Buying my first Ducati

[Convert123]

I'm buying my first Ducati Monster 796 (2013) in about 2 weeks but am wondering if the dealership I am buying from can cut me a better deal. $11,335.33 out the door. What do you think? The breakdown is 9723.61 for the bike, 325 for the freight and 187 for handling. Then everything else is sales tax, doc fees, and licensing fees. What do ya'll think?

[d3vi@nt]

Probably the best answer anyone can give is, "it depends". Are there other dealers nearby? If so, check their prices and compare. It's near the beginning of the riding season (at least in the US) when demand can be high, so they likely won't be in a hurry to sell. Prices vary a lot based on local, too.  Where do you live?

Any reason you're going with the dealer? Just curious, as in my neck of the woods you can find barely used 2013 Monsters for a little over $9k.

[Grampa]

buy with cash...or get preapproved from an outside source. do not buy solely on monthly payments that are easy...buy on the best / lowest price they will accept, and that you feel is the best deal for you.

[Curmudgeon]

I'm buying my first Ducati Monster 796 (2013) in about 2 weeks but am wondering if the dealership I am buying from can cut me a better deal. $11,335.33 out the door. What do you think? The breakdown is 9723.61 for the bike, 325 for the freight and 187 for handling. Then everything else is sales tax, doc fees, and licensing fees. What do ya'll think?

Where are you? Is it a good-sized single brand Ducati dealer with good reputation and history, not some megadealer with Jap bikes? If so, offhand I'd say that was a decent break. 796's don't grow on trees as the premier dealer who supplied mine in took six weeks to get my color. You'll need a few goodies for yours too, so find out whether you'll get a break on parts and installation and servicing there too. A good relationship with a good dealer is fairly important to many.

[TACstrat]

I bought my 2012 796 this time last year from one of the largest Ducati dealers in the US. The 2013 models were already getting stocked and mine was the previous year's floor model with 100 miles on it. I got a very small break on the 2012 msrp, but not much, and paid tax and title on top of that. I got more of a break on accessories (helmet, gloves, and free delivery to my house). I don't know if it is true, but my understanding is that it is difficult for dealers to come off the msrp very much because Ducati discourages it.  The dealer has more room to negotiate on accessories and modifications. I regret not getting Termignoni exhausts when I purchased my bike because I think I could have got a better deal when combined with the original sale. If you plan on mods, I would recommend negotiating them into the sale price.

[Curmudgeon]

I regret not getting Termignoni exhausts when I purchased my bike because I think I could have got a better deal when combined with the original sale. If you plan on mods, I would recommend negotiating them into the sale price.

Agreed. Everything you see in my signature line was fitted prior to delivery. My dealer is a noted Ohlins tech and set mine up to perfection. On initial set-up he was probably even MORE careful than usual as well! 

If you are new to Ducatis, of course knowing exactly what you need up front might be asking too much.

[Convert123]

Where are you? Is it a good-sized single brand Ducati dealer with good reputation and history, not some megadealer with Jap bikes? If so, offhand I'd say that was a decent break. 796's don't grow on trees as the premier dealer who supplied mine in took six weeks to get my color. You'll need a few goodies for yours too, so find out whether you'll get a break on parts and installation and servicing there too. A good relationship with a good dealer is fairly important to many.

I'm in the Monterey Bay area, riding season won't start for awhile if the rain starts up like it was supposed to in January. They are the only certified dealer of any kind within 90miles. They sale, everything except Triumph bikes. I have worked with these guys before and they love to sale to Military.
I don't know what I will need on the bike besides heated grips because of the cold weather in the mornings and nights year round. I figure I will add the pipes and what not in a year or so because the wife wants me to keep the cost to a minimum. I am mechanically inclined to say the least and am able to do 90% of the work needed for future reference. I did all the work on my ninja until the top end went out and it couldn't be adjusted to save it. Hence why I talked the wife into letting me get the bike I've been drooling over all year long.

[Convert123]

Probably the best answer anyone can give is, "it depends". Are there other dealers nearby? If so, check their prices and compare. It's near the beginning of the riding season (at least in the US) when demand can be high, so they likely won't be in a hurry to sell. Prices vary a lot based on local, too.  Where do you live?

Any reason you're going with the dealer? Just curious, as in my neck of the woods you can find barely used 2013 Monsters for a little over $9k.

I would still have to pay licensing and taxes on the motorcycle which would cost similar to the same price as this brand new one. I might be able to get them to knock a couple of extra dollars off on parts besides the customary ten percent they give to military

[Curmudgeon]

Glad to hear that at least someone is looking after the military! Wish I could get out to Pebble Beach as my son usually works the auctions which are held during the week of the concours. Maybe this dealer has a sanitary solution for heated grips, given the weather around there. Ducati could make money with a good kit, but with all the stuff they have for these bikes, that accessory was omitted.

Since you are possibly youngish, I'm sure you'd like the Termignoni kit with ECU, filter and slip-ons. IMO you'd get more from the "cheap" Ohlins spring and shock for this bike, ordered for your weight. (~$625?) Ask Skybarney! As a compromise, the 796 forks aren't that bad.

Meanwhile, consider a 14T front sprocket which can add a good bit of zip and make 6th gear more useful. (~$40) Those are specific to the 796's BTW. The ones for the other Monsters are a BIG no-no.

I've no interest in much wrenching on my bikes these days, but when I did, I learned that Ducatis are "different", especially the valve gear, and a lot more is done by "feel" than empirical measurement. Do some reading anyway and assume nothing.  You may well be a cracker jack mechanic, but a gunsmith might do better!

Hope you enjoy your new ride. It's a LOT different than a Ninja! (The ABS is pretty unobtrusive BTW and one of the best.)

[Convert123]

Glad to hear that at least someone is looking after the military! Wish I could get out to Pebble Beach as my son usually works the auctions which are held during the week of the concours. Maybe this dealer has a sanitary solution for heated grips, given the weather around there. Ducati could make money with a good kit, but with all the stuff they have for these bikes, thaIt accessory was omitted.

Since you are possibly youngish, I'm sure you'd like the Termignoni kit with ECU, filter and slip-ons. IMO you'd get more from the "cheap" Ohlins spring and shock for this bike, ordered for your weight. (~$625?) Ask Skybarney! As a compromise, the 796 forks aren't that bad.

Meanwhile, consider a 14T front sprocket which can add a good bit of zip and make 6th gear more useful. (~$40) Those are specific to the 796's BTW. The ones for the other Monsters are a BIG no-no.

I've no interest in much wrenching on my bikes these days, but when I did, I learned that Ducatis are "different", especially the valve gear, and a lot more is done by "feel" than empirical measurement. Do some reading anyway and assume nothing.  You may well be a cracker jack mechanic, but a gunsmith might do better!

Hope you enjoy your new ride. It's a LOT different than a Ninja! (The ABS is pretty unobtrusive BTW and one of the best.)

I am youngish compared to most riders on these things especially as a Ducatist.
I will keep in mind it's more about feel than look in these things.
I've got a Mom and Pop shop i go to if i need work because they will discount the labor as well as the parts if i need work i can't do myself. But the dealer gives me a discount on all my parts and everything except labor and oil. So i go elsewhere.
The only thing i was thinking about having done right away was switching the filter out for a k and n filter. Then thinking about the rest when i have a little more on the side to play with. If it's not 100% needed i don't plan to change it just yet.

[1.21GW]

If it's not 100% needed i don't plan to change it just yet.

You stick around this site long enough and that will change. 

[ChrisK]

You stick around this site long enough and that will change. 

+1

[Triple J]

Doesn't seem like a bad deal, nor a fantastic one. That's about 7% off of the sticker price. The freight and set-up fees don't look out of line.

I never worry about tax & license. Dealer doesn't get that, the state does. Nothing anyone can do.

If it were me I'd be happy with it, but I'd also see if they could give me a better deal on any gear and accessories I wanted. Maybe the 1st service. I think dealers have more room to negotiate on those items, and those should have just as much value to you as the MSRP of the bike itself when it comes to making a deal.

In the end, if you're happy then it's a good deal.   Ideally both parties are happy with the deal, and the relationship starts off on the right foot.

[Curmudgeon]

The only thing i was thinking about having done right away was switching the filter out for a k and n filter. Then thinking about the rest when i have a little more on the side to play with. If it's not 100% needed i don't plan to change it just yet.

Hold off on the K&N. Anything on the intake side will probably require an ECU remap whereas slip-ons have no major fueling effect. Ride the bike first and see whether you don't need that 14T front sprocket. The bikes are geared tall for Euro 3 and EC drive by noise testing. Break-in also takes ~ 1,500 miles..., so unless you find a glaring fault, wait a while before panicing. 

As for oil, my dealer buys Red Line by the drum because it never let him down in all his years of Ducati racing at the national level. It works fine with your wet clutch and is ester-based. If you use anything else, make sure it's full synthetic and designed for use in motorcycles with wet clutches. http://www.redlineoil.com/product.aspx?pid=6&pcid=21

As you noticed, people here are all TOO happy to spend YOUR $$$...  They mean well..., but Ducati didn't make a bad bike out-of-the-box. That rear shock and a Rizoma bar was most important to me..., but I'm an old geezer... 

Have them at least set the rear preload/sag before you even leave the store! Ducati sets that stock for rider and passenger!

[Convert123]

You stick around this site long enough and that will change. 

Oh I'm sure as "extra money" comes my way I will find a place for things on my bike. This is not a surprise at all.