Buying Tips and OTD Pricing on 2008 Ninja 250R’s
It seems that they just can’t make and import these bikes fast enough. Despite the increasing amount of Used Ninja 250R’s showing up on Craigslist and eBay, people are still lining up to get on waiting lists — and I’m even now hearing rumors of people getting fed up and putting deposits on 09’s… WOW!
Color Popularity:
First off. After doing some major Search Engine voo-doo I tested to see what colors are most frequently talked about for 250R’s. They are (in order):
- Black
- Blue
- Red
- Green
So if you must _have one now_ perhaps trying to look for one of the less popular colors, or even ‘First Available’ — I have Blue because I walked into the dealer, they had a blue, and I said ‘I’ll take it!’… Worst case scenario, painting this bike is pretty straight forward - 5 pieces of body work, and the tank.
Price:
I have read 100’s of OTD pricing threads on Ninja Forums, and for the 2008 this is what you should shoot for:
[ OTD means “Out the Door”: It includes Bike, Tax, Tag, Title, Assembly / Shipping, Dealers Fees. ]
Great: < $4,000 USD.
Good: $4,000 - $4,200 USD.
Okay: $4,200 - $4,500 USD.
Poor: > $4,500 USD.
Be weary when people quote OTD prices online. Some states don’t have sales Tax (Like Oregon), or high registration fees. So prices can vary $200-$300.
Pricing break down should be around:
2008 Ninja 250R: ~$3499 ($3500)
Sales Tax: ~$250 ($3750)
Title: ~$50 ($3800)
Dealer fees / markup: ~$200 ($4000)
Tips for keeping price down:
Try not to use Credit Cards to purchase your Bike. Dealers are charged a percentage for credit card transactions, which will cut into their bottom line. So, when possible use cash, or use Kawasaki credit (Which actually has some fair programs).
Offer to purchase some accessories from the dealer as well. Helmets, gloves, shoes, etc. Most dealers prices are only slightly higher than what you can find online. This way you don’t have to wait, and you know fitment is perfect.
Offer to become a life long customer. Dealers make very little money on 250R’s. The 250R is really a gateway bike for Kawasaki to get people out riding, only to upgrade later. Remind dealers of that. If you’re serious about riding, make sure they know you will come back to them in a year for your 600/1000.
Warnings:
Don’t leave with more bike than you went for. I’m seeing more and more people that are being told that the wait on the 250R will be 2-6 Months — And they should considering buying a 600+ instead for only a few bucks more.. If you want a 250 — wait, be patient, and do bite off more bike than you can chew. The 250 is getting people on the Kawasaki lots, and the sales guys are taking advantage of it.
Always. Always. ALWAYS!! Get any deal you work out with a dealer IN WRITING! Even if you put a deposit down, that is not always good enough.. Until you sign the papers, no price is definite unless you have it in writing. So please, cover your butts!
If you guys could, post your OTD prices below and what state you’re in (Or Current Waiting Time / Quote / State) Thanks!
Doug Chin Said,
May 7, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
I like the comprehensive analysis/workup. haven’t seen anything this detailed yet
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Mike Said,
May 7, 2008 @ 4:38 pm
My girlfriend just went today and got approved on a new 08 250r in blue, the total out the door after taxes, title, prep etc.. was $4150. Glad I seen this website and actually used the OTD price scale to land her a good deal. I was quoted as high as 4600 from one dealer but in the end the OTD price ended up being good.
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Josh Said,
May 16, 2008 @ 9:35 pm
Getting a 250 in red in a week or two. Green and black were the hot colors from what I could tell with red bringing up the bottom. $4000 OTD. Was $200 above MSRP. Considering what some dealers are trying to sell them for I wasn’t really in the mood to argue. The lead time on the other colors was exceeding a month. The bike is well worth the wait.
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Tyler Reply:
August 7th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
What state do you live in?
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Ben Said,
May 19, 2008 @ 3:27 pm
Thank you for this thread. I’ve been searching everywhere for OTD prices on the 2008 250r. I’ve been quoted as high as 4770, also 4500, and 4450 and am hoping to land one for more like 4200. If I can find a black one for 4200, count me in. Thanks again!
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Terry Said,
May 21, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
I called around until I found one. They had a red one coming in at the end of the month, so I put a deposit down on it.
Before the extended warranty, my OTD is 4199.44.
I am in VA so taxes are slightly higher. This includes Tax, Title Fee, Tag/Title Service, Temp Tag, Inspection, Processing Fee, and Lien Record Fee.
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Mike Said,
May 22, 2008 @ 11:52 pm
Out the door with a brand new red one i paid $4061.74.Im in PA and i waited almost a month for the bike but love it def worth the wait. Didint like traveling an hour for it but it made for a sweet ride home. I do know however there were some places that i called that were reallly back logged on these bike. Believe it or not i had two dealers who told me to call back in September ( thats when Kawi allows dealers to start taking names for next years models) and told me they will take my name and a $100 dollar deposit but more thatn likely wouldnt get my bik till late November early December…. FORGET THAT!!!!
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Mitchell Said,
June 4, 2008 @ 4:09 pm
I live in LA and this morning i called around on pricing. The first guy said just under 5500 OTD. I laughed and proceeded to call a few other places. Berts mega mall in west covina is garbage, they wouldn’t even meet me at 4500 OTD and I even told them i would be buying all my gear from them. Two places qouted me 4400 OTD but they dont have any in stock right now(probably because they have them for 4400). I even saw a craigslist posting in Fresno(3hrs north of LA) and this guy was trying to sell his used 08′ 250 with a little over 100 miles for 4900. I called him up and he said the best offer he has received yet is 4500. I really want a black one but unless i can get it OTD for 4500 or less I’m just gonna wait. Please, if anyone knows where i can get a black one for this price or less please let me know.
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Robocon Said,
June 6, 2008 @ 12:34 am
Dealers are indeed taking advantage of the shortage and high demand for the 250s. About 3 weeks ago, every dealer in the Portland, OR area had multiple bikes and OTD prices were around $3700. This past weekend, prices shot up around $4300 OTD with deposits on the next shipments. I guess the $4/gallon was the impetus. Most shops are selling their bigger liter bikes at or less than MSRP but can’t sell em as fast as the 250s. Just remember that once the hype is over there’ll be lots of bikes around to choose from.
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Casper Said,
June 10, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
Dealer in NC, right outside of Charlotte, had 4 coming in June. 3 already had deposits down on them. I got the last one, Black. $3855 OTD. Other dealers were asking $4000+ or they didn’t have any coming in. One dealer in Charlotte, left me a message saying he had one in the showroom, then when I called him back a few hours later, he had sold it. He then told me that people were bringing them back to him and complaining it didn’t have enough power so he was then selling them a 600 and that I should buy a 600. What a scumbag, crap like that is gonna get somebody killed. Hopefully Kawasaki can get caught up soon and get everyone riding before the end of the summer.
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adam Said,
June 21, 2008 @ 3:23 am
why can’t i just pay kawasaki to ship the damn thing to my house instead of dealing with these fucking middle men, How much are they buying the bikes for, probably like 2000 or something and then they have the nerve to price it well over 1,000 more than msrp, they should all be fuckin shot, mother fuckin salesmen.
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invegas Said,
June 24, 2008 @ 6:52 pm
carter powersports in las vegas told me 5999 OTD. No way in hell.
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Tyler Reply:
August 7th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Thats freakin double msrp.
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bobby Said,
June 25, 2008 @ 4:06 pm
@ Casper
I live in Charlotte, and called every dealer and they told me that all the 08 are out of stock and won’t be getting any more.
Which dealer did you go to?
Much thanks!!
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DING DONG Said,
June 27, 2008 @ 12:02 pm
JUST PUT IN A DEPOSIT FOR A BLACK 250 WITH ATLANTA MOTOR WORLD. OTD $4100–$100 DEPOSIT.
PICKING IT UP LATE JULY/EARLY AUGUST.
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Tyler Reply:
August 7th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
i live 20 minutes outside atl and everywhere out here is out of stock or they want 4600+. i might have to take a drive to atl motor world. i hope they have red.
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depressed Said,
July 11, 2008 @ 10:40 pm
Ft. Myers Florida, otd @ $5500, Motorcycle shopping is a nightmare during a fuel crisis.
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J-Rizzle Said,
July 16, 2008 @ 4:47 pm
I live in SoCal, (Southern California) and everywhere was around the same. $4800. otd From what I gather making phone calls and my dad also called 2-3 places I’m not going to do better than that. You guys think that’s too much? They’re impossible to get out here. I basicaly lucked out in a major way even finding a dealer who has one. I would consider telling the dealer to shove it, but I have wanted a bike for about ten years now.
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BG Said,
July 17, 2008 @ 12:01 am
about 3 weeks ago I called just about every Kawi dealer in Arkansas looking for the 250 and coulnd’t find anything - Kawi Sprots Center in Little Rock said they had 7 coming in and were taking deposits but when I showed up with the money the owner(?) changed his mind - apparently had more deposits than bikes… so I kept calling - finally talked to Bellevue Suzuki-Kawisaik in Memphis - I put $1000 deposit on the last Black 08 they had coming in - agreed to pay $3600 and would then pay the AR taxes and BS stuff when I got it home - due to arrive “mid to late” July… now I’m just hoping I’m not the biggest sucker on this site… (bait and switch come August?) I think I’ll call tomorrow just to check.
BG
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Robocon Said,
July 17, 2008 @ 3:36 pm
I always do research before I go out for a “big” purchase and shopping for a motorcycle is no exception. KBB (dealer edition) places the following values on a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R:
List: 3499
Wholesale: 2200 (dealer invoice)
Suggested Retail: 2795 (what we should pay in a “normal” economy)
And remember, all those other fees they may tack on (not including title/dmv- that’s unavoidable)
NADA places the following for trade ins:
Rough trade in: 2150/Clean trade in: 2400/Avg retail: 2920
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Cesar Said,
July 18, 2008 @ 1:46 am
I purchased my 250 Ninja back during the first week of June in Sacramento. The first dealer I contacted told me that they had a 10 person waiting list so I called up another dealer and they had 2 in stock (Black and Blue) I purchased the black one for $4449 OTD, with a discount on some gear. I knew I had absolutely no leverage to negotiate so I took it, but it wasn’t that bad considering it is California.
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Dale Said,
July 18, 2008 @ 8:59 pm
I just purchased a red 2008 at Cycle Motion in Middletown, NY. It was $3,891 OTD. Not bad huh?
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Tyler Reply:
August 7th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
hell no that aint bad.haha
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jason Said,
July 22, 2008 @ 5:32 pm
I am located in the eastern panhandle of west virginia. I recieved my blue 08 250 for $3299. after tax and tags, my otd was precisely $3587.14. It was received from ridersville cycle in Berkely Springs, WV. I recieved my bike at the end of march. Upon entering Ridersville, there was one 250 of each color.
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