| Author | Message | ||
     Harleybritt |
ok before you all get pissed off .this is just my observation.i'm trying to sell my firebolt.so far iv'e posted it on here,xb9r website,online classified,and e-bay. ok, now NO buell dealer in my area will buy it,the most iv'e been offered in trade is $6000 by a triumph dealer. i'm up to $5900 on e-bay but with one day left i dowbt it will meet reserve.$8000.There are 3 other firebolts on e-bay one bye a dealer for $8500.with 12miles on it, and one with 126miles jacket helmet and race kit starting bid $8000.no bids yet.iv'e had 24 bids on mine. i think it is proberley just the wrong time BUT PEOPLE ARE BIDDING ON THE TUBE FRAME BUELLS AT HIGHER PRICES.well i just wanted to find out anyones oppion. i guess i'll have to take a bigger loss than expected as i don't think that buells hold there price like my harleys did. | ||
| Spiderman |
I've sold all but one of my Bolts. | ||
| Daves |
Part of the problem is the dealers blowing them out for those low prices. They have no clue how to build value or actually have to "sell" anything so they feel the only way to sell them is on price. They are wrong by the way. Another part is the time of the year. Buells are much more seasonal than HDs. I don't know of any brand of bike that comes close to HD in holding resale value, but even that is starting to change. The days of buying a Harley and selling it a couple years later for more than you paid for it are about done for. I have to ask, why are you selling it? Ride to the Edge! Dave HD/Buell Cycle Center Waterloo Ia 1-800-342-7539 ext 14 | ||
| Mikej |
"i don't think that buells hold there price like my harleys did." With the Harley you're selling to a market mostly conditioned to overpay, with a Buell you're selling to a market conditioned to ride. At least in a stereotypicalized idealized analysis. I look at it this way, if I were actively shopping for a Buell today I would lowball knowing that some people are disenfranchised with the brand, and with knowing that the market is still relatively young and unaware of the Buells to a large extent (I still find people who never saw one up close, and others who think they are gone, and this is in Milwaukee as well as elsewhere). If you're selling you either have to take a bath or have something unique or something that is a prime example. There are people starting to appear looking to fill first-edition examples of the bikes for their collections, many of these are bonafide collectors who build a house and dedicate and design a wing of their house specifically for their collections. I liken it to a 1955-57 Chevy, where at one point I had three of them in the front yard and it was hard to sell them in any condition for over $500, now it's hard to find a pile of parts from one for near that price. But I just buy to ride, can't afford to collect. This is the functional off-season, and the XB's are still new and as far as the general public is concerned the XB's are unproven. Give it a year or two, or at least a full season, and the word will spread. Buy a bike based on how it makes you feel, not on how much cash is returned to your pocket when you sell it. It's a new market, a new world, and I personally think the H-D market is going soft (but I'm probably wrong). If you're buying to ride then buy for what works for you regardless of resale potential. If you're buying for resale then research the marketplace and buy what re-sells to your satisfaction regardless of how it rides or how you feel when you return from a ride. Decide where your priority is, then fulfill your needs to fit. This is just my post turkey analysis. | ||
| Harleybritt |
i didn't buy it to sell for profit i buy to ride but am not happy with the productits not for me.im buying another bike. | ||
| Harleybritt |
Spiderman Saturday, November 30, 2002 - 10:54 am . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've sold all but one of my Bolts. well you say youve sold all but one..well how many 1 2 or 10.they havent sold but 2 in my local dealer and have not sold 1 xb9s..and i live in atlanta prime buell rideing location i would think | ||
| Spiderman |
well I had 6 and I am still sitting on my 9S. It is snowing outside right now and the dealership is empty. Like Dave said Buell's are a seasonal item and it is true. During the warmer months my BRAG group were calling each other every ten seconds lookin to ride and on Aol IM all day talkin about where to ride. Now it takes an act of God to get all of us together. (not really just being sarcastic) I do have a customer lined up to buy the 9S. Just hopeing it goes through. | ||
| Blake |
I agree 100% with what Dave says. Most HD dealers have no clue how to actually *sell* a motorcycle. As of two weeks ago Lone Star HD/Buell/Triumph had no XB9R's and only one XB9S; it may be sold by now; Shreveport HD/Buell had one XB9R and zero XB9S's. | ||
| Bykergeek |
I had the same trouble with my '00 Speed Triple. In 4 months, I had 3 calls and I couldn't make reserve price on Ebay either. The market for used bikes is pretty sour this year with very low interest rates and Mfgr. incentives on new ones. If anyone wants a Kick Butt Speed Triple, http://www.speedtriple.net (and the domain comes with the bike)  | ||
| Roc |
I think the time of year is hugh. Christmas, a financial obligation, is around the corner and many in our country will have bad weather for the next few months. Tube frames selling for more? Well they don't seem to be making any more of those. | ||
| Timbo |
FWIW, They seem to be selling well here in CA. About six weeks ago, when I bought my XB9R, another left just before me that day and they had two more "R"s and two "S"s on the floor, I'm pretty sure. When I went by today, the "S"s were gone and they had one "R" on the floor, and for all I know that may not be the same one I saw a few weeks ago. Also, I saw an XB9R going the opposite way for the first time the other day. We both stuck out our hand to say 'hey', it was cool. Timbo | ||
| José_Quiñones |
I got to visit two different Dealers this weekend: Kosco HD/Buell in NJ had about four 9R's, no 9s and plenty of Blasts. HD/Buell of Baltimore had 3 9r's, 2 9s and plenty of Blasts. The salesman I spoke with told me that V-Rod sales have been pretty good, Firebolts so-so and they have not sold a 9S yet.
Dave, if that's the only way they can get them out the door, what's wrong with it? Of course service before/during/after the sale is very important, but ultimately the demand, or lack of it, will determine the price that the dealer is willing to sell it for. DCBRAG's sponsoring Dealer, HD/B of Ft. Washington, MD has some great prices right now. I do not know how many they have left at these prices:  | ||
| José_Quiñones |
BTW, it's not just Buells There are plenty of unsold Japanese and Italian bikes around here too. In fact, the closest Aprilia dealer to me is knocking off $2000 of the MSRP and throwing in ONE FREE YEAR of maintenance. Tempting..... | ||
| Prof_Stack |
How about spicing up the Firebolt paint scheme? This one sits at Downtown Harley Davidson in Seattle. $11,500 price. Spencer the salesman says they will negotiate.   | ||
| Blake |
JQ, Those are good prices, but did you notice the "prices listed... do not include freight, set-up"? The great equalizer. Shreveport sold their only XB9S for $9,100 plus tax and title. | ||
| José_Quiñones |
When I bought my S3T from them 3 years ago they charged: $375 freight and setup $25 Dealer processing I don't know if these numbers have changed. If you add these then you come up to $9100, just like in the one you mentioned. you still then have to add tax and title, and this will vary state to state. I paid 3% sales tax and $43 for tags and title. | ||
| Court |
For some reason, the $375 sounds like the accurate freight number that Buell charges to for some reason, the $375 sounds like the accurate freight number that Buell charges to each dealer account. It varies east and West of the Mississippi as all Buell West go by Common Carrier and all Buells East go via HD Corporate truck to York, where they are dispatched from HD Transportation via Common Carrier. Freight is a "real" hard cost. The dealer setup will be a "flat rate" in most cases and it's not much of a secret. Each Buell has a PDI booklet associated with it. I have a case of the 1998 S1 White Lightnings here, but the setup for the current Buells reflects the awesome advances in manufacturing techniques and the concomitant lowering of setup time/$$. Dealer "processing" sounds bogus (personal opinion) to me. I would be concerned about a person in the motorcycle business who did not have a system to deal with the associated admin tasks of receiving and selling motorcycles. If they are "hiding" something like floor plan financing or something, in my mind, I'd prefer they just tell me. There are a host of charges that are "borderline bogus" the most salient is "extended warranty" often represented to be "that is what it is". Dealers typically make 100% on the extended warranty and there is TONS of bargaining room. Buell, for the record has NOTHING to do with the extended warranty, it's a product the dealers sell, just like S-100. My advice is to be guided by the words of folks like John Ruskin. I, long ago when I owned 9 Harley-Davidson's and Buells at ONE time, was smart enough to figure out that no amount of "buying power" was going to equip me to out smart a dealer who'd been selling Harley-Davidson since 1929 and had garnered more awards than any dealer in THE WORLD (Topeka HD/Buell). I, therefore, sought the best deal I could get on price but BARGAINED for VALUE.... service, support and a dealer who stands behind them. Each and every bike I had from XLCR and XR-1000 to the FLHTCU to the Buells, I could have gone to KC and bought at Worth for less $$$. In retrospect, I did the right thing. Buying cheap and buying smart have common elements, but are not the same thing. I go to the BEST doctor and dentist in Manhattan and spent a lot of time finding them. Wanna guess how many "cheaper" ones there are in Brooklyn and Queens? Court | ||
| Ray_Maines |
It's not too late Court, You've still got 11 minutes. Edit that post! I'm sure you said something important or profound but nobody's going to know what it is if you don't proofread and edit it. How about buying the product at the store with best price and then taking it to the best service facility to have it worked on. You don't have to have it fixed at the same place you bought it. BTW, my localest dealer is charging $10,650 for a new Firebolt with "No charge for freight or set up". Such a deal! (Lets assume that freight is $375 on the left coast too, that means the dealer is actually charging $280 for the set up). Even if the dealer that charges $8,500 wanted $1,000 for the set up you would still be better off. | ||
| Court |
>>>> "my localest dealer is charging $10,650 for a new Firebolt . . . Even if the dealer that charges $8,500 wanted $1,000 for the set up you would still be better off. " I'm betting the MENSA test was a breeze, eh ? | ||
| Ray_Maines |
No fair using three little dots if the part you leave out changes the meaning of what you quote. I'm not talking about being smart, I'm talking about not looking dumb. You misspelled every third word and doubled up every other paragraph. Proofreading isn’t rocket science. You can do it, give it a try. If we can be civil to each other for a minute, what’s your opinion about buying a bike at one store and having it serviced at another? | ||
| Court |
>>>what’s your opinion about buying a bike at one store and having it serviced at another? I have no opinion having lived within minutes of arguably the best selling AND servicing dealership in the HD/Buell network, Topeka Harley-Davidson/Buell. Still fascinates me that they had more Harley-Davidson Bar and Shield awards (HD equivalent of the Malcolm Baldrige) than any other dealership in the world. I was lucky, damned lucky. I've been in well over 150 Buell dealerships and have seen/heard some horror stories. Things are getting much better, there's lots more to be done. Court | ||
| Court |
>>>>Proofreading isn’t rocket science. You can do it, give it a try. Nor is Microsoft Word, my apologies. The spellchecked version was tramped atop the rough version. Court (spoiled by having an editor in the "real" world writing) | ||
| Sportsman |
Guys, you got off the topic. Why isn't it the bike for you? Not enough hp? Too much like a racer? What? Most problems can be solved and since, as with any performance bike, you already lost the money, think it through. | ||
| Foolsownbuells |
You silly boys still complaining about poor dealership service? Whats to be expected after all they do work through the harley franchise's. Buy a honda and you wont ever have to worry about poor service again because your bike simply wont require any work. My husband tells me eeeek just bought a new honda, tells a lot about buell when a buell web moderator wont even own one. bye bye for now. | ||
| Court |
Sharon: I'm curious, where do you find the space to ride a Blackbird in New York City? I've log significant miles and know the city and it's environs pretty darn well. I was once, in 1998, provided a Blackbird for some comparison testing. I ended up heading to 287 in New Jersey to get a feel for the "speed", but I'll tell ya what, my riding skills and experience prevented me from letting that thing breath. The Buell, I'm guessing you've never owned one and rely on the internet ( a very poor source of "representative" information) for your lowly opinion, makes a pretty fair "city bike". In some ways, I've come to prefer the KLR650 primarily due to height, appropriate power and "steal-ability" (I could care less if it gets stolen, I CARE if a Buell gets stolen) as a Gotham Blaster and for my monthly "full moon coffee and cheesecake rides". More than anything, I feel kinda sorry for you for your dim outlook on things. I'm not being critical but, in my experience, this is seldom confined to one area of a person's life. I hope you are the exception. You husband has an excellent motorcycle in the Blackbird. One of my best friends was intstumental in leading it's developement and homologation to the United States. It remains one of the better 2-up tourers and I hope the two of you get the chance to travel on yours. I'm going to end by saying that your curmudgeonly tone contributes little here. Buying a Honda is no more a solution to the problem you describe and tells me that you may not, yourself, have taken the analytical portion of the LSAT. Boolean logic seems to elude you. Please note the section in the current Cycle World about Honda finally coming clean on the VFR Interceptor and fixing an old problem that owner's (and magazines) have complained about for years. I'd ask that you confine your comments to "what's good" about motorcycling and in doing so you may garner more respect and a keener ear from the assembled folks. For the record, I think you need to check your facts about the "Buell web moderator". I expect this to fall on deaf ears..... Court New York City (off to the law library to write a piece that MAY end up in your office . . .hey, a retired guy has to do something, right? ) | ||
| Newfie_Buell |
Nice piece Court, All I can say is that Bad Press travels much, much faster than Good Press. Come on people (and I know your out there lurking) tell the board about your good Buell experiences. As for the re-sale of any Buell, even with the minor problems I have had, I would not sell it to anyone. This could be a case where its a buyers market, who knows it may change in the future. | ||
| Court |
Newfie: The "Bad Press travels much, much faster than Good Press" is indeed true. But, never underestimate the power of "bad press" to do "good things" to sales. The axiom "bad publicity is better than NO publicity" trumps the "bad v. good" portion of the equation. Some of the good that Buell is presently doing is being contrasted and highlighted from past shortcomings. None of the magazine reviews to date have failed to mentions Buell's past woes, challenges and missteps, most have taken a "Wow, look what they're doing now" tact. You've doubtless heard me tell of the guy who "threatened" me with his public display of displeasure and the little effort it took for me to turn it into a "sales event". Trust me, a yellow S-1 dangling lemons from a helicopter is GOOD news no matter what the accompanying message is. It's just been my experience that civil, decent behavior yields far more positive results. Many who gripe and complain have not so much as taken the very first step toward seeking a solution. Among us, unfortunately, are those who derive pleasure from not from their own joy, but from the process (they seldom suceed) of trying to deny other's joy. What do you think Sharon would have to say or do to convince me that I am unhappy with Buell? Please. Court | ||
| Kevyn |
Hmmm...I sold my '99M2 to a novice rider--so novice in fact that he had a friend ride the bike home because he didn't have the proper state authorization to operate a two-wheeled vehicle...keep in mind that the M2 had the S1W cams, race header into a V&H, the race module(for what that was worth) and a properly rejetted carb with a "free-breathing" intake tract...his friend was grinning wildly ear to ear as he slipped into his leathers. Some time later I received a very nice email with a nice picture of the M2 with new mirrors, new air cleaner and a few bits of alloy for the feet areas...he was quite happy and had assimilated quickly into the Buell experience. Shortly thereafter, I was lucky enough to stumble across a '96S2T...in Wisconsin of all places...just down the road from Ukes...very nice, well cared for, properly modified with all Lightning components available at the time... ...and I have to add that it is quite comfortable around town especially with the heavier fly wheels. However, on the highway it has attracted LE attention due to it's/my propensity to exceed posted limits for speed. Quite comfortable on the highway. Excellent sport tourer for me. I am happy with it and it's performance. No problems to speak of that aren't general MC/HD related. Certainly nothing has kept me from riding except that saucy Italian darling next to it... | ||
| Court |
Kevin: You positive, Captain Kangaroo "it's going to be a happy day, Mr. Greenjeans" folks just GALL me. Look...it's a Buell and you know damn well you are going to have problems with it....get ready to deal with it buddy! I've ridden my S-2 (which, like you, is all I need....my 130RWHP choice is another weapon) in 44 states and for 31 consecutive days (30 of the 31 were over 100oF) and I just know this baby is setting me up for the big letdown. Happy people on the internet?....bah humbug ! Court | ||
| Mikej |
"Certainly nothing has kept me from riding except that saucy Italian darling next to it... " And that's the bottom line, to every tool there is an intended purpose, but most of us can use almost any tool for more than that specific tools intended purpose. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, define your needs then choose the tool to best fit within your budget and parameters.... |
