The year was 2007. I decided to purchase an XT660R. My local Yamaha dealer was and is Damerells. Supportive chap that i am, i went to buy local. The sales person had only one R in which had been registered and had 20 miles or so on the clock. I requested a new one as the Yamaha finance did not cover that particular bike. I was told that this all i could have and that that there was no way of getting any new ones any more for that year, there was a shortage.
Coming home i rang three other yamaha dealers, not local, and they asked how many i would like. Loads to choose from. I bought one, not locally!
The year is 2010. Time for a new bike. Thought i try an XJ6. Again i thought buying local is the right thing to do. Off i went to Damerells. They had the right bike in stock but with the list price attached. Asking for the best they can offer me with my XT660 as part exchange they quoted me �200 under list price with a laughable offer for the XT. All they would do! Coming home i rang a big national dealer we all heard of (G.W) and got an offer �1300 under Damerell's and a decent price for the XT. Still trying to go local i rang Damerells and told the the quote. Never wanted them to match that price, just come a bit towards me. Basically told me to get lost and buy the other bike. 'I would' the sales bloke said.
2010 again. Looking for a Tenere. Off to Damerells again. Some people don't learn. They got one in stock. At a staggering �6600. Best price for me would be �6200. But would not take my XJ in part exchange. Not on new bikes i was told. They would not move at all on anything. So i said my Thanks and went home to call the big national. I was quoted �1200 pounds less for the Tenere and given a good deal on the XJ. Brilliant again. And delivery to my door when i want it.
So much for buying local. Nobody expects to pay the same low prices for the goods the big guns would charge but please don't take us for mugs.
For that poor performance on selling me a bike on three occations: Damerells, shame on you.

Rob

P.S.
They still got one more at that price.

It pays to shop around!!
There must be a lot more affluent people in Cornwall to pay Damerall's asking prices than when I left Bodmin/Cornwall in the mid eighties.
Maybe they are still trying to recoup some costs of when they paid too much for my knackered TS250X in '94

I have bought numerous bikes from GW, they are very hard to beat IMO and always extremely helpfull, im all for supporting the local dealer but when your saving that sort of amount of money its stupid not to

I have had the same sort of experiences as you. Try to local and they take the piss. List prices etc etc. Now I am happy to buy furtherafield to get the right deal.

George whites were excellent the last time I dealt with them. They were 100 miles away and gave me a decent px against my first xt. Worth the trip for sure.

My current bike was off here second hand, that was worth travellingmfor and renting a van as well.

I say forget local unless local equals the best deal. After all it's only once and then it's yours. Only slight drawback is if you buy new only the supplying dealer will service the bike foc.

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Hi Tony,
have to correct you there. No free first service anymore. Yamaha are cost cutting badly these days. So it doesn't matter where you buy the bike.

Rob

When I say free I mean the labour, you still have to pay for parts. Are you saying you don't get free labour anymore? If so then there is zero incentives to stay local.

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I was in George Whites the other day, and they still have a couple of 08/09 stock 660 Tenere's in - bet you'd get a good deal on those...

Also, Fowlers have two or three MT03s in stock (in Kenny Roberts yellow) at �4999 on the road - nice bike for that sort of money?

J x

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"Where we're going, we don't need roads..."

JennyDakar.com

Hi Tony,

correct, no free labour anymore. No part exchange and finance anymore. Either finance or p/e. And at Damerells the finance was for the full list price only, no discounts. Good, isn't it?

When i spoke to GW they had one black one left for that price. I got the last white one.

Rob

Erm.....

I was in my local dealer yesterday, and PX is most definitly on the cards, as is the labour on the first service (for bikes supplied by them) and 0% finance on practically any new Yamaha, from a XT X to a FJR in limited edition colours.

As far as I can see the labour on the first service is (and only ever has been) free at the supplying dealer. So if you buy your bike from afar, then you need to factor this into your 'savings'

Also, I see loan bikes now being supplied to people who have used supplying dealers too. So if you buy elsware, don't be surprised if you can't get a loan bike when you go in for service.

Remember that national dealers can offer better savings, but they will factor in things like loan bikes, initial service, no warrenty hassle etc into the price as they know you will go local for this stuff.

Having said that, locally, I'm OK for Kwacka, Yams, Ducatti, Aprillia, Honda - but for Suzuki and Triumph I've got no chance as the dealer for these is utter crap!

Most people buy from people, so if one guy in the dealers is a git, then as far as you are concerned the dealer is a git.

If saving on the initial cost is important, then buy form the cheapest you can. I like to buy ownership, and that comes with a dealer relashionship, but each to their own.

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Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

I can only quote what the guy at the dealer told me. He did offer me PX but he not with finance. For that he wanted the list price.
If what you say is right, and i do not doubt it, the deal at Damerells is worse than i initially thought.
And it was not one person i spoke to, it was a different person on all three occations.
Never mind, hey. Their loss.
For the first service on the XJ i only payed �78.00 at the same dealer. The savings here really don't come into it when compared with the savings on the new bike and the far better price for the PX XJ6.

Rob