I watched a review of the Niken on the Motortrend Amazon channel the other day. What a weird looking thing! Expensive, too.
Not my thing, but I guess it handles pretty well.
Not my thing, but I guess it handles pretty well.
visited a dealer today
Today I stopped at a nearby dealership just to see what they were showing. This is an almost all Japanese brands type place that carries Yamaha, Kawasaki and Suzuki. I told the manager that I had stopped by to look at a Niken, just to see what this two-front wheel bike looked like in person, and he told me that they didn't have one. He added that they would only get one if a customer special ordered it. I said it was less likely that anyone would put a deposit down on a bike that they had never seen, or sat on, let alone had a chance to ride it. He shrugged and said he didn't really think it would sell anyway so why should he bother getting one? Then I went to look at the other bikes on the showroom floor, but could barely get to any of them because they were packed in so tightly, I guess to take up as little space as possible so that the ATV's and snowmobiles could be displayed. I wanted to sit on one bike that literally I could not get to without moving four or five other bikes so I decided to just not bother. During the time I was there no one approached me to ask what I might be interested in, no one asked my name or tried to strike up a bike related conversation to try to make me feel like this was a place I would want to do business at. Made me wonder how some of these places stay in business.
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I hate it when you're at a dealership and you might just as well be invisible as everyone ignores you. Then again I've had it the opposite sometimes when you're just tire kicking and you take 2 steps out of the truck and several of them are on you like sharks.
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This is far too common at large import dealerships. It's annoying. When I bought my Harley Ultra in '09 I had wanted to consider a Gold Wing but the dealership didn't allow demo rides...and the salesman was some kid who tkne nothing and told me he didn't ride because, (get this), his mother won't let him! I also had a similar experience at a Motel Guzzi/multi line dealership about 10 years ago when I wanted to see a V7. I was told that if I wanted one he'd get one for me but he isnt going to bother stocking any because people that want one shop him in California and other places and he doesn't want to bother being worked for price. They're out of business. Surprise, surprise.
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As a Harley owner I rarely find a reason to visit most other brands for many of the reasons stated here. I do visit one that happens to be the only Ducati dealer in the area. I also am friends with the owner and my brother rides a Ducati. I can appreciate the Ducati but the shop is a dump and the salespeople are next to worthless...
I do stop my local Harley dealer and am always greeted warmly, asked if I wanted coffee, freshly made, and always letting me know if I have questions I can find them nearby. Last time I was there they had over 170 bikes on the showroom floor, most new but also a variety of used. Beautiful dealership, knowledge people and friendly staff. Just a few reasons I ride and deal with Harley. I'm sure there are import dealers that have learned how to accommodate their customers as well as Harley, they just seem to be hard to find around here....
I do stop my local Harley dealer and am always greeted warmly, asked if I wanted coffee, freshly made, and always letting me know if I have questions I can find them nearby. Last time I was there they had over 170 bikes on the showroom floor, most new but also a variety of used. Beautiful dealership, knowledge people and friendly staff. Just a few reasons I ride and deal with Harley. I'm sure there are import dealers that have learned how to accommodate their customers as well as Harley, they just seem to be hard to find around here....
You know, I could have sworn, like just 2 years ago, one of the major complaints of dealerships was the sales people attack you the minute you walk in the door. Am I completely mistaken? I sure thought I read that. I do understand the crowding of showrooms. There I think it's because dealers are taking on too many brands in a attempt to have SOMETHING a customer might want. Versus single brand dealers like Harley.
Similar here in Vegas. I road a Harley up until this past summer and found the dealership to be clean and welcoming. They also understand their buyer. Unfortunately for most Japanese brands the expensive bikes, like Goldwings, are lumped in with the (comparatively) inexpensive off road bikes and small cruisers etc. and the client isn't treated any different. I have the issue to some degree with my Corvette at the Chevy dealer. My BMW dealership (K1600GTL ) is also my Triumph (T120) dealership and while not as luxurious as the HD dealership they're a significant upgrade from the Japanese dealerships in my area.As a Harley owner I rarely find a reason to visit most other brands for many of the reasons stated here. I do visit one that happens to be the only Ducati dealer in the area. I also am friends with the owner and my brother rides a Ducati. I can appreciate the Ducati but the shop is a dump and the salespeople are next to worthless...
I do stop my local Harley dealer and am always greeted warmly, asked if I wanted coffee, freshly made, and always letting me know if I have questions I can find them nearby. Last time I was there they had over 170 bikes on the showroom floor, most new but also a variety of used. Beautiful dealership, knowledge people and friendly staff. Just a few reasons I ride and deal with Harley. I'm sure there are import dealers that have learned how to accommodate their customers as well as Harley, they just seem to be hard to find around here....
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My buddy and I ride Goldwings, but we stopped in at the local Harley dealer yesterday just to look around.
Good God! The decor alone must have cost a fortune!
Lots of bikes on the floor....EXPENSIVE bikes!
I saw a price tag of $41,000.00 on one of them!
GASP! WHEEZE! CHOKE!!
No WONDER kids aren't getting into motorcycing.
They can't even afford the clothing in that place!
...And the whole time we were there, not one person even
came up and said hello to us.
Good God! The decor alone must have cost a fortune!
Lots of bikes on the floor....EXPENSIVE bikes!
I saw a price tag of $41,000.00 on one of them!
GASP! WHEEZE! CHOKE!!
No WONDER kids aren't getting into motorcycing.
They can't even afford the clothing in that place!
...And the whole time we were there, not one person even
came up and said hello to us.
My local dealers sales people also pretty much ignore me when I come in to look around, and I like it that way. If I have a question or want to buy a bike I will approach them and get what I need. It's not like Home Depot where you can hardly find anyone to get help.
I would guess each dealership is a little different from the other. And it would depend on the time of year and even time of month. Car and bike salesman have a tough job and some are natural born salesman that just seem to have the right approach and a knack for knowing their product as they should.You know, I could have sworn, like just 2 years ago, one of the major complaints of dealerships was the sales people attack you the minute you walk in the door. Am I completely mistaken? I sure thought I read that. I do understand the crowding of showrooms. There I think it's because dealers are taking on too many brands in a attempt to have SOMETHING a customer might want. Versus single brand dealers like Harley.
Personally I am known by most of the salesmen / parts guys / service counter guys at the Harley dealer so for me, it has never been a problem. Plus the size of the Harley dealerships around here are quite large so It can be easy to hide away if need be. Most of the imported bikes are in small showrooms, jammed up against each other with starving salespeople that can be pushy and make it apparent their knowledge is limited, to say the least.
I don't understand the mindset of a dealer that won't carry a specific model because "they" don't feel it will sell. Someone asking to see one will quickly lose interest if they cannot feel or touch it. If you are unwilling to invest in your product, maybe you shouldn't be carrying it. Around here Harley IS the only single brand dealer, the rest seem to be counting on their brand selection to do the selling rather than knowing the product they have and how to sell it to their customers.
Here there is only one Ducati dealer as compared to numerous Honda, Yamaha etc, etc, that are out there. Even so, the Ducati dealer, while carrying other brands, discovered Ducati is his biggest seller, even though they are more expensive. So he displays his Ducati line prominently in the front of the showroom, all others are tightly packed behind and anywhere they can find a place. The store is way too small for the number of brands he carries. But, that's just my opinion....
I started this thread complaining about the multi Japanese brand dealership, so now I want to acknowledge that not all dealerships are like the one I just visited. The Honda dealer that I bought my Goldwing at, in Madison, WI, also sells some other brands included Can-AM, Indian, and Kawasaki and is a place that anyone would enjoy visiting. You are greeted when you come in, and a salesman will give you as much attention or as little as you want. I have found the sales people knowledgeable and friendly. When I was shopping for my Goldwing, a dealer much closer to my home was the first place I went to. They looked at my then current ride and said they would get back to me within a day with a trade-in offer. Two days later I called them, and they said, we'll get back to you when we can. So I went to Madison. They made me a more than good trade in offer, took a healthy amount off the MSRP of the Goldwing I wanted, and when I picked it up, gave me an hour's detailed orientation to the bike. They showed me every gadget and button (there are a lot on the Goldwing) and a bunch of tips that are not in the Owners Manual. Before I bought the Goldwing I considered a Harley Ultra Low. The dealership was great, inviting me to take a demo ride for as long as I wanted. They couldn't have been more friendly and helpful and knew their products inside out.
So while some dealers are great, there are some that seem to stay in business despite themselves.
So while some dealers are great, there are some that seem to stay in business despite themselves.
Agree. I've been to some awesome dealerships over the years.I started this thread complaining about the multi Japanese brand dealership, so now I want to acknowledge that not all dealerships are like the one I just visited. The Honda dealer that I bought my Goldwing at, in Madison, WI, also sells some other brands included Can-AM, Indian, and Kawasaki and is a place that anyone would enjoy visiting. You are greeted when you come in, and a salesman will give you as much attention or as little as you want. I have found the sales people knowledgeable and friendly. When I was shopping for my Goldwing, a dealer much closer to my home was the first place I went to. They looked at my then current ride and said they would get back to me within a day with a trade-in offer. Two days later I called them, and they said, we'll get back to you when we can. So I went to Madison. They made me a more than good trade in offer, took a healthy amount off the MSRP of the Goldwing I wanted, and when I picked it up, gave me an hour's detailed orientation to the bike. They showed me every gadget and button (there are a lot on the Goldwing) and a bunch of tips that are not in the Owners Manual. Before I bought the Goldwing I considered a Harley Ultra Low. The dealership was great, inviting me to take a demo ride for as long as I wanted. They couldn't have been more friendly and helpful and knew their products inside out.
So while some dealers are great, there are some that seem to stay in business despite themselves.
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I do think most dealers want to help you get the bike of your dreams. But for some there may be a few steps to get there. I was unaware of that Sportster RIDE FREE PROGRAM. Is that something that's always available all the time or a once in awhile thing? That is an awesome program for someone wanting to move up.
I've said this before, one of our closest friends owns a ma and pa metric dealership. Its been in the family since the '60s. They've watched the industry change, prophet margins decline, and customer expectations become unreasonable over the years. In the early years, they could stock as many new motorcycles as they could fit in their showroom, offer test rides and still make a profit. Now with the internet, most keyboard Columbos already know what bike they want, where they can get a free joy/test ride and where they can get the best price. They only stock a few motorcycles now and concentrate on service. Skyrocketing insurance rates say no more joy rides. If someone walks into their showroom off the street, they're usually just tire kickers anyway. I've bought a dozen new bikes from them and had to order all of them. If no one fawns over you when you walk into a showroom, dont blame the dealership, blame the 100s of tire kickers before you that wasted hours of their time then made their purchase out of the area to save a few bucks.
The Sportster program has been around on and off for years. The big complaint from riders is they start with a Sportster and shortly after want a Big Twin. IMO that's on of the smartest promotions I've seen.I do think most dealers want to help you get the bike of your dreams. But for some there may be a few steps to get there. I was unaware of that Sportster RIDE FREE PROGRAM. Is that something that's always available all the time or a once in awhile thing? That is an awesome program for someone wanting to move up.
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"customer expectations become unreasonable..." That's the understatement of the year and It's true in every business.I've said this before, one of our closest friends owns a ma and pa metric dealership. Its been in the family since the '60s. They've watched the industry change, prophet margins decline, and customer expectations become unreasonable over the years. In the early years, they could stock as many new motorcycles as they could fit in their showroom, offer test rides and still make a profit. Now with the internet, most keyboard Columbos already know what bike they want, where they can get a free joy/test ride and where they can get the best price. They only stock a few motorcycles now and concentrate on service. Skyrocketing insurance rates say no more joy rides. If someone walks into their showroom off the street, they're usually just tire kickers anyway. I've bought a dozen new bikes from them and had to order all of them. If no one fawns over you when you walk into a showroom, dont blame the dealership, blame the 100s of tire kickers before you that wasted hours of their time then made their purchase out of the area to save a few bucks.
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Sure is. I've watch our only local dealership go from a full house of bikes and ATVs to just ATvVs to lawnmowers now. And they are still about to have to close the doors. It will soon only be few big dealerships and if you live out in the sticks like I do, you just won't be getting anything new. This internet is doing more damage than good in my opinion. The used market will be it for many of us from here on out. Yeah, I blame customer expectations for a good deal of what is wrong today. And it won't get better anytime soon.:sad:"customer expectations become unreasonable..." That's the understatement of the year and It's true in every business.
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It's not just the MC business, or even retail in general. People expect things and services in time frames and ways that are just unreasonable. I've been in the insurance industry for 15 years and I see it on my end too. It's not just internet shopping, its stuff like they have a minor claim and are complaining that they haven't been called back. When I pull up the account I can see the Insurance carrier got the claim only a hour or so beforehand. Our instant gratification, I'm the only one who matters, society has made some aspects of life miserable.Sure is. I've watch our only local dealership go from a full house of bikes and ATVs to just ATvVs to lawnmowers now. And they are still about to have to close the doors. It will soon only be few big dealerships and if you live out in the sticks like I do, you just won't be getting anything new. This internet is doing more damage than good in my opinion. The used market will be it for many of us from here on out. Yeah, I blame customer expectations for a good deal of what is wrong today. And it won't get better anytime soon.:sad:
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Ok, so just what has caused the culture of impatience and instant gratification? Is it the consumer who demands ridiculous delivery times for products on order, or is it the corporations that try to one up each other for guaranteeing the quickest and fastest delivery time, often at no charge?
Do you find yourself screaming at your phone if it sputters and stops if even for one or two seconds? If you're put on phone hold trying to find out why your package didn't arrive in 2 days as promised and now you're into the third day? Sometimes having to wait 3 days instead of 2 is an eternity in today's society.
Waiting can be awful for many of the young people who are used to instant gratification. They want it now and any delay cannot be tolerated, that's when the psychological reaction is anxiety, or as is commonly heard, "I'm really stressed man."
Today it is possible to have almost anything delivered, everything is available. I see this as a company activated system that prey's on the minds of the jellyfish that can't cope with having to wait for anything. Wal-Mart and eBay have challenged Amazon as to who can deliver the fastest, because that's what the consumer wants.
Instant gratification has even found its way into your living room with DVRs and being able to watch a complete season of your favorite show without commercials. Internet providers are upping the speed of their connection - for a higher cost of course. And if a youtube video has not started in one or two seconds, many people leave, too much time wasted they say.
With shorter attentions spans, fewer are choosing to read books, magazines and long articles. Students would rather look at more graphic novels, mostly due to the wide number of pictures and shorter sentences and lots of blank spaces, this seems to make the information less overwhelming for the young millennial.
Since I do a good deal of writing, I was curious why so many articles I read online and in print form, have all begun using very short paragraphs. Then I realized that the old adage of "Keep it simple stupid" as been changed, it should now be "Keep it simple for the stupid."
This all seems like a Catch 22. Companies offer faster service, and so the consumer demands it even faster. The corporations, trying to meet ever increasing demands of faster delivery times are working overtime to make it happen. People don't want to pay for shipping but it seems if delivery is guaranteed on same day or one day, many will pay for it. It seems the thought of waiting is just beyond their ability to deal with it. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it's sure putting demands on society as a whole. And making us all %#$&*$^#@ crazy.
Do you find yourself screaming at your phone if it sputters and stops if even for one or two seconds? If you're put on phone hold trying to find out why your package didn't arrive in 2 days as promised and now you're into the third day? Sometimes having to wait 3 days instead of 2 is an eternity in today's society.
Waiting can be awful for many of the young people who are used to instant gratification. They want it now and any delay cannot be tolerated, that's when the psychological reaction is anxiety, or as is commonly heard, "I'm really stressed man."
Today it is possible to have almost anything delivered, everything is available. I see this as a company activated system that prey's on the minds of the jellyfish that can't cope with having to wait for anything. Wal-Mart and eBay have challenged Amazon as to who can deliver the fastest, because that's what the consumer wants.
Instant gratification has even found its way into your living room with DVRs and being able to watch a complete season of your favorite show without commercials. Internet providers are upping the speed of their connection - for a higher cost of course. And if a youtube video has not started in one or two seconds, many people leave, too much time wasted they say.
With shorter attentions spans, fewer are choosing to read books, magazines and long articles. Students would rather look at more graphic novels, mostly due to the wide number of pictures and shorter sentences and lots of blank spaces, this seems to make the information less overwhelming for the young millennial.
Since I do a good deal of writing, I was curious why so many articles I read online and in print form, have all begun using very short paragraphs. Then I realized that the old adage of "Keep it simple stupid" as been changed, it should now be "Keep it simple for the stupid."
This all seems like a Catch 22. Companies offer faster service, and so the consumer demands it even faster. The corporations, trying to meet ever increasing demands of faster delivery times are working overtime to make it happen. People don't want to pay for shipping but it seems if delivery is guaranteed on same day or one day, many will pay for it. It seems the thought of waiting is just beyond their ability to deal with it. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it's sure putting demands on society as a whole. And making us all %#$&*$^#@ crazy.
Well said.Ok, so just what has caused the culture of impatience and instant gratification? Is it the consumer who demands ridiculous delivery times for products on order, or is it the corporations that try to one up each other for guaranteeing the quickest and fastest delivery time, often at no charge?
Do you find yourself screaming at your phone if it sputters and stops if even for one or two seconds? If you're put on phone hold trying to find out why your package didn't arrive in 2 days as promised and now you're into the third day? Sometimes having to wait 3 days instead of 2 is an eternity in today's society.
Waiting can be awful for many of the young people who are used to instant gratification. They want it now and any delay cannot be tolerated, that's when the psychological reaction is anxiety, or as is commonly heard, "I'm really stressed man."
Today it is possible to have almost anything delivered, everything is available. I see this as a company activated system that prey's on the minds of the jellyfish that can't cope with having to wait for anything. Wal-Mart and eBay have challenged Amazon as to who can deliver the fastest, because that's what the consumer wants.
Instant gratification has even found its way into your living room with DVRs and being able to watch a complete season of your favorite show without commercials. Internet providers are upping the speed of their connection - for a higher cost of course. And if a youtube video has not started in one or two seconds, many people leave, too much time wasted they say.
With shorter attentions spans, fewer are choosing to read books, magazines and long articles. Students would rather look at more graphic novels, mostly due to the wide number of pictures and shorter sentences and lots of blank spaces, this seems to make the information less overwhelming for the young millennial.
Since I do a good deal of writing, I was curious why so many articles I read online and in print form, have all begun using very short paragraphs. Then I realized that the old adage of "Keep it simple stupid" as been changed, it should now be "Keep it simple for the stupid."
This all seems like a Catch 22. Companies offer faster service, and so the consumer demands it even faster. The corporations, trying to meet ever increasing demands of faster delivery times are working overtime to make it happen. People don't want to pay for shipping but it seems if delivery is guaranteed on same day or one day, many will pay for it. It seems the thought of waiting is just beyond their ability to deal with it. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it's sure putting demands on society as a whole. And making us all %#$&*$^#@ crazy.
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