 800 dollar difference, they can't be taht cheap to produce, or are they? besides its not a used bike, its basically a new katana for under 6000.

wolph69 · 02-11-2004, 09:44 PM

yeah if ya wanna think of it that way. I don't know how much most bikes actually cost to make. so I guess now the question is, do you think that money saved i worth the warranty time you lost and worth it for an 02. if you do end up getting the bike. throw in something extra... like 20% off oil filters if you buy from them, or 10% off their oil, or something like that. I bet they'll be able to do that.

jabroni · 02-11-2004, 11:37 PM

the more i think about it, the less i think i want it. at first i was gung-ho about it, then i started looking and realized i could get a really nice used one for 3000. the only difference would be it would have miles on it, and i could never be sure if the bike was properly taken care of. I could afford this bike if i finance it, i'm just not sure if it would be worth it because if i dropped a brand new bike, i would probably go nuts. Thanks for the input though.

02-12-2004, 12:08 AM

They will go down at least another 700 if you talk %%%% because car/bike salesman are all the same because as long as they have that bike in their shop they have to pay a monthly tax on it, so since they told you 5500 tell them you have 4300 and work it from there they should work with you if not %%%% em, also if they only make a couple bucks off a sale their lights wouldn't be on they get the bikes at wholesale prices about 35 percent of what they sale them for and trust me the salesmen don't know about the deals the owners get for bikes

jabroni · 02-12-2004, 01:12 AM

he claims he can't go any lower, i asked him, but i was thinking of going home and going to the place and hit him with the old i can buy a used one for like 1/3 of the price cheaper, and talk about how i need riding safety gear as well. i wanna try to get a free helmet or jacket.

If they won't negotiate at all, i don't think i'll buy it.

**Clint** · 02-12-2004, 09:27 AM

Put your offer on the table, with your name and phone number, and walk away. If they want the bike gone, they'll call. Otherwise, wait for a better deal.

Ninja Eater · 02-14-2004, 11:42 AM

Plenty of other good bikes. Go somewhere else if he won't come down in price.

jabroni · 02-14-2004, 11:46 AM

the post was kind of an impulse. the guy called me, i couldn't get ahold of anyone i was trying to call to see if it was a good deal, so i posted it hoping for someone to tell me it was a great deal. The more i think of it, there is no way in hell i'm going to spend 5500 on a brand new bike as a first bike. I was thinking of telling him the highest i can go is like 4900, and then i would also need a free helmet and jacket.

so i doubt they will take that offer.

jabroni · 02-15-2004, 12:45 PM

i'm starting to hear mixed things about it being good and bad, does anyone else have any opinions on this matter?

wolph69 · 02-15-2004, 04:19 PM

I was looking at the sv650 bike. I can get one for 4999 as a leftover 2003 or spend about 5500 on one brand new 2004. however, I think the 500 for a 2004 will make it a little when I wanna sell it in however many years, so i'm not taking it. I'm gonna get the 04. I guess it's to each his own. people some will some won't. If your set on getting it try and get them as low as you can and then if ya don't like it try and make money off it when you re-sell it.

tiresmoke · 02-16-2004, 10:22 AM

IMHO, there are a few ways to look at it. The first question you should ask is "Do I want this bike?" No matter how great a deal it is on paper, if you won't be happy, it's not that good of a deal.

The second thing is, *how much* do you want this bike? If you really, really want it, then you should buy it rather than pick nits over a couple of hundred dollars.

Of course, all that being said, $5500 for an '02 is kind of high.

jabroni · 02-16-2004, 05:18 PM

i'm starting to think its pretty high too, but i do like the fact that i would be the first owner. i wouldn't have to worry about taking a gamble and having my bike take a %%%% on me, but god damn it that seems like a lotta green.

tiresmoke · 02-16-2004, 09:01 PM

My local dealer has an '03 Katana 600 for $5500 new. I would think that the '02 should be at least $500 less.

And as for people telling you that it hurts more when you drop a new bike... trust me, it hurts when you lay a used one down, too.

DMan · 03-08-2004, 09:52 PM

Hey wolf, I'm new here and I've got my eye on an sv650s. I read your post and just wanted to see what the price was for an sv650s (2003/2004) and where you got these quotes. Send me an email to mcooliver@yahoo.com as I'm pretty busy during the day. Thanks.

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolph69

I was looking at the sv650 bike. I can get one for 4999 as a leftover 2003 or spend about 5500 on one brand new 2004. however, I think the 500 for a 2004 will make it a little when I wanna sell it in however many years, so i'm not taking it. I'm gonna get the 04. I guess it's to each his own. people some will some won't. If your set on getting it try and get them as low as you can and then if ya don't like it try and make money off it when you re-sell it.

02-11-2004, 03:16 PM	#1 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	Good Deal or no? I just got a call from a suzuki dealer back home. They offered me a 2002 Suzuki Katana 600 for 5500. I wrote them an e-mail saying i was possibly in the market for a used katana to see if they had any in. A salesman called me today to tell me that they are trying to get rid of a yellow 2002 Suzuki Katana that's still new. I was told they are trying to clear out room for the new models and they need to sell it, so they are selling it at cost. He said they paid like 5450 or something, so they are selling it for an even 5500. The bike also still has a one year warranty on it, and basically i'm asking to see if anyone thinks this a good idea to pursue this bike. I really haven't been looking that long, so i don't want to jump on the first thing that i think is a good deal. I am also pretty much a newbie. i have experience on a bike, but it was a few years ago on a bike with like 15 HP. Any feedback is appreciated.

02-14-2004, 11:42 AM	#9 (permalink)
Ninja Eater Where Am I ? Joined: Dec 2003 Posts: 29	Plenty of other good bikes. Go somewhere else if he won't come down in price. __________________ "The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once." -Albert Einstein- "The paradox with time is that in spite of all of our efforts, most events seem to happen at the same time anyway." -M.E.T.-

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Good Deal?	Silver02	The Paddock	5	01-02-2006 10:27 AM
good deal?	MOOSE	Mechanics Corner	2	12-02-2005 11:04 AM
Help! Good Deal Or Bad Deal???	LIGHTSKIN523	The Paddock	2	05-20-2005 08:51 AM
Good deal or possible rip off?	SoCalMike	Sportbikes & Sport-tourers	13	04-29-2005 03:32 PM

02-11-2004, 06:58 PM	#2 (permalink)
wolph69 Seat Tester Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 75	no. not to me anyways. If a 2004 retails for exactly 6299 and they want to sell you a 2002 for only $500 less?? I highly doubt they only make $500 on each bike they sell. I'd call them back and ask how they stay in business only making 500 on that bike, cause i'd sure like to know.

02-11-2004, 07:31 PM	#3 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	that's what i was thinking, but it is an 800 dollar difference, they can't be taht cheap to produce, or are they? besides its not a used bike, its basically a new katana for under 6000.

02-11-2004, 09:44 PM	#4 (permalink)
wolph69 Seat Tester Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 75	yeah if ya wanna think of it that way. I don't know how much most bikes actually cost to make. so I guess now the question is, do you think that money saved i worth the warranty time you lost and worth it for an 02. if you do end up getting the bike. throw in something extra... like 20% off oil filters if you buy from them, or 10% off their oil, or something like that. I bet they'll be able to do that.

02-11-2004, 11:37 PM	#5 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	the more i think about it, the less i think i want it. at first i was gung-ho about it, then i started looking and realized i could get a really nice used one for 3000. the only difference would be it would have miles on it, and i could never be sure if the bike was properly taken care of. I could afford this bike if i finance it, i'm just not sure if it would be worth it because if i dropped a brand new bike, i would probably go nuts. Thanks for the input though.

02-12-2004, 12:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
williemoore123 Guest Posts: n/a	They will go down at least another 700 if you talk %%%% because car/bike salesman are all the same because as long as they have that bike in their shop they have to pay a monthly tax on it, so since they told you 5500 tell them you have 4300 and work it from there they should work with you if not %%%% em, also if they only make a couple bucks off a sale their lights wouldn't be on they get the bikes at wholesale prices about 35 percent of what they sale them for and trust me the salesmen don't know about the deals the owners get for bikes

02-12-2004, 01:12 AM	#7 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	he claims he can't go any lower, i asked him, but i was thinking of going home and going to the place and hit him with the old i can buy a used one for like 1/3 of the price cheaper, and talk about how i need riding safety gear as well. i wanna try to get a free helmet or jacket. If they won't negotiate at all, i don't think i'll buy it.

02-14-2004, 11:46 AM	#10 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	the post was kind of an impulse. the guy called me, i couldn't get ahold of anyone i was trying to call to see if it was a good deal, so i posted it hoping for someone to tell me it was a great deal. The more i think of it, there is no way in hell i'm going to spend 5500 on a brand new bike as a first bike. I was thinking of telling him the highest i can go is like 4900, and then i would also need a free helmet and jacket. so i doubt they will take that offer.

02-15-2004, 12:45 PM	#11 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	i'm starting to hear mixed things about it being good and bad, does anyone else have any opinions on this matter?

02-15-2004, 04:19 PM	#12 (permalink)
wolph69 Seat Tester Joined: Jan 2004 Posts: 75	I was looking at the sv650 bike. I can get one for 4999 as a leftover 2003 or spend about 5500 on one brand new 2004. however, I think the 500 for a 2004 will make it a little when I wanna sell it in however many years, so i'm not taking it. I'm gonna get the 04. I guess it's to each his own. people some will some won't. If your set on getting it try and get them as low as you can and then if ya don't like it try and make money off it when you re-sell it.

02-16-2004, 10:22 AM	#13 (permalink)
tiresmoke Newbie Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 11	IMHO, there are a few ways to look at it. The first question you should ask is "Do I want this bike?" No matter how great a deal it is on paper, if you won't be happy, it's not that good of a deal. The second thing is, how much do you want this bike? If you really, really want it, then you should buy it rather than pick nits over a couple of hundred dollars. Of course, all that being said, $5500 for an '02 is kind of high.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

02-16-2004, 05:18 PM	#14 (permalink)
jabroni In Training Joined: Sep 2003 Location: East Lansing Posts: 148	i'm starting to think its pretty high too, but i do like the fact that i would be the first owner. i wouldn't have to worry about taking a gamble and having my bike take a %%%% on me, but god damn it that seems like a lotta green.

02-16-2004, 09:01 PM	#15 (permalink)
tiresmoke Newbie Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 11	My local dealer has an '03 Katana 600 for $5500 new. I would think that the '02 should be at least $500 less. And as for people telling you that it hurts more when you drop a new bike... trust me, it hurts when you lay a used one down, too.