How Does New Bike Pricing Work?

[GlutinousMaximus]

Sorry if this is a silly question but I've been wondering about it for a while...

In the UK, the new car market is very competitive and prices are quite fluid (not sure about bikes though). For example you have:

• Recommended Retail Prices as set by manufacturers and their dealer networks (but there's often a "deal" to be had)
  
• Some dealers may also discount nearly new ex-demonstrators or offer discounts on slow-moving or soon-to-be updated models etc.
  
• "Grey imports" - e.g. right-hand drive models (to UK spec) imported from Europe by specialist firms and sold at lower prices
  
• "Car Superstores" which sell hundreds of new or nearly new cars possibly sourced from EU imports, rental car fleet updates, lease customer returns etc.
  
• Genuine 0% finance offers from manufacturers trying to win market share
  

Canny customers can save thousands of pounds by shopping around.

What's the deal with prices on new Thai motorbikes? The bike market here also appears competitive - there's certainly no shortage of dealers.

Are prices set in stone nationwide by the manufacture/dealer network? Is there any wiggle room - e.g. on slower-moving models or more expensive models?

If the dealer is having a month/quarter of poor sales, can they be tempted by pushing hard for a discount and waving a bundle of cash at them? Can they even offer discretional discounts?

Does anyone know what sort of margins dealers are making on new bikes?

I look at the Leeyanyont price list quite a lot. The site's in Thai, so I'm not sure what they do or whether they supply to the consumer market. Are all the prices listed the standard RRP for each model?

[Richard-BKK]

There is also a pricelist (including bigger bikes) in English Pricelist

Edited March 12, 2008 by Richard-BKK

[makavelithedon]

Not sure if it answers your question as it is just based on buying experience. The big 2 which appear Yamaha and Honda and Suzuki if you like too have a RRP that appears the same in all dealerships I've come across. You can't haggle with them on price. They may throw in a few pretty trivial extras but that's about it. However they seem pretty fare on prices.

On big bikes I'm not sure you can even buy them here other than imports (grey) maybe Bangkok or car/bike crossover brands like BMW selling in their car showrooms.

There are huge import duties paid on imports of cars and bikes to so say protect their auto industry. All well and good as long as the average Thai is getting the benefits on this stuff in the home market built here, but surpise surprise it doesn't look like they do. Cars appear about the same as European market prices here although the car companies are getting the advantages in production of Thai wages etc. Nice to see the government looking out for the population yet again!

Edited March 12, 2008 by makavelithedon

[GlutinousMaximus]

Cars appear about the same as European market prices here although the car companies are getting the advantages in production of Thai wages etc. Nice to see the government looking out for the population yet again!

You could be right - prices for Toyota Yaris, Vios and Honda Jazz etc. are probably pretty similar but not sure about pickups though - you can get a 4-door, 2WD, 3 Litre Auto Turbo-diesel-intercooler Toyota Vigo for about 767,000 Baht. Depending on the exchange rate, that's about £11-£12K UKP. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think you'll get them for that in the UK, probably more like £18-20K+ although it's not quite a like-for-like comparison because of extras like satnav, airbags etc. typically offered in the UK market. UK VAT is also more expensive at 17.5%.

UK car prices have been cut quite a lot over the past 10 years or so, and if there is such a thing as a 'floor' price below which the manufacturers/dealers can't realistically go then prices be approaching that, and that price may apply globally. Having said that, UK prices and US car prices used to be pretty much the same in dollars as in pounds so maybe that argument doesn't hold water.

Anyway, don't want to get too far off topic - back to the bikes......are discounts out of the question?

[ajahnlau]

You'll be lucky to get 1-2000 off a new bike. Forget about what they do in the UK.

[0Mix1up]

Haggling for a good price on some items doesn't seem to be the Thai way, maybe its a "face" thing bit like "if you have to ask the price you can't afford it" in the west.

[PeaceBlondie]

The usual method of negotiation is to throw in extras with the list price. Sometimes you can get first year insurance and registration, a cheap jacket, and one or two worthless helmets.

[jdinasia]

Sorry if this is a silly question but I've been wondering about it for a while...

In the UK, the new car market is very competitive and prices are quite fluid (not sure about bikes though). For example you have:

• Recommended Retail Prices as set by manufacturers and their dealer networks (but there's often a "deal" to be had)
  
• Some dealers may also discount nearly new ex-demonstrators or offer discounts on slow-moving or soon-to-be updated models etc.
  
• "Grey imports" - e.g. right-hand drive models (to UK spec) imported from Europe by specialist firms and sold at lower prices
  
• "Car Superstores" which sell hundreds of new or nearly new cars possibly sourced from EU imports, rental car fleet updates, lease customer returns etc.
  
• Genuine 0% finance offers from manufacturers trying to win market share
  

Canny customers can save thousands of pounds by shopping around.

What's the deal with prices on new Thai motorbikes? The bike market here also appears competitive - there's certainly no shortage of dealers.

Are prices set in stone nationwide by the manufacture/dealer network? Is there any wiggle room - e.g. on slower-moving models or more expensive models?

If the dealer is having a month/quarter of poor sales, can they be tempted by pushing hard for a discount and waving a bundle of cash at them? Can they even offer discretional discounts?

Does anyone know what sort of margins dealers are making on new bikes?

I look at the Leeyanyont price list quite a lot. The site's in Thai, so I'm not sure what they do or whether they supply to the consumer market. Are all the prices listed the standard RRP for each model?

The three price columns are the cash price, tax, and total