How To Find the Right Motorcycle Dealer for You

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Finding the right dealer makes all the difference when shopping for a new or used motorcycle. (Premier Motorsports/)

You’ve done your research; you know the bike you want. It’s time to head to the dealership, but which one? Deciding where to buy is as important as deciding what to buy. To get a better understanding of how buyers can narrow in on the right dealership, we reached out to Nisvet Gazibara, a motorcycle enthusiast turned dealer principal at Premier Motorsports, for some advice.

Gazibara has been through the bike buying process on both sides, and he has a unique perspective. “I remember what it was like walking into a dealership knowing the sales team would be all over you before you’ve even had a chance to look around, and that’s not what I wanted for Premier.”

Instead, he created a buyer-first, no-pressure culture built on trust, transparency, and buyer education. “My theory is a buyer will buy or they won’t,” Gazibara points out, “I can’t control it—so why pressure them? Instead, my team works with buyers, talks bikes, answers any questions—whatever they need. And if a buyer actually likes coming into my shop, likes working with my team, and feels like they can trust the advice they’re given, the sale will take care of itself.”

And it has. Premier Motorsports opened in 2021 and has tripled in size over the last two years. It opened a second location this year and Gazibara credits a lot of the success to its end-to-end experience. “It’s what keeps our customers coming back and sending over a steady stream of word-of-mouth referrals,” he says.

But not every dealership has Gazibara’s mentality. So, besides checking out marketplaces, social media, or Google Reviews, what can you do to find other dealerships like Premier Motorsports? Ones that will keep the focus on your needs and best interests, not just the final sale? From our conversation with Gazibara, we came up with these three top tips.

Learn About the Dealership

Every dealer has a different business model—and that’s fine—but you want to find the dealership with a value proposition that lines up with the type of bike you want to buy.

Premier Motorsports, for instance, is known for its unique inventory. It doesn’t typically buy auction bikes. Instead, the team handpicks inventory from private sellers across the country. They’re usually looking for sportbikes from Ducati, BMW, Kawasaki, or Suzuki that have lower mileage and some modifications. Premier specializes in that niche, but, if you’re looking to buy a brand-new Indian bagger, Premier’s probably not the shop for you, no matter how great the experience is.

So before you decide to visit a dealership, figure out what it is that makes that dealer different from the shops up or down the street.

Find out what makes a dealership stand out; Premier Motorsports embraces no-pressure rider education to help match the buyer with the bike that is best for their wants and needs. (Premier Motorsports/)

If you’re looking for the latest model from a specific manufacturer, a franchise dealership is your best bet. It’ll have a wide selection of inventory, and even if it doesn’t have the exact bike in stock, it can probably source one for you. On the other hand, if you’re not wed to one OEM, some dealerships source by bike type. They may have a couple of competing manufacturers on the lot, but most of their inventory is dirt bikes, for example.

Do Your Research, But Make Sure to Ask Questions

As Gazibara pointed out, most buyers will do their own research before heading into a dealership—and you should too. You want to walk into the dealership with a well-rounded picture of the bike you’re interested in. So, at a minimum, be sure to check:

• Online listings to understand how much inventory is available plus the average price in your local area and nationwide.
• Rider forums to get a first-person perspective on what it’s like to own this bike—and since folks aren’t typically shy here, you’ll walk away with an unfiltered list of the pros and cons.
• First-ride reviews for a professional opinion. <i>Cycle World</i> has <a href="https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-reviews/">reviewed</a> <i>thousands</i> of bikes—so we can tell you how the features on this bike work and how the bike performs overall. Our <a href="https://www.cycleworld.com/motorcycle-comparisons/">comparisons</a> and shootouts are especially strong research tools for bike shopping.

When you’ve found the bike you want, you still need to do some homework on its history if it’s used. (Premier Motorsports/)

But even with all that information you still need to talk to the dealer to get insight into the actual bike you’re buying, particularly if you’re buying used. None of the resources above will know that bike’s history—only the dealer can tell you that. Before you buy, Gazibara recommends asking:

• “Where did this bike come from?” You may get some information on how the previous owner used and cared for the bike. But—at a minimum—be sure to ask about the bike’s maintenance records and accident history.
• “How long has it been on the floor?” The dealer might be eager to make a deal so they can finally move the bike. The longer a bike sits on the showroom floor, the more money the dealer is losing.
• “What service did you do to get this bike ready for sale?” Most dealerships do, at least, basic service to get a bike ready for the showroom floor, and since they did the work, they will have the documentation to prove it.
• “Is there a warranty?” This is less common with used bikes, but some dealers have limited warranties. Premier Motorsports, for instance, has a 24-hour return policy on every bike it sells.

Ask for a Printed Buyer’s Order

Every dealer prices their inventory a little bit differently, which can make it hard to compare apples to apples, but Gazibara has a workaround. “Ask for a printed buyer’s order. Whatever price is listed there, legally, the dealer has to honor it. Also, all the dealer fees will be listed out, so you can actually compare the final, out-the-door price—not just the advertised price—of two different bikes.

“For my team, it’s standard practice to pull out the buyer’s order at the beginning of a conversation. Why not? We don’t have anything to hide and we’re confident that our prices are more than competitive. So why not show the buyer a legal document that backs that up?” Gazibara continues. “If a dealership isn’t willing to share the buyer’s order, it’s probably because they are advertising a really low price, but have a number of fees that get added on in the end. For me, this feels like a bait and switch. You got the buyer’s attention with this really great price, but when they go to sign, it turns out the bike is $5K more than they thought.”

At the end of the process with a helpful and honest dealer, you should want to hug them. (Premier Motorsports/)

At the end of the day, there’s no magic formula for finding the right dealership. What feels right for you might not feel right for another rider, and that’s OK. The pointers in this article will get you started, but as long as you find a dealership you trust to give you sound advice and sell you a solid bike, you’ll be in good shape.

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