Dealers

[Fred W]

Plus when we had the Naval Training Center here in Orlando, we had recruits coming off the boats all the time to buy sportbikes and wad 'em up. Business was booming. Now they're gone and the dealers can't wrap their heads around the concept of "customer service" so they're blaming it on the economy. We've had 3 dealerships go out of business already in the past 2 years.

[HiJack]

Interesting. I didn't know that they had closed the NTC Orlando.

[/HiJack]

 

[Crash Cash]

[HiJack]Interesting. I didn't know that they had closed the NTC Orlando.[/HiJack]

Yup, and the city bought it and created a richie-rich ultra-snob subdivision called "Baldwin Park" with $350,000+ houses in it. Then the housing bubble burst. Hahahaha! And one of the dealerships that closed was Edgewater Honda (near Long's Christian Store[1]) which had been in business since 1969, according to their sign. Sad.

[1] where you can buy new and used christians, I guess? How much do they go for these days?

 

[Fred W]

[1] where you can buy new and used christians, I guess? How much do they go for these days?

Not much since the do-gooders said that you can't use them as lion food any more.

 

[Zute]

Zute - your answer surprised me! Another forum member had an accident and took it to Coleman's and was dicked around by them. He took it to Champion and said the service guy, retired Marine, was good to go! I was actually thinking of taking ol' Matilda to them if necessary. Damn!

There were 2 Champion Motorsports - 1 was in downtown Herndon and I've had mixed experience with them but I heard they had a good mechanic that left when they got sold. Then there is Champion that used to be Rhodes Cycles. They were a Kawasaki shop that was hit or miss - now as Champion they sell Kaw, Yam and Suz. All I know is that they wanted to charge me $2000 to replace the wiring harness because one wire was possibly corroded. I wanted to get a second opinion from a dealer I trusted.

 

[jnor]

I NEVER take a bike...or a car for that matter back to a dealer. I've worked in car dealers most of my life. Motorcycle dealers service dept.s scare even more the typically have pimply faced kids tying to work on stuff out of site. The horror stories from bike dealers scare me. I work as a mechanic at the local p.d., so I do everything that I can myself.

 

[cougar8000]

I just realized that our friends on other continents are not saying anything. We would llike to hear from them.

 

[sin_loki]

I NEVER take a bike...or a car for that matter back to a dealer. I've worked in car dealers most of my life. Motorcycle dealers service dept.s scare even more the typically have pimply faced kids tying to work on stuff out of site. The horror stories from bike dealers scare me. I work as a mechanic at the local p.d., so I do everything that I can myself.

+1

 

[Rondo777]

I doubt a dealer makes any profit on service. If they can sell bikes they are happy. The service department is there primarily to support the sales department.

Hey Geeze, gotta agree with the others, service is where they clean up, the sale of the bike is small prophit in camparison. I don't know why the dealers suck ass as bad as they do but I do know that being a whiney little ass wipe has paid off for me in the past. I'm one of the few who will go to the dealership on a busy Saturday and start flipping out on a manager/owner in the middle of the showroom floor. Top of my lungs telling them how incompetent they are. Love to throw out how much I spent on the bike and I dont consider it a F$@*^N toy. Start asking about a loaner as well, they hate me. :argue: Seems to make them a little more agreeable. I'm becomming quite the little greese monkey since buying the Fej, I'm just thankful that its easy to service.

 

[Bogey907]

"Love to throw out how much I spent on the bike and I dont consider it a F$@*^N toy."

You probably also took it as a point of pride to beat his price down to where he made no profit on the deal, too. And then you want your ass kissed because you spent a lot of money? And you'll cause a scene in his business in front of other customers?

There's an ******* involved here, but I don't think it's the dealer.

Bike owners have made the bed we lie in. We beat the prices down and still complain about what everything costs. Service is lousy because the dealers can't afford to hire good help.

 

[rnees]

"Love to throw out how much I spent on the bike and I dont consider it a F$@*^N toy."
You probably also took it as a point of pride to beat his price down to where he made no profit on the deal, too. And then you want your ass kissed because you spent a lot of money? And you'll cause a scene in his business in front of other customers?

There's an ******* involved here, but I don't think it's the dealer.

Bike owners have made the bed we lie in. We beat the prices down and still complain about what everything costs. Service is lousy because the dealers can't afford to hire good help.

+1.

let the dogpile begin.

 

[Windjammer]

The shops I know (both MC and auto) would kill for a good mechanic.

Ha! They'll kill for one, but be damned if they'll take it a step further and pay money for one. Talent goes where the money is, and there's damn few who have great knowledge and technical expertise who'll work for $20 an hour.

Bike owners have made the bed we lie in. We beat the prices down and still complain about what everything costs. Service is lousy because the dealers can't afford to hire good help.

I'll respectfully disagree with you on this. I don't bitch about price if the service is good - in fact I'm happy to pay a premium if I can expect good service. I think you have it backwards - the dealers are too cheap and greedy to pay a decent mechanic, because as businessmen all they understand is a balance sheet, and how lowering their payroll expenses increases their profit. They simply operate their business on the P.T. Barnum principle - a sucker is born every minute, so you'll never run out of suckers. Quite frankly, they don't need repeat business - if you leave and don't come back, another will come to fill your shoes.

Kudos to those brave enough to take up wrenches and a great forum and try to learn the art on their own!

 

[Auburn]

Plus when we had the Naval Training Center here in Orlando, we had recruits coming off the boats all the time to buy sportbikes and wad 'em up. Business was booming. Now they're gone and the dealers can't wrap their heads around the concept of "customer service" so they're blaming it on the economy. We've had 3 dealerships go out of business already in the past 2 years.

[HiJack]

Interesting. I didn't know that they had closed the NTC Orlando.

[/HiJack]

To continue the small hijack - I went to Naval Nuclear Power School there in '84-'85. Was a good base to be at for about a year. End HiJack.

 

[odot]

NOT WORK SAFE.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww................maintenance. We love having our planes, helicopters and space shuttles worked on. But, we hate it when it costs money to fix our cars and skoots. Iffn ya don't want to be safe...........

FIX IT YER ******* SELF YOU ******* ****.

oh, and according to bust.......eat a cock.

 

[WBill]

My dealer here in Flagstaff, Az. is first class. Maybe it's because I bought the bike from them and added a service contract, but they've always done excellent work and treated me fairly. The place was bought out by a larger corporation last year, but that hasn't seemed to affect their trade.

Maybe it's because the town is small, and I run into my favorite mechanic at a bar occasionally. He is one of the most conscientious pros I've ever met.

Also, I have to give a big thumbs-up to Snake River Yamaha, in Meridian, ID. (just west of Boise). They did a tire change for me while I was out on the road a few weeks ago, and I was very impressed with they way they did business, too. If you live in the area, try them.

 

[Zute]

FIX IT YER ******* SELF YOU ******* ****.oh, and according to bust.......eat a cock.

Damn odot, tell us how you really feel!

In my own feeble attempt at a defense, not all of us have the time or a place to work on our bikes (let alone the experience/knowledge). This is why people continue to get ass-raped by dealers.

I've completely restored an 88 Katana in my back yard and not only did I get sited on 3 separate occasions from my homeowner's association for having a tarp and rig to lift the bike in the air (I guess my backyard is now public property and it was considered an eye-sore), but I also found it incredibly difficult to work on the bike (especially at night) while trying to avoid dog **** - or when there is bad weather staying out of the mud (and keeping the parts clean). Don't even talk about dropping a screw or another small part.

 

[FightOrFlight]

NOT WORK SAFE.




Awwwwwwwwwwwwww................maintenance. We love having our planes, helicopters and space shuttles worked on. But, we hate it when it costs money to fix our cars and skoots. Iffn ya don't want to be safe...........

FIX IT YER ******* SELF YOU ******* ****.

oh, and according to bust.......eat a cock.

During this important election season, Odot, I for one would like to suggest that you run for public office. It is my belief that your searingly insightful observations and action-oriented positions would represent the political climate change so desperately desired by the masses.

Sure, your 'can-do' attitude and 'frank' dialog might ruffle the feathers of some puritanicals. But, alas, if it is change we desire, then let us all embrace the age-old adage "when in doubt, use a bigger hammer."

...please raise your right hand...

:clapping:

 

[Fred W]

NOT WORK SAFE.




Awwwwwwwwwwwwww................maintenance. We love having our planes, helicopters and space shuttles worked on. But, we hate it when it costs money to fix our cars and skoots. Iffn ya don't want to be safe...........

FIX IT YER ******* SELF YOU ******* ****.

oh, and according to bust.......eat a cock.

During this important election season, Odot, I for one would like to suggest that you run for public office. It is my belief that your searingly insightful observations and action-oriented positions would represent the political climate change so desperately desired by the masses.

Sure, your 'can-do' attitude and 'frank' dialog might ruffle the feathers of some puritanicals. But, alas, if it is change we desire, then let us all embrace the age-old adage "when in doubt, use a bigger hammer."

...please raise your right hand...

:clapping:

While teetering on the edge of being "political", that there is some funny ****...

Odot for Pres!

Here's his campaign chief: :feminist_en:

 

[Aasland]

Talking to my dealer the other day, he was telling me how it was getting harder to find good mechanics. All the best ones are retiring. And he's not seeing very many new guys getting into the field.I think part of it is the young guys growing up these days just don't have to work on stuff like we used to.

I think if I were a guy would couldn't fix my own bike, I'd find a friend who does and bribe him with beer....

:thumbsup:

I wrench on my own bikes and enjoy it, cuz I can take my time, have a beer, etc. I also help with friends' valve jobs, tires, chains, etc. Again .. I enjoyit cuz I have the luxury of piddling along and doing it at my own pace.

After ranting about my job (I work in the software industry) my wife suggested I become a fulltime mechanic. I thought about it .. I have the tools .. but .. the pay is less then 25% of what I earn now. Plus, I wouldn't have the ability to just putz with a repair as long as I feel like. And I wouldn't be able to telecommute. Or get six+ weeks vacation, health ins, etc. So I still write software.

I suspect that the things keeping me from becomming a fulltime mechanic also prevents other potentially excellent mechanics from doing the same.

The corollary is, what type of service does one expect from a mechanic earning $15-20 / hour? So I do it myself.

 

[Fred W]

I wrench on my own bikes and enjoy it, cuz I can take my time, have a beer, etc. I also help with friends' valve jobs, tires, chains, etc. Again .. I enjoyit cuz I have the luxury of piddling along and doing it at my own pace.
After ranting about my job (I work in the software industry) my wife suggested I become a fulltime mechanic. I thought about it .. I have the tools .. but .. the pay is less then 25% of what I earn now. Plus, I wouldn't have the ability to just putz with a repair as long as I feel like. And I wouldn't be able to telecommute. Or get six+ weeks vacation, health ins, etc. So I still write software.

I suspect that the things keeping me from becomming a fulltime mechanic also prevents other potentially excellent mechanics from doing the same.

The corollary is, what type of service does one expect from a mechanic earning $15-20 / hour? So I do it myself.

Bingo. A lot of guys that could or would be great mechanics find more lucrative areas to use their mechanical aptitude.

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

I have found a couple of good dealerships with great support here in San Diego. I don't have the time to wrench on it myself, nor, the space and tools to do so. When I first went to buy an FJR, I was dealing with a dealership that made me a bunch of promises, then once they got me in the door and started to work the deal, after assuring me by email that they would meet my terms, commenced to try and bend me over and change the deal. I did what was my God given right to do, got up, excused myself from the low life salesman that I was working with at the time (Original salesman had left for the day and his apprentice was walking out the door as I was entering with a "sorry I left you with the Hound of Hell" look on his face) and never looked back.

Bought mine from a private owner that worked for Yamaha Corporate Office as the West Coast Sales Rep and got the best deal of my life along with good advice on where to take the bike when service was needed. Fun part was when I went to transfer my YES warranty, that dealership was the only one that would do it for free. Drove up to the front, got off the bike, removed helmet and low and behold, who should walk out by my first salesman and his apprentice with a befuddled look on their faces :dribble: as I said hello and walked past leaving them gawking at my Feej. Got the YES transfered, walked out, said good bye and never went back again.

For those of you in San Diego that are looking for a good, possibly the best service department, take it to House of Motorcycles in on El Cajon Blvd. They care and will work hard to insure you are satisfied with the work done on your bike. Plus, the price has been better than other dealerships in the area hands down for each service evolution called out in the manual. I will be taking my Feej there for its 16K when I get back to town from vacation.

End of .02 and rant.... B)