Great bargains on new motorcycles

Nov 9 2009 Harriet Ridley

Great bargains on new motorcycles

THIS time of year the talk is all about the brand new models breaking cover at the various international motorcycle shows. But there's also no better time to buy last year's models, with huge discounts across the board.

And by last year's bikes, I don't mean has-been machines. I mean the likes of Yamaha's groundbreaking YZF-R1 with its cross-plane crankshaft engine. The bike cost an eye-watering £10,999 this summer. Hunt around and you can pick one up for £8,999 - that's £2,000 slashed off the list price.

If you fancy something smaller then how about Kawasaki's 2008 ZX-6R for just £4,999.

And it's not only sportsbikes that are going for bargain prices. Kawasaki's GTR1400 big tourer can be picked up for £10,499, compared to a list price of £11,699. Yamaha's MT-03 can be had for £4,995, a saving of just over £1,000. Triumph's mighty Rocket III is available at £10,000, a saving of almost £3,000 on the list price.

If you fancy a top-notch commuter, then the price of Honda's automatic DN-01 has been dropped to £6,699 - that's a huge £4,000 saving on its original price.

These are just a few examples of new motorcycles going for far less than list price.

The price drops follow last spring's huge hike in motorcycle prices caused mainly by the global recession and the resultant hike in the price of raw materials, as well as the weakening of the pound. But the dire financial climate has also seen sales of new bikes drop by 15% over the year, with many dealerships now trading at a loss. So it's about time the industry gave itself a boost.

If you're a Buell lover and were devastated by the news that Harley-Davidson was closing down the factory it owns never to produce a Buell again, then to every cloud there's a silver lining.

Following Erik Buell's tearful announcement on the Buell website, dealers have been encouraged to clear out all Buell stock, with prices on new Buells being discounted by up to an eye-watering 40%. You can now pick up a brand new 1125R for less than £5,000, saving you £3,710, while the naked XB9SX is going for just £4,995. And if you're worried about after-sales care with a marque no longer in production, all Harley dealers have pledged to continue servicing and providing parts and accessories for Buells.

There's no better time than the onset of winter to spice up your garage with a new pride and joy.