When is Honda's best sales event?

I see the 2012 VFR1200F is still listed on Honda's site, so I called my local dealer to inquire if dealers still have them on their showroom floors. I was told that, no, he shows that they are still available from Honda's warehouses.

I am very seriously considering buying one of those 2012s.....I really like the blue! But....I don't want to spend full $$ on a 4 year old model.....which brings me back around to this thread's title.

When is Honda's best sales event? Fall? Winter? Spring?

I'm patient and currently have a bike to ride, so this is all about getting the best price. I'm hoping for $12,000 out the door, but that may be WAY too optimistic.....

Thoughts, ideas, and opinions sought.

.

 

Most dealers (and Honda) are usually pretty motivated to get rid of old models.

Shop around until you find a dealer with one on the floor and negotiate .... you don't need a sale event to get a good deal on an old model.

 

Interesting. Is there a way to search all US dealer's inventory for a particular year/model?

.

 

Just call around to the dealers around you and the next state over.

You could also ask your local dealer to check other dealers inventories ... though they may or may not tell you if another dealer has one.

BTW ... you really need to change your handle on here to something better, like "vfrzrule" ... unless you're like SOW and like Hardley Dudes, wearing chaps, and dressing up like Village People and such.

 

I dress up like any other IT Systems Administrator......but I do really like the lines and simplicity of a bare bones old school chopper. It matters not if it is powered by a Harley Vtwin, Norton twin, or an old Honda CB750. For me, it's about the bikes themselves, not my image. I'm just a fat old graying 50-something server admin....

Don't get me wrong here, I like looking at choppers, but my back is well beyond riding choppers.....those hardtail days were 20 years ago Leaning forwards a bit on a bike is like therapy on my back these days....

.

 

Haha ... too funny ... a lot of us are in the tech industry here.

I'm not a chopper guy myself, never was and never will be - but if I were, I'd be after one of them Indian bikes, or I'd go back to a Magna / V-Max muscle bike.

 

Some dealers are willing to deal and some are not. You need to find a listing like this and shop it around to dealers you are willing to travel to.

https://salem.craigslist.org/mcd/5547161288.html

When I bought my 07 I called around to dealers with a posted price similar to this and found one an hour away that jumped on it. Had to wait a week because it had to be ordered but was well worth it.

 

Is there a reason why they are still kicking around, did Honda overestimate their sales, was there a problem with the bikes, was it the color, not much benefit for a manufacturer to have 4 year old models filling up a warehouse

 

Best bet is to call around and find one in stock. If a dealer has to obtain a bike it has to be purchased from the manufacturer.

Some dealers have pages on their sites that show inventory.

 

I sure wish Honda would let us search dealer inventories for make/model/year/color based on zip code. I get it that the factory wants us to use our local dealer.....but in cases like this, finding a 2012 new on a dealer's floor is like finding a unicorn.

I did locate 1 using cycletrader, but it's in TN & I'm in CA. They have a DCT listed at $14,900 right now, so I'm hoping that a fall factory incentive of $2500-->$3000 would put it right in ballpark for what I want to pay.

Now for the patience part......

.

 

It really does come to two things, one, a person on the other end that cares enough. Two, then has the ability and the connections to do the search. I know if I was serous in a purchase, the dealer here would find where they are hiding.

 

Honda dealerships are franchised. They buy the bikes from Honda. The longer a new/old bike sits on the sales floor, the less the profit for the dealer. If ya want to know how it all works study up on how a car dealership works... Some but not all Honda MCs come in to a POE. POE's sort of near you would be Long Beach.

Crank in the BS factor too. Unless you see it on paper it ain't real.. Another question might be is do you really have to have a brand new one?

Compile a list of a shitload of Honda dealership addys in a geographical radius of your choosing and convenience. Construct a convincing inquiry as to what exactly you want to buy and let them do the work.

Another source might be Honda in Torrance where the big wheels are.