North Harbour Yamaha gone

[Digitdion]

It's hard to buy a completely assembled new motorcycle on Ebay and considerably harder to get it serviced through that online channel. That said, if motorcycle shops are dependent on their parts and accessories departments for their financial viability, then they should be seriously examining their business model.

Very well said. And SO TRUE!

[Metal Doctor]

if they are closing down, a new one would have to open somewhere. i cant imagine a major brand like Yamaha not having a main dealer? Maybe the current owners had a falling out with Yam or something?

[BMWST?]

if they are closing down, a new one would have to open somewhere. i cant imagine a major brand like Yamaha not having a main dealer? Maybe the current owners had a falling out with Yam or something?

Beleive it.Wellington has had very poor Yamaha representation for years.

[Damantis]

Waikato Yamaha closed earlier this year too.

[mossy1200]

Waikato Yamaha closed earlier this year too.

Know of a small town yamaha dealership that droped yamaha because his main market was quads and they told him he needed stock 4 new road bikes at all times.

[gammaguy]

It has been a while since Yamaha showed any real interest in selling new motorcycles. This has been demonstrated by their pricing points, compared with similar models from other manufacturers; their complete unwillingness to show their full range of bikes on their web site; and also no interest in listing recommended retail price information online as other manufacturers have no issues with. Amongst other things.

yamaha australia own the distribution rights into NZ.

think they care much?

[JimO]

if they are closing down, a new one would have to open somewhere. i cant imagine a major brand like Yamaha not having a main dealer? Maybe the current owners had a falling out with Yam or something?

Dunedin hasnt had a Honda dealer for years

[nzspokes]

If only they had opened Sundays......

[Kickaha]

If only they had opened Sundays......

Then they could have closed up for good months ago

[ktm84mxc]

Come on Spokey get over the opening on Sunday will be the salvation of bike shops .
Yamaha NZ is run from Australia and our market would equate to Tasmania's and we all know what the Aussi's think of that state. I understand Peter Payne is returning to Auss soon and Olli Sharpe will be coming on board as a sales/marketing manager.
Yamaha's road bike presence in NZ is tiny they make more turn over on the farm/quad and off road market.
Sorry to see Nth Harbour Yamaha go , it appears a stand alone franchise will struggle in NZ esp a Yamaha or Kawasaki, multi brands seems the way to go. Remember a shop in East Ham London had Suzi,Honda,Kawa,Yam and Ducati what a choice/selection.

[Bender]

yamaha australia own the distribution rights into NZ.

think they care much?

Nail/Head...

[Ocean1]

yamaha australia own the distribution rights into NZ.

think they care much?

Yes, Australian direction of NZ businesses has represented a huge cost to the NZ economy and workforce over the years.

And, having crippled or closed businesses here they'd been known to have the balls to blame the lack of NZ turnover for subsequent losses at home.

[Hitcher]

Remember a shop in East Ham London had Suzi,Honda,Kawa,Yam and Ducati what a choice/selection.

Such multi-franchise arrangements are the norm in the USA. New bike shops are generally either exclusively Harley-Davidson (sometimes with Ducati or Triumph hidden away in a back corner) or Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha combined, often with Polaris thrown in as well.

[Metal Doctor]

when i brought my blade from a honda dealership i had to take it back a few months later for a recall job, they would not honour it a said they will not be doing hondas anymore, there was alot of shouting and arm waving going on as you can imagine, had to take it to another dealer to be sorted.

turns out honda had dropped them as a dealer because they werent operating as honda wanted them to!

as for yam, i dont know if they are so strickt on there dealers, but it seems fuckin stoopid not to have a major dealer in NZ! i've always liked Yams even had a few myself, i think they pump alot of money into R+D and would need high sales to meet targets.

[SPman]

Such multi-franchise arrangements are the norm in the USA. New bike shops are generally either exclusively Harley-Davidson (sometimes with Ducati or Triumph hidden away in a back corner) or Suzuki, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha combined, often with Polaris thrown in as well.

In Perth just go to the Causeway - the same overall owners have a Kawaski shop, with Aprilia & Moto Guzzi, (used to also have Bimota and Benelli, until the Aus distributorship changed), walk through the hole in the wall to the Ducati/KTM/MV dealership...stroll next door to Victory, then again to the Yamaha shop, then to the next shop (seperate owners) with lots of second hand and the Hyosung etc, dealership, then another 10m to the Honda shop. Walk 100 m the other way to a Harley shop..........
If you want a Suzuki - tough - you'll have to go 3 k up the road! Triumph - 6k the other way!