| Author | Message | ||
     46champ |
I got to thinking about the lack of Buell dealers in Salt Lake City and the state of Utah for that matter I'm not from their so I don't know the demographic but it would seem that the area should support a stand alone dealership. Before everyone flames me how many bikes would someone have to sell? You should be able to start up a shop with 2 people 1 to wrench and 1 to sell bikes and parts. At the price of Harley dealerships these days the pathway of the chief salesman or the lead mechanic to step into their own dealership is gone. It would seem like somebody with some entrepreneurial spirit that this would be right up their ally. | ||
| Anonymous |
Candidly, this is exactly what Buell always has needed, but it has never been permitted. Buell always goes into H-D dealerships. When in a massive shop set up to sell 500 H-D's per year, no one cares about the Buells, and they focus on high margins to keep these Taj Mahals running, which doesn't work with younger riders with less money. Simply a problem of scale, well known in many industries. Buell should be in smaller dealers with principals who love the sport. There are certainly Buell dealers with the right spirit, you all know them well, but there are far, far too few. | ||
| Brumbear |
Is there a commitment agreement or something of the sorts involved or is it a monetary thing only that binds buell to H-D they did allow a rotax engine so maybe if they don't want us we don't want them kinda thing. I am asking here not being a rascal as I love my Buell and don't plan on buying anything but buells from now on I just want to make sure there is an ON. I have said it mahy times I am lucky I have 2 great dealerships in NJ but we need 125 minimum great Buell dealersgips to keep us going. | ||
| Bjbauer |
Perhaps HD should let Buell be an independent franchise in markets where no HD dealer wants them. Give the HD dealers first right of refusal and if none want the brand let it go to someone who does. That way HD dealers don't have to compete against their own parent company unless they don't care. HD inc would then have all of their models regardless of brand available for local sale and support in those markets where HD dealers won't carry them. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
I think a dealer has to sell 20-25+ Buells a year to get a Pegasus award don't they? | ||
| Patches |
They could get Buy here Pay here Carlots to market them! | ||
| Cityxslicker |
Give me a call, I just did 212 Units this season (granted they were all used) and it was a small two man shop that you speak of. But if you keep the over head low, and pay the sales guy right, you would be surprised at what you can get done. There were bigger box stores that werent clearing the 30-35 units a month that I was. | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
I sell outdoor power equipment and the first rule is the salesman has to be excited about the product before the customer will get excited about the product. I know for a fact that I could sell a pile of Buells out of a small shop with only the Buell brand for new sales. The opinion that you would not turn enough margin in sales to make a stand alone store viable are flawed based on what average Harley dealers have done. With sales pressure from an alternate first line brand, sales figures are guarantied to show poorly. If Buell and H-D would test the stand alone waters with the correct program and properly chosen new dealers they would see a turn around. H-D is very good at what they do,they are just not very good at the moment at what Buell does. | ||
| Teeps |
Assuming the following: The person or persons owned the facility outright, lived in said facility, didn't have a life beyond running the business, and maintaining the facility, and had no other debt, and could sell the product at M.S.R.P. or more... You might could get by with selling 3 bikes a month. | ||
| Jaimec |
The answer to Brumbear's question is: "Yes." You can't be a Buell dealer unless you are also a Harley dealer. I think that's dumb, but then I'm not a multi-millionaire CEO so what do I know? | ||
| 46champ |
I think the Motor Company owes it to the customer to give it a try, we have a lot of existing customers out their that have no viable support for the product they bought. I'm not talking about a dealer in Roseburg Or but one in Salt Lake City, but if someone wants to give it a try in Roseburg this is AMERICA land of the FREE home of the BRAVE don't protect them let them fail on their own count. Teeps living with your business isn't that the definition of small business. | ||
| Chadhargis |
If you could own a Buell franchise outright without having to sell HD along with it, I think a lot of dealers might pick them up and sell them along side the import brands. As Fatty says, "getting butts in the seats" is what it's about, and I can tell you first hand that's true. Riding an XB and a 600 sportbike back to back on the STREET, will leave you grinning a lot more coming off the XB than the 600. Toss in the 1125 to the mix, and I can't think of a Hondakawayammasuzki that I'd rather own. Some European brands, yes...but not Asian. The ace in the hole that Buell has is the factory being here in the US. If they had a program similar to BMW and like Chevy has with the Corvette where you can purchase your bike at your local dealer, then go to the factory as a "VIP" and watch your bike being built. Get the opportunity to meet the Elves and Erik Buell. Build an affinity relationship that you CAN'T do with other brands. They already do Homecoming every year, and the Inside Pass track days were awesome. | ||
| Teeps |
46champ Posted on Wednesday, October 07, 2009 Teeps living with your business isn't that the definition of small business. Yes I suppose it would. But that's what a stand alone Buell dealer would be like, for people like you an me. I agree Buell franchises should be available to anyone that can make it work. Whether stand alone or partnered with a brand other than Harley/Davidson. | ||
| Macbuell |
I like the idea of a stand alone Buell dealership but I like the idea of selling them next to Ducatis and Triumphs better. | ||
| Eboos |
Even better yet, my dealership will soon be Precision Harley Davidson/Buell and Precision Triumph. | ||
| Ironhead1977 |
Teeps, you described what I am doing now to a T. This is how I know it is possible. The shop would have to sell the Buell brand only for it to work to limit competitive pressure to the brand. Dedication would be the key to success. By the way, my store is my life and that is just how I like it. I get to work an hour early before my men every mourning,not because I have to,just because I want to and look forward to the day. Not bragging ,just explaining. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
What if you could order the damn thing off Ebay or through Amazon? We are all savy enough to know that brick and mortar is where the overhead costs are killing ya. Put the franchise in the 'Cloud', make the email and voicemail work for you while you sleep. (hell we all know what we want anyways  ) | ||
| Brumbear |
I am sure Harley could lease the current plant to EB so they could continue to work as before and probably make themselves a little more money let the Buell motor company run there own R&D and so on which I am sure they do already. I can not see any competiton devolping as what would BMC want with a criuser market. I bet small MX company's would line up with dirt bike models and so on so in no time I could see Buell grow to 1 1/2 times it's size.The money on service and aftermarket parts would also help imensely to aid in small dealership survival. I for 1 would be more than interested in a small dealership. | ||
| Teeps |
Ironhead1977, Good on you, man. Just make sure that at the end of the day; you own a "business" and not just "a job." | ||
| Ratyson |
If I could start up a shop that sold/maintained/modded/etc. Buells, man... I would then be living my dream. My excitement for the brand is definitely contagious, and with a shop, and a mechanic, I think I could sell a few. Come on HD... Lets do this thing! | ||
| Oddball |
Buell micro-dealer network. Taking the motorcycle distribution industry by storm. As micro breweries have put a hurting on the big boys with quality products customers want, so too will small low overhead dealerships of quality machines/service take over the industry. Much better model for survival than the financially overreaching orange and black palaces. | ||
| 46champ |
I myself would rather have Buell's sold in stand alone dealerships. You would know where the zeal of the personal would be placed it would be on the Buell product. |
