Make no mistake: buying a new or used dirt bike from a dealership is a major purchase. Given the technology and quality found in modern-day machines, you certainly get your money's worth in terms of performance. Still, this doesn't make taking the hit any easier. In these difficult economic times, one may think that going down to your local shop and upgrading to a newer motorcycle is financially reckless, but the truth is that most dealerships want to help you find a new bike as much as you want to buy one, and there are a lot of great deals out there waiting to be had.
In order to prove that buying from a dealer doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, Dirt Rider popped in at several dealerships near our Southern California offices to see what kind of deals could be had. We found that if you head down to your local bike shop, do some poking around and find the bike you want, you are likely to come away with a fairly smokin' deal. Here are a few bikes we found by simply walking into dealerships and asking the first salesman we saw to show us a bargain:
Malcolm Smith
Motorsports
Address: 7599 Indiana Ave., Riverside, CA
Contact: 951.687.1300;
www.malcolmsmith.com
Salesman: Ronnie Anderson
Sweet Deal: Used 2007 Suzuki RMZ450
Accessories: Pro Circuit full titanium exhaust system, high-compression piston and valve springs, Showa suspension (revalved for 180-pound rider), blue rims, blue Applied Racing triple clamps, SDG step seat (extra) and more.
Unit Price: $4488
Out-the-Door Price: $4995 (includes tax and license fee)
Sales Pitch: "All of our used bikes go through a thorough, 10-star maintenance check where we inspect everything, right down to the valve clearances. At the end of the day, we all ride in the dirt and know the importance of having a good machine, and there is no way we're going to pass junk along to our customers. This Suzuki is used but in really great condition and would be a great bike for someone who wants a 450 that is already modified."
Orange County Honda
Address: 650 W. Katella Ave., Orange, CA
Contact: 714.771.9777;
www.orangehonda.com
Salesman: Dwayne Gunn
Sweet Deal: New 2008 Honda CRF450R
Unit Price: $4495
Out-the-Door Price: $5500 (includes tax and license fee)
Sales Pitch: "At our shop, you can get a brand-new bike for the price of a used bike. We have a great parts department to sell you the accessories that you need, and we have an excellent service department to install anything you like or fix anything you might break. Also, from the youngest kid to the oldest adult, we can set up the whole family. Honda is huge on the family aspect of the sport, and you can go with the F series-great bikes, great bang for your buck-or the X series for someone who wants to get around in the desert, or even the R series if you want to do some serious racing. No matter what, we are going to take care of you."
Z Racing
Address: 608 W. Katella Ave, Orange, Ca. 92867
Contact: 714.633.3115
www.zracinginc.com
Salesman: Tim Skelly
Sweet Deal: New 2009 KTM 450 XC-F
Accessories: KTM Ready To Race Package including the following: Dunlop 756 tires (extra set), FMF Silencer with quiet core spark arrestor, Cycra bike stand, 5 gal. KTM jug, battery charger, glide plate, tie downs, air filter, oil filter, grips, clutch slave guard, fork bleeders, and radiator shrouds.
Unit Price: $7390
Out-the-Door Price: $8296.63 (includes tax, registration, and freight charges)
Sales Pitch: "Here at Z Racing we specialize in KTMs. We are known for helping our customer's fine-tune their machines for their particular needs and desires. Every rider is different from expert level desert racers to novice level trail riders and we are here to meet all of their needs. In addition to our great price and KTM's Ready To Race package this bike (as well as many other KTMs) qualify for 5.99% financing for 48 months. There is also a KTM cash incentive for customers not taking advantage of the financing offer."
Huntington Beach Honda
Address: 17555 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach, CA
Contact: 714.842.5533;
www.hbhonda.com
Salesman: Brennan McNatt
Sweet Deal: New 2008 Honda CRF230L
Unit Price: $4200
Out-the-Door Price: $4832 (includes setup, DMV fees, tax and license fee)
Sales Pitch: "Not only can I make you a deal on this bike, but I can get you another one, or set up a package deal for the whole family! We always have product and never run out, and we have a world-class parts and service department-we even handle all the police bikes around here-so this really is a one-stop shop. It's about earning your business and making you happy, be it through discounts on accessories or just superior service and great prices. Instead of going somewhere else where they only sell you what's on sale, we'll sell you what you want-and we'll make it on sale!"