Apex GT, Limited supply

[stevenknapp]

I ride Sport Touring motorcycles and if anyone else here does they know that Yamaha is known for this.

Yup! But most dealers, as far as I understand, know there is enough demand that if you cancel you're not out the deposit. At least the few folks I've known who have gone after FJRs have found this to be the case. A couple preordered, another found one that someone preordered and didn't want.

 

[Stormbringr1]

I was told the same thing when I was looking for my '03 RX..."Get it now, there are a limited number and they are selling out fast". In the spring of '02 local dealers were saying that there would be no sleds available in the fall because they were all going to be sold out in the spring. After the '04s came out there were still leftover '03s to be found. As was mentioned, its just marketing. If there are willing buyers, you better believe there will be sleds for them.

Jim

Exactly. It's called *creating urgency*. There are thousands of books written on that very topic...it all boils down to manipulating customer perception...

The reality is there are still holdover '03's sitting in crates all over north america. They pay people big money to accurately forecast the market. A customer with cash in hand left without a product to buy is a wasted opportunity...and results in the firing of Sales/Marketing executives whose forecasts do not substantially meet demand.

Each person they can manipulate to flock to their dealer and commit now...is one less sled they need to carry the risk on not selling at a profit in the future due to the variables such as weather, etc that can cripple a seasonal recreational vehicles sales in a given season...

 

[jimmie d]

Say whatevre you want my dealer tried to order a second one for another guy today and it was rejected. If the others are not allocated he may get the second one but no guarantees. With 6 weeks in the program why would they lie.

I love these night school Marketing 101 experts.

Call my dealer at 519-925-2237 and try and order an Apex GT.

Jim

 

[timebomb]

i talked to a canadian dealer and he said only 2 apex gts per dealer in canada

 

[Sims7]

I am 4th in line at my Ottawa dealership. Owner said he was getting five for sure and rep confirmed with me by fax

 

[chrishall]

I had the same problem buying my 2005 RX-1ER. Picking the color you wanted was almost imposible. Dealers had to make deals with other dealers to get it. They don't send as many to us Canadians. That's why there wasn't any room to negociate price either, and that's why I ended up going to Saranac NY to buy mine. Could choose from Blue, Red or LE Black. I took the Blue

 

[Stormbringr1]

.

I love these night school Marketing 101 experts.

Jim

LOL! Sheep were meant to be sheared. Your barber is calling....

 

[Sasquatch]

Say whatevre you want my dealer tried to order a second one for another guy today and it was rejected. If the others are not allocated he may get the second one but no guarantees. With 6 weeks in the program why would they lie.

I love these night school Marketing 101 experts.

Call my dealer at 519-925-2237 and try and order an Apex GT.

Jim

Dealer is not lieing to you. Its a self made shortage by Yami. Doo did the same thing with the Mach. Dealer here could only get three.

What or why they are doing the limited edition thing is debateable. Maybe they want to ensure that the other sleds in thier lineup sell as well. Maybe they want a flagship. maybe they see the popularity of the sled and want to cash in on it now not later in the year.

Maybe they are just short of shocks and only have enough for X number of sleds ( hope they don't run out when you need to replace for warrenty ). I still think that when you spring check should be no problem getting what you want.

 

[jimmie d]

Tom hopefully the others that are serious buyers will do the same as us and get one. The only reason I posted was to make guys like you that are serious buyers aware of a potential problem. If Yamaha is making this sled a true limited edition than I guess we even benefit more even if we are "sheep".

Jim

 

[Stormbringr1]

Tom hopefully the others that are serious buyers will do the same as us and get one. The only reason I posted was to make guys like you that are serious buyers aware of a potential problem. If Yamaha is making this sled a true limited edition than I guess we even benefit more even if we are "sheep".

Jim

Generally speaking...people who snow check machines take the shaft in terms of price. Manufacturer's know that there is a certain segment of the market who needs to be the first on the block with something new...and those people pay a premium for the pleasure...

If we continue having winters with so little snow...the price drops like rock when getting into December from dealers who are watching their narrow profit margin rapidly erode with each passing day on each machine gathering dust in their deserted showrooms.

For every dealer who was fortunate enough to already sell their allocation and have another buyer with cash in hand...there are 3 other dealers who are sweating out having to carry over part of their allocation and lose their #*$&@ on them. These dealers *pray* with the winters we have having that another dealer calls to lighten them of their floorplan at cost...or even less...

Bottom line...if you want a sled you can get it...and practically *steal* it if you know what you are doing.

This can't really be news to you? :shock: If so...it might be time to bite the bullet and enroll in that Marketing 101 class you keep talking about at the Community College, eh?

 

[Sodbuster]

Didn't they essentially do the same thing with the LE's in '03? Give it a special paint job, toss in a carbon A arm guard or two, give it the highest price and then only make them available for spring orders? Seems plausible that GT with its black tunnel and shock features is also essentially the '06 LE. The elec. Ohlin's are supposed to be available after-market for all the other models so it seems unlikely that a shortage of those is causing limited availability. Must be some perceived net marketing/sales gains by offering LE's.

 

[nhrxrider]

The LEs were still available in the fall...I passed up several when shopping for my '03 in december '02, but didn't want to pay an extra $300-$800 the dealers were asking for the silver. Snow-check prices are usually crazy high. Late fall is usually pretty good (Dec.-Jan.). Waiting until just as the new models are due out will save serious $$$. Of course not many people want to wait until then, so Nov-Dec. makes the most sense.

When I started looking for mine (early November) not too many dealers around here had many, and they all said that I better buy now, because those were all that were left, and Yamaha wasn't doing another production run. Late November, they had a new supply in, and gave the same story again. I bought mine in mid December, and was again told no more were being delivered. A couple weeks later all the dealers had a whole new supply.

Jim

 

[jimmie d]

Generally speaking does not work in today's economy, the fact is my RX1 in the fall would really hit bottom in value plus the lack of snow will drive used sleds even lower in the fall. If you want to be an internet buyer and run all over hells half acre to save $100 so be it. I might pay more but I really don't care as long as I get what I want and service. I crack up at all these posts on prices and trade in values. You should know your sleds value and the cost of the new one. Who cares if someone might save $200 in the fall by running around. I KNOW I will be riding the GT when the snow flies and that is all that matters. By the way any time you want to compare academic achievements just email me.

Jim

 

[Stormbringr1]

The LEs were still available in the fall...I passed up several when shopping for my '03 in december '02, but didn't want to pay an extra $300-$800 the dealers were asking for the silver. Snow-check prices are usually crazy high. Late fall is usually pretty good (Dec.-Jan.). Waiting until just as the new models are due out will save serious $$$. Of course not many people want to wait until then, so Nov-Dec. makes the most sense.

When I started looking for mine (early November) not too many dealers around here had many, and they all said that I better buy now, because those were all that were left, and Yamaha wasn't doing another production run. Late November, they had a new supply in, and gave the same story again. I bought mine in mid December, and was again told no more were being delivered. A couple weeks later all the dealers had a whole new supply.

Jim

A man who knows how the game is played.

 

[Sodbuster]

nh, were those LE's still around in the Fall extra runs or just dealer spring oders that hadn't sold? I'll bet there'll be a few GT's hanging around next early winter too, even though a dealer wouldn't be able to order any more from the factory. The LE feature is probably the carrot for the quick buyer's who want what they want and aren't afraid to commit 6-8 months ahead of time, with no idea of what snow conditions will be like. In that sense, it's probably an even deal. Yami gets some pre-solds and the early buyer's get a tricked-out (but very unattractive ), unique sled.