06/05/2003 Archived Entry: "More bike stuff"

I drove down to the closest Yamaha dealership after work to further my quest for a motorcycle. Lo and behold, sitting in the middle of the showroom was exactly what I wanted--a 2003 V Star 650 Custom with some rawkin' slash-cut pipes. Sans pipes, the bike was $5,300--with pipes, $5,900. I didn't buy, of course--there will be no buying until August, because that's when I take the course and get my "M" endorsement--but I did talk to the salesguy ("Mike") and get a brochure and some solid numbers. My take-home, turnkey price on that bike, as configured and with the dealership's VIP service plan (which we'll get to in a moment), is $7,820.

Now, about this VIP service plan. The bike comes with a one year warranty. Yamaha's factory extended warranty costs $480 and covers the bike for two more years. The dealership's VIP service plan includes the two year extended warranty, and ALSO includes three years' scheduled maintenance (including oil changes) at a discount, and costs $899.

I'd like to ask anyone who knows things about motorcycles, or even anyone with any opinion whatsoever, to e-mail me and let me know if you think it's a good idea. Keep in mind that I absolutely will be purchasing an extended warranty, because I have the mechanical aptitude of a rhesus monkey and will be incapable of working on/repairing the bike if anything goes wrong. Knowing then that I will be buying an extended warranty, do you guys think that this VIP thing is a good idea?

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