Deal of the year

[kratedisease]

who is going to walk into a BMW showroom and buy/order a brand new 2023 plate bike when used ones are half price? Beats me

Thats an extreemly valid point..... that did not cross my mind,...... very sharp of you to point that out.

YES, you are correct, causing the used R18 bike market values to dive in price values due to all this dumping of R18 bikes into the market is going to make BMW's R18 NEW bike sales take a dive also,.... because, as you clearly pointed out..... a used bike for 1/2 off that is only 12 months old with 350 miles is surely going to make people walk away from purchasing a brand new R18 bike that costs so much more (double), .........but ........I think that BMW has already reduced the new bikes in pricing in 2022 & 2023 and is justifying the new lower pricing or disguising the reduction in new bike pricing by changing/modifying the model a bit in appearance with different colors and different metal finishes to justify this going forward drop in price on the newer model year bikes MSRP's making it seem as if the cheaper new bikes are different,.... thereby justifying the lowering of their MSRP as compared with the first edition bikes.

 

[BobW]

I understand and respect your point of view, especially if you are financing your purchase of your R18 if you did not have the funds handy for an outright cash purchase. No one wants to make payments on a bike that now is worth half of what your payments will be over the next few years.

BUT.....I would never buy any motorcycle with the thought of trading it in EVER. I take my time, calculate what i want, do my research, shop for best price and then buy. I am the opposite of the enthusiastic or impulse buyer. I can sit and wait for the perfect pitch before I swing or pull the trigger..

In fact I am happy to wait a few years for depreciation to hit a bike that I like, but am not willing to pay full price for.

Honestly, as much as i like the R18, ( hope not to offend anyone) but I would NEVER EVER paid the MSRP for it. Never. In my mind, I was waiting for the bike to depreciate after a few years, I figured two or three years, and then I would pick up a minty low miles bike for around $10-$11k.
But it just turned out that BMW dumped so many that they needed to move that I did not have to wait as long as i had anticipated due to the massive incentives.

I didn't pay list and $ isn't an issue (per se). I'm much the same as I plan and wait as well and did so with my Classic purchase, but I'm also at the point where my "at bats" are winding down so I change bikes when one catches my eye that I want to try and by planning well that has provided me many enjoyable miles on many great motorcycles for very little $. I put a lot of miles on my bikes, but take great care of and with them so reselling or trading in has never been an issue. Having nothing, but good to say about the fun I have had on my R18 and knowing what a great motorcycle it is doesn't change this will be the worst value of my many motorcycles I've owned and I'm closing in on 60 years of riding.

 

[kratedisease]

I didn't pay list and $ isn't an issue (per se). I'm much the same as I plan and wait as well and did so with my Classic purchase, but I'm also at the point where my "at bats" are winding down so I change bikes when one catches my eye that I want to try and by planning well that has provided me many enjoyable miles on many great motorcycles for very little $. I put a lot of miles on my bikes, but take great care of and with them so reselling or trading in has never been an issue. Having nothing, but good to say about the fun I have had on my R18 and knowing what a great motorcycle it is doesn't change this will be the worst value of my many motorcycles I've owned and I'm closing in on 60 years of riding.

I have to agree. one year old first editions selling for almost 1/2 price with 300-500 miles is quite common

 

[Alex-B]

I haven’t looked for a few weeks but there don’t appear to be that many used R18‘s around but (even as a an impulsive person) who is going to walk into a BMW showroom and buy/order a brand new 2023 plate bike when used ones are half price?

There was around 100 on Biketrader before Christmas and now it’s up to about 130. Lots of pre reg it seems in December to beat the January price rise and removal of FE incentives. So many of them for sale have been for ages. I bought my R18 new when the discounts were strong and did well on trade in all things considered when I got my R18B. The B was used and around £8k under RRP and that was before they included fitment of floor boards and associated levers. I tend to change quite regularly but dread to think what the px price would be now, even given how few used R18B FE’s are out there.

 

[Deleted member 1344]

From a looks standpoint, no touring bike out there competes with the R18B or R18TC. Also the TC's suspension and wind deflection is #1 not to mention the display screen.

 

[Rufus]

There was around 100 on Biketrader before Christmas and now it’s up to about 130. Lots of pre reg it seems in December to beat the January price rise and removal of FE incentives. So many of them for sale have been for ages. I bought my R18 new when the discounts were strong and did well on trade in all things considered when I got my R18B. The B was used and around £8k under RRP and that was before they included fitment of floor boards and associated levers. I tend to change quite regularly but dread to think what the px price would be now, even given how few used R18B FE’s are out there.

Ahh, fair enough Alex. TBH when I last looked I did focus on the nearly new and pre reg bikes because I use that as a barometer for what the dealers are trying to sell them for vs MSRP. Sounds like it’s even worse than what I thought then if the market is flooded with them. It’s insane really because it’s such a stunning piece of design and high quality.

 

[Alex-B]

Ahh, fair enough Alex. TBH when I last looked I did focus on the nearly new and pre reg bikes because I use that as a barometer for what the dealers are trying to sell them for vs MSRP. Sounds like it’s even worse than what I thought then if the market is flooded with them. It’s insane really because it’s such a stunning piece of design and high quality.

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202210040396059

This has been listed more recently than my previous R18 but has around 1k less miles and is £2k cheaper with all the same options so far as I can tell. Definitely seems to be a race to the bottom atm which is shame for the reasons you mentioned. I do feel the B and TC were rushed out in a way as there’s little bits that don’t seem as well thought out as they do on the standard and classic. Things like plastic side covers vs metal and the red positive wire being clearly visible when stood next to it but it is far superior to ride than the street glide special I owned.

 

[Rufus]

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/bike-details/202210040396059

This has been listed more recently than my previous R18 but has around 1k less miles and is £2k cheaper with all the same options so far as I can tell. Definitely seems to be a race to the bottom atm which is shame for the reasons you mentioned. I do feel the B and TC were rushed out in a way as there’s little bits that don’t seem as well thought out as they do on the standard and classic. Things like plastic side covers vs metal and the red positive wire being clearly visible when stood next to it but it is far superior to ride than the street glide special I owned.

I think the only way to come to terms with this situation is to keep our bikes. In that way trade in value becomes irrelevant really. We paid what we paid and presumably every one of us (myself included) were ‘happy’ with the price we paid at that time (otherwise we wouldn’t have bought) so . I do tell myself there’s no point dwelling on the market values as they are today because we can’t do anything about it. I was in the garage yesterday faffing about getting ready for Spring and fired mine up and reversed it out onto the drive into the Winter sunshine. What a machine. I bought it with the intention of keeping it and that hasn’t changed.

 

[Lunasea2]

If anyone did the 0% financing from BMW, you will definitely be ahead as the value of the dollar will be less in 4-5 years.

I just did an inflation calculator and it showed that $1 in January 2018 is now $1.20.
https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

BMW's 0% offering in a time of high inflation was the real winner in my book.

The zero percent financing is a deal for sure and rates are expected to continue to rise for such consumer goods. When BMW added in 4 payments made, the net interest expense is actually negative. Yeah, I get that it is a tactic that could as easily been just reduced from the capital (MSRP) cost but it did the trick for me to inspire my purchase of 2022 R1800TC. I was in the dealer waiting to pick up my R1200CL from service... came home with the old beauty and my new bike!

 

[LCRC18B]

Another thing I'm keeping in mind (at least in my opinion) is that we're going from a time when demand for a lot of things was sky high to possibly a pretty big dip in the algorithm. Many of us are likely old enough to remember back 15 or so years ago when everyone needed to have two houses and a Harley or you were missing out. I remember when you were basically a fool for not buying a house, right before it dropped by 40% over the next seven years. History repeats itself in cycles; time will tell where we are today. Money is paper; at least we have an awesome bike. Every time I go in the garage I can't believe it's mine. Cheers friends. Enjoy life as much as possible while we're here.

 

[evomind]

……….“But it just turned out that BMW dumped so many that they needed to move that I did not have to wait as long as i had anticipated due to the massive incentives”…….

Thats exactly what I feel about it. I am at the other end of the scale to you though and more impulsive, and yes sometimes this does cost me. Over here (UK) Honda had a similar ‘problem’ with the very short lived 2014/2015 Valkyrie GL1800C (the unfaired Goldwing). I forget exactly what the MSRP was now, but it was expensive, somewhere around £18k and the dealers could not sell them. Honda pulled the plug after two years and the leftovers remained gathering dust in the back of showrooms. I’ve even seen 2019 registration plates on them, so that’s four even five years sat somewhere. I’m sure they even went down to £10k as pre reg bikes and still no one wanted them. I picked one up (pic below) and enjoyed it, it had a lot going for it. Ironically they are now worth more than they were new because they are very thin on the ground, quite exclusive so if you want it you have to pay the price. I will be interested to see the 2022 & 2023 figures for new R18 registrations. I bet the numbers will have fallen off a cliff. I haven’t looked for a few weeks but there don’t appear to be that many used R18‘s around but (even as a an impulsive person) who is going to walk into a BMW showroom and buy/order a brand new 2023 plate bike when used ones are half price? Beats me

View attachment 8944View attachment 8945

Same as in the U.S. about the fb6.
I almost bought one when it was new to the market. I liked the bike.
No Honda dealer would let me test drive one.
I went over to BMW and looked at an RT12 and they threw me the key and asked me to come back in 3 hours.
Guess which one I bought.
A few years back I saw the Fb6s advertised for 9999-10999USD.
Wow. Great bike for that money but I wasnt looking for one.
A couple years ago I checked the prices and sure enough, everyone forgot that they couldnt GIVE these away when they were new but now used ones are going for what you could have bought a discounted one for....

 

[evomind]

I wonder if this is a regional thing. I live in an area where cruisers are very popular and my dealer has had no problems selling R18's. Last time I spoke with the sales manager, he said that they sell more R18's than anything else except the GS. I've even see a few other R18's out on the road.

My dealer in Tucson AZ has no problems selling these things.
They told me they have sold around 70 of them.
I dont know if they meant since rollout but I thought he said "this year."
I know he said 70ish.
Every time I go in there they have different R18s in stock.
One of the guys there has a really nice bobber version.

I realize some parts of the country they cant give them away in a free raffle.

 

[Rufus]

On Saturday I went visiting family and because it’s a fairly long drive across country (by UK standards don’t laugh) I decided to have a half way pit stop and leg stretch. I called in at a very large non franchised motorcycle dealer just outside Birmingham. There were hundreds of bikes inside, maybe even 250-300, I’ve never seen so many. There were Hondas, Suzukis, Yamaha, Triumph, Kawasaki’s and a few HD. No BMW. Many new, lots of pre reg and lightly used stock.

Regarding prices, wow, strong. Bearing in mind I’ve been on this forum for a while now I somehow expected these other motorcycles to be struggling too, but no. Generally speaking there was little difference between new MSRP & nearly new. As I walked around the lines of bikes nothing made me think that’s nice. Nothing oozed quality like my R18 does. I know we lament on this but but I came away thinking why are BMW dealers selling R18’s at such huge discount? Nearly half price?

As I continued my journey the conclusion I came to was this….it’s not the bike. I think it’s the brand image, the very corporate, I’m slightly better than you aloof brand image that’s killing the bike sales. The dealer atmosphere was entirely different, warmer, scruffier, no matching shirt & tie to be seen or notable colour scheme, dare I even say it, friendlier. Folk who really like and maybe even want an R18 will just not walk through the door of a BMW dealer whether it’s full price or half price. That’s the problem.

 

[Alex-B]

On Saturday I went visiting family and because it’s a fairly long drive across country (by UK standards don’t laugh) I decided to have a half way pit stop and leg stretch. I called in at a very large non franchised motorcycle dealer just outside Birmingham. There were hundreds of bikes inside, maybe even 250-300, I’ve never seen so many. There were Hondas, Suzukis, Yamaha, Triumph, Kawasaki’s and a few HD. No BMW. Many new, lots of pre reg and lightly used stock.

Regarding prices, wow, strong. Bearing in mind I’ve been on this forum for a while now I somehow expected these other motorcycles to be struggling too, but no. Generally speaking there was little difference between new MSRP & nearly new. As I walked around the lines of bikes nothing made me think that’s nice. Nothing oozed quality like my R18 does. I know we lament on this but but I came away thinking why are BMW dealers selling R18’s at such huge discount? Nearly half price?

As I continued my journey the conclusion I came to was this….it’s not the bike. I think it’s the brand image, the very corporate, I’m slightly better than you aloof brand image that’s killing the bike sales. The dealer atmosphere was entirely different, warmer, scruffier, no matching shirt & tie to be seen or notable colour scheme, dare I even say it, friendlier. Folk who really like and maybe even want an R18 will just not walk through the door of a BMW dealer whether it’s full price or half price. That’s the problem.

CMC? Always thought their prices are strong especially on used HD where their prices seem to be at or even above HD dealer prices which to me is insane.

R18 range in the UK is back on 0% and I suspect a final push to get them sold before pulling the plug in the UK market which is a shame.

 

[Rufus]

CMC? Always thought their prices are strong especially on used HD where their prices seem to be at or even above HD dealer prices which to me is insane.

R18 range in the UK is back on 0% and I suspect a final push to get them sold before pulling the plug in the UK market which is a shame.

Yea it was CMC Alex. i too think it’s days are numbered.

 

[Vyk]

Speaking of deals... My jaw dropped when I saw this a few days ago. Someone grab this. That's a First Edition Transcontinental with 110 miles on the odo.

 

[Mr. Efficiency]

Hey, the R18 is a flop. It is. I’m glad they made it. I wanted a retro BMW and they finally made one with modern safety features so I don’t have to waste my time wrenching on an old BMW. I don’t mind that its a flop; I wanted a unique bike; it is a head turner and a gorgeous bike and a bottomless pit of torque but it simply isnt BMW riders’ cup of tea. They didn’t take any business from Harley with it because Harley riders want Harleys (although they don’t do retro as well as BMW, they did not cling stubbornly to the Softail slim, a bike I loved for its real retro Harley thing).

For once, BMW did it right. A plunger frame chrome covered black pin striped cycle that really evokes their heritage. And then they covered it in luggage when they found out their customers didn’t care… and the luggage didnt help.

The R18 came at just the right time for me. I ride it, I clean it, I show it off and people love the darn thing. As long as they don’t have to buy it

Don’t take this the wrong way; some people hate buying a flop. But I think the R18 flopped for all the right reasons this time. Now get out and ride the darn thing

 

[Scott Semone]

Agreed... I feel like I got a fully loaded, technically refreshed prototype HD Street Glide ST at a price point $10k less. At 50' away, passing at 50 mph ..... It's a Street Glide

The R18 B allowed me to stay within the brand that has been good to me over and beyond (1991 K75S + 2008 GS Adventure); plus, I love riding it as it has all of the comfort features that I was looking for in my next bike.

 

[BigFoot@3]

Paid 19,499 For NEW 2022 R18TC delivered to the house (190miles) going to pick up in Nov to them and back to me for service no charge for pick up ! Tyrone BMW in PA

 

[Rufus]

Flop mmm…? When you consider Sturgis or Daytona bike rallies as examples and (certainly) the very promoted image of bikini clad women wandering about amongst hundreds of thousands of bad ass HD riders with their tattoo’s, goatees, bandanas and badges etc the very corporate and Teutonic R18 was never going to be an easy fit in America. Was it? The HD brand is so embedded people wanted it to fail. HD will have huge influence over the press, not talking about corruption or anything sinister but we all know how these things work and let’s be honest, motorcycle journo’s and Youtubers have confirmation bias too and follow the herd mentality so as soon as a few negative reviews went out a narrative ‘pile on‘ was established and it quickly became truth.