I had my Burgman 650 a mere ten days, when my friend Steve came zooming up on his Honda 929 as I was sitting at the Bisbee Coffee Company's side walk cafe, contemplating my recent purchase, parked amongst the sport bikes, V-Stroms, Cagiva Grand Canyons and CapoNords, Ducati MultiStradas, Harleys, and a 1981 blue Vespa P200.
"I head about these things," he said, pointing an accusing finger at the Burgie, "but I've never seen one. Give me the key." Off he went. When he returned, some fifteen minutes later, he had the Burgman smile.
So today I drove him up to Tucson. Before we left he had phoned one of the two Suzuki dealers in that city and got a $7200 OTD price for a new '04. However, when we arrived the price suddenly ballooned by several hundred dollars, shipping, prep, etc. While he and the sales manager, reinforced by two salesmen, were having at it, I pulled out my cell phone, walked a few feet away, and called the other dealer. "Cut to the chase," I said, "OUT THE DOOR." I repeated this phrase three times.
$6700, he said.
So we blew the sales team off (I said, as we left, $6700 out the door, worth a twenty minute drive, don't you think?)
Well, it was almost a perfect deal. When we arrived at store #2 it turned out the silver 650 had suffered a bit of damage "while still in the crate," which accounted for the price.
So we looked. Mild scrapes along the right silver under panel where it meets the floorboard . Slight scratch on the muffler.
Not crate damage, I said. Scrapes, not dents. Someone took it for a test ride and dropped it. I turned on the key. Sure enough, 13 miles on the odometer. The sales guy agreed. I was misinformed, he said (Bogart's line in Casablanca).
Anyway, the price was right, and the scrapes were minor. So my friend Steve, who had brought his gloves, full face helmet, and leathers, did the deal and rode off toward Bisbee, 90 miles away.
There are now two (2) silver AN 650's in Cochise County, Arizona. (Yet the Suzuki dealer in Cochise County refuses to sell or service them).
"I head about these things," he said, pointing an accusing finger at the Burgie, "but I've never seen one. Give me the key." Off he went. When he returned, some fifteen minutes later, he had the Burgman smile.
So today I drove him up to Tucson. Before we left he had phoned one of the two Suzuki dealers in that city and got a $7200 OTD price for a new '04. However, when we arrived the price suddenly ballooned by several hundred dollars, shipping, prep, etc. While he and the sales manager, reinforced by two salesmen, were having at it, I pulled out my cell phone, walked a few feet away, and called the other dealer. "Cut to the chase," I said, "OUT THE DOOR." I repeated this phrase three times.
$6700, he said.
So we blew the sales team off (I said, as we left, $6700 out the door, worth a twenty minute drive, don't you think?)
Well, it was almost a perfect deal. When we arrived at store #2 it turned out the silver 650 had suffered a bit of damage "while still in the crate," which accounted for the price.
So we looked. Mild scrapes along the right silver under panel where it meets the floorboard . Slight scratch on the muffler.
Not crate damage, I said. Scrapes, not dents. Someone took it for a test ride and dropped it. I turned on the key. Sure enough, 13 miles on the odometer. The sales guy agreed. I was misinformed, he said (Bogart's line in Casablanca).
Anyway, the price was right, and the scrapes were minor. So my friend Steve, who had brought his gloves, full face helmet, and leathers, did the deal and rode off toward Bisbee, 90 miles away.
There are now two (2) silver AN 650's in Cochise County, Arizona. (Yet the Suzuki dealer in Cochise County refuses to sell or service them).
