Are motorcycle dealerships thriving at the moment are sales booming

[Tokerau boy]

Just been to a Honda dealership and the lack of enthusiasm for customer contact until I was walking out the door is astounding, I was looking at the various price tags and specs of a new bike but there again no acknowledgment of me being there until I was leaving, and I do know if the service when buying the new bike is poor it’s only going down hill if there’s a warranty issue . I will admit I am not spending a large sum $14k so I suppose they aren’t excited enough to want my business,
I did go to Coleman’s and was greeted well there so I guess they are interested in the money

[F5 Dave]

It isn't a good time for anyone to be selling motorbikes. They are probably all depressed. Spoken to a few salespeople.

That said I bought a CFMoto 450MT. Apparently they have sold 60 out of one upper hutt shop. Crazy.

Though sometimes they are just dicks.

In the 90s I walked into a shop wanting to buy a particular bike. Crawled under it. No interest. Didn't progress any further and a mate offered me something similar and I jumped.

Had that a few times. Guess I have that vibe.
Probably too sexy so they are overwhelmed and can't approach me.

[jellywrestler]

It isn't a good time for anyone to be selling motorbikes. They are probably all depressed. Spoken to a few salespeople.

That said I bought a CFMoto 450MT. Apparently they have sold 60 out of one upper hutt shop. Crazy.

.

i was there a fortnight ago and he told me 100, and was with his wife, people don't usually tell porkies with management there. Impressive sales rate

[jellywrestler]

I wanted a Honda Bros a bit over a decade ago so sat down and rung every dealer from new plymouth to gisborne south to welly
4 out of five asked me if i'd tried trade me, not even bothering to look it up on there while i was on the phone and maybe scalp one and offer it to me,
many hadn't heard of one, again, not thinking of googling one to even see what one was, it was like they had all surrended and given up on their job.
not sure how they are now but it was quite an eye opener to me

[Tokerau boy]

I’ve been into a couple of different motorcycle dealerships and the guys are on the computer and are happy to ignore me , I do consider it a bonus if they do acknowledge me and then carry on with their computer I often wonder if it’s porn they are on and are busy with themselves, I’ve learned not to hang around if they don’t want to speak to me

[Tokerau boy]

I wanted a Honda Bros a bit over a decade ago so sat down and rung every dealer from new plymouth to gisborne south to welly
4 out of five asked me if i'd tried trade me, not even bothering to look it up on there while i was on the phone and maybe scalp one and offer it to me,
many hadn't heard of one, again, not thinking of googling one to even see what one was, it was like they had all surrended and given up on their job.
not sure how they are now but it was quite an eye opener to me
If the staff were on commission things might have been different, but I think the sales staff just go to the business place to wear out their old clothes and eat their lunch

[pritch]

Just been to a Honda dealership and the lack of enthusiasm for customer contact until I was walking out the door is astounding,

That's often been the experience I've had since the seventies. If you're personally known you'll be greeted but they don't seem to like strangers. Even if the stranger is dressed in riding gear or is greeted as a familiar by other bikers in the shop.

[BMWST?]

I have just bought a 1250GS .It was a dealer listing on Trade Me. I have got to say the whole thing was made easy . I had to arrange to fly down (to Dunedin)and get some new gear as well. The whole thing went very well and I got a 1000 off the retail price. Nothing was too much trouble for them.

[F5 Dave]

Come down see Jimmy at tss in the hutt. I knew him for mor than 20 years before I bought a bike off him. Always had the time to talk to me.

I've left things on counters before so the sales staff get to put them away and wonder why that sale didn't go through while they talked to thier mates or co walkers.

[BMWST?]

Come down see Jimmy at tss in the hutt. I knew him for mor than 20 years before I bought a bike off him. Always had the time to talk to me.

I've left things on counters before so the sales staff get to put them away and wonder why that sale didn't go through while they talked to thier mates or co walkers.
I know Andrew well.

[F5 Dave]

Sorry I meant In other places I left stuff on counters.

Andrew and Jay are probably the only staff in shops that take a real passion in knowing thier product. Although Aimee is learning fast.
It used to be in the 80s 90s staff were more keen. Actually all the wgtn Darbi staff were goldmines of 2000s on.

[nzspokes]

i was there a fortnight ago and he told me 100, and was with his wife, people don't usually tell porkies with management there. Impressive sales rate

How many have needed new clutches?

[jellywrestler]

How many have needed new clutches?

nasal sex.....

[Kickaha]

That said I bought a CFMoto 450MT. Apparently they have sold 60 out of one upper hutt shop. Crazy.

That and the Royal Enfield equivalent were the top selling bikes in NZ for months, there's been 228 CFmoto 450MT sold this year, it is the single most popular bike in the country by a very wide margin and CFmoto with it's other models has just over 11% of the market ytd which is just behind Suzuki and Honda

[R650R]

For me it’s the opposite I love to browse and quietly check things out before I’m ready to buy anything, it’s why I hate having to buy anything in mega 10.
I’ve bought brand new bikes four times and every time it’s been pretty positive across several different brands. I’ve usually gone in pretty proactive though and said I’m fairly keen on x or Z what kind of deal can you do for me. And I’ll never test ride before agreeing on price.
A car dealer I dealt with hated this and tried all sorts of tricks to get me to test drive the car first even getting dealership manager out. Cut a good deal in my favour in end.

You have to remember though they prob deal with dozens of tyre kickers and have their good days and bad days like anyone else. Who knows what personal problems they’ve got going on at home etc. It’s a big purchase to us but it’s just another day at the office for them.

[HenryDorsetCase]

That and the Royal Enfield equivalent were the top selling bikes in NZ for months, there's been 228 CFmoto 450MT sold this year, it is the single most popular bike in the country by a very wide margin and CFmoto with it's other models has just over 11% of the market ytd which is just behind Suzuki and Honda

The one that surprised me is the Triumph 400 - apparently they have sold 80+ of them as of a couple of months ago. I see a lot on the roads so that sounds about right.

The whole "these dicks don't know that they are retailers and customer service is last on their priorities" has been baked into the industry as long as I have been into bikes. I was going to lambast a well known dealer here but everybody knows who they are. So lets talk about people who get it right: Mega Motorcycle centre. Lot of good knowledge, friendly service, and usually have what I want or will get it. Last helmet I bought was at Trevor Pierce - (home of Yamaha and now Royal Enfield) - they also do customer service right. I wasnt even looking but finally found one that fitted. The only bike I have ever bought from them was the SR400....... and they dont hold it against me.

[Racing Dave]

You have to remember though they prob deal with dozens of tyre kickers and have their good days and bad days like anyone else. Who knows what personal problems they’ve got going on at home etc. It’s a big purchase to us but it’s just another day at the office for them.

They've got one job; if their other problems interfere, then they need to have a good long think about why they are in the trade.

When I was in the market for a new XL750 TransAlp, I gave my local Honda shop three chances to act like a sales team, which they failed three times. Instead, I bought from Ewan Allan Honda in Balclutha, and was treated like an actual customer. They were nothing but a pleasure with which to deal, and my TransAlp nothing but a pleasure to ride.

[HenryDorsetCase]

They've got one job; if their other problems interfere, then they need to have a good long think about why they are in the trade.

When I was in the market for a new XL750 TransAlp, I gave my local Honda shop three chances to act like a sales team, which they failed three times. Instead, I bought from Ewan Allan Honda in Balclutha, and was treated like an actual customer. They were nothing but a pleasure with which to deal, and my TransAlp nothing but a pleasure to ride.

I bought the nicest CB750 I ever owned from the dude at Alexandra Honda.

[F5 Dave]

They've got one job; if their other problems interfere, then they need to have a good long think about why they are in the trade.

. . . .
This.

Near where I live we have a good shop and a bad shop. I've had to buy something there as they had it available when it was running out. No enthusiasm.

Interview: do you like motorbikes? Oh yes I do.
Do you want to work with them all day? Oh that sounds good.
Do you like people? Oh, ,no, - no time for those cuntz.

Next.

[Racing Dave]

I bought the nicest CB750 I ever owned from the dude at Alexandra Honda.

Bruce Davidson is very much of the good customer service ilk. Alexandra is not my local dealer. I'd be happy if it was.

I say again, I had excellent service from Ewan Allan Honda in Balclutha.

[BMWST?]

For me it’s the opposite I love to browse and quietly check things out before I’m ready to buy anything, it’s why I hate having to buy anything in mega 10.
I’ve bought brand new bikes four times and every time it’s been pretty positive across several different brands. I’ve usually gone in pretty proactive though and said I’m fairly keen on x or Z what kind of deal can you do for me. And I’ll never test ride before agreeing on price.
A car dealer I dealt with hated this and tried all sorts of tricks to get me to test drive the car first even getting dealership manager out. Cut a good deal in my favour in end.

You have to remember though they prob deal with dozens of tyre kickers and have their good days and bad days like anyone else. Who knows what personal problems they’ve got going on at home etc. It’s a big purchase to us but it’s just another day at the office for them.

Agree. I spose in hindsight the experience i had was very posistive because I had already deliberated and compared and ummed and ahhed before Hand. I rang to enquire about a couple of things,then a day or two later I rand back,spoke the the same guy and said I am in. So they knew it was already a sure thing

[pritch]

This.

Near where I live we have a good shop and a bad shop. I've had to buy something there as they had it available when it was running out. No enthusiasm.

Interview: do you like motorbikes? Oh yes I do.
Do you want to work with them all day? Oh that sounds good.
Do you like people? Oh, ,no, - no time for those cuntz.

Next.

There is a dealer here under new management. Well not so new now but... The yard used to be fulll of bikes, the showroom was always busy, they held promotions and participated in road safety activities. Last time I passed the yard was almost empty, the showroom was deserted except for a grumpy dude who is the dealer principal. Last time I tried to buy a tyre he told me they only sold Bridgestone. I told him thanks but no thanks.
"Are you aware they are the biggest selling tyre in NZ?"
I wasn't but I still didn't want a Bridgestone.

I bought my last four bikes there. There's virtually zero chance I'd be buying anything there now.

[F5 Dave]

And in a continuing story: . . . people who shouldn't be in sales to human beings.

[jellywrestler]

So recently I tried something different, promoting the Cold Kiwi Rally another way, as the club seems to have given up.
I, with the clubs permission, arranged an A2 (i Think) poster for the rally, one side poster the other promoting a group ride from the place of the poster, with a large square for scrawling the day and leaving time

I, through contacts, arranged about 100 to be distributed through the north island to bike shops.

I added a small letter suggested display one half or both, they may have some customers who they know are rally nuts who want to lead the charge or just have a kick off point, a group of riders all leaving from their shop.

I also asked if they had a time if they could either send me a photo, and/or put it on facebook and I would share, they say any publicity is good publicity, and I was more than happy to thank these people in a small way by promoting their shop


To Date there have been two places I know who have posted the ride thing, one a sponsor and the other a shop where I also went up one night and did a one and a half hour talk on the rally so a motivated shop that thinks outside of the box and has a weekly evening get together.


The whole thing took next to nothing to set up once the poster and stuff were delivered, some sellotape, and maybe a phone call to some customers to find someone who want to rally the troops, and gave the shop staff a subject to talk to them about too, something different. "are you heading to the Kiwi" for example.



My conclusion is there is no life out there anymore very much, there's something handed on a plate to have something cool kick off from there's, but no uptake..

Just my thoughts

[SaferRides]

I went to Cyclespot in Auckland on a week day to pick up a part. There was nothing parked at the front, no motorbikes or cars. A staff member was standing outside having a break, and I checked with him whether the shop was open as so many businesses are going under at the moment.

It is tough out there, a difficult time to be selling expensive motorbikes. (Ducatis...)

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[Tokerau boy]

When they have no intention or interest in getting a sale , when i eventually do manage to get a reply it’s I’ll get back to you which they never bother with, and when I make a reasonable offer they don’t even bother with a counter offer, just ignore me. I guess the workshop is what is ticking the business along,
When I do put effort in to showing up at the premises and see a collection of 2 or 3 year old new unregistered bikes sitting in the showroom and coming up is October usually when the next years model is being released, I thought the overdraft on the bikes sitting there would encourage a sale ,

[SaferRides]

My experiences with them in the past have not been great. I looked at a near new MT-10 a few years ago which had some cosmetic damage. They weren't prepared to repair it or give a discount, so I left it.

If I do buy a Yamaha, I will probably go to Boyds, although that would be a very long trip for you.

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[Tokerau boy]

My experiences with them in the past have not been great. I looked at a near new MT-10 a few years ago which had some cosmetic damage. They weren't prepared to repair it or give a discount, so I left it.

If I do buy a Yamaha, I will probably go to Boyds, although that would be a very long trip for you.

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I’ve tried them and they are another I’ll get back to you and never do

[BMWST?]

When they have no intention or interest in getting a sale , when i eventually do manage to get a reply it’s I’ll get back to you which they never bother with, and when I make a reasonable offer they don’t even bother with a counter offer, just ignore me. I guess the workshop is what is ticking the business along,
When I do put effort in to showing up at the premises and see a collection of 2 or 3 year old new unregistered bikes sitting in the showroom and coming up is October usually when the next years model is being released, I thought the overdraft on the bikes sitting there would encourage a sale ,
completely the opposite experince I had at Mciver and Veitch in Dunedin. The bike had been on TM for a while and they advertised it 1000 off. From the first phone call it was all go.

[HenryDorsetCase]

I’ve tried them and they are another I’ll get back to you and never do

Cyclespot did that to me. Absolutely useless

[jellywrestler]

Cyclespot did that to me. Absolutely useless

which cyclespot?