Most dealers allow you to put a deposit down on the bike, but don't negotiate any details of the sale. In other words, it is like the right of first refusal, so when the bike comes in they call you and only then do you negotiate with them. Other dealers will negotiate the out the door price. The first way is better for the dealer, the second way is better for the customer...usually. Having bought a lot of bikes, the difference in selling price for the R3 is likely to vary by $700...out the door price, always. Never talk about anything else other than OTD price when you buy a bike. Otherwise, they rob Peter to pay Paul, provided your name is Peter, not Paul. They do this by changing or deleting all those other charges...set-up, destination, transportation, documentation fees. Notice dealers try not to talk about the OTD price...just the price of the bike, or your trade-in value. Then when they do tell you what all those other costs amount to and you agree, only then do you get led into the parts, accessory, insurance/added warranty departments so they can part you from additional money. These guys are pros as selling motorcycles, so you need to know what you are willing to pay, what a fair price is, include everything you want from the dealer in the sale.....and be prepared to walk away if you don't get it.
One advantage of a forum is that people can post their out the door price for the bike. This gives new buyers an idea of a good and a not-so-good price. I wouldn't go by California sales prices though. California will be $300 or so more than the rest of the country.
Soooo, if anyone actually pre-orders an R3, and you negotiate the out the door price, please let us know the details!
