So I’ve been itching to buy a Suzuki Boulevard M109r for months now. That power cruiser look just grabs me, you know? Big muscle bike vibe. Anyway, finally decided it’s time to get serious about the numbers. Gotta know what I’m diving into wallet-first.
The Sticker Shock & Dealer Dance
Went down to the local Suzuki place first thing yesterday morning. Sales guy was all smiles, real friendly. I zeroed in on a shiny black M109r on the floor. Asked straight up, “What’s this beast actually gonna cost me out the door?”
He pulls out his little pad, starts scribbling. Base price looked okay. Then wham! Fees started piling up:
- Freight charge: Almost a grand. Seriously?
- Prep fee: Another few hundred bucks. For unwrapping it?
- Doc fee: Standard, but still adds up.
- Taxes: Gotta pay Uncle Sam, hurts every time.
Added all that junk onto the base price and the total landed way higher than I expected. Felt my wallet groan just looking at the paper. Told him I’d think about it. Needed to see what else was out there.
Hitting the Insurance Hustle
Got home, still buzzing a bit. Figured I should call around about insurance before falling too hard for the bike. Everyone says insuring a big cruiser is cheap, right? Wrong.
Called my current car insurance people first. Gave ’em the M109r specs. Guy paused for a minute. Came back with a number that made me nearly choke on my coffee. Way more than I thought for full coverage!
Didn’t give up. Spent the whole afternoon online and on the phone:
- Tried a bunch of those online quote sites, typing the same stuff over and over.
- Called two other big name insurance companies direct.
- Even checked out some companies that specialize in bikes.
Got a whole bunch of quotes back. Learned quick that insuring an 1800cc monster ain’t like insuring a scooter! Costs were all over the dang place. Some were downright ridiculous. Found a couple that were kinda sorta almost in the ballpark of what I thought was fair. Still felt high though.
The Real Talk Takeaway
So here’s the bottom line I learned the expensive way without actually spending a dime yet:
- That MSRP is a dirty liar. Don’t trust the big number on the sticker. Fees will pile on like luggage on a road trip. Budget way above that base price.
- Insurance for a rocket like the M109r ain’t cheap. Get real quotes, like right now, before you sign anything. It varies a ton, so shop aggressively. Don’t just take the first one.
- Total cost is the key. Bike price + dealer add-ons + taxes + a whole year of insurance = the real number that decides if you can live with ramen noodles forever.
My hunt continues. Love the M109r, truly. But I ain’t signing crap until I find a dealer playing straight on the total price and an insurance company that doesn’t think my garage is Fort Knox. Learned my homework lesson loud and clear on this one!
