i think it depends how much you are financing. i financed mine and it was just over 1k and i have 12 months to pay it off with no interest so i didnt think i did to bad. i mean who has just over 1k laying around to go buy a bike? at least not your average joe. no way i would finance some of the higher end bikes like santa cruz or a yeti etc. i mean some of the prices on those bikes could be a down payment on a new car. just my two cents.