Buying Bike like Buying Car?

[cjr]

There's also an F650 forum out there somewere too - don't remember the name offhand.

Check out the Chain Gang http://www.f650.com/

Lots of useful info. I lurked there a lot before i got my F 650 CS (search function sucks though).

The GS has been around a few years, a used one might be better value (if that's a factor). And if you're not really planning to take the bike on trails, you might want to consider a CS; tires and suspension much better for paved roads.

Grey Thumper: I too have been lurking on www.f650.com for several weeks. But I'd really appreciate reading your opinions of the 650 as a first bike, regardless of whether it's new or used. I don't plan to blaze new trails with whatever I buy; total urban riding for me...

[Dragonhawk]

The short answer is this:

Yes, you CAN negotiate the price on a motorcycle, just like you can on a car ... HOWEVER, the profit mark-up on a motorcycle is a lot less, and you have to keep that in mind.

So, while you might get $2000 off of a $20,000 car, you're not getting $2000 off of a $5000 motorcycle.

With my first bike, my OTD was about $200 over MSRP. Not bad.

My next bike OTD was $500 UNDER the MSRP ... I learned a lot since the first bike ...

[Grey Thumper]

Grey Thumper: I too have been lurking on www.f650.com for several weeks. But I'd really appreciate reading your opinions of the 650 as a first bike, regardless of whether it's new or used. I don't plan to blaze new trails with whatever I buy; total urban riding for me...

Well, my opinion would be pretty biased, since it's my first bike too, ha ha. I wasn't looking to buy a bmw, just a smallish standard that wasn't an inline four. The F650 won over an SV650 because I found it more comfortable (better seating position, more noob-friendly throttle), and the clincher was that it had ABS. Low maintenance belt drive was a bonus. The GS has a chain, but it should be more comfortable if you're tall (I'm not) and there's loads of aftermarket support for it.

[cjr]

Thanks for the advice, Dragonhawk. I'm pretty confident when buying a new car that I can get the best deal, but buying a motorcycle seems like a different animal... When I bought a new Honda CRV last year, I bought a $15 report from Consumer Reports that showed real costs for the vehicle and every accessory I might add. Anything like that somewhere for bikes?

[cjr]

Well, my opinion would be pretty biased, since it's my first bike too, ha ha. I wasn't looking to buy a bmw, just a smallish standard that wasn't an inline four. The F650 won over an SV650 because I found it more comfortable (better seating position, more noob-friendly throttle), and the clincher was that it had ABS. Low maintenance belt drive was a bonus. The GS has a chain, but it should be more comfortable if you're tall (I'm not) and there's loads of aftermarket support for it.

Thanks for sharing your experiences, GT. As a newbie, the ABS appeals to me too, as does the aftermarket aspect. Did you buy your F650 new or used?

[Dragonhawk]

Thanks for the advice, Dragonhawk. I'm pretty confident when buying a new car that I can get the best deal, but buying a motorcycle seems like a different animal... When I bought a new Honda CRV last year, I bought a $15 report from Consumer Reports that showed real costs for the vehicle and every accessory I might add. Anything like that somewhere for bikes?

Read this:
http://www.kbb.com/kbb/CompanyInfo/MotorcycleFAQ.aspx

And look here:
http://www.800bluebook.com/products_gui ... ycle.shtml

Might be a good starting point...

[Grey Thumper]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, GT. As a newbie, the ABS appeals to me too, as does the aftermarket aspect. Did you buy your F650 new or used?

I bought it used. New, the price diff between the F650 and Japanese equivalents is kinda ridiculous, but between a bunch of 2-3 year old bikes, the beemer started looking like fairly good value.