| Author |
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Glitch
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 12:31 pm: | 
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That's what I was thinkin' |
Outrider
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 12:56 pm: |
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Wasn't what I was thinking, but it sure does summarize well complete with a humorous mental pic. LOL |
Bomber
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 01:09 pm: |
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Like other's have said, all my dealings (few) and report of dealings w/Modesto (many beyond counting) were very very positive -- this tell me that the folks who made the decision to invest their money and energy elsewhere are too well bred to share dirty laundry, so we'll likely never know --
perfectly good reasons have been positied here, and they all likely had a part in the decision making, along wiht other things that folks that don't work at a dealership will never be exposed to --
Buell is strong, as I hope Modesto is, but it's a shame, nonetheless |
Bluzm2
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 01:32 pm: |
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To everyone at Modesto, you will be missed.
You were the model for others to strive toward.
Major Bummer......
Brad |
Glitch
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 01:35 pm: |
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dirty laundry
I've got a feeling that is the case. |
Bigj
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 01:49 pm: |
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Reep:
Very good insight.
The guy that owns Modesto owns other dealerships. However, he let the management at Modesto run it the way they wanted(i.e. very well)
There's a reason I made the nail/sledge comment.
Modesto was THE model HDI needed to push and support and stroke, for Buell dealerships. The fact that HDI did just the opposite does not bode well for the future of Buell dealerships. If 95% of Buell dealerships DON'T operate the way Modesto did, the brand is doomed, due to that alone. Seeing as about 95% aren't operating that way right now, and HDI shot the model, draw your conclusion.
In one sense I find it incredible that HDI let this happen, but then again, maybe not. Maybe they figure it's no use putting energy into a system that is going to go away anyway.
edited by bigj on July 23, 2004 |
Cro13
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 02:16 pm: |
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Reg Kittrelle posted on SacBORG
“Given that the Harleys are the core product… and that Buells are meant to feed that segment, I can understand them leaving the status as quo.”
From another post on the same topic:
“As far as I know, HDI has not changed the strategic positioning of Buell. That is, it is a "feeder" to the mother brand, a way to attract a younger audience. Were Harley (I guessing here) to apply a full-court press to making Buell what we want it to be it would violate that positioning. As it now sits, there is a strong family tie with the motor; If a motor were developed aping the current vogue (It's shifting back to IL4s from twins), that connection would be lost.”
If the goal of Buell is to sell more Harleys than it kind of explains why I (and maybe others) feel the way we do.
I have always felt that Reg was a guy in the know so I accept his words as reasonably true. Link that with every time I walked into the dealership as least one of the staff asked me if I was ready to step up to a Harley. I start to wonder if I am not their target market as I probably will never own a non-Buell harley product.
Contrast that with Ducati who’s goal, I would guess, is to sell more Ducatis maybe more 999s
Until I read Reg’s post I had never thought of Buell in that light but it would explain why a great stand alone dealer like Modesto wouldn’t work. Like using dynamite for dentistry it just doesn’t work but if you need a tree stump out it’s golden.
I am NOT saying Buell will go down in fact I am saying the opposite as long as it is serving it’s purpose it will always be there weather it is doing well financially or not. All in all kind of good news
Carter
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Blake
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 02:45 pm: |
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"If 95% of Buell dealerships DON'T operate the way Modesto did, the brand is doomed"
I don't know ANY large franchised retail business anywhere that would come anywhere close to measuring up to such a laudable goal. I cannot name a single car dealership that compares in its customer service to Modesto or the mighty DaveS.
Seems some people like to draw their own conclusions no matter how unfounded or irrational and peddle them as marketing gospel 101.
Disgruntled naysayers are just too upset that their incessantly repeated predictions of gloom and doom for Buell have failed to materialize, and given the rising sales and popularity of the brand such predictions of Buell's demise are likely to continue on as the abdurd fantasies that they are. They may finally fizzle out when Buell is shipping 50,000 bikes every year.
How many Buell dealers now exist in the world?
How many Buell dealers existed four years ago?
Two years ago?
I don't know the answer to the above questions, but the answers would certainly be indicative of the health of the brand. I suspect that the number of dealerships has steadily increased.
So much for gloom and doom.
I'd sure like to know more about the Modesto situation. I think that getting it out in public could only be a positive thing that might lead to better understanding and possibly corrective action.
Deanna's statement is puzzling in that she talks of difficulties and disappointments in dealing with Buell. When does a dealer ever deal directly with Buell? I was under the impression that once the bikes left the factory, they were in the hands of other HDI entities. Hmmm, therein may lie the problem?
No matter the reason or situation, still a sad day. |
Turnagain
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 02:55 pm: |
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Problem is, I have no intention to 'move up' to a Barkalounger. Too used to taking my tires to the edge. 
Maybe someday, someone will sell an aftermarket frame so that I can create a FrankenBuell. This comes closer, just needs the tank placed back on top, seat moved up, S3 sized fairing, swingarm w/ single shock, .... $$$
oh yeah, hard bags! 
ps, sorry to see Modesto go.
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Budo
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 03:03 pm: |
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"Somebody at Harley is sitting there looking at the stats and seeing that some tiny Buell dealer in Podunk California has had 1000 times more warranty claims for PM wheels then all other Buell dealers on the planet combined. Each of these claims cost Harley $1500 a pop, and the Harley person thinks "what the hell?"."
You sir are correct. Deanna warranted the rear wheel on my 1998 S1W back in the day. The bearing races had enlarged the bore of the wheel. Deanna said that she saw that all of the time and had warranted so many wheels that Buell had accused her of stealing wheels. So it goes. |
Buckinfubba
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 03:18 pm: |
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I don't believe it is doom and gloom for Buell at all either. But ..... maybe a wake up call is in order.
there is more than one good dealer out there.
but they were the model and succeeded there for a while.
but if it is as reg says a "feeder bike" well that just doesn't do Buell any justice. the bikes are light years better than hd product.
but econ 101 says supply and demand and as long as the legion of hd sheep bow down to the marketing "dinnete , harley, dinette, harley"
this will never change |
Henrik
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 04:40 pm: |
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Let me elaborate; I don't think the sky is falling, although today it certainly looks it (it's been raining heavily all day  )
My concern is, that a Buell dealership that provided great service and stood up for Buell owners bit the dust - whereas the •••• "so called" Buell dealers, who'd rather hammer a nail in their own knee cap than take care of Buell customers, are still around.
I'm hoping more Buell dealers can be counted at least among the tolerable, but I'm afraid that the percentage is low enough to not be statistically significant ...
Buell will not go away, but due to a large part of their dealerships, they'll still loose good customers, which can't be a good thing.
Henrik |
S2pengy
| | Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004 - 08:42 pm: |
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I have got to wonder with the 2005 dealer meeting not that long ago and HD's history of blackmailing Dealers to get them to do what THEY want the dealer to do that there is more to this than meets the eye... It seems that more than the usual amount of dealers are dropping the line all at the same time.... Why are all HD dealers nothing but clothing stores, because if you don't do certain things and stay in line you can loose the quanity of bikes you can purchase from the factory.... If you dealership only has a certain number of square feet you only get so many HD bikes... If you order a certain amount of Buells you get an extra HD... Don't send your techs to schools you loose bikes... Don't buy the correct amount of clothes loose bikes... Only x number of shop bays you are only eligable for a certain number of bikes...
If you think any dealer can get as many HD's as they want you have been living in a dream world... Why do you think there were waiting lists for HD's at some dealers and others had extra bikes... The HD company has a matrix that determines how many HD's of each model any dealer can get and admitt it that is the Dealer's bread and butter... Selling Buells just means extra HD's................................. |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 07:13 am: |
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>>>>blackmailing Dealers to get them to do what THEY want the dealer to do that there is more to this than meets the eye...
Seamy underbelly alert: Todd, would this be akin to telling a dealer that if they don't order XXX Buells that they will have their allocation of 100th Aniversary bikes diminished?
Or forcing dealers to sell Buells?
In the case that offends me, personally, the most, the dealer simply sold all the Buells to each of his employees (anyone ask any questions when someone sells their entire allotment on the same day?), picks up his Buell sales credit on his dealer account and goes merrily along.
Merrily, until along comes Mr. Innocent Buyer, buys the one owner S1 with 4 miles and rides merrily into the sunset. Merrily until he finds the warranty expired 2 years before he bought the bike. That's when I got involved.
I solved the BUELL OWNERS problem, that was my job. The HD problem was not mine.
That the kind of thing you refer to?
HD dealers as a group are pretty innovative and are survivors. Many are the children, well educated, of folks who were dealers in the years that HD's coming from the factory didn't even all run. The same innovation they invoked to feed their families exists today.
Threatening these folks is like bluffing at poker with your cards laying face up.
Do I sound opinionated?
By the way....place this problem in the SOLVABLE, but not with the current tools and structure, catagory.
Court |
S2pengy
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 11:22 am: |
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Court
Yes that is the type of thing I am talking about... As well as requiring polo shirts or button shirts on employees at their own cost...
But whatever the latest thing the HD Factory is requiring the dealers in relation to Buells to do seems to be a bit unpopular from the looks of the number and QUALITY of dealers that bailing..... I hope it is not as simple as reqiring a certain number and type of parts to on stock at all times as you have talked about..... |
Tommy_2stroke
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 12:24 pm: |
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Four elements:
Buell owners: enthusiastic, no, PASSIONATE about the bikes; smart and quick and recognize superior design when they see it;
Buell Inc: small but tough, with that spark of greatness and innovation that is so rare today, driven to be successful in the marketplace, striving;
H-D: World's dominant motorcycle company, incredibly successful selling Harleys, now having their best sales year ever (revenue for the 2nd QUARTER of 2004 $1.33 BILLION, dear God!);
The dealers: Just want the money to keep flowing, don't let the music stop; hey there little Buell driver, y'all ready to step up to a REAL motorcycle yet? Whattya mean, you already got one...? |
Bomber
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 01:01 pm: |
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as court sez, the difficulty IS solvable (this from a guy that's worked both sides fo the manufacturer/distributor street) -- however, both sides of the aisle must want to solve it -- if one side or the other (worst case, neither side) sees a problem, well, there's nothing to be solved
something tells me that this, from Buell's point of view, is WAY more difficult that designing a new platform that's salable at a price . . . I would imagine that the head of motorclothes carries a much larger hammer than Buell does at the big table (as econ 101 would tell us is appropriate)
I certainly wish all the parties luck -- no doubt about that at all |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, July 24, 2004 - 01:03 pm: |
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Todd:
As is often the case, I suspect that some of the collateral "they make them sit and bark like dogs in the parkign lot before entering the dealership" stuff that will flow otu of this is anecdotal extrapolation.
Fact is that there is reason for the powers that be to step back, take a look and gather data and adjust the controls.
Tommy: You make a good point about HD. Honda is much bigger but find me a Honda rider in Bosnia who wouldn't do about anything to dump the Honda for a Harley-Davidson.
That my friend is what drives profit. And, by the way, not just profit but some incredible record for the number of quarters (Jose' can tell you precisely) of INCREASING growth.
Cut the pie anyway you want, HD is an incredible success story and I urge those of you (I am no stranger to this) quick on the "tounge trigger" to understand that there are some very smart folks holding the reins and some more in the wings.
It is very easy to get caught in the Louis Rukeyser "Success offends Bueracrats" style off thinking. Easy, for companies and people, to say "you have what I dream of, therefore you suck". Keep your eye on the ball.
Court
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