When is the Best Time to Buy a Motorcycle?
The best time to buy a motorcycle is when the prices are right. There are many factors throughout the year that influence the prices of motorcycles traditionally sold at dealerships and online. If you shop smart during the right time of the year, you can buy your dream bike at a fraction of the cost.
The Best Days to Buy a Motorcycle
Most people consider the time of year and major holidays when they want to get a good deal on a motorcycle, but many forget that the day of the week can also influence motorcycle prices. Weekdays are typically slower at a dealership. To promote sales, dealerships offer deals Monday through Thursday to get customers through the door.
Mid-week sales are difficult to predict because they are most commonly spur of the moment decisions. The best move is to stay connected by following your local dealerships and favorite online sellers on social media.
At ChopperExchange, we post newly listed motorcycles on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter daily. By liking and following our pages, you can be one of the first to see the best deals. Another smart move is to subscribe to newsletters for discount codes and sale announcements.
The Best Months to Buy a Motorcycle
To optimize your chances of getting a good deal on a motorcycle, shop Monday through Thursday during slow traffic months. Motorcycle dealers are most desperate to move product during slower months. That is when you can get the best deals.
February is a short month, which means less time to sell motorcycles. Dealerships need to hit their quotas and will go to the extent of hosting sales to get them to their goal. Shopping when prices are low is ideal for those who want to buy a motorcycle with bad credit. If the motorcycle you want is at a discounted price, you can put more money down, and you will have better chances of qualifying for financing.
The Best Seasons to Buy a Motorcycle
The best time of the year to buy a motorcycle is during winter. When the sun is gone and the temperature is below freezing, motorcycles aren’t exactly top of mind. This means less traffic for motorcycle sellers and a greater potential for lower prices. This excludes areas where it is summer all year long, like Florida.
However, buying a motorcycle during the winter is not the most ideal for customers. If conditions aren’t safe to ride, or you aren’t close enough to your destination to take a quick ride in the cold, you will need to pay transportation fees. Even if you are getting a great deal on the motorcycle, determine if the transportation fees will take away from the discounted price of the bike. The same goes for all the other additional fees that will get tacked on to the final price of the motorcycle.
It doesn’t need to be cold out to get a good deal on a motorcycle. In June, dealers are finishing up the financial year. In order to boost sales, sellers may begin to promote discounted prices. In the Spring, dealers want to get riders excited about riding again. If you are on the lookout for sales, you may get lucky.
Each year our favorite brands come out with new models. Dealers need to make room for this new inventory, so what do they do? They markdown older models. Always shop for this year’s models when next year’s models arrive.
The Best Holidays to Buy a Motorcycle
Black Friday:
Some of the biggest deals of the year take place on Black Friday. It is the ideal shopping day because sales are guaranteed. It also falls within the Winter months when business is slow for motorcycle dealers. Private sellers are also more willing to negotiate deals to make a quick sale for some extra holiday cash.
Labor Day:
Labor Day is a huge holiday in the automotive industry. You can usually find great deals during Labor Day Weekend. These sales are usually promoted weeks in advance. If you play your cards right, you can save up in anticipation.
After Christmas:
After the holidays, dealers are looking to get rid of excess stock. This may prompt deals at the beginning of the year on older models that are taking up floor space needed for Harley’s newest models.
The Best Time to Buy a Motorcycle Online
It is never a bad time to buy a motorcycle online. The countless number of options available to you online makes it easy to compare prices and get the best deal possible. The above recommendations still hold true online, especially if you are purchasing from a dealer. But on sites like ChopperExchange, you have the power to negotiate prices year-round.
If you have your heart set on a specific model you can track listing prices and save accordingly. You can also keep track of how long a motorcycle has been listed. If it has been on the website for a long time, odds are the seller may be more flexible on the price if you put in the right offer.
