Canadian Price Fixing

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High_Side · #1 Unread post by **High_Side** » Tue Dec 11, 2007 9:16 am

Hello All

I thought that it would be interesting to start a thread detailing your experiences with trying to import anything from the U.S.A. where you have ran in to roadblocks created by the importers or manufacturers. I have personally just lodged a complaint to the Canadian Competition Bureau about a certain British motorcycle importer who recently informed their dealers in the U.S. that they would no longer be supplying them with the official "no-recall" notices for Canadian buyers who require them for importing motorcycles to Canada. This effectively allows them to maintain the 30% premium on the exact same bikes sold in Canada as the U.S.A.. I am nearly pissed off enough not to buy anything from the "well known British brand" but we will see how far my complaint to the Bureau will get me.

Anyone else have any similar experiences on bikes or otherwise? I believe that the ones doing the price fixing should recognized for their efforts so Canadian consumers can make an informed choice!

QuietMonkey · Tue Jan 15, 2008 4:08 pm

Highside,

I don't know how much you looked at pricing at the 2008 Bike Show, but it really looked like the Canadian Distributors have started to get the message, at least because they seem to have more 2007 models sitting on the floor this year.

Dealers told me <$8800 for an 2007 R6... actually quite a bit less if they have to, because they were sitting on a few, but i dont want to say. I also noticed browsing a couple local dealers web-sites after the show that Honda is dumping the prices on VTX1800s, and the Yamaha FJR1300 plummeted in price. HUGE discounts. The damn dirt bikes were still an arm and a leg, but I'm digging for used deals on mid-1990's stuff.

It seems some Harley's have dropped in price too. Hopefully the prices really crater, because the used market is out of control... ridiculous prices on stuff, and it really needs to get sorted out, and it doesn't look like Hoysung or the Chinese are going to be putting any pressure on...

High_Side · #3 Unread post by **High_Side** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 5:36 pm

QuietMonkey wrote:Highside,

I don't know how much you looked at pricing at the 2008 Bike Show, but it really looked like the Canadian Distributors have started to get the message, at least because they seem to have more 2007 models sitting on the floor this year.

Dealers told me <$8800 for an 2007 R6... actually quite a bit less if they have to, because they were sitting on a few, but i dont want to say. I also noticed browsing a couple local dealers web-sites after the show that Honda is dumping the prices on VTX1800s, and the Yamaha FJR1300 plummeted in price. HUGE discounts. The damn dirt bikes were still an arm and a leg, but I'm digging for used deals on mid-1990's stuff.

It seems some Harley's have dropped in price too. Hopefully the prices really crater, because the used market is out of control... ridiculous prices on stuff, and it really needs to get sorted out, and it doesn't look like Hoysung or the Chinese are going to be putting any pressure on...

Actually Harley has been doing their part on the dollar better than any of the others all along. Suzuki has lowered their prices and offered up incentives and has not banned Cannuck dealers from honoring warantee on imported bikes. Honda is dumping the VTXs 'cause they are no longer selling, taking out adds to boast their "New Canadian Incentives", while they are for the most part dismal, and pulling dealerships from all of their long term dealers. They have also played the no warantee for imported U.S. bikes bullsh!t. At least 2 out of the 3 are getting it.....

Hyosung still does not have the price spread to reflect their lack of dealer network, and poor resale value.

Triumph announced a whopping $500 price drop for the SpeedTriple, followed by a $300 increase in their "PDI" . They can still be bought for 4Gs less in the U.S. though...

#4 Unread post by **Sev** » Sat May 17, 2008 5:53 am

What is the serial number of the bike you're trying to import High Side? I can prolly get you an un-official letter

.

High_Side · #5 Unread post by **High_Side** » Sat May 17, 2008 9:02 am

Sev wrote:What is the serial number of the bike you're trying to import High Side? I can prolly get you an un-official letter .

Thanks Sev, it's great to hear from you. But, your a little too late! I ended up buying a used SportClassic (830 km on it) and I sidestepped the importing issue. Things aren't all so great with the new bike however, so I could be in the market not too far down the road. Do you think that you could actually get your hands on the paperwork? BTW due to the duck I met your bud Endo at the dealership. It's great to deal with him when I go in.

Cheers.

Gummiente · Sun May 18, 2008 10:17 am

High_Side wrote:Actually Harley has been doing their part on the dollar better than any of the others all along.

I thought nbody else had noticed that. But you're right - the Road Glide was a $26k bike five years ago, I bought mine in '06 for $21k and it came with a 6-speed, efi and a bigger motor than the 2000 model.

Ural, however, has always had a suspicous difference in pricing between the US and Canadian markets. The US dealers were told not to sell any bikes to Canadians a few years ago, which many saw as an underhanded move, but then Transprt Canada mandated some changes to the lineup that resulted in any US spec model being put on the "no import" list.

High_Side · #7 Unread post by **High_Side** » Sun May 18, 2008 2:51 pm

Gummiente wrote:Ural, however, has always had a suspicous difference in pricing between the US and Canadian markets. The US dealers were told not to sell any bikes to Canadians a few years ago, which many saw as an underhanded move, but then Transprt Canada mandated some changes to the lineup that resulted in any US spec model being put on the "no import" list.

I thought that it was up to the manufacturers to get their models on the "import" list. And the reason that many of them don't for so called "U.S. spec bikes is to prevent someone from undercutting their gouge. That's as near as I could tell when I started looking in to it. Many bikes of the '08 model year that were previously allowed in are not approved for '08 even though they are identical to their American counterparts.

Lisa · #8 Unread post by **Lisa** » Tue Jun 03, 2008 3:06 pm

www.riv.ca has a lot of the info needed for importing.

there is a thread on a Canadian forum I frequent that I can link to if people like an it's allowed that has exhaustive information on importing bikes from the USA.

I've considered going down to the states to get a bike because the bike i want (boulevard s40) is 1/3 cheaper than it is here. travel costs i'd expect to be in the neighbourhood of 500$ so i'd still be ahead 1500$ plus the difference on taxes.