Can anyone tell me why bike shops only open for half a day on Sunday?

**NordieBoy** · 24th February 2010, 20:00

Originally Posted by imdying

Ahhh, it's usually considered bad form to tell the OP what their thread is about.

OP - Old Person?

**Big Dave** · 24th February 2010, 20:43

'Not Reno Dummy, Rio. Rio Degenaro.'

Organ Player.

**Brian d marge** · 25th February 2010, 01:22

Wednesday is Auction Day at BDS

I had Tuesdays Wed off but was at the Auctions

Stephen

**Brian d marge** · 25th February 2010, 01:28

Single malt Speyside , 20 dollar a bottle

hell yes

if fact heres one I had started earlier Said "Valerie "

Stephen

**Brian d marge** · 25th February 2010, 01:29

What in heavens name possessed you to own an XZ400

Im asking the Same Question ......

Stephen

**Brian d marge** · 25th February 2010, 01:50

just as an example of going out and getting customers

Snip

Greene said he has spent 42 years in the motorcycle industry, with Kawasaki, Triumph, Harley-Davidson and Piaggio.

He ran the Aprilia Adventure Ride while at Piaggio. Instead of a short demo ride at a motorcycle show, participants paid for an experience that was an hour and a half long, included lunch, and they left with t-shirts, hats and decals to remember it by.

Stephen

**scracha** · 28th February 2010, 05:54

Seriously, I think the original thread poster has a point. Motorcycling these days is largely a leisure past-time. Leisure time on motorcycle (whether riding one or working on one) is largely over the weekend and evenings so I honestly can't understand why bike shops can't open at these times.

Properly advertised and staffed, bike shops in the UK (and no, they're not all big cities or densely populated areas) do very well when they open on a Saturday and possibly a late thursday night or Sunday morning. My regular* bike shop out in the sticks was ran by one guy plus apprentice mechanic. He compensated losing his Saturday by taking all of Tuesday off and also Wednesday morning. Didn't even bother "rotating" shifts with his apprentice to stay open Tuesday/Wednesday as he lost so little money from closing and gained so much work that they were both working flat out every Saturday**. This was 15 years ago.

Kiwi bike shops seem to be stuck in the 80's. Burying their head in the sand and moaning about Internet purchases just doesn't wash. Other industries have adapted. Anyone working in the modern motorcycle industry expecting normal working hours is seriuosly deluded.

I don't see the local tennis coach moaning because most of his work is early evening and weekends. Could you imagine if Robert Taylor had a Monday - Friday 9 till 5 mentality?

*I didn't say LOCAL bike shop as my LOCAL bike shop couldn't be bothered opening on Saturday even though it was in a large town of about 150,000 people. Most of this guy's customers were like myself and preferred to ride a few hours for proper service.

**incidentally, he had a large viewing area separating his COMFORTABLE and ENTERTAINING (nothing crazy expensive:- TV, magazines, posters, vending machine with cheap coffee) little shop from the workshop and was more than happy to invite you to watch him working on your bike and ask any questions. Hell, he'd even estime the time of day he'd get to work on your bike. Even demonstrated and encouraged customers to do the simple jobs themselves. Now that's called building a trusting and long term customer relationship. The guy did very well for himself.......funny that?

**marty** · 28th February 2010, 07:16

I work in a 24/7 service industry. The same staff that are working on Sunday are not the same staff working Wed and Thurs - not everyone wants the weekends off. In fact, riding/flying/snow skiing/whatever, watching MILFs on the waterfront, is often best done on your days off when those days off are midweek! I did 10 days snow skiing last season - NEVER queued for ANY lift, always got a carpark right at the top. Water skiing - fantastic when you're the only boat on the lake.

**dipshit** · 28th February 2010, 09:11

Originally Posted by SS90

and the internet freely gives out "expert" titles to anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection, we have a steady supply of customers who all know better than experienced staff at a bike shop, and there is no convincing them otherwise.

Originally Posted by Ixion

But the comment perhaps gives an interesting insight into the underlying attitudes of motorcycle traders towards their customers.

Just wait till you have someone that works in a bike shop tell you how the cams in your SV1000 are driven.... http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...post1129576998

**jonbuoy** · 28th February 2010, 10:19

To be fair you can't expect mechanics or parts people to know everything about every model of bike made over the last 30 years or so Suzuki dealer or not. I was a bit surprised so many bike shops closed over the weekend - don't really want to take time off work to go bike hunting or get a set of tyres fitted. I work weekends on rotation but get the days off in the week -I love my weekday days off.

**dipshit** · 28th February 2010, 11:42

Originally Posted by jonbuoy

To be fair you can't expect mechanics or parts people to know everything about every model of bike made over the last 30 years or so Suzuki dealer or not.

The trouble is that they think they do, be it right or wrong.

**SS90** · 1st March 2010, 07:32

Originally Posted by dipshit

Just wait till you have someone that works in a bike shop tell you how the cams in your SV1000 are driven.... http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...post1129576998

(SIGH), and here is a perfect case in point.

One chap makes a simple mistake (by generalising), and, through the miracle of the internet, we now have a link that we can forever see this mistake.

I really wish there was a plumbing website, where we could get some free advise from an experienced plumber, then, after consulting Wikipedia we could all show him how wrong he is.

**Crasherfromwayback** · 1st March 2010, 08:22

Originally Posted by SS90

(SIGH), and here is a perfect case in point.

One chap makes a simple mistake (by generalising), and, through the miracle of the internet, we now have a link that we can forever see this mistake.

I really wish there was a plumbing website, where we could get some free advise from an experienced plumber, then, after consulting Wikipedia we could all show him how wrong he is.

Funny that eh! Old Shit Dipper is hanging onto that post for all it's worth! Still...I guess after 23 years in the industry...doing Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha, Triumph, Moto Guzzi, Ducati, BMW HD, Buell and Kawasaki...it's a national disgrace to get it mixed up over one model and drop the ball!