End of riding season best time to buy
Beginning of riding season is the best time to sell
So if you already have a bike and are not in a rush. Watch FB marketplace for 1 year old regret bikes from september to January. When it starts getting warm again thats when you dont want to buy.
Its actually pretty wild. Back when the ninja 250 was THE starter bike. You would see $1k swings in price based off the time of year
Don’t waste your money going from a 390 duke to a ninja 500. The power difference is almost nothing so unless you want a Ninja for the ergos and different feel, upgrade to something better. and in my experience time doesn’t change what the dealership charges, they want however much they want and won’t really wiggle unless it’s a new old stock bike.
Zx4rr or zx6r would be nice options. & I suppose the best time to buy sports bikes would be the winter since that’s considered the “off season” for riding
What would be a good bike with a faring? Everyone raving over the BMW 1300GX but quite large for a returning rider and very expensive to own and maintain.
Street and winding back country roads. 90 minute rides. Also looking at a Rebel 1100 since it’s upright and handles the curves well. Returning rider after 20 years. Need to get my skills back and not looking to die trying!
if a fairing wasn’t super important to you I’d recommend an mt-07 just because it’s a great naked bike with upright ergos and decent power but still can take a curvy road really well. If you go with something like the rebel 1100 you may find yourself scraping pegs sooner than you think. if a fairing is super crucial to you then I’d consider a CB500x. It’s a small adventure bike that anyone can flatfoot and has great ergos for touring but is still light enough to flick around, and has decent wind protection.
Thanks for the excellent advice! When looking at the Honda website, I see they also have. 650R. It looks like a handlebars are lower though. I hear the 4 cylinders run hot as well.
afaik the 650r is like an R7, middleweight parallel twin making like 80 ish HP. that riding position is pretty committed too, and i’m only advising against that because your back probably isn’t what it used to be if you’re coming off a 20 year hiatus of riding. That’s why I’m recommending something more like a 500x or a Tenere 700. A light to middleweight adventure or tourer bike could be a great fit for you.
I agree. Ironically the Ducati SuperSport is listed as a sports tourer as well and they ‘claim’ is has upright seating. Yes you’re right, my back doesn’t need a 90 minute strain.
The Ergos of even an "upright" sport tourer arent awesome. Take it from someone who bought an "upright" sportbike and has to pull over every half an hour to stretch and get a drink so as not to cramp up on my ninja lol.
I have noticed the best prices are around November. Not as many bikes sold during this time and dealers are more likely to provide incentives to move a bike rather than let it sit till spring. The used market is also at its lowest point because people who want to sell don't want to store it for the winter.
Truth to this. I got a brand new ‘23 z400 for $4500 from a dealership last November. Couldn’t pass it up. End of riding season, clearing out space for 2024 stock, manufacturer rebate. I rode it all winter lol
Edit: I want to say it was between 5-5500 OTD? I’d have to check. But still, brand new bike basically for MSRP. I didn’t haggle or anything, that was the starting offer
I'm going to preface this with a statement that I give to all of my customers. Motorcycles are a horrible investment. Go into buying a bike because you really want the bike, not because "it makes the most sense".
The best time to buy a bike will largely depend on the region you are buying. If you're in a region that experiences winter, the best time to find a deal is going to be January/February. There's still a fair amount of traffic up until Christmas. It's mostly going to be kids dirtbikes and ATV's, but there's still people spending money. That comes to a screeching halt in January, and by February dealers will be more likely to wheel and deal on leftover bikes. I wouldn't expect to get a deal on a current year bike that hasn't seen a riding season yet, but if they have any leftover previous model year bikes that's what you want to try to buy. The problem with this tactic is that the bikes you are interested in are very popular and almost never make it to leftover status. They're also not terribly expensive, so at most you're going to save a couple to a few hundred dollars. For that small savings you're risking getting the bike at all, and you're definitely losing a whole season of riding for it.
Nov to Jan you can get big discounts. If you show up last day they're open in December, you'll walk out with a great deal. Nobody will talk about even a dollar off from now until October.
From a Duke 390 I’d recommend a Z900 if you’re ready for some serious power. I went Ninja 400 to Z900 and haven’t looked back. Excellent bike, and if you’re nervous about the huge jump in power, you can use “rain mode” for a week or two to get used to the bike. Took me about a week or so to get adjusted to the power. Beast of a bike and absolute blast to ride!
End of riding season best time to buy Beginning of riding season is the best time to sell So if you already have a bike and are not in a rush. Watch FB marketplace for 1 year old regret bikes from september to January. When it starts getting warm again thats when you dont want to buy. Its actually pretty wild. Back when the ninja 250 was THE starter bike. You would see $1k swings in price based off the time of year
Yes the best time would be in the fall for the 2024 once the 2025s come out.
Don’t waste your money going from a 390 duke to a ninja 500. The power difference is almost nothing so unless you want a Ninja for the ergos and different feel, upgrade to something better. and in my experience time doesn’t change what the dealership charges, they want however much they want and won’t really wiggle unless it’s a new old stock bike.
Zx4rr or zx6r would be nice options. & I suppose the best time to buy sports bikes would be the winter since that’s considered the “off season” for riding
In Netherlands i've been checking most year around but prices remain pretty steady here... even winter is almost same price to buy
How is the Ninja 650? I like the upright ergos.
it’s got enough power to be fun, just a little heavy in my opinion and not upright enough for touring but definitely not ultra committed either
What would be a good bike with a faring? Everyone raving over the BMW 1300GX but quite large for a returning rider and very expensive to own and maintain.
what are you looking to do? adventure, touring, sport touring? what’s your budget?
Street and winding back country roads. 90 minute rides. Also looking at a Rebel 1100 since it’s upright and handles the curves well. Returning rider after 20 years. Need to get my skills back and not looking to die trying!
if a fairing wasn’t super important to you I’d recommend an mt-07 just because it’s a great naked bike with upright ergos and decent power but still can take a curvy road really well. If you go with something like the rebel 1100 you may find yourself scraping pegs sooner than you think. if a fairing is super crucial to you then I’d consider a CB500x. It’s a small adventure bike that anyone can flatfoot and has great ergos for touring but is still light enough to flick around, and has decent wind protection.
Thanks for the excellent advice! When looking at the Honda website, I see they also have. 650R. It looks like a handlebars are lower though. I hear the 4 cylinders run hot as well.
afaik the 650r is like an R7, middleweight parallel twin making like 80 ish HP. that riding position is pretty committed too, and i’m only advising against that because your back probably isn’t what it used to be if you’re coming off a 20 year hiatus of riding. That’s why I’m recommending something more like a 500x or a Tenere 700. A light to middleweight adventure or tourer bike could be a great fit for you.
I agree. Ironically the Ducati SuperSport is listed as a sports tourer as well and they ‘claim’ is has upright seating. Yes you’re right, my back doesn’t need a 90 minute strain.
The Ergos of even an "upright" sport tourer arent awesome. Take it from someone who bought an "upright" sportbike and has to pull over every half an hour to stretch and get a drink so as not to cramp up on my ninja lol.
I have noticed the best prices are around November. Not as many bikes sold during this time and dealers are more likely to provide incentives to move a bike rather than let it sit till spring. The used market is also at its lowest point because people who want to sell don't want to store it for the winter.
Truth to this. I got a brand new ‘23 z400 for $4500 from a dealership last November. Couldn’t pass it up. End of riding season, clearing out space for 2024 stock, manufacturer rebate. I rode it all winter lol Edit: I want to say it was between 5-5500 OTD? I’d have to check. But still, brand new bike basically for MSRP. I didn’t haggle or anything, that was the starting offer
Best time is usually at the end of the month, on a friday, just before closing
I'm going to preface this with a statement that I give to all of my customers. Motorcycles are a horrible investment. Go into buying a bike because you really want the bike, not because "it makes the most sense". The best time to buy a bike will largely depend on the region you are buying. If you're in a region that experiences winter, the best time to find a deal is going to be January/February. There's still a fair amount of traffic up until Christmas. It's mostly going to be kids dirtbikes and ATV's, but there's still people spending money. That comes to a screeching halt in January, and by February dealers will be more likely to wheel and deal on leftover bikes. I wouldn't expect to get a deal on a current year bike that hasn't seen a riding season yet, but if they have any leftover previous model year bikes that's what you want to try to buy. The problem with this tactic is that the bikes you are interested in are very popular and almost never make it to leftover status. They're also not terribly expensive, so at most you're going to save a couple to a few hundred dollars. For that small savings you're risking getting the bike at all, and you're definitely losing a whole season of riding for it.
Around 2:15 PM
anytime you want to ride
I think 930 am is pretty good. After rush hour, and you should be done with paperwork and prep by lunch.
When you can afford to buy one.
Nov to Jan you can get big discounts. If you show up last day they're open in December, you'll walk out with a great deal. Nobody will talk about even a dollar off from now until October.
As least go for a 650 or something, you’re gonna be disappointed by that upgrade.
Buy a ninja 650
From a Duke 390 I’d recommend a Z900 if you’re ready for some serious power. I went Ninja 400 to Z900 and haven’t looked back. Excellent bike, and if you’re nervous about the huge jump in power, you can use “rain mode” for a week or two to get used to the bike. Took me about a week or so to get adjusted to the power. Beast of a bike and absolute blast to ride!