I just stopped in at the local honda dealer, and saw a super clean 2001 with 7100 miles on it. It also had Heli bars, GIVI windscreen, and new tires on it. They told me $5995, but that seems a little high for a 10yr old bike. I just looked at NADA, & KBB and the avg was only $3618. What would be a fair price to buy from the dealer? $4000-$4500 tops?
Yes, I did see those, but Im not lookin to drive that far to get a 5th gen. The dealer just happen to have one, and maybe i buy it if the price was right?? If not, no big deal. If they would take around $4000, I may go ahead and get it, but NO WAY for $5995.
I agree that is priced way too high...typical dealers. Good news is you can negotiate that down a fair amount, and new tires/givi/helis are a solid $500 in premium upgrades right there. Other than that it is allll stock which is nice :unclesam:
For reference i bought my 2001 this spring w/ about 9500 miles and new tires for around $3500. The helibars are worth maybe $200 and the dealer would probably want his share on top of another $1000 or so. It's a good time of year to negotiate.
You could start at $4000, sit there a while and top out at $4500 and see what happens.
OK cool, thanks for the advise. Yeah $4000 seems to be fair to me with the Heli/GIVI/fresh tires. $5995, almost Nov in Ohio, they gotta be crazy! I'll see what they say??
7 years ago when I bought my 2001 VFR with 2,900 miles on it, I paid $6k from a local dealer. No way I would pay it today for one basically in stock form. It would have to have a bunch of expensive extras included (suspension, wheels, etc).
[image: View Post]KPerham, on 25 October 2011 - 07:25 AM, said:
Same story. Paid less in '03 for my '99.
Yeah, but it's an '01--they're better :tongue:
Don't buy that unless you can get it for $4000--can't ride much in Ohio in November anyway. Hold out--scour c's list. A little patience and you'll find one for $3k or less.
I gave $4k for my extremely clean, but not perfect one-owner '98 w/only 6.2k miles in February. My 5th-generation was bone-stock except for a TBR high mount exhaust. The owner had listed it for sale @ $5k via the local craigslist.
Although I've been very happy w/my viffer and don't regret making the purchase, I do feel that I probably paid too much for it. Note that I ended up having to purchase a fresh set of tires after discovering after the sale that although the front tire still had plenty of tread, the mfg date code on the sidewalls proved both were the original 13-year-old tires. (The seller lied to me saying "he thought" the tires had been replaced 3-4 years ago.) Also I made my offer based on the seller's advertisement which stated a set of Vanson leathers,tank bag, motorcycle cover, battery charger, service manual and some other items would be included. However, after the cash changed hands and I took possession of the the title the owner withheld the leathers & tank bag, telling me a friend who had placed the advertisement for him had listed the items he withheld in error (as if that was MY problem). He also claimed he could not find the service & owners manuals, or the passenger grab handles.
I probably should have demanded my money back and walked away, but truth was that I really wanted the motorcycle. Later, after riding my viffer a short distance toward home I discovered it suffered from a low-rpm miss which turned out to be caused by an extremely loose spark plug. Thankfully the loose plug did not appear to have damaged the threads in the cylinder head, but I also discovered after the sale that the 2000 model I thought I was purchasing (again-based on the advertisement) was actually a 1998. Of course, I should have verified the model year before closing the deal. Live and learn...
One advantage of buying from a dealership is that you should reasonably expect to receive at least a 30-day warranty and hopefully s/b able to avoid "games" like these which unfortunately some individual sellers seem to play.
In any case I agree that $5,995 for a 5th generation sounds way too high, for there may still be some leftover 6th-generation models w/zero miles sitting in dealer showrooms which you might be able to score for just a grand or two more.
I'd say $4.5k max for an immaculate 5th generation w/fresh tires and farkles - .or perhaps $5k for a similar example complete with w/hard saddlebags.
Wow! Yeah u guys scored some good deals. Seems $3500-4000 is what the price should be. Pisses me off the frickin dealers try to rip ppl off. That Honda Motorsports opened up in my area in 2005, & I've never bought ANY bikes from em, cuz I know I can get a better deal elsewhere. If they would take $4000, maybe, but actually I had different plans on what I need to spend $$ on this winter/spring. They just had to get that 01 in to temp me...lol!
It's my impression that clean, low-mileage 5th generation examples could be growing in value due to demand. if so, dealers are well aware of this and may price such "finds" accordingly. Also, by pricing the bike too high they have a greater range for negotiation before losing profitability. The guy I purchased my '98 from claimed the sales guy at local Honda motorcycle dealership told him his clean low mileage '98 could be worth $5k. You'll never know how low an offer a dealer may accept unless you make one. All they can do is say no. More than once I've had vehicle salesmen catch me on the way out the door, or call me a hour later to say they would accept my offer-or would be willing to let it go for $100 more. Once they've drawn a line in the sand it's up to you to accept or continue negotiating.
Ditto what everyone else said. Craigslist is the way to go. I picked up a '98 bone stock except for windshield and a slip on exhaust for $2500 with 23k miles.
[image: View Post]ancon, on 25 October 2011 - 07:32 AM, said:
[image: View Post]KPerham, on 25 October 2011 - 07:25 AM, said:
Same story. Paid less in '03 for my '99.
Yeah, but it's an '01--they're better :tongue:
Don't buy that unless you can get it for $4000--can't ride much in Ohio in November anyway. Hold out--scour c's list. A little patience and you'll find one for $3k or less.
With good riding gear, I ride into December in Southern Ohio. Just Commuting to work though, I couldn't see more than an hour on the bike at 30deg. once the salt comes down I'm done for the year.
I just paid $2600 for a '99 with 21K, rear Ohlins, revalved fork, TBR muffler, Sargent seat, bar end weights, frame sliders and a few other minor farkles. It needed a new RR and clutch, so about $275 in parts plus my time. Tires are half worn and I'm troubleshooting a second gear slip/grip problem (may have it fixed), but other than that, the bike is in great shape.
So, forget even spending $4k on that dealer VFR unless you just have cash to burn and don't have the time to shop around.
When it snows, the bike will certainly sit there until spring. Go in once a month, about 4 days from month end, and offer the sales manager your price. When he says no, come back exactly a month later and offer the same manager your price. Repeat all winter until he comes to his senses and says yes. Then have your chequebook in hand.
Sounds like a good plan. Or someone else mentioned going in around thanksgiving when they arn't selling any bikes. We've only got 3-4 (depending how diehard u are?) weeks of riding left here in ohio, & that VFR ain't going anywhere, not at $5995 anyways.
Thanks for all the helpful advise, do appreciate it!
Ok update...I looked online today, & the listed price is actually $4999. I could have sworn he told me $5995 tho. $4999 is still a little high I think. They should be able to go $4000 on it. I really shouldn't tho. My lease is up on my car in in a couple of months, & will need to get a new ride, not to mention the holidays are right around the corner....I wish this were march already
I think $4000-$4500 would be a fine deal on the bike, especially if they can throw in some kind of short warranty or service plan on the bike. There is something to be said for a clean, largely stock bike. For one thing it hasn't be messed with by someone who may not have known what they are doing. The 2001 is a great bike (I sold one last winter with 15K on it for $4000 (and the buyer paid to have have it shipped to him too). The '01 has the kinks of the 98-00 worked out (no RR problems, automatic choke, and of course, the last of the gear-driven cams). When you look at what a great bike you get for under $5K it is actually a hell of a deal.
If you can get it for less than $5000, go for it. It is a bike that can go over 100K miles and run for decades more.
[image: View Post]AvalonRacing, on 26 October 2011 - 10:08 PM, said:
The 2001 is a great bike (I sold one last winter with 15K on it for $4000 (and the buyer paid to have have it shipped to him too). The '01 has the kinks of the 98-00 worked out (no RR problems, automatic choke, and of course, the last of the gear-driven cams). When you look at what a great bike you get for under $5K it is actually a hell of a deal.
If you can get it for less than $5000, go for it. It is a bike that can go over 100K miles and run for decades more.
Agreed! Thats why Im interested in this bike. '01 has kinks worked out, and it's got really low miles...less than 1000 a yr avg. You don't come across to many like that. Yes they are out there, but typically not 4 miles from your house.
Great lookng bike. A lot like mine. And now you know what you want to pay.
As you start negotiations with the dealer, since you are looking at a retail price, make sure you ask about maintenance. Ask for evidence that the normal maintenance has been done. It should have new oil and filter, flushed and new coolant every two years, new brake fluid and new clutch fluid - again every two years. (I can't tell by the pictures if the sight windows are clear.) Also at 8,000 miles it's due for new plugs. And at 10 years, even with low miles, i guarantee the air cleaner is really dirty.
While this is stuff we usually do our ourselves, if you are buying from a dealer, at a retail price, it should be included or consideration given.
$2850 for my very clean '01 back in May: 2-owner, 14K miles, new Conti Road Attack tires, Givi 'screen (since swapped for stock), Corbin seat, Two Bros carbon can, heated grips, mirror extenders (since removed), CF-look magnetic tank protector, and custom yellow pearl paint with custom CF-look decals under the clear (bike never crashed--bodywork 100%--PO just wanted the custom paint).
I've since done a brake de-link (GSXR1000 Tokico 6-pot calipers up front with Spiegler braided lines front and rear, CBR929 MC), Race Tech gold valve kits for the forks, CBR929 shock, Superhawk (reverse) shifter, and Superhawk fan blade. It ain't my CBR600RR, but the bike rocks.
As everyone has said, let 'em sit and stew for awhile; either they'll come down on price, or you'll find another one in the meantime. And/but I do agree: the gear-drive 5th gens (especially the '01s) are becoming more and more valued.
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