That old gas guzzling car or truck is worth $4500 under the “Cash For Clunkers Bill”. In a few weeks H.B. 2751 provides vouchers up to $4,500 for trading in a vehicle that gets less than 18 miles per gallon and is less than 25 years old for a new vehicle that gets at least 22 miles per gallon. Ok, but what if you want to trade in your clunker for a new motorcycle getting 45 to 60 miles per gallon?
Last week, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (Democrat-Pa.), a long time supporter of Harley-Davidson, introduced legislation to include motorcycles in the “Cash For Ckunkers” program. and recommends a $2500 voucher. His argument are that it would help the motorcycle industry recovery and protect manufacturing jobs in his home state of Pennsylvania (where Harley is contemplating shedding about 1500 jobs in the next 2 years) and other states where motorcycles and parts are manufactured. My question is, how many motorcycle dealers in the US are able to take cars and trucks as trade ins? Opponents of the introduced legislation to benefit sales of motorcycles argue that it is not the government job to manage consumer purchases, whether cars or motorcycles. For 1 year, the actual trade in clunker car program will cost $4 billion of our taxpayers money.
There goes my tax dollars to pay for someone else’s vehicle. Maybe I should go buy a $500 clunker pickup and trade it in so I can get in on the freeload frenzy!
Taking the trade may not be really much of an issue although you might not can save on the sales tax on value difference when it is vehicles of different types, i.e. a truck trade for a bike.
Bike to bike or truck to truck just pay sales tax on delta In other words, that way in some states for sure as you would have to pay sales tax on the full value if applicable in your state on trade of different type vehicles.
If a dealer wants to or you want him to the Dealer could also set up a buy bid agreement basis with a used car guy and do pass thru’s and not be burdened with a car lot a his shop, but most probably real issue may be you can’t get hardly anything in trade value on a gas gussler unless its a classic. So have them push for the full $4500 voucher and the rest of us can pick up the difference just please will the bike to my grandson when your done riding as he will be paying for it anyway..
Grayhawk
In my opinion, if the government were actually concerned about saving auto workers jobs or the corporations that own them, while stabilizing the auto/motorcycle manufactures… instead of direct bailout money they would have issued vouchers to qualified citizens, the actual buyers for say, 40% off a new vehicle (made in USA of course). This would have boosted sales immediately and given the wage earner/taxpayer a bit of a break while injecting money throughout the automotive industry. An easy fix.
Oh, that’s right… our goverment does not care about fixing anything. This is just another bad idea that is a day late and a dollar short. Another politician trying to impress his constituancy with the illusion of saving jobs… pure B.S.
Hey Dave B. Your sure right a whole lot of that pure B.S. going around.
If I had to get a government support plan I would settle for say a voucher for something easy/simple, just give me the Bermuda deal. I could be a happy camper with the beach front condo and ice cream deal.
Grayhawk
Does this bill state the car/truck or bike be a domestic brand. Honda will want are tax dollars to go to Japan?
IMHO the whole deal SUCKS:
It takes used auto parts completely out of circulation and wags a ‘free’ dollar in the faces of the individuals who cannot afford another payment (those same individuals who were given a mortgage on a home they could not afford)…. and guess who is paying the front-end price?
You guessed it…that same person that is bailing out the banking industry….and when they can’t pay for that new ‘Green’ car we will bail them out of that!
Government Bank
Government Motors
Government Healthcare
I’m just waiting for them to tell me how much profit I can make on a motorcycle.
These deals are breaking all the rules!
Grayhawk, While you and the Uighars are on the beach in Bermuda watch out For the Tsunamis!!!! Oh and you might look out for anyone wearing black masks that hides their face while carrying a AK-47 around. These people know that they are doing bad and unjust things because the cover their faces and do not want to be known.
As for the klunker trade in I’ll just keep my old chevy truck and avoid the new car payments!!!
David
David do not believe I will be there with them just the opposite I sure hope your being facetious as I was;
Comment was as in the government is throwing money around everywhere from the standpoint who is/will be paying that bill for them to be there in Bermuda, you are/we are and will subsidize it just like the clunker deal as that will be inclusive of our contribution to car payment in a sense also. All the while we still drive our Klunkers. Nobody that is a working man/woman will avoid the forthcoming payments. In the end not too many people will like that any more then me.
I always look out for AK’s no matter masked or not.
Regards
Grayhawk
MAYBE ITS NOT A GREAT IDEA ,BUT IF IT WILL HELP SOME PEOPLE KEEP THIER JOBS I’M FOR IT . I WOULDN’T TRADE MY OLD CHEVY EITHER BUT I KNOW I’LL TRADE THAT 2000 PONTIAC GRAND AM WITH 124000 MILES THAT I’M NOT GOING BE ABLE TO GET PARTS FOR .
What get’s me about the story above is that they propose to allow 2500.00 for motorcycles and 4500.00 for cars and trucks. It seems to me that a new harley sells for as much as a new car in many cases. So why the disparity in the payment?
The Cars For Clunkers legislation is actually very focused and is only available for a limited four month time frame. It offers participants the opportunity to trade in certain older cars for certain other new ones. Unfortunately, many cars do not qualify for the program and therefore are still ideal for the ‘traditional’ car donor option. Such non-qualifying cars let people give their cars to non-profit organizations who help people with many different kinds of needs, like supporting youth organizations or our older folks or to help promote the arts and health research.
Help yourself with the Cash for Clunkers program if you qualify or if you don’t qualify or would like to help others, give your “clunker” to charity and take a tax write-off!
Here are 400 not-for-profit organizations that can always benefit from your ‘clunker’ or unneeded vehicle. To donate your car, just click on the link to the charity on the web pages below.
http://www.donatecarusa.com/charities/full_list
http://www.donatecarusa.com
Well, while I don’t care for the environment at the moment, I am happy to see that some of my tax dollars are getting into the hands of people who can use the break to buy an new car. Giving the money directly to the company’s and banks hasn’t done a thing. Our credit and income are the same as they were before only now we have an even longer term of employment, but we don’t qualify for a reifnance on our home we just built 6 years ago because it won’t appraise out! My 5 year arm will begin to creep up again because the banks wont let me do an RBO (refinance balance only). What the heck….who got all of the tarp money and who did it help????
Too bad Lyle, get OVER it! Go move to another country!
this is my first time doin samethin like this..and you help me out??plz let me know,,