PDP - why and what is it really for?

[Sid Post]

I went to my local dealer and hoped to see an FJR. The sales guy said the one they had in for service had just left. He didn't have any literature on them, and had to pull out this big 3 ring binder to show me a picture.

I guess my expectations are too high when shopping for something this expensive.

The sales guy said that the PDP program was there to keep prices low! Low compared to a BMW maybe? He also indicated that sales for the FJR were brisk so they didn't need to have any on the showroom floor. If I wanted to, I could give him $500 sight unseen and join a waiting list?

I just don't get it. Sure it is a great motorcycle but, can't they ship enough of them to the USA so there are a few in showrooms? Surely parking one on the showroom floor isn't going to hurt sales at all so, it's not like it will sit there for 6 months or more.

Is this all sort of a Harley'esque marketing tactic where they artificially control the volume of motorcycles available to keep prices high?

With Kawasaki likely to offer a FJR competitor next year with the new 190HP engine, I think I will stick with a modest and cheap ride for the time being.

I also went to the Honda dealer who was a Tier 3 dealer which he indicated got them all the best things Honda had to offer. Well, he told me about the ST1300's that were sold while they were still in their crates. Again no literature.

What am I missing here? I can go to a BMW dealer and see all of their motorcycles and take test rides. The sport tourers from Japan seem like really great motorcycles but, what's the deal with nothing on the showroom floor to look at and buying sight unseen? I just can't believe sales are so brisk that production is so back logged they can't keep one around for people to look at?

The Internet is a great resource but, I need to put my leg over one and see if it "fits" me. If I bought sight unseen, I would have ended up with a Suzuki DL650 Vstrom which seemed to be a universal recommendation for me at the time. Funny thing was, I could not put my feet on the ground safely on that thing. The seat was wide enough that it took too much of my inseam to straddle it so, nothing was left for my feet to touch the asphalt safely.

 

[Luke]

Yeah, the Vstrom seat height is a bit tall.

As far as the PDP program, there are several threads on this board that discuss it. But I beleive it gives anyone a discount that is willing to order and wait for the bikes to arrive. I'm buying at about 2k below MSRP! But if you don't want to wait, then dealers will have a few to sell soon for MSRP or more+++.

And as far as cost, even at full MSRP the bike is still less expensive than a ST1300 and is a bargain in comparison to a BMW!

 

[Sid Post]

PDP thread

I guess my experience at the local Yamaha dealer gave a me negative impression. If it was going to save me ~$2K in real money then it makes more sense. PDP at full MSPR doesn't make much sense to me which is the direction I was headed with my local dealer. Apparently the PDP program ordering period has ended for this model year so, I need to look at option number 2.

Thanks for helping this newbie Luke!

 

[bvail]

What am I missing here?

Gadzooks! Yet another PDP whiner :angry: There's plenty of past anachdotal stories from people who bought and love their FJR. What you are missing out on is a very nice sport tourer that serves well for all types of riding, including the long distance rider.

Good luck on your quest for the perfect bike. Maybe that new Kaw will serve you well. But, you will have to wait for it

I was delighted to wait in 2002 for the first FJRs to hit our shores. YES! I'll give you 500 bucks gladly and wait 'til whenever to try that bike. I was not disapointed in the least. Best bike I ever owned (until now).

p.s. Some manufacturers are going the way of cage marketing. If one wants an ABS equipt GL1800, one must also buy all the levels in between. A new marketing sales twist by the folks over at Honda. Lots of people bitching about that too.

 

[EgbertO]

You like something like this :

https://forum.fjr-club.nl/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3830

It is in a showroom from a local dealer in the Netherlands

EgbertO

 

[Sid Post]

What am I missing here?

Gadzooks! Yet another PDP whiner :angry:

Huhh? I didn't think my post was whiny or a rant. I just don't understand. I have never been able to sit on an FJR to see if it even fits my frame. The price I was looking at was full retail with little in the way of dealer perks.

If I bought on Internet chat only, I would have a Suzuki Vstrom that does not fit my body and would be unsafe for me to ride. If I am going to buy sight unseen, I need something less then full retail when I have to wait for months to get it and gamble that it will even fit me. If the dealer offered something in the way of an outstanding sales experience, then I could see the PDP being more reasonable. Keep in mind that I don't have access to other FJR riders in person so, please excuse me if I want to do some research before I spend a significant amount of money.

There there are the esthetic things like, do I even like the blue color? Until I can see one in person, how do I know how I will react to the blue color?

I'm sorry if wanting to see a ~$12K-$14K purchase ahead of time is too much to ask. I won't buy a car I can't see in person either.

The BMW dealer may be more high priced, but they let me touch, sit on, and ride their motorcycles first. I know what I am getting if I choose to spend my money there.

 

[Sid Post]

You like something like this :

https://forum.fjr-club.nl/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3830

It is in a showroom from a local dealer in the Netherlands

EgbertO

Yes, a showroom like that would make me very happy! It appears to have very good lighting and allows the buyer to compare colors.

That silver sure looks sharp.

If I ever make it back to Enschede, I will have to put the local motorcycle shops on the list of sights to see before I come back to the USA.

 

[EgbertO]

You like something like this :

https://forum.fjr-club.nl/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=3830

It is in a showroom from a local dealer in the Netherlands

EgbertO

Yes, a showroom like that would make me very happy! It appears to have very good lighting and allows the buyer to compare colors.

That silver sure looks sharp.

If I ever make it back to Enschede, I will have to put the local motorcycle shops on the list of sights to see before I come back to the USA.

And if you are in Enschede you are close to Nordhorn in Germany

The homebase of Wilbers suspension

EgbertO

]

 

[Centerline]

I am crazy about my FJR. I bought off a dealer showroom. Would not have bought it thru the PDP, although I had considered it. My waiting period for a bike is the looking and comparing and reading about them. When I am ready to pull the trigger, I want to have the real thing right there in front of me. Possibly, I might buy my next FJR with a PDP, but I POSITIVELY WOULD NOT buy the first one, sight unseen. Even a full-size non functioning mock-up would be better in the showrooms.

 

[Luke]

I had narrowed my choice down to the ST and FJR. Then I was fortunate enough to find a used 2005 model of both at the same dealer. Put them side by side, and the decision was easy for me. Then I read of the improvements on the '06 and decided to wait for the new one.

 

[Vulcan]

In Canada they don't have the PDP program and most larger dealers have a sample bike on the showroom floor. When I bought mine they had 8 in stock availible for sale. Funny how they market the bike differently in different countries....

 

[Bounce]

Gadzooks!  Yet another PDP whiner  :angry:

Huhh? I didn't think my post was whiny or a rant. I just don't understand. I have never been able to sit on an FJR to see if it even fits my frame. The price I was looking at was full retail with little in the way of dealer perks.

People perceive it as such even if it wasn't intended to be that way. PdP has been in place for 4 years. People who bought their 2003's in early 2002 (sight unseen and NO used bikes or experience within the USA) have been hearing this same question posed every year since. To them it gets a little repetative and, with all the history out there, sometimes wonder why people keep asking the same question over and over again to an audience that cannot influence its change.

If you're really interested, you can shop around and take delivery in several places around the country that offer deep (DEEP) discounts.

 

[bvail]

Thank you Bounce.

 

[pmeysemb]

I am going to side with Sid :haha: on this issue. I had my ST1300 all picked out from the local Honda/Yam dealer. I actually walked into the dealer, cash in hand!, to pick up the ST when the sales guy casually mentioned they had a returned '05 FJR with 420 miles) back in the storage building. I actually had never even heard of the FJR (cause I didn't do enough homework, I guess) and he said I could take it for ride! I came back with a huge grin on my face and signed over the cashiers check on the spot! :bleh:

Without a floor model to see, I would be riding the ST1300 right now. I just hope that others are able to get as lucky as I was, by trying the FJR first.

Paul

Duluth, MN (BTW, 22 degrees here heading out to work today, brrr!! but worth it)

 

[RebelRider]

Your post is valid..BMW is a nice bike..has a few farkles stock the FJR doesn't have..Have bikes to try out I hear...Just a bit more pricey..Up to you what you wanna buy I'd say. The deal is to ride isn't it? Does it really matter what the bike is?

 

[S76]

I agree with you Sid. It's certainly not a normal way to do business. I mean we're not talkng about a $50 coffee table here!

But I did just that. I ordered one sight unseen going only by the testimonials from the people on this site. Crazy? Maybe, but these folks really seem to love these bikes. It's the type of bike I had in mind. And I'm coming off of a 26 year old Suzi, so I just don't see any way I can be disappointed. Even if this thing is a piece of junk it's still gonna feel like a space ship to me! Everything is relative.

Wish you the best in your search.