What mileage would concern you about buying a demo bike

[Scott F]

Sorry if this has been addressed a bunch - I tried to search the archives, but haven't satisfied my query.
What is 'too many' miles to consider on a 2016 demo bike? I don't have many local S10s to pick from, but there is a new 2017 with zero miles for a good price, and a 2016 demo bike with close to 9000 miles for about $2k less; the demo comes with OEM side cases and possibly some other goodies. Neither bike is an ES model.

I am a new rider on my first ever bike (2017 dl650 bought new in March of 18), now with 3200 miles. It was and is a great bike but I want something that is possibly a little more stable at highway speeds, something with a little larger street presence (live/work/commute in Tampa, FL), cruise would be nice, and the idea of a shaft drive is appealing.

I have read countless stories of the reliability of super teneres, and to be honest that was one of the main considerations for me picking a dl650 as a first bike, but miles on a demo bike were undoubtedly 'different' than the miles I put on my own bike... I still feel the v strom was a good call, but I will be buying a home in the near future and will have a 20-30 mile commute in some heavy traffic patterns vs the VERY short commute I have to where I work now.

Am I crazy to consider a $2k savings on a demo bike with 9000 miles?

I am 47, responsible rider, a recently retired Marine, and am thankful to have a job that can afford either bike easily.

 

[bmac]

There is no such thing as a 9000 mile demo bike. It is likely it was an owner that chose not to privately title. So, the chances are it was not a lot of different riders. The way to look at it is a used bike with 9000 miles worth the savings. That is a very personal decision. The bikes will run for a very long time so in the scheme of things the miles are not a lot.

In my opinion the stock cases are not worth a lot. I had them on my first Tenere and did not like them at all for a variety of reasons.

Personally, I would go with the 17.

 

[Madhatter]

saving 2000.00 is a good thing , your going to want boxes of some kind and Yamaha boxes will do the job , you will save another grand plus by not having to buy boxes.... so we are at 3000.00 , not bad . is 9000 miles to much for the price , there are ways of checking , say nada book , google it ... brand new you get brand new , 2000.00 adds about 36 dollars to the payment on an average note give or take... and you get do the break in.... 9000 miles seems a lot for a bike , but that is the yearly average milage for the average rider ( I'm average I admit it. ) so not really that much when you consider it took 2 years to get to 9000 miles... when I did my test ride a sales person led the way on another bike so a tester could not pull any stunts , so I'm thinking the used bike is ok.... you should be able to get a full warranty for either bike ... and this motor is pretty much bullet proof , some going over 150 k with no complaints .... which one of the bikes gives you peace , saving money or knowing no one else has messed with it.... cause tomorrow when your riding your choice down the street no one is going to know that it is a new bike or a used bike your on...... except you.... let us know your choice , and safe riding...

 

[Madhatter]

before I forget myself , thank you for your service Marine.....

 

[RonH]

I always prefer new even though more money and has no add ons. Add ons are of no use to me mostly. The demo thing always makes me kind of laugh. I've seen 1yr old cars/trucks advertised as demo with 30,000 miles. One heck of a well used demo. Bullony, just another used vehical listed in a manner to try to deceive.

 

[tomatocity]

I agree with bmac... a dealership demo bike shouldn't have anything near 9,000 miles. Do yourself a favor and try an get a VERY good deal on a new ES. Ask for cost or 10% over on accessories and some amount on the price. Maybe they will not want to do that and offer you a BETTER deal on the supposed demo bike like $4000 to $5,000. Good luck.

 

[hobdayd]

Find an ES.

 

[Ramseybella]

9k is not a demo.
Ask for the full service record, if it truly is a demo service would have been done at that store if no it's a BS story and not an honest store in my book that i wouldn't want to do business with.
Next are you paying full cash or financing it?
If full cash offer him $4k less out the door with warranty if he doesn't even try to counter offer walk away.

I take it it's this Super T>>>> https://tampa.craigslist.org/pnl/mcd/d/2016-yamaha-super-tnr-no/6603899594.html
If so you should be able to score it for 8k +or- out the door..

Sadly the Tenere still hasn't made it as a box office smash hit yet and doubt it ever will as you may noticed the full state of Florida, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina Craigslist has very little to pick from.
They can do better but do ask to see the records of service.
And thank you for you're service as well Scott.
Good luck.
Pete

 

[SilverBullet]

Regardless of how the 9k miles got put on the bike if being sold as a demo then it has never been titled so you are receiving a full new bike warranty and option to add an extended warranty. You are also the original owner of record.

 

[EricV]

If it's the bike Ramseybella posted a link to, that makes more sense. A Factory Demo bike is a bike Yamaha has been using with there traveling demo fleet. It goes all over, and while many people will ride it on short rides, often the Super Ten is the bike chosen by the Factory demo rider to lead groups around. Either way, it's had supervised rides and been ridden by an experienced rider if it was the lead bike. I know a couple of these riders and I wouldn't be concerned about how the bike was ridden or cared for/maintained. You can probably verify this from Yamaha, independently of the dealer with the VIN. Regardless, offer them less, and get the VIN and call Yamaha Warranty and find out if the bike has any of the standard 12 month warranty remaining. If it's a true, never registered Factory Demo bike, it should have ALL of the 12 month OEM warranty remaining and be eligible for up to 4 more years of warranty under the YES program. I would push the dealer to give that to you free, regardless of what price you pay for the bike. That is roughtly $900 retail, but only ~$400 cost. There are other dealer that will sell you the 4 year YES for close to $400. (D&H in Cullman, AL - You have to call them to find the actual price)

Yamaha Customer Service in Cypress, CA should get you started on verifying that it's a Factory Demo bike, and what amount of warranty is left - Customer Relations (800) 962-7926

You might be able to plug in the VIN here and get some info too - https://www.yamaha-motor-yes.com/dept/vehicles/shop

 

[Scott F]

Got some great advice here; thanks.
To answer some questions --
Yes, that URL is the bike that I am referring to. To my eyes, obviously had the panniers on it as well as a much better bash plate than comes standard with the bike. There may be other add-ons also on the bike but I am not sure.
The sales person that first approached me was fairly new and wasn't a motorcycle guy (mostly sold watercraft), another person came by and we spoke for a while. He said that the factory 12 month warranty is still valid and that it was operated by some "Yamaha executive" whatever that means. There was evidence of being on its side(s) when I sat on it this morning. Some minor scuffs on the left pannier and radiator shield, similar marks on the other side as well; all seemingly cosmetic but I am not a 'pro'. Tires seemed to have lots more life on them.
10,500 seems like a decent deal to me - but on the other hand:

I also stopped by another dealer (the only other dealer in my area) that has the '17 S10. That bike is the tan color and they are asking 12,600 for that bike.
The demo bike's price will not include freight and set up, for what it is worth, so I could save a penny or two there as well.

Also, living in Florida where we have either sand or paved roads, and knowing that I am not going to tackle deep sand with a 600lbs bike just yet, I intend to ride whichever bike on the tarmac only (at least for a while). Scratches don't bother me a bunch, but no scratches bothers me even less...!

As for the Yamaha panniers, I've read plenty of the complaints and appreciate the recommendations to consider looking elsewhere for luggage. All things being equal, I had intended to buy some Kappa K-Ventures and a big matching topcase to whatever bike I bought anyhow.

 

[Ramseybella]

I grew up in Florida am well aware of the sugar sand and yes 600lb bikes once stuck in it are not fun.
I noticed the marks you're referring to, lower front corner left case and other scratches.
Again they want to get rid of this bike hold your ground and low ball them.
If they refuse tell them i will just go elsewhere for business remind them Alabama and Georgia are not that far away. ::024::
Give them your phone number if they change there mind and have a nice day..
it's two years old been downed twice or more maybe and has blemishes with 9k on the clock, do you think it's worth 10k?
That's the question..
I don't mind used most of my bikes i owned came the same way demo or less than 3k on the clock with a bunch of goods added.
My 2012 was less than a year old with less than 3k, four year transferable YES coverage Alt rider bars WASP adjustable screen bracket and the full blown i think three grand worth of Woody's Wheels off road conversion all for 11k nothing special on this bike.
Automobiles start depreciating in value the moment your butt cast the shadow on the seat, Japanese bikes are the first to loose value with every mile and even sitting for a few years new on the floor.
Just saying sales reps are like BOSE speakers reps, over hype and try to get you excited over nothing.
This is you're choice just saying i want to ride away going "YESSS"! ::008:: ::26:: ::008:: and not scratching my helmet, "did i get a great if just a good deal"? :-[

 

[Nozzelnut]

I've been researching S10's for about 6 weeks. 9k isn't very high mileage, but from what I've seen, they're about $1-2k high on the asking price. I know different locations can command different prices, but I'm not sure if the $2k "savings" would be worth the unknown history, with evidence of some sort of drop. You can ask your insurance company how much they would pay if you totaled it and go from there too.

 

[tomatocity]

Just read the ad and I like the way they do business. If employee pricing is 10% over cost you could save a lot of money during the years you own the this Super Tenere. I would still try to get another $1,000 off the price... just because.

 

[Scott F]

Good point but the way I read the ad, employee pricing is only offered on the day of sale.

Just read the ad and I like the way they do business. If employee pricing is 10% over cost you could save a lot of money during the years you own the this Super Tenere. I would still try to get another $1,000 off the price... just because.

Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

 

[Squibb]

Find an ES.

+1 ............. well worth searching for one IMHO.

I bought my 2014 ES ex-demo, with just 300 miles up & £4k under list, but had to wait until September (we get a stupid reg change every 6 months in the UK)

 

[Dirt_Dad]

The demo bike's price will not include freight and set up, for what it is worth, so I could save a penny or two there as well.

Depending on the dealership, freight and setup can be up to $500 for freight and another $500 for setup. So more than a penny or two. Also worth noting both charges are totally made up and exist only so a dealership can quote a "low" price on a bike. Fully knowing when they get you in the office to sign paperwork they are going to add line items for freight and setup charges and tell you "you'll pay those fees everywhere."

Of course it's total BS and contributes to the reason so many people call dealerships "Stealerships." Do yourself a favor, call Romney Cycles in WV. They never charge any of the BS fees, they have among the lowest actual prices in the country, and they'll pick you up at the airport so you can ride your new Tenere home. It's refreshing to deal with honest people.

 

[Ramseybella]

We can go back and forth but in the end as i wanted something so badly i would loose track were the rubber meets the road, and that's to save money and get a great deal.
All BS aside just simply ask them what is the absolute lowest you can do "cash" out the door . ::024::
If you don't like it walk away and hold off on a better deal ride your Wee Strom for a wee bit longer, and it will come!!
It's that simple, don't let the inner kid get you to make a foolish choice.
Those winter deals may not work so well being you live in Florida but one never knows.
It's still and always be a buyers market on motorcycles.
By the way are you trading the V-Strom in as well?
::003::

 

[Scott F]

Good call on waiting, like most things this is an impulse buy as I really dont need it per se...

As for the VStrom - yup, it gets traded. No room for two bikes.

Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk

 

[richarddacat]

Anything over 1k miles seem high for a demo, maybe not, don’t see many around here.

BTW, $12500 for a new 2017ES sound like a good deal??