So I had a Spyder for a few years and sold it but now back in the market. I don't remember when I bought my first one but a dealer in Florida is wanting me to pay $1998.00 for freight & prep and another $394.00. Is this normal these days? Does those numbers feel fair. The Spyder is discounted, but not really once you add these fees back onto the price. Thanks for any feedback.
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Are these Dealer charges normal? Fair?
- Thread starter khgolf
- Start date
I just took ownership of a 2026 RT S2S last Saturday in the Baltimore, Md area. The freight in Md & Pa is $800. Not sure if freight would be further South. The standard set-up fee at my dealership was $400. The big dealership which are located in Va & Pa were charging just south of $1200. Not sure what the $394 was for... perhaps tags and title?
Cosmo
Member
I purchased an RTL in Florida in November 2023. The freight and setup were about what you were quoted.
The freight cost is set by Can Am. The other charges are dealer prices. I don’t know what the $394 is for.
I checked with 2 dealers and the freight and set up was the same
Is it fair? You decide.
It all boils down to the "Out the Door Price" ie. What is it going to cost me to have it home in my garage?
I hate any unexpected charges, I have never paid over the asking price plus 10% which includes tax, license,
registration, duty, storage, tank of gas, salesmans bonus, etc.
If they want to sell it they will negotiate, it doesn't cost anything to walk out the door!
I hate any unexpected charges, I have never paid over the asking price plus 10% which includes tax, license,
registration, duty, storage, tank of gas, salesmans bonus, etc.
If they want to sell it they will negotiate, it doesn't cost anything to walk out the door!
djh3
Active member
I'm currently trying to work a deal. The "listed" price was $20,288. So I called about it, fellow said yada yada speak recondition fee etc new battery price now $22,900 with tax. Well in Fla tax is only on the difference between trade and purchase. Trying to get an out the door price from this fellow has been a project.
Jackhartjr
Active member
I've bought 2 Spyders and a Slingshot from private owners because of that total bs! I doubt I would ever purchase one through a stealership!
pegasus1300
Well-known member
The $394.00 is ADP (additional dealer profit)
Jackhartjr
Active member
I certainly agree!
Metalman
Member
A few years ago, I was prepared to buy a new Triumph Rocket III. I knew what the advertised price was and it was confirmed by the salesman. When I started with the paperwork at the salesman's desk, he tacked on exorbitant freight and set-up charges. He lost a customer. Buying any kind of motor vehicle from a private seller can be risky, but I've done it many times and have no regrets.
Jackhartjr
Active member
Same here!
jdgretz
Active member
Or purchase a slightly used one, still under factory warranty, from a dealer. The original owner got hit with the prep, freight, etc. I bought my 2024 in December 2025 with 28 miles on the clock and a factory warranty good until July of 2026. The dealer I purchased from is part of the group that used to service my Goldwing, and I have a relationship with them. They've done a bunch of good work tweaking my Spyder to my liking. Bought the shop pizza the other day. That goes a long way to knowing they will take good care of me as well.
jdg
Follow-up, My wife and I spent Saturday looking and we found what we wanted without those stupid fees. A dealership had a dealer trade 2024 Spyder F3-T Limited with 200 miles on it. I paid $20K for it plus tax and dealer fee of $394.00. I have full warranty because it was still rated as new according to finance. So I think that as a few have said, if you're willing to buy a year or two older, you can get a deal. I think I got one.
jcthorne
Well-known member
Be careful on your warranty start date. It DOES NOT start on the date it is first sold. Its starts on the In Service date. If the bike had 200 miles on it, it was likely a demo bike and was placed in service some time ago. Get the dealer to verify the in service date as that is when your warranty started. This has caught a number of folks by surprise when attempting to buy an extended warranty only to find out the OEM warranty had already expired and they could not.
ulflyer
Well-known member
Indeed you did. I love the F3T and regret trading mine a couple years ago. Took a good while of piddling to get the RT to nearly suit me as much.
Enjoy, and post a pic when you have time.
bikerchris1270
Active member
Never paid any shipping or dealer fees for mine a few years ago. America has become GREEDY. Capitalism at its best. New car dealers are doing the same thing, pure BS. But as long as people pay it, it will exist.
mecsw500
Active member
The reality is the manufacturer sells the bike to the dealer in a crate wherever the bike is built. The dealer pays for the shipping to their location. They pay for the tariffs too. If they want assemble it to put it on the showroom floor or un-crate and assemble it for you on demand doesn't really matter, that's a labor cost to the dealer.
So, the dealer is passing on that shipping fee to you as they have to pay that up front when they take delivery from Can Am for stock. That fee is determined by Can Am's shipping and customs agent, not the dealer. The dealer has to additionally pay their tech a couple of hours of shop work to assemble and test the machine.
So, the MSRP includes the cost of the actual vehicle from Can Am, the tariffs and the dealer profit. The shipping costs, the assembly and setup, should probably be an actual out of pocket expense for the dealer, not a profit center.
When I bought my 2026 Sea to Sky this year, this was all broken down for me. The shipping cost was what they showed me billed from Can Am, the un-crating cost was two hours of shop time labor, which was probably less than it really cost them. They ate the cost to retrieve the bike from their warehouse to the store.
So I paid MSRP, which was reasonable as the 2026 RT LTDs and Sea to Skies were selling well and I got the last one left from the sizeable batch they had received.
So out the door I felt the cost was reasonable and they gave me a very reasonable price for my 2021 RT LTD trade. I had to pay the standard state sales taxes and the standard state document fee.
Did they make any money on the transaction? Of course they did, they made the difference between MSRP and their wholesale costs plus the tariffs. Did they make money on shipping and assembly, not really no. Did I get a good deal? Probably as they were in demand in my location and I didn't have to pay any MSRP price plus any market correction. They obviously kept any manufacturer paybacks for their number of units sold any plus help with their floor plan costs. They also probably made about $2,000 profit on my trade after they had done an oil and filter service, which was due. They didn't even have to detail it as it was very clean and stock. They sold it within two weeks.
Could I have got a bit cheaper price if I shopped around nationally? Probably, but I'd be possibly be paying a new shipping cost and I wouldn't have continued to have the good working relationship with my dealer's service department who have looked after me very well for the past five years. I don't mind if they make a fair profit, I just don't like to feel I'm getting ripped off. It was just a very straightforward, easy and quick financial transaction completed in an hour, plus an hour when I came to pick it up after it was assembled and tested. Staff were exceptionally friendly and quickly realized any financial dealings and product final choices were with my wife who they treated with the greatest of respect making the buying experience a good one for her too.
So, the dealer is passing on that shipping fee to you as they have to pay that up front when they take delivery from Can Am for stock. That fee is determined by Can Am's shipping and customs agent, not the dealer. The dealer has to additionally pay their tech a couple of hours of shop work to assemble and test the machine.
So, the MSRP includes the cost of the actual vehicle from Can Am, the tariffs and the dealer profit. The shipping costs, the assembly and setup, should probably be an actual out of pocket expense for the dealer, not a profit center.
When I bought my 2026 Sea to Sky this year, this was all broken down for me. The shipping cost was what they showed me billed from Can Am, the un-crating cost was two hours of shop time labor, which was probably less than it really cost them. They ate the cost to retrieve the bike from their warehouse to the store.
So I paid MSRP, which was reasonable as the 2026 RT LTDs and Sea to Skies were selling well and I got the last one left from the sizeable batch they had received.
So out the door I felt the cost was reasonable and they gave me a very reasonable price for my 2021 RT LTD trade. I had to pay the standard state sales taxes and the standard state document fee.
Did they make any money on the transaction? Of course they did, they made the difference between MSRP and their wholesale costs plus the tariffs. Did they make money on shipping and assembly, not really no. Did I get a good deal? Probably as they were in demand in my location and I didn't have to pay any MSRP price plus any market correction. They obviously kept any manufacturer paybacks for their number of units sold any plus help with their floor plan costs. They also probably made about $2,000 profit on my trade after they had done an oil and filter service, which was due. They didn't even have to detail it as it was very clean and stock. They sold it within two weeks.
Could I have got a bit cheaper price if I shopped around nationally? Probably, but I'd be possibly be paying a new shipping cost and I wouldn't have continued to have the good working relationship with my dealer's service department who have looked after me very well for the past five years. I don't mind if they make a fair profit, I just don't like to feel I'm getting ripped off. It was just a very straightforward, easy and quick financial transaction completed in an hour, plus an hour when I came to pick it up after it was assembled and tested. Staff were exceptionally friendly and quickly realized any financial dealings and product final choices were with my wife who they treated with the greatest of respect making the buying experience a good one for her too.
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