Possible Russell Day Long Group Buy 2012

[DeltaKappaZeta]

Does anyone know if an RDL will fit with a Smuggler?

Thanks

 

[FJR_Mikey]

From Russell's Website FJR gallery:

113 on the list...

Does anyone know if an RDL will fit with a Smuggler?

Thanks

 

[FJR_Mikey]

I had an individual on another forum call and spin RDL up about the possibility of the group buy yesterday. While I'm not aware of anyone else doing this, I wanted to post the message I left there on the other forums where this group buy effort is being monitored...

All:

I would ask that members of the "alleged" group buy not contact RDL with questions about it. Please feel free to contact them with any and all questions you have about their product, but allow me to negotiate with them about the possibility of a group buy within the timeframe they gave me. It is reasonable to expect that RDL enjoys the business that a group buy effort can generate, but doesn't like the fact that a group buy may delay or replace full price orders that they might generate immediately.

Calling them and spinning them up about a group buy before the timeframe they gave me to call back, may actually reduce the possibility that one will occur. The last thing I want to do is aggravate them to the point they won't entertain the idea at all when November rolls around. Keep in mind that until RDL accepted Hollow Road Rider's GL1800 Forum request for a group buy last year on November 3, 2011, his efforts were just an "alleged" group buy as well. He started collecting names for his list on August 7, 2011. RDL did not ultimately take orders on that group buy until December 5, 2011.

Thanks for your consideration...

Mike

 

[FJR_Mikey]

The individual I referenced below has decided that they no longer wish to participate in the RDL group buy effort.

As a result, the group buy now sits at 117 interested parties. Everyone from number 46 through 118 should consider yourself one position lower than the place I originally reported to you. I.E. - number 46 is now number 45 and so on...

If there is anyone else that wishes to be removed from the list, please let me know as soon as possible.

I had an individual on another forum call and spin RDL up about the possibility of the group buy yesterday. While I'm not aware of anyone else doing this, I wanted to post the message I left there on the other forums where this group buy effort is being monitored...

All:

I would ask that members of the "alleged" group buy not contact RDL with questions about it. Please feel free to contact them with any and all questions you have about their product, but allow me to negotiate with them about the possibility of a group buy within the timeframe they gave me. It is reasonable to expect that RDL enjoys the business that a group buy effort can generate, but doesn't like the fact that a group buy may delay or replace full price orders that they might generate immediately.

Calling them and spinning them up about a group buy before the timeframe they gave me to call back, may actually reduce the possibility that one will occur. The last thing I want to do is aggravate them to the point they won't entertain the idea at all when November rolls around. Keep in mind that until RDL accepted Hollow Road Rider's GL1800 Forum request for a group buy last year on November 3, 2011, his efforts were just an "alleged" group buy as well. He started collecting names for his list on August 7, 2011. RDL did not ultimately take orders on that group buy until December 5, 2011.

Thanks for your consideration...

Mike

 

[Chuck35]

If memory serves me, on the last group buy, RDL didn't honor the list position but rather the order in which paid orders were received referencing the group buy.

 

[FJR_Mikey]

You could be right Chuck. I'm not exactly sure how they sort it out once they receive the list.

If memory serves me, on the last group buy, RDL didn't honor the list position but rather the order in which paid orders were received referencing the group buy.

 

[FJR_Mikey]

119 people on the list... Goodnight.

 

[FJR_Mikey]

124 people on the list.

 

[bucky]

Not real familiar with how the group buy works on a RDL. I assume everyone orders exactly what they want and then you get a fixed percentage or dollar amount discount? I would definitely consider throwing my hat in the ring for the right price. But I doubt I will ever buy except thru a group buy. What kind of a discount range are we looking at here? Anyone have an estimate based on past experience?

 

[FJR_Mikey]

Generally they offer a 20% discount on the entire order excluding shipping if the group buy has 100 or more participants. To figure out what a seat would cost you, you need to spec out your seat on their website and then adjust the final price by subtracting 20%.

 

[FJR_Mikey]

There are currently 131 people on the list.

I will be leaving tomorrow to ride out to Pigeon Forge, TN. I'm going to meet my brother and my best friend out there for 5 days of great riding in the Smokey's. I plan to return home on the evening of October 22, 2012. During this timeframe I will not be answering PMs sent to my account or emails. Please continue to send your PM requests to join the group buy list to me through the Vulcan Bagger forum. They will collect in my inbox and be added to the list in the order received when I get home.

I have received a number of requests that start out as "Hey... add me to the GB list" with no further info. If you send me a message like this you will not be added to the list because I have no way of knowing who you are or contacting you outside this forum.

To be added to the list, you must send me:

Your Full Name

Your Email Address

Year, Make and Model of Your Bike

I will reach out to everyone via a post on this thread when I return. I plan to reach out to RDL the first week of November to solicit them one final time for our group buy request. The number of people requesting to be added has dwindled to a trickle as of late, but I still feel like we will be able to offer them around 150 or more names by the 1st of November. Then they can decide whether or not a $105,000 to $150,000 group buy effort is worth their time.

 

[Chuck35]

They better accept dammit!

I worked overtime today, that cuts into my riding time ya know

Enjoy the mountains Mikey, I hope to get up that way next weekend

 

[SeattleTy]

I'm in if it goes through, thank you.

 

[FJR_Mikey]

Got back last night from Tennessee. The trip was great, but all good things must come to an end. Back to the grind, I'm afraid.

As for the business at hand... The are 139 people now on the RDL group buy list. Continue to send me PMs if you are interested in joining. The fact that you may be outside the first 125 means very little as there will undoubtedly be people that do not follow through with the orders. I had two drop out while I was away.

I will be contacting RDL after the first of November as they requested a month ago. Hopefully when they see the nice group we have put together, they will decide to honor our request for the group buy. I have to go to Denver for work the 29th through the 30th of this month so if I fail to respond to any of your messages during this three day period, that's the reason.

Here's a shot of me and my friend, Jimmy at Deals Gap a couple of days ago... it was incredible!

 

[FJR_Mikey]

150 people on the list. Goodnight...

 

[FJR_Mikey]

I'm back from Denver. I will be contacting Russell about the group buy on Friday.

There are 153 people on the RDL list.

 

[FJR_Mikey]

I just reached out to RDL to see if they are going to accept our group buy. Here is a copy of the email...

Kim:

 

Hello and I hope this finds you doing well. I contacted you by phone back in August to see if you guys would entertain the idea of a group buy for my friends and contacts from the Kawasaki Vulcan Bagger Association. You told me that RDL had no plans at that time to accept solicitation for a group buy for 2012/2013, but advised me to contact you and check again after the first of November. Since that time, I have solicited interest from my fellow riders to see how many people would participate in such a group by if RDL decided to accept it. To date I have a list of 158 interested parties that wish to purchase a Russell Day Long seat modification.

 

These riders are owners of a large variety of motorcycle makes and models to include Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, BMW, Triumph, Victory, KTM and Harley Davidson. I know that RDL does a majority of its business from word of mouth advertising. No other format offers more exposure than the online motorcycle forums. I purchased my first RDL seat modification through an online forum’s group buy effort. Before joining that forum, I had been riding motorcycles for more than 25 years and had never heard of Russell Day Long. I was convinced that I needed this mod by all the excited chatter from new owners that had purchased their new RDL seat - largely from a group buy the previous year.

 

This as I’m sure you know, is the best and cheapest form of advertising a company could hope for. No one rants louder or longer than the new owner of his/her first RDL seat within the first year of ownership. A large number of the individuals from my list represent this market share. Since I started collecting names and contact information of people wanting to participate in a RDL group buy, I have received solicitation from three different seat vendors wanting to lure the group to their product. One of which tried to hi-jack the forum thread and advertise his product at an immediate 20% discount if group members would turn away from the notion of a RDL group buy. I have managed to keep everyone together and focused on our original goal – working with Russell Day Long.

 

I hope that the good people at RDL will see fit to accept this group buy solicitation. I stand ready to transfer the contents of my list to RDL should you decide to go forward with the group buy. Please let me know if it’s a go so I can notify our group members and make a lot of people very happy. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

 

All the best…

 

v/r,

 

Mike Williams

 

[wheatonFJR]

Well written letter Mike. :clapping:

 

[ajay423]

Well written letter Mike. :clapping:

I'll say !

 

[Ramblin]

This morning I sent a pm requesting to be on the RDL group buy list.