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Common Tread

The cheapest new motorcycles you can buy right now

Nov 09, 2018

Alright, folks, we’re back for another inexpensive bike roundup.

Most people around here know I’m a fan of the curiosity in the moto industry known as the “leftover.” These are usually described as “last year’s models,” but the reality is that every now and then, a motorcycle falls through the cracks and can be had long after its model year is through — often for much less than what its asking price once was.

Note that these motorcycles often put dealers in a bind. If you score one of these leftovers, you are really helping a dealer out in many cases. Rarely, a dealer will simply pay cash for bikes for inventory, but more typically they’re “on floor plan,” meaning they are on consignment from the manufacturer, and the dealer pays interest on them each month they’re unsold on the sales floor. It’s not uncommon for a dealer to lose massive amounts of money on a bike that's been sitting around a long time, so even though they’re taking a big hit, it helps stop the financial bleeding when an old model sells.

Here are some of the most eye-popping deals in the USA right now. (I scour for these every now and again. Like I said, they interest me!)

Stateline
Cruiser on the cheap. Photo by DFW Honda.

2014 Honda Stateline in Grapevine, Texas

Here’s a long, low cruiser with a 1,312 cc engine — very much a full-size bruiser. Think of it as a more conventionally styled Honda Fury, if you will. This bike originally had a price of $12,150 on its hangtag back in 2014. And because shoppers at DFW in Texas have passed this bike up for years, at this point, you could take this baby home, stealing it for an asking price of just $5,977.

EBR
Maybe you can own an exotic motorcycle. Photo by Dunbar Euro Sports.

2014 EBR 1190SX in Brockton, Massachusetts

Even exotics don’t always sell. Here’s a naked superbike (effectively an RX model with no fairings) for what amounts to chump change in the world of collectibles. Picking up a new bike making a claimed 185 horsepower is not something everyone gets to do in their life. Picking one up for four figures (this one’s going for $9,999.99) is more or less unheard-of. Not bad for a bike that originally sold for the asking sum of $16,995. Call up Dunbar Euro Sports. (Nope, not that guy. He’s broke.)

Throwback prices — sweet. Photo by Hawkeye Motorworks.

2014 Honda CB1100 in Davenport, Iowa

The CB1100, by all estimation a pretty serviceable generalist motorcycle, was a hard sell due to the price. If you were ever seriously interested in one but couldn’t scrape up the scratch, your dream can become a retro reality. Hand $6,999 to Hawkeye Motor Works and you’ll get the keys to this 2014 model that originally listed for $10,399. This could be the cheapest new liter-plus throwback bike on the market at this time.

FZ8
Fairings are overrated. So are high prices! Photo by Twin County Motorsports and Marine.

2013 Yamaha FZ8 in New Bern, North Carolina

Man, I always wanted one of these bikes, a peppy naked I-4 with serious road chops. What’s not to love? It’ll slice and dice traffic, get you to work, and not cripple ya (spine or wallet!) in the process. It’s the FZ-07 or FZ-09 for someone who just prefers the scream of a four. $8,890 was probably a little bit tall late in the fall of 2012, but you can scoop this baby up for a cool $5,999 from Twin County Motorsports. That is what’s often referred to as a “steal.”

GeeDub
How can you not be attracted to a price that low? Suzuki photo provided by Kingsport Cycles.

2013 Suzuki GW250 in Kingsport, Tennessee

This 'Zuk redefines the term "budget blaster." It's been said that you'll go fastest on the bike you’re not afraid to crash, and at $2,999, this must be the fastest motorcycle in the world. That’s a thousand dollars off the MSRP. Walk into your local dealer and try and get a 25 percent discount off a current model year 250/300-class bike. After you get laughed out of the joint, swing by Kingsport Cycle and pick this one up.

V-star
Full-size cruiser, pint-size pricing. Photo by Sehorn Yamaha.

2012 Yamaha V Star 1300 in Shawnee, Oklahoma

Back up to the year “YOLO” became a phrase your mom knew and check out this time traveler. Another full-size cruiser available for a paltry $6,799, a far cry from the original $11,190 MSRP this V Star originally carried. Sehorn Yamaha is blowing this thing out. Someone is going to end up on a great bike for peanuts. I’d check the tires and ask for an oil change on it if I was shopping for it, but even if the dealer pops you for full price on those, you’re still stealing a brand-new bike that will likely give many years of faithful service.

500 Vulcan
I'm not even kidding, I called about this bike. It may be sold by the time you read the article. Kawasaki photo provided by MR Motorcycles.

2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 in Asheville, North Carolina

If you don’t mind a carb and drum brakes, you can own a brand-new Kawasaki cruiser sold by MR motorcycle. Now, those are definitely throwback features, but that bike is powered by essentially the same mill that came in the Ninja 500, which was a beloved bike by many. For your pains, of course, MR is offering quite the price break, taking the MSRP of $4,999 down to an astonishing $2,499. That is over 50 percent off — truly amazing.

These deals are country-wide. If you’re interested in obtaining a screamin’ deal on a leftover, now through winter is a great time to go shopping. (I like February in particular.) I pinged a Honda rep who had some interesting things to share as well. “As a manufacturer we often provide Incentives to the dealer on previous year model new motorcycles. We’re currently running a program through the end of the year providing incentives of $200-$3,000 on many models. Of course, most of the higher incentives are on 2017 model year and prior and larger displacement vehicles.”

If you’re shopping for a new bike, it may pay to wander down to the local motorcycle shop and see if they have something that tickles your fancy. If you’ve got the money in your pocket, you never know what might follow you home!