Haldanes is closed

[BMWST?]

How do they come in, then? It's almost certainly inside a container, so the cost of transport will be the same per bike whether the container's full of bikes or one bike and a thousand soft toys.



What's that got to do with the huge differences in prices across those markets?



Yes. That's what I said, the prices are all over the place.



The prices I compared were essentiall the same basic bikes. Top of the line R1200 GS is similarly much dearer here.



Yeah, that's what I said. Why?



So who does have a margin of 100% on a new 1200 gs here? Someone, or a collection of someones does. You're suggesting the Aussies have something to do with it?

It's far too easy to wave it off as very complicated and to do with market forces we can't guess at and wouldn't understand. And there's certainly an element of size of the individual order and of the overall market in setting purchase price ex factory. But 140% to 200%? Fuck off, if I wanted one and couldn't go around the national distributor to the US or UK then I wouldn't be buying one on principle, even if I could afford it.

I was trying to make some arguments,but i dont actually know WHY either

[Crasherfromwayback]

and the whole feel of the place was bad......like a third world, low wage economy! .

That's bullshit. It is what you make it. NZ is a fucking awesome place to live.

[BoristheBiter]

You don't think it's got anything to do with the NZ economy being totally fucked, a gov that can't be fucked doing anything about it and, luckily for the economy, 100,000
+ people have buggered off to Aus.? Imagine if they were all still in NZ and most were on the dole! More and more people have less and less money to get by on.......bike shops aren't the only businesses falling over, nasty though it may be. Richard was always good to deal with!
Had a cousin sell up in Perth and move back to NZ middle of last year. She'd lived and worked overseas for 20 odd yrs......after 6 months, she's packing up again and moving back to Oz - she was shocked at how bad it actually is there, now. Couldn't get a job, wages offered were crap, and the whole feel of the place was bad......like a third world, low wage economy! Family and country ties aren't enough to keep her there (she's Maori)....and it's going to get worse for most of you........

Prices in Aus - new are cheaper than NZ in aus dollars, but, in aus, we are paid in aus dollars, and normally more of them.......

Don't know what part of the workforce you or your cousin are in but are now back to above pre 2009 levels and it is getting better.
But I have heard of a few coming back here and lasting about 6 months as the can't be bothered with the laziness and whining of some people.
Guess it just comes down to whom you surround yourself with and how you look at life, I Listen to the fiance report in the morning on ZB and from since the downturn happened the report has said we don't have it bad here and most company's are still making a profit so it can't be that fucked.
Maybe you should stop believing all that Labour and the greens say, or the naysayers on KB.

So the way I look at it is I still have a choice of which bike I will get on today and where shall I go riding, and for how long It can't be that bad.
Besides ever paid for a track day in Aussie? now that's something that is way cheaper here.

[Madness]

When you can buy a full set for the cost of one here it seems like a good idea to me.

Yeah we'll you've never struck me as being the sharpest tool in the shed so that comes as no surprise.

[Zedder]

Don't know what part of the workforce you or your cousin are in but are now back to above pre 2009 levels and it is getting better.
But I have heard of a few coming back here and lasting about 6 months as the can't be bothered with the laziness and whining of some people.
Guess it just comes down to whom you surround yourself with and how you look at life, I Listen to the fiance report in the morning on ZB and from since the downturn happened the report has said we don't have it bad here and most company's are still making a profit so it can't be that fucked.
Maybe you should stop believing all that Labour and the greens say, or the naysayers on KB.

So the way I look at it is I still have a choice of which bike I will get on today and where shall I go riding, and for how long It can't be that bad.
Besides ever paid for a track day in Aussie? now that's something that is way cheaper here.

You and Crasher said it well. I've lived and worked in a few diverse countries and enjoyed them all, but for a country with fuck all people etc, NZ is doing alright and getting better as you wrote.

I didn't know there was a fiance report on ZB though, Kiwi girls should be very pleased about that...

[gammaguy]

I did do a lot of research 1st. No I did not pay any duty or GST. I worked out the flat rate shipping of approx $23 nzd was a lot cheaper than paying duty, so I made several orders 7 days apart. Worked a charm.




Yes, sadly that is what I'm saying. That is not what I would choose, it is just an unfortunate statement on the current state of how things are. Not every shop will close, as not everyone buys their stuff off the net, and a by product of it all will be bike prices and servicing prices may have to go up to compensate for the lost revenue on accessories. I don't profess to have the answer to it all. I run an online business and the irony is I cannot survive selling my product in NZ as they do not have the same appreciation for my line as what overseas people do. I totally depend on overseas sales. I too have had the problem where suddenly entire lines become cheaper elsewhere and I cannot compete. I do not blame my customers for not buying from me, I just take it on the chin and drop that line and move on, innovate and so on.



I do not entirely agree here, buying online overseas in fact opened up entire ranges that have always been unavailable to me at NZ shops. Swings and round abouts and all that. The online world now enables me as a buyer to be on equal footing with American and European customers. That was just a dream 10 years ago.

On a human level, I so agree with near everything you have to say, this "disposable" way of living is not sustainable, but we as individuals have to live in this framework until something major happens. I recycle all I can, and support NZ business when it is not contrary to my safety, but that is just a small drop in a very large ocean.
btw, sorry bout the multi quote thing, but you made three very good points that I wanted to respond to in turn.

We are alike in many ways,being early adopters of the online business model

so much of my business now goes overseas,I moved there myself.....

If you.dont ride the train of progress,you get run over by it

In some ways it is sad to see haldanes go,but not totally surprising and they we're selling a luxury product in a country that has less purchasers of that product every day.

They all go to.Aussie...and in my case Singapore

[gammaguy]

You have hit the nail on the head! In the future I can see 2 option s for a business model moving forward. Either the wholesaler goes, and the retailer gets there stuff direct from manufacturer.I doubt if this will happen.I

Or the wholesalers bring them selves out of the shadows and start retailing. I would expect that this would only happen after most retailers have gone bust.

It's called evolution.

Waahaaaahaaa

You don't think that's happened already?

Ask any dealer what they think.of the importers retailing in competition to them

Its happening in nz right now

[Zedder]

Waahaaaahaaa

You don't think that's happened already?

Ask any dealer what they think.of the importers retailing in competition to them

Its happening in nz right now

Waahaaaahaa yourself. My understanding was Digidion, Scracha and me were writing about those in the industry needing to change business models as a whole. We wrote about possible end scenarios.

Has every dealer and wholesaler changed? No. Does every wholesaler also sell motorbikes? No.

The industry is obviously changing though.

[scracha]

You and Crasher said it well. I've lived and worked in a few diverse countries and enjoyed them all, but for a country with fuck all people etc, NZ is doing alright and getting better as you wrote.

I didn't know there was a fiance report on ZB though, Kiwi girls should be very pleased about that...

Who can deny it's a low wage economy here? Most 40 somethings and above are quite settled but most young kiwi's are voting with their feet and not coming back. Head in the sand if you think NZ is getting better.

I wish I knew the answers.

[Crasherfromwayback]

Who can deny it's a low wage economy here? Most 40 somethings and above are quite settled but most young kiwi's are voting with their feet and not coming back. Head in the sand if you think NZ is getting better.

I wish I knew the answers.

I didn't deny the low wage bit. What I do deny...is that NZ feels like a third world shithole (I know he didn't use that term). NZ is an incredible place to live. You don't have to earn millions to have a nice lifestyle. You can snowboard one day, swim in the sea the next. We have uncrowded roads to enjoy, a climate that's pretty bloody good and food/wine/beer second to none. Most of the world has been doing it tough in case you haven't noticed, and we're no different.

I know the answer. If you find living here so bad...fuck off.

[gammaguy]

I didn't deny the low wage bit. What I do deny...is that NZ feels like a third world shithole (I know he didn't use that term). NZ is an incredible place to live. You don't have to earn millions to have a nice lifestyle. You can snowboard one day, swim in the sea the next. We have uncrowded roads to enjoy, a climate that's pretty bloody good and food/wine/beer second to none. Most of the world has been doing it tough in case you haven't noticed, and we're no different.

I know the answer. If you find living here so bad...fuck off.

Well said

IM here for the money

But I go back to nz to ride and enjoy its beauty,catch up with friends and enjoy the lifestyle

Make no mistake...nz is pretty damn good compared to lots of places I have been

If materialism is your main motivator its probably not for you but as far as different values go its hard to beat.

I know a lot of people here that think nz is a paradise and it is,it just needs to be taken in perspective

[gammaguy]

Waahaaaahaa yourself. My understanding was Digidion, Scracha and me were writing about those in the industry needing to change business models as a whole. We wrote about possible end scenarios.

Has every dealer and wholesaler changed? No. Does every wholesaler also sell motorbikes? No.

The industry is obviously changing though.

I am currently in my third decade of working in the motorcycle industry

Clearly your insight into what is really going on is slightly less comprehensive

[Zedder]

Who can deny it's a low wage economy here? Most 40 somethings and above are quite settled but most young kiwi's are voting with their feet and not coming back. Head in the sand if you think NZ is getting better.

I wish I knew the answers.

Sure, it's a bit of a low wage economy but let's face it, there's been a bit of a "financial crisis". Also a lot of young Kiwis head off overseas but many come back too.

NZ has actually bucked the global business confidence trend and is ahead of the UK, USA, China and Aussie. Not bad at all.

Money issues aside, we have a lower crime rate, better environment, better education etc. than a lot of so called developed countries.

[Madness]

I didn't deny the low wage bit. What I do deny...is that NZ feels like a third world shithole (I know he didn't use that term). NZ is an incredible place to live. You don't have to earn millions to have a nice lifestyle. You can snowboard one day, swim in the sea the next. We have uncrowded roads to enjoy, a climate that's pretty bloody good and food/wine/beer second to none. Most of the world has been doing it tough in case you haven't noticed, and we're no different.

I know the answer. If you find living here so bad...fuck off.

Here here. And it's for those reasons that I don't mind paying a little more than what I could if I were to privately import. The extra I'm paying goes towards sustaining life as we know it in this little slice of paradise. The thing is though, some cunts want their cake (or plugs) and to eat the fucking thing as well.

[Zedder]

I am currently in my third decade of working in the motorcycle industry

Clearly your insight into what is really going on is slightly less comprehensive

Clearly you're an arrogant arsehole with a crap approach to discussion and I hope you don't treat your customers like you appear as here.

I certainly wouldn't buy off you.