2014 Availablility and Price D&H Cycles

[rockmurf]

I plan on calling D&H cycles on Tuesday but couldn't wait. Does anyone know if they have any 2013-14's and what the prices are? Thanks

 

[Dunk43]

https://www.facebook.com/dandhcycle Heres their fb page..........

 

[rockmurf]

Thanks for the fb link but they don't appear too active on fb.

 

[08FJR4ME]

Best to call Rena. There website doesn't get updated either. They are not to tech savvy but great to deal with. I bought my bike from them on a fly and ride.

Dave

 

[NormKern]

Talked to D-H about a month ago. At that time they had 1 ES on order that wasn't already spoken for. No doubt that one is gone and no doubt they have more on order but every dealer I talked to said availability will be very tight.

General advice: Your best bet would be to find a dealer that's already got one or more on order that's not sold. Probably chancy by now. Not all dealers have equal status when it comes to getting delivery on bikes or anything in short supply. The best bet is a Pro Yamaha dealer. You can find them easily on this webpage: https://yamahamotorsports.com/sport/dealers/locator.aspx?ls=sport

You can also find out what kind of certifications their mechanics have etc. My dealer CCM (Clinton County Motorsports, Wilmington, OH) showed me this page. Another consideration: All dealers have a dollar limit on self-approved warranty work. He says that Pro Yamaha dealers have a much higher limit and get more leeway on approval of warranty claims. That's the kind of dealer I want to be working with!

FWIW, D-H in Cullman, AL is a 100% legit Pro Yamaha dealer, but they are 500 mi from me. When travel costs and time were figured in, I got a better deal locally from CCM.

Beware of low-ball offers on cycletrader.com and the like. Besides offering something they don't have and may not be able to get, the price might not include freight & setup- a mere $900 from one dealer I talked to. What a joke!

 

[Peter Murray]

FJR'S are great bikes but the front suspension sucks.. Very disapointed the A model continues to have the wet noodle forks.

 

[MCRIDER007]

FJR'S are great bikes but the front suspension sucks.. Very disapointed the A model continues to have the wet noodle forks.

Six weeks ago I would have partially agreed with you, then I rode a '13 demo (#0940) that had firm springs and very good damping in the forks. Makes me wonder if Yamaha has quietly changed the forks or is using a different subcontractor.

 

[lgjhn]

I plan on calling D&H cycles on Tuesday but couldn't wait. Does anyone know if they have any 2013-14's and what the prices are? Thanks

+1 to everything that NormKern said above.

You really gotta watch it and most folks gotta balance distance & time versus the cost.

I've been by their shop on many occasions. They are really nice folks that treat both customers and potential customers equally well.

Some folks don't mind the distance. Others just can't afford to take that much time off.

Last time I was there, a guy from California flew in, bought and rode a Kawi ZX-14 back home!! Now that had to been a ride!!!

As stated earlier, they're not all that tech savvy but they are down-to-earth good folks, IMHO.

Best thing to do is just call them on the phone...the old-fashion way.

 

[NormKern]

I plan on calling D&H cycles on Tuesday but couldn't wait. Does anyone know if they have any 2013-14's and what the prices are? Thanks

+1 to everything that NormKern said above.

You really gotta watch it and most folks gotta balance distance & time versus the cost.

I've been by their shop on many occasions. They are really nice folks that treat both customers and potential customers equally well.

Some folks don't mind the distance. Others just can't afford to take that much time off.

Last time I was there, a guy from California flew in, bought and rode a Kawi ZX-14 back home!! Now that had to been a ride!!!

As stated earlier, they're not all that tech savvy but they are down-to-earth good folks, IMHO.

Best thing to do is just call them on the phone...the old-fashion way.

The difference in price between my local dealer and D-H was about $500. How much would it cost me to fly from Ohio to Alabama, stay a night in a hotel and ride the bike 500 miles home? Probably $500 and two days time.

On a bike as complicated as the FJR ES, I want the full 4 year YES extended warranty AND a good relationship with a nearby Pro Yamaha dealer who has at least one gold certified mechanic. The FJR has n excellent reliability record, but if you buy from a dealer far away, you won't be first in line or get any extra consideration from your local dealer if you have a problem.

 

[Top_Speed1]

FJR'S are great bikes but the front suspension sucks.. Very disapointed the A model continues to have the wet noodle forks.

Why all the negativeness of late Mr Pete? Did Mama-Y pee in your corn flakes?

 

[HotRodZilla]

I plan on calling D&H cycles on Tuesday but couldn't wait. Does anyone know if they have any 2013-14's and what the prices are? Thanks

+1 to everything that NormKern said above.

You really gotta watch it and most folks gotta balance distance & time versus the cost.

I've been by their shop on many occasions. They are really nice folks that treat both customers and potential customers equally well.

Some folks don't mind the distance. Others just can't afford to take that much time off.

Last time I was there, a guy from California flew in, bought and rode a Kawi ZX-14 back home!! Now that had to been a ride!!!

As stated earlier, they're not all that tech savvy but they are down-to-earth good folks, IMHO.

Best thing to do is just call them on the phone...the old-fashion way.

The difference in price between my local dealer and D-H was about $500. How much would it cost me to fly from Ohio to Alabama, stay a night in a hotel and ride the bike 500 miles home? Probably $500 and two days time.

On a bike as complicated as the FJR ES, I want the full 4 year YES extended warranty AND a good relationship with a nearby Pro Yamaha dealer who has at least one gold certified mechanic. The FJR has n excellent reliability record, but if you buy from a dealer far away, you won't be first in line or get any extra consideration from your local dealer if you have a problem.

As far as cost vs. time and saving $500 on the purchase price of a bike, just to spend it going to pick up the bike, you are totally correct. Honestly, what's the point of saving $500 if I have to spend 2-3 days and at least $500 going to get it and bring it home?

However, I'm not too sure about your idea that buying the bike at the dealer is going to get someone any better service. After haggling with every dealer in Albuquerque, I ended up buying my FJR in Colorado. I brought it home and for its first 3 years had it serviced at a local Yamaha dealer. During that period, I despised the sales staff there, but the service and parts guys were (are) awesome. My bike has always been very well taken care of, and I've always had it back in a reasonable amount of time.

Hell, I bought a Yamaha jetski at another local dealer and then took it to my dealer for its first service. The service manager reduced the cost and took really good care of me. He doesn't care where I bought it, just that I'm supporting his department. I think its because I try very hard to be a really nice guy. We talk bikes, I don't act like an ***, and he does the same back. Point is: I think attitude is more important than where someone buys a bike.

If the bikes are in competing areas, buy the one you want, and get it serviced where you want...Just make sure to build a relationship with the service guys.

 

[GeorgiaRoller]

I sat on the red 2014 ES in Lawrenceville, GA this weekend at this Dealership. (metro Atlanta) They had a new unsold 2012, a 2013 & this new 2014 on the floor. In fact they have every freaking Yamaha motorcycle inside. It was the best Yamaha floorplan under one roof I've ever seen. The 2014 ES is one sexy looking beast in person.

They just have the MSRP on it. I can't imagine any dealer discounting a new hard to find 2014 FJR ES bike. Why would they?

No I didn't buy it...yet. lol

 

[ionbeam]

The difference in price between my local dealer and D-H was about $500. How much would it cost me to fly from Ohio to Alabama, stay a night in a hotel and ride the bike 500 miles home? Probably $500 and two days time...

Congratulations on living someplace where a dealer will negotiate on the selling price, that isn't true everywhere. It only makes sense to leave your local area if you can't get get any of the dealers to move off of MSRP or the dealers are true, through and through idiots/*****/anti-consumer. In the end, if the costs were equal between paying full price at some of my local Yamaha dealers and a fly & ride, I would fly just to deny the dealer my money. These same dealers do not get my money for parts or anything else. (Rant deleted)

Service departments are major revenue centers, over the life of a motorcycle the service center can make more profit than the original sales. Best yet, service is reoccurring income that profits from both labor and parts markup. All service departments should welcome you regardless of where the bike came from.

 

[Top_Speed1]

I sat on the red 2014 ES in Lawrenceville, GA this weekend at this Dealership. (metro Atlanta) They had a new unsold 2012, a 2013 & this new 2014 on the floor. In fact they have every freaking Yamaha motorcycle inside. It was the best Yamaha floorplan under one roof I've ever seen. The 2014 ES is one sexy looking beast in person.
They just have the MSRP on it. I can't imagine any dealer discounting a new hard to find 2014 FJR ES bike. Why would they?

No I didn't buy it...yet. lol

Floor planning like this is what Yamaha strives for, unfortunately it only makes companies like GE Cap the only real beneficiary. My best bud owned a Yami dealership in Constantia NY, well that is until Mama Yami's constant pressure of loading him up actually put him out.

Blow me Yamaha, your dealer tactics suck!

 

[Allen_C]

I contacted several dealers within a one full day drive when I was shopping around for my ES. The last place I checked with was my local dealer. All were willing to negotiate a better price but all were not sure when they'd get an ES to actually sell.

The best price I found was 14,700 + yet to be determined dealer fees. My local dealer sold it to me for 15,100. (All amounts are plus tax since that varies based on your location) If the dealer wants your business and they do not have a waiting list, you should be able to get an ES for under 16k. Oh, I also asked if he would sell the 4 yr YES Plan for 398 and he did!

Good luck shopping!

 

[bucky]

I tend to agree, buy where the price is best (factoring in travel if you want) and have service done at the best local shop you can find. With hourly service rates where they are at dealers, why would they go out of their way to piss anyone off? Motorcycle dealers just like auto dealers have separate profit centers for new sales, used sales, parts and service. The service manager don't give a rats *** where you bought your bike. And that is who you would be dealing with. The most important thing is knowing the service manager and having qualified mechanics working on your bike.

I am a CPA and one of my former clients when I was with Deloitte and Touche was one of the largest Chevrolet dealers in the Seattle area. New vehicle sales was the least profitable. Used vehicle sales had the highest profit, followed by service. I tend to think this is the rule, not the exception.

 

[Allen_C]

I tend to agree, buy where the price is best (factoring in travel if you want) and have service done at the best local shop you can find...New vehicle sales was the least profitable. Used vehicle sales had the highest profit, followed by service. I tend to think this is the rule, not the exception.

I agree with the first part and have heard the same thing about the last part. If you are lucky enough to have a local dealer with good Sales and Service folks, awesome!

 

[08FJR4ME]

Well when I bought my 2008 from D&H there was a $2200.00 difference in price. Local dealer wouldn't budge on price. So for that price I bought the bike and threw in a vacation drive home to boot. I still came out ahead after expenses.

Welcome to New England,

Dave

 

[Topgear]

I had a great buying experience with D&H. They have a simple model. Fair price, honest dealings , years of experience, tons of repeat customers. When I first called Jarold and asked about the 2014 ES in Octber he had 2 on order. Pricing is simple - the bike at well below list and a $36 state fee to be filed. You can add the yes warranty for 389. I sent a deposit and waited for info on when the bike would arrive at D&h. The bike was allocated in early November. According to D&H yamaha is very good at getting bikes to dealers in their month but can't really say it's on the way until it leaves a yamaha distribution center.

I got the call that the bike was being sent to D&H by Wednesday so we planned our routes out and home through some pretty roads. I used Microsoft streets and trips to lay out a direct drive there and a scenic route home and loaded item into our garmin.

Picking up the bike was a great experience. The D&H master tech Nick and the other mechanic were relaxed and spent an hour going over everything you would want to know. We went through seat and bar adjustments, he installed a battery tender and a lead a for flashing brake lights and the bike was ready. Being in the shop for an hour showed why they have been in business 40 years. They employees and owners treat each other like family and work together seamlessly to get things done.

I saved enough on the trip and had a nice weekend with my wife. This was my 3rd fly /drive to get a vehicle and drive it a long way home. Each one was a success. With a new Sena intercom we talked a lot on the road, that was nice. We booked hotels on hotwire and expedia based on how far we got each day, no need to plan too far ahead incase you want to change routes or get tired

When I got back to Houston I took the bike to a high end dealer that sells BMW, Ducati, Triumph, yamaha and Kwai. Booked my first service, met a nice, professional service advisor and had the work done properly. They did not ask where the bike was purchased, they appreciated the service work.

Conclusion: fly and drives can be fun, you will see some pretty country and occasionally find honest, fair independent business that treats you how you want to be treated. I like giving business to companies like D&H, they are good people.