Right now I'd welcome anyone who started selling motorcycle related equipment. Trying to find aftermarket parts such as fairings or trying to find riding boots, jackets etc, is just a major pain in the ass. They stock nothing. If you want to buy you've got to order it and take the chance that the part will work properly on your bike or that the boots/jacket will fit. I'm convinced that if someone opened a motorcycle "superstore" that stocked an extensive choice of items it would succeed. I know I'd drive 100 miles plus to shop there. I waste more time than that going from dealer to dealer now.
Motorcycle Parts at ACE Hardware?
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Re: God Bless Rampant, Unbridled Free Market Capitalism!!!
Pep Boys carries many of the common bike oil filters. AutoZone carries Mobil 1 motorcycle oils. Both of these items appear to be stocked nationwide.
Pep Boys carries many of the common bike oil filters. AutoZone carries Mobil 1 motorcycle oils. Both of these items appear to be stocked nationwide.
I agree with the above post about dealerships mostly being worthless for getting any good hop-ups or even minor necessities. I've found local dealers to be either Honda specific(not a bad thing if you own a Honda), focused on dirtbikes/snowmobiles/ATVs and selling motorcycles as a secondary pursuit, or just plain slow in doing anything. I went into my local Yamaha place and waited almost 30 min. to find out if I had to take my R6 in for a recall and then the guy tried to get me to look up the info myself! That said, there is a superb dealer here also(#1 Ducati dealer in North America)who does all my work regardless of what it is. The only down side is that, being a Euro-dealer and rather small, they tend to be almost 1.5 to 2 times more expensive than just ordering off the internet. My soloution is to just buy parts online(often from the manufacturer- big cost cutter) and having my trusted shop taking care of anything I don't feel confident doing myself.
I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was a moron.
It's amazing how easily the ignorant can reach the lowest common demoninator so quickly.
I'm not a fan of superstores. I happen to run 17 small independent businesses in the Florida/Georgia area and successfully satisfy my customers to the tune of $15,500,000 a year. WHY ???? Because the stores offer a wide variety of products and I don't give the customer a reason to shop elsewhere. Is it easy??? No. Do I have to do it to avoid customers bleeding off to supertores??? Yes. Most motorcycle dealers don't do the same. They carry a token amount of aftermarket products and frustrate the customer who is trying to purchase from them. After a while the customer gives up and finds other alternatives. Does the dealer who doesn't meet my needs deserve my blind loyalty because someday I might want to purchase a bike there??? No. BTW... the person I shell out thousands of dollars to for work on my bike works out of an absolute hole in the wall in an industrial park. Some superstore.
Before you engage the 3% of your brain that still seems to fire up when you turn the little key on your square skull, consider the perspective of the the other person who has offered an opinion. I know more about supporting local businesses than you ever will because I spend every day of the week running them. The difference between my businesses and most motorcycle dealers is that I try hard every day to give my customers what they're looking for.
It's amazing how easily the ignorant can reach the lowest common demoninator so quickly.
I'm not a fan of superstores. I happen to run 17 small independent businesses in the Florida/Georgia area and successfully satisfy my customers to the tune of $15,500,000 a year. WHY ???? Because the stores offer a wide variety of products and I don't give the customer a reason to shop elsewhere. Is it easy??? No. Do I have to do it to avoid customers bleeding off to supertores??? Yes. Most motorcycle dealers don't do the same. They carry a token amount of aftermarket products and frustrate the customer who is trying to purchase from them. After a while the customer gives up and finds other alternatives. Does the dealer who doesn't meet my needs deserve my blind loyalty because someday I might want to purchase a bike there??? No. BTW... the person I shell out thousands of dollars to for work on my bike works out of an absolute hole in the wall in an industrial park. Some superstore.
Before you engage the 3% of your brain that still seems to fire up when you turn the little key on your square skull, consider the perspective of the the other person who has offered an opinion. I know more about supporting local businesses than you ever will because I spend every day of the week running them. The difference between my businesses and most motorcycle dealers is that I try hard every day to give my customers what they're looking for.
I agree with everything you say (except the part about me being stupid). Nobody with any sense expects a dealer to have every part in stock. If I need a radiator screen/grab rail/ sprocket etc, for my bike I fully expect to have to wait for a part to come in. My original post spoke about aftermarket parts. I would think that if dealers would stock a better and wider selection of boots, jackets, fairings, performance parts, they would sell a hell of a lot more. I can't buy what I can't see or try on. Right not I'd like to buy as good pair of boots that offer track protection but don't look like they came off the set of Star Wars. I've been to no less that 12 dealers and haven't found anyone that stock more that a handful, and I'm talking 2-3 styles. I seen lots of what I'm looking for in magazines and on the internet but I'd rather buy them locally and try them on first.
I don't think any reasonable person would call a dealer a crook or a moron unless they earned the title. My experience is that when you explain to a customer, 8 out of 10 will understand and even appreciate what you've said, The other 2 are probanly happy to be unhappy and you wish them well as they walk out the door.
I don't think any reasonable person would call a dealer a crook or a moron unless they earned the title. My experience is that when you explain to a customer, 8 out of 10 will understand and even appreciate what you've said, The other 2 are probanly happy to be unhappy and you wish them well as they walk out the door.
The above post was mine but I forgot to log in with my name. Didn't want anyone to think I was trying to respond anonymously.
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