Lost two Yamaha dealers nearby

[JR'SFJR]

I live about 100 miles N. of Miami on the east coast of FL and our local Yamaha-Suzuki dealer closed its doors this week. Today, several of us rode north about an hour to Palm Bay to the dealer "House of Power". Previously, they sold Yamaha, Suzuki, Kaw, Honda, and Triumph, but now have only Honda's for sale. Hmmmmmm

Guess I will be mail ordering parts just like I have done with my BMW's for 15 yrs!!!!!!.

 

[El Toro]

A friend sold his dealership a year and a half ago. He got it back last week.

Times are tough all over. He's going to make a go of it, and he seems to have landed on his feet.... better than can be said for the folks that had to give it back.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Here we've had Suzuki, Honda, Harley Davidson and Yamaha all close in the past month or so. Suzuki reopened with new owners, and they are trying to get Yamaha back. I talked with some folks and Honda wants a stand-alone dealership -- which in a small town isn't likely. The Harley dealer/owner also owns a Harley shop in Eugene 90 miles north and consolidated -- reportedly he was payin $8000 a month for the building in rent alone! The guys that bought the Suzuki dealership don't seem to know a lot. Shame is in a small town many of the employees are known and are laid off. Bad times are coming. But I wish I had some cash to burn and pick up a new left=over bike or two.

 

[Capt. Bob]

Nothing has shut down in Tallahassee yet.

Not a huge market for bikes but they seem to be surviving....

 

[charismaticmegafauna]

<snip>...I talked with some folks and Honda wants a stand-alone dealership -- which in a small town isn't likely.

It could be (maybe?) if he could get the other lines of Honda products, too -- there's alot of stuff to sell there (other than just motorcycles). A dealer I knew (Kawasaki) often bragged about the benefit ($$$) of being a John Deere Lawn & Garden dealer also.

But I wish I had some cash to burn and pick up a new left=over bike or two.

There will, most likely?, be some bargains hanging around from failed dealerships..... :huh:

 

[El Toro]

A Honda dealer east of here has just added a UPS store as part of his operation. He's an official UPS shipping center now.

He has carried oddball brands, from time to time, including Can Am and their Spyder. He is also carrying Stihl chain saws and lawn and garden stuff. I guess whatever pays the bills....

 

[user 6393]

Honda and Suzuki are pushing hard for "full line" exclusive dealers here. Everything from cars all the way down to lawnmowers/pressure washers.

I know our local Yamaha/Honda dealer is having a tough time moving all the product 'forced' on them by the manufacturer. Seems the dealer has no say about what he can/will take. His inventory is mandated by the manufacturer. If he doesn't take everything they want him to, he loses the entire thing. That's why he is still sitting on many bikes still in boxes from 05/06/07/08, street/dirt/sporttour...you name it.

Not a fun business to be in right now, especially here as we are facing a big downturn. Many of the big employers here are shutting down and the people with the big discretionary incomes to buys toys are moving where the work is.

 

[spyderbret]

The shop that I have been going to just shut down as well. It was a RideNow shop that sold Yamaha and Suzuki. RideNow had 3 shops in town but they shut the one down and absorbed all the inventory and a couple of employees into their other locations. A bit of a bummer as I liked that shop and the location was close to my office....

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

<snip>...I talked with some folks and Honda wants a stand-alone dealership -- which in a small town isn't likely.

It could be (maybe?) if he could get the other lines of Honda products, too -- there's alot of stuff to sell there (other than just motorcycles). A dealer I knew (Kawasaki) often bragged about the benefit ($$$) of being a John Deere Lawn & Garden dealer also.

But I wish I had some cash to burn and pick up a new left=over bike or two.

There will, most likely?, be some bargains hanging around from failed dealerships..... :huh:

The Kawi dealership survived because they do sell John Deere. As for bargains, some of the left over Suzuki's and Hondas are still on the floor at disount, but only a couple grand less for an '07? I think prices will go lower. Unfortunately, with so many used bikes on the market, I think good deals will be available through this year at least. But I'm just guessing.

The "new" Suzuki owner/dealership added Hyosung bikes...yech. We traded Yamaha, Honda and Harley for Hyosung? WTF?

 

[James Burleigh]

Concord Yamaha Kawasaki shut down last fall.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

Here we've had Suzuki, Honda, Harley Davidson and Yamaha all close in the past month or so. Suzuki reopened with new owners, and they are trying to get Yamaha back. I talked with some folks and Honda wants a stand-alone dealership -- which in a small town isn't likely. The Harley dealer/owner also owns a Harley shop in Eugene 90 miles north and consolidated -- reportedly he was payin $8000 a month for the building in rent alone! The guys that bought the Suzuki dealership don't seem to know a lot. Shame is in a small town many of the employees are known and are laid off. Bad times are coming. But I wish I had some cash to burn and pick up a new left=over bike or two.

UPDATE: The Suzuki dealership went bellyup a couple weeks ago. That leaves the entire area with one Kawi dealer.

 

[fljab]

I got my FJR at my local small dealership; Suzuki/Yamaha/KTM dealer "Spaceport Cycles" in Titusville, FL. I hope they stay for a long time as they are just too convenient to me. I get my service work done there (what I don't do myself) and some parts.

Most things I can do better mail order, but I like to still throw them some business when I can. Great little dealership; I know most by name.

 

[Allnight]

Drove by where Milpitas Honda used to be. The building's even gone.

 

[puppychow]

Lost a Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki dealer in Folsom, CA. These guys were really convenient to order parts etc, because they were 5 minutes from my house...

It changed ownership twice in an year before finally shutting down.

 

[Big Sky]

Around these parts motorcycles have become small sidelines for the Honda, Suzuki etc. dealers. They make it primarily on ATVs, and snowmobiles have tided them through the winters. But now, no snow, so sleds won't be providing much income either. ATVs and those mini pickups like the Rhino are what's really carrying the water. I've been getting a lot of direct mail ("junk mail") promotional pieces from HD offering all kinds of incentives, even now promoting "great" trade-in deals on foreign makes. Plenty of private-party used machines from financially stressed families. Here, an area market of maybe 50,000:

HD/Kawasaki: probably very shaky, though they do have ATVs

Hondas/Polaris/KTM (dirt only) - bikes, sleds, ATVs, probably okay and making it on service and parts

Suzuki/Rocketa - bikes and ATVs, was gangbusters but may be heavily leveraged and shaky

Yamaha - very small volume shop well regarded for sleds, not so much bikes, probably history soon

 

[Stephen]

First place here was the KTM dealer.

Next was my Kawasaki dealer, Monroe Motorsports.... dropped all motorcycles about 6 months ago. Now, they sell Husqavarna garden stuff.

 

[Crash Cash]

I got my FJR at my local small dealership; Suzuki/Yamaha/KTM dealer "Spaceport Cycles" in Titusville, FL. I hope they stay for a long time as they are just too convenient to me. I get my service work done there (what I don't do myself) and some parts.
Most things I can do better mail order, but I like to still throw them some business when I can. Great little dealership; I know most by name.

+1 on that. I normally hate going to dealerships, but I'll drive all the way from Orlando to go to Spaceport Cycles. And I live just a couple miles from Orlando Yamaha.

 

[Larry33319]

I use Riva Motorsports in Pompono FL. I never had a problem with them and they have a couple dealerships and are considering a third. I guess they planned for the worst and are able to ride it out. One of the benifits of a family owned store since 1979.

 

[fjrchooser]

Small town here near a major road that had, until mid 2009, several different bike dealers within a half mile stretch. All absorbed by mid 2009 into a mega-dealer previoulsy disguised as a snowmobile dealer only.

Lost some options I really miss. Several of them served multiple niches as boat,or dock dealers or multiple brand franchises and one of them the had best mechanic I've ever met aside from Radman (shameless name drop). Options that no longer exist at the mega-mall.

Been a tough couple of years in Michigan..