Top tips for a new year new bike bargain

Dealers are offering a range of deals to try and pull buyers back in to showrooms after the Christmas break.

January sales, anti-VAT rise offers and finance deals are all beginning as dealers try to kickstart this year’s motorcycling season, giving you the chance to get a better deal on the bike or kit you want. 

Kawasaki is running two finance deals. If you’re planning on picking up any ER-6n, ER-6f or Versys model there’s the option of 0% finance up until the end of March. Minimum deposit is £99, and there’s a choice of 12 or 24-month repayment periods.

Remaining 2010 ZX-10Rs and all ZX-6Rs are on offer with a 2% APR fixed rate scheme for the same period, also with a £99 minimum deposit, and including the ‘Performance Edition’ models.

George White is also offering a bargain on 2010-model ZX-10Rs and GSX-R750 both at £7499. Both are offered with a selection of accessories to make the deal even sweeter. The clothing department also has a selection of deals on helmets, leathers, textile kit, gloves, boots and other accessories.

If you’re after kit, Hein Gericke is having a big sale, and any Hein Gericke own-brand kit also benefits from a VAT freeze. Highlights include a Gore-Tex leather jacket and jeans down from £749.99 to £399.99 and £549 to £249.99 respectively.

Top Tips for a New Year bargain
• Look for unsold, old model new bikes. If they’re being superseded, they’re worth less.
• Used bikes are worth less in the biking off-season too. Look for bikes priced accordingly, or prepare to haggle.
• Old-stock kit is also worth less than the latest designs – search for the outlets off-loading job lots of old kit. Big chain-stores are a good place to start.
• New bikes pre-registered in 2010 aren’t subject to the new VAT rate. Search them out if you don’t mind being the second owner on the log book.