I don't have a motorcycle, YET!

[Sarris]

No ordering "new" old models, just what is in stock (a shitload of unsold bikes).

[burkbuilds]

I've heard similar things about some Kawasaki models, specifically the 2009 Vulcan 500. Kawasaki openly declared the 2009 Vulcan 500 to be the last year of production for that model, but if you start checking on line, there are a lot of dealers still selling plenty of brand new 2009 Vulcan 500's. On one Kawasaki Vulcan forum a member posted that they made a really large production run of the 09's and just warehoused them and will be selling 09's out of stock for a long time, thus circumventing the tougher emission restrictions that were placed on 2010 models. Not sure if that's true, but there does not seem to be a shortage of new 09's on dealer showroom floors right now.

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by DENTHEMAN

I'm not sure I understand. Does this mean i could order a brand new LAST YEARS model through my dealer? Or even a 2008? Or is it just that dealers still have older bikes in stock?

Mostly what's just in stock......but a dealer who really wants to make a few bucks would call other dealers and try to find what you want. Car dealers do that ALL the time; bike dealers, almost never, at least in my experience; I have no idea why the difference.

Search the web, do "dealer locate" at Mfg's sites and call dealers within 100 miles or so.
There are some KILLER deals out there but you have to really look for them.

[dentheman]

This doesn't sound good for Suzuki; are the other manufacturers in the same boat?

[Easy Rider]

Originally Posted by DENTHEMAN

This doesn't sound good for Suzuki; are the other manufacturers in the same boat?

Yes, pretty much. My local multi-brand dealer has almost NO 2010 models on the floor......except for a few "first year" ones.
Plenty of bikes.....all left over from last year.

[Water Warrior 2]

All the bike dealers have new old stock or have access to it. There is probably a few warehouses full of new old bikes on both coasts. The other day I wandered through a dealer and there were 08's, 09's and a few 2010's on the floor. What made me do a double take was a GS 500 twin for only $200 more than a GZ 250.

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by Water Warrior

The GZ is the biggest physically for a rider to get comfy on. The Rebel has the GZ beat in shear numbers but also has a factory bug built into the tranny that shows up in most of them. Lynda had one during her rider training and developed a real hatred for the tranny. The one thing that really makes me wonder about the Rebel is the fact that there is no oil filter to change. Strikes me as less than Stone Age technology but that is the corporate dicision from Honda. Not knocking Honda because they do build good bikes but really there should be a couple improvements to make the bike really bullet proof.
The baby Virago is okay, I did ride one during our training. I would imagine(speculation here)the little V-twin would be a bit more to maintain than the Rebel or GZ. It also has a smallish tank so a longer ride might involve more gas stops.
All 3 bikes are great starter bikes and ideal for anyone not wanting or needing to go bigger. Whatever you get we are glad to have you join us and say hello.

"The biggest physically for a rider to get comfy on". That's what I am looking for! Along with low maintenance, good gas mileage and using regular, the GZ seems like the best bet of my choices.

[alanmcorcoran]

I bought my "new" 2007 Yamaha in January of 2009. Not sure what the typical negotiations are on higher priced models but it was a substantially better deal percentage (and bullshit)-wise than what I did on the GZ. Maybe there was a mini bubble on bikes in '08 when gas prices spiked that has flooded the market with slightly used bikes selling privately from people that decided to go back to their cars. Hahm Motorsports, one of the big Anaheim Dealers, isn't selling bikes of any kind anymore (closed their showroom, just sell parts.) That was the place that "made a mistake" and refused to honor the price they originally quoted for my Yamaha. (I bought it for the "mistake" price at another dealer.)

[BillInGA]

When I was researching my first bike 4 years ago I was looking at the Virago, Rebel and GZ250. I was only looking at used bikes. The Viragos (now V-star, I presume) were comparatively more expensive. I read that the Rebels were a tight fit; once I sat on one I was in complete agreement.

Ultimately, I settled on the GZ250 because of the following factors:
- Lowest comparative price
- It felt like a bigger bike
- Larger fuel tank

The only concern I had was that is was a single-cylinder engine. Seems everyone is taught to want a twin. But after 4 years and 7,000 miles, I very happy with my little thumper.

[patrick_777]

The single-piston makes for a very reliable engine.