107 Reported MSRP Dealerships as of 22 May 2005

Breaking news story!!!!! I've waited a decade to read this and its good news for you! An article from the Milwaukee Sentinal Journal on Harley dealerships selling at MSRP, or not, was posted on their website on 21 Sept 2004. Click here to jump to the story. If it's no longer online then click here to see the story at the bottom of this page.

In some old, old issues of American Iron magazine (April, May, June, July 2000) AI polled their readers to find where new Harley-Davidson's could be purchased at MSRP in the USA. Below is the listing of their reader's responses. I do not attest to the accuracy of this information, I've only re-recorded it for you and kept it up to date with your help.

My first posting of this page was on 31 March 2000. Since then I've had hundreds of emails from people like you helping me keep it current. Everytime I update it I'll update the date in the title as well, that way you can tell if there have been any new entries since you last looked.

PLEASE do not email me questions about this list, thanks. It is what it is.

If you are interested in knowing what Harley's sold for new going back to 1997 then click on the appropriate link below:

These prices DO NOT necessarily reflect what you should pay for a used Harley today, they are strictly an archive of the MSRP of the bikes when they were new.

Now lets get down to business!

If you are REALLY serious about buying a new Harley and the dealership nearest you won't cooperate at MSRP then this list may help you expand your search to find the next closet dealership near you who will.

You're bound to find a dealer who will work with you if you are persistent. What I mean by that is, many dealerships say they won't sell to anyone outside their area but I've heard numerous stories of dealerships that do; Fargo H-D in North Dakota is one for example. You just have to find them.

Consider this: Even if it costs you some extra $$$ to pick up your bike at a distant location or to have it shipped to you, those costs may very well STILL BE LESS than what it'll cost ya' out the door from the dealership closest to your home so, do your homework! Run the numbers!

Also, don't worry about your local dealership not wanting to service your bike if you bought it elsewere. Believe me, if your money is green they'll service it!

Bottomline: Your local dealership wants your $$$ no matter how it can get it and wants you as a return customer! Hey, its the American way!

THIS IS IMPORTANT. In the interest of helping a bro' whom you may never meet please tell me if you find ANY inaccuracies below as I'd like this list to be as useful as possible for everyone. I know over time dealerships may change owners and policies so, you can help everyone by letting me know if you find any errors.

MOST IMPORTANT. If you are positive you know of a dealership that sells Big Twins at MSRP (most dealerships sell most Sportsters at MSRP) let me know by sending an email with the Subject: "MSRP Dealership" to rick@bikeXrider.com (remove the "X"). At a minimum you only need include the exact name of the dealership and the city and state where its located. I will update the list below based on your input and mark it with the date of your report and an asterisk indicating the information was *NOT* derived from the American Iron articles of a year long since past.

A big huge Thanks! Over the years I've had MANY positive emails from people thankful for this list. So, from all of them to you, "Your input is truly appreciated!"

Note to US servicemen overseas:
First! Thanks for being there guys! Most all Americans thank you as well! (I served in the US Army, '64-'68 and can imagine what you're going through.) Hang in there and be safe!

If you are stationed overseas or are a civilian federal employee on a 1-year or longer tour working overseas check with your local AAFES Exchange Services or Overseas Military Sales office. Through those services you are amongst the only people on the planet that are offered the privilege of purchasing new Harley-Davidson's at less than MSRP! Yep, you read that right, "at LESS THAN MSRP!"

Oh one more thing guys, DON'T FORGET THIS TIP! if you can take delivery in a state with no sales tax do it! You'll need an address in that state to register it there so, find a buddy from that state who will let you use his address. This tip could save you another $1,000 depending on the model you are buying and the tax rate in state of your Home of Record.

After you pick up your bike, ride to your home state and register it there later, like maybe a year later when your original registration is due for renewal. This tip might save you hundreds of $$$'s by avoiding having to pay your local state sales taxes on its original new price. When you finally re-register in your state you may only have to pay taxes based the depreciated value of your bike. Just a suggestion.

Oh yeah! Thanks again for being there for all of us, and good luck!

* Unverified; reported to me by word-of-mouth or email.

Dealers who charged above-list prices for Harleys may have to scale back
By RICK BARRETT
rbarrett@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Sept. 20, 2004
From the Sept. 21, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The easy ride might be over for Harley-Davidson motorcycle dealers who have charged premium prices for bikes in hot demand, according to a new report by a Minneapolis investment firm.

For years, many dealers have charged more than the manufacturer's suggested retail price for popular Harley models such as Softails and Road Kings. Some bikes have been in such short supply that if one customer walked away, another would pay a premium to avoid waiting months for a new motorcycle.

"Some dealers didn't give a damn," said Don Brown, an economist with the Motorcycle Industry Council based in Irvine, Calif.

They're starting to care now, however, according to a report on Harley-Davidson Motor Co. from Piper Jaffray & Co. in Minneapolis.

Eleven of 15 Harley dealers surveyed were selling bikes at the suggested retail price, rather than tacking on premiums, the report noted. On a three-month basis, 33 of 45 dealers surveyed were selling at suggested retail.

Harley dealers in Wisconsin are "pretty much selling at MSRP or below it," said Kirk Topel, president of Hal's Harley-Davidson in New Berlin.

"That little window of opportunity" for a premium price "has opened and closed," Topel said.

Ten of 15 Harley dealers surveyed by Piper Jaffray said that recent sales were meeting their expectations, and four dealers said sales were exceeding their expectations.

But long-term growth was less predictable, with only six of 15 dealers expressing confidence that they could sustain 8% annual sales growth during each of the next three years. Seven dealers said they "may" be able to sustain 8% growth, and two said the rate was not sustainable.

Some dealers who started selling Harleys in the red-hot 1990s were spoiled by year after year of double-digit growth, Brown said.

"Those guys have never known a soft market, but now they're going to have to join in with everybody else and dig a little harder," he said.

The motorcycle industry has experienced nearly 13 years of steady sales increases, so it would not be unreasonable to expect a downturn, according to Brown.

"Harley-Davidson was dominant in its market all through the 1990s, and that's still the case," he said. "But demographics are not necessarily working in Harley's favor, because the baby boomer generation that buys the company's bikes is not growing."

Dealers who charged above suggested retail prices, even if the practice drove away some customers, engaged in short-term thinking, Brown added.

"It's getting a little tougher for them now," he said.

As a publicly traded company, Harley has been riding in the fast lane for more than a decade. It rebounded from near-bankruptcy in the 1980s to achieve year after year of record sales.

Harley's most recent quarterly report, for three months that ended June 27, showed a 22% gain in profits and a net income of $247 million, compared with $202 million a year earlier.

"The company's stock has been like the Energizer Bunny," said Douglas Kass of Seabreeze Partners, a hedge fund, who has sold shares of Harley-Davidson short. Harley records its revenue when it sells bikes to dealers, not when dealers sell them to consumers, Kass said. Eventually, any backup in dealer inventories could hurt the company.

"According to our contacts, there was a slowdown in dealer activity that started in July and has continued until now," Kass said.

Harley officials would not comment on the Piper Jaffray report, and the senior analyst who wrote the document was traveling Monday and not available for comment.

Demand for Harleys is still strong, but motorcycle buyers are being cautious, said Topel with Hal's Harley-Davidson.

"We are dealing with a different type of customer today who is new to motorcycling and takes a little different sales approach," he said. "Some dealers haven't gotten their arms around that concept yet."

Seven of 15 dealers surveyed said poor weather had hurt their sales in August, the report noted.

There was a disconnect between the 93% of dealers who said recent sales met or exceeded their expectations, and the 47% who said bad weather hurt their sales.

"Our take is that overall sales are not exceeding dealer expectations," the report noted.

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