Is new really better than s/h?

Davel

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Looking at an ex-demo GS (10) year with about 1,500 miles.

It's a saving of about just over £2k on a new one but, of course, a new one will have a full warranty.

Is buying a brand new one really worthwile just for an (11) plate and a longer warranty?

What would you do?

It's the same bike, same colour and same spec


:nenau
 
If it is for some obtuse reason or another not covered by the original full manufacturer's warranty (less one year or a part of a year), you can probably buy the top-up cover.

Now, work out yourself whether YOU want to spend less money on a second hand bike (which you and no one else has seen) or spend more money on a spanking new one, with a full two years' warranty.... at effectively an additional cost of £2000. It's your call.

PS According to robjet's logic, nobody would ever buy anything that was not brand new or out of warranty.
 
Davel,i think that just over 300 will extend the warranty for a year and u could have a good trip for the money u save with some left over.keep it for 3 or 4 years and the trade in value will def not be 2 grand less,they give u crap trade in value no matter what age it is:aidan
ps u could do that mileage in 3 or 4 days:cool:
 
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I can't believe this but I'm actually going to agree with Wapping lol. It's your call, and depends what's most important to you, the money or a spanking new bike.
Don't forget, not only will you be saving £2k, you'll be saving on the 600 mile service. But it's always nice to have a new bike, one that you've brought up and cared for yourself ;)
 
new or old

Things to sleep on tonight!
Will a dealer give you a better price at the end of Febuaury, before the 11 plate on a new one!(targets! end of a quite month)
Free Panniers, are they included on the new one/ex demo one(£560.00),
Free service deal on a new one,saving u £200,
Free accesorises included in the deal on a new one(mine were worth£300),
finally, ex-demo! when i road test a new bike,sorry i'm never treat them with respect(re new engine,needs running in etc).
lets us know what deal you did at the dealers saturday, happy haggling.:cool:
 
Thanks for that.

Both have premium and dynamic packs.

Ex- demo has panniers. New bike gets them thrown in.

I don't normally buy new because I hate the first depreciation hit.

Oh well -will sleep on it!
 
I went for a fully loaded GSA with luggage at 18 months old, from a main dealer, with 12 months warranty. The only thing absent was a satnav (which I already have), tankbag and topbox (which I got a deal on as a sweetener.)

Worked out almost 5 grand less than a brand new bike with the same spec, save for the twincam engine with exup type valve.

Why not let someone else take the hit on depreciation? :thumb

EDIT: Forgot to say, my first 2004 model 1200 was an ex-demo bike, no doubt ragged senseless from new. I had it 5 years and loved it.
 
Thanks for that.

Both have premium and dynamic packs.

Ex- demo has panniers. New bike gets them thrown in.

I don't normally buy new because I hate the first depreciation hit.

Oh well -will sleep on it!

Where are you getting free panniers on a new GS? Or is that 'free' but only if you pay list? My local dealers (Bahnstormer, Vines, Chandlers) are saying that the free panniers offer has finished.

Cheers
Jimmy
 
Thanks for that.

Both have premium and dynamic packs.

Ex- demo has panniers. New bike gets them thrown in.

I don't normally buy new because I hate the first depreciation hit.

Oh well -will sleep on it!

There's your answer or at least a decent sized chunk of it.

Do you think the first year's devaluation is more or less than £2000?

The two bikes are all but identical; now value the two thousand pounds in your life. If you have never (or rarely) had a brand new bike and do not intend to part with it for a number of years, so diluting the initial sharp drop in value, and do not need the two grand, then go for the brand new one.

If you value or need the two grand more than you value or need a brand new bike, then don't.
 
Good advice there, you have to compare like for like to begin with.

My 2008 model was just over 2 years old with 6k on the clock, with the BMW bits (Comfort, ABS, Chrome Pipes etc) a new one would have been £12,500 and the chap had kindly fitted Winglets, Hugger, Rad Grill, Fender extender, sat-nav mount probably taking his cost beyond £13k.

I paid £8500 from a BMW dealer with associated years warranty / Tax / 6K + Annual Service done before I collected it - it makes you wonder how much they gave him, probably not much more than £7k.

I would not be happy losing £6k in 2 years and 6,000 miles (I know this for sure as it twice what I lost on ZZR in the same period and that I thought that was steep - so much for BMW's holding their price!)

I bet at 3 years old it would have only dropped another £1,000 tops, I reckon if your gonna keep it a couple of years or more a £2k saving is quite handy, but....

As an ex-demo the dealer did not pay VAT on this bike, I guess it is about £12k+VAT at list, so the dealer has already saved £2400 on the bike, and used it to help sell more bikes, so his £2k discount is not generous and you need not be concerned about taking the shirt of his back.

The bike is still second hand, OK they call it ex-dem, but it ain't new and many consider an ex-dem bike to be one that has been caned mercilously (often from cold) wheelied, burnt out, redlined and abused for every single mile, sure they will tell you they pay the nuns at the local convent to run their demo bikes in for them, but I worked at a Honda dealer and was responsible for "running in" demo bikes at the weekends occasionally, I can tell you it was not all 40mph for 1,000 miles.

Consider how much "second hand" bikes of the same plate are selling for, and do not discount private sales as with a bike still under warranty the "dealer advantage" is greatly reduced.

The mega low 1500 miles is only good if you also do low mileage, if you do 15k a year then it will soon be above average, however if you do 1500 miles a year yourself this is a big plus over another 10 plate that may have 5 or 6k on the clock.

Only you can know how much the "new factor" is worth to you, having lost a lot of cash on new bikes over the years I think it ain't worth it unless you get a stonking deal - like £2k off a brand spanker, even then you will lose another £1k+ before you even need to refuel it.

I personally would try and get a bit more in this deal, cash is always a difficult ask for the dealer, but maybe get some credit against servicing, even if it is only against labour, this is the most profitable thing the dealers sell, charging £100 an hour for a mechanic they probably pay less than £20 an hour, so a couple of free services (labour only) would only cost them £100 or so, but save you four times that. Other goods have much smaller margins, but perhaps they have something else you like the look of?

Happy haggling :thumb2
 
I think some the examples above are a bit on the extreme side of depreciation, although you can easily get bent over if you allow yourself to be :rolleyes:
 
Finally, ex-demo! when I road test a new bike,sorry i'm never treat them with respect(re new engine,needs running in etc).

They're better for a thrashing, I've some brilliant ex-demo BMW's that never went wrong and with the cash saved, meant nil depreciation for a couple of years
 
Its only knew until you drive it out the dealer then it is second hand and you have lost a lot of cash instantly. Buy the ex demo and tell them you want a full warranty.
 
They're better for a thrashing, I've some brilliant ex-demo BMW's that never went wrong and with the cash saved, meant nil depreciation for a couple of years

Better to be well used and use no oil than have bore polishing and higher oil consumption.
 
Looks like the ex-demo one then!

Cheers guys....

:thumb
 
Better to be well used and use no oil than have bore polishing and higher oil consumption.

+1

Most people don't keep them long enough to worry about longevity - it'll probably do a final drive and clutch:blast..................before the engine lets go:D
 


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