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Panhead_dan
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 10:55 am: | 
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I'm after my local dealership to stock Buell spares and accessories EVERY TIME I deal with them. My thinking is - If it has to be ordered, I can do that myself. (faster and likely cheaper too!)
I needed front brake pads and they had to be ordered. Two weeks and something like $60. Sheesh. The time before that was oil filters. Why can't they keep a stock of common parts at least? I still need parts for my hard bags. I filed a warrantee claim and never heard anything back. I called them 3 times and all three times I got "no word yet". Warrantee is now expired. I would simply buy the parts but I can't seem to get anyone sell them to me. I would seriously love to open a Buell only dealership myself. I know firsthand, all too well, what the major problems with the current HD/Buell dealerships are concerning Buells and it seems so easy to correct. These are fantastic bikes and it's just too bad they are being smothered by HD. I predict that if the current situation is not corrected, Erik will be starting over from scratch eventually. |
Panhead_dan
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:05 am: |
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After reading my previous post, I realize that It is not logical for me to say that I want to start a dealership and the prediction about BMC starting over is way out there.
I apologize for those statements.
Passion + no support = immense frustration.
I will now go out to the shop to MAKE my own parts again.
I think I just did it again. |
Molly_hatchet
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:06 am: |
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cry havoc and let the slip the court of buell...go get em court///why dont they have a guy that goes to all the buell dealers and do some quality control....how hard is it to make sure ur dealers stock parts and have good gear and goodies for us...the mindset needs to change...now would be good. |
Panhead_dan
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:11 am: |
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I would love that job.
Guess how I would get to work. |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:32 am: |
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Actually . . . . don't tempt fate. It's been suggested twice in the last year that I sneak about and visit dealerships (like I used to) and prepare a list of "Court Certified" dealers based on the PERSONAL criteria I used to use.
HD has "secret shoppers" but (and this is PURELY A GUESS ON MY PART) their primary concern is keeping HD happy and continuing their secret shopping consulting contract with HD. I'm not seeing them go back and say . . . "man, we found that 85% of your dealers suck hot gas. . . you're putting a commercial headlock on Buell!"
I actually had an idea that ended up as a really neat presentation to a Mike Hilman (President of Buell Distribution Corp) in 1997 that would have revolutionized Buell ownership and broken new ground in the area of factory-dealer-owner dynamics. It was met with something on the order of terror. The idea of having a Buell Owners Council that met with the Dealer Advisory Council twice a year and a network of regional owners reps (the proposal included resume's) around the world . . was a bit "too close to the customer".
While preparing and organizing to write I found the old bound proposal copy I'd kept. It looks better now than it did then. The situation can be fixed. I know how and will be watching to see how desperate it gets before someone acts.
A Buell dealer without a turn signal and foot peg sends a powerful message. . . akin to "WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT".
I'd change dealers immediately. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:36 am: |
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A buddy of mine with a Honda blackbird said a popular mod is to use the lightning pegs. He said they go on with minor modification, and give a nicer riding position.
So there probably are Honda pegs that will be close to fitting.
I have a dealer 10 minutes away that does not stock parts, and a dealer 90 minutes away that does. Guess which one gets my money?
(but on that note, my Kawasaki dealer does not stock most common parts either  ). |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:48 am: |
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"So this dealership can't take a peg off a Buell they have on the floor? "
Back in 2000 while on a cross country trip from AZ to NH on my S2, I noticed a bunch of teeth missing from my belt while stopped at a rest area along I-80 in PA.
I limped down to New Castle HD/Buell and spoke with the service manager about getting the belt replaced. He pointed outside to three Tubers sitting there, all with broken belts. He said he could get one the next day from Youngstown, OH, but that would be the soonest he could do.
I was on the road, and had 3 days to get back to Phoenix. While sitting there, a little depressed, a fellow Bueller asked what was up. I explained to him my situation, and he asked me if I had spoken to the GM. I told him no, just the service manager. He went in, and came back out shortly with a very cute little gal, who turned out to be the GM, I explained my problem, and the need to get back on the road.
She had the service manager take the belt off of one of the bikes on the floor and put it on mine. Total charge: $78.00!
I know belts cost more than that, along with the labor.
That GM, and the dealership, won my loyalty!
IMHO, they went above and beyond, and got me back on the road.
It's dealerships like New Castle HD/Buell that makes you forget about ALL the bad dealerships you've stumbled onto in the past, and wish you lived closer to them.
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Court
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 12:06 pm: |
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>>>but on that note, my Kawasaki dealer does not stock most common parts either
Buell needs to strive to be the best in the business and do the best THEY can. . . not to be as good as a Kawasaki dealer.
I'm preparing to start a rather interesting Kawasaki project and had one of the first www.buykawasaki.com accounts . . seriously cool stuff.
Buell deals in a different market segment and needs to quoting Court here "Aspire Higher". |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 12:14 pm: |
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Every dealership makes a decision with regard to customer emphasis. Your priority is one of two:
Focus on existing customer/owners to keep them happy and loyal sometimes at the temporary cost of a new bike sale today.
Focus on buyers of bikes off the floors many times at the cost of keeping an existing owner happy and loyal.
"We can't just take parts off of bikes on the floor. Someone might want to buy that bike today."
"Even though you are only 50 miles away, we can't help you because we couldn't get it done before closing time."
"We could carry that part, but we would have money sitting on the shelves if we did."
"It's going to be a while before we can get to your bike. We only have one Buell Tech and he has 6 Road Glides to get to before he can get to you."
My Personal Favorite from Buelltoberfest:
"I wish you were riding a Harley Davidson. We could help you then."
I so wish I could help with the dealership issue. I would quit my job and take a position with HD just to get it done.
I'm serious! |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 04:53 pm: |
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I've tried to get the dealership here to stock common Buell parts. If they don't sell X amount in X amount of time they won't stock it, period. |
Birdy
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 05:08 pm: |
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Ok Court the dealer COULDn'T take a peg off as they have no more Buells on the floor at all. They are waiting for the 1125s to order I was told.
BUT I did get a Peg in Ft Wayne, It's for a Firebolt but that's OK I got to ride. About 150 miles at that!
I've decided to start stock piling a few parts that I read of as being needed. Picked up a few gaskets and plugs today.
Just so you know NOT all my post are cry baby types!  I had a BLAST today just knocking around. No problems AT ALL run fine.
She handles more like my Cannondale Road Bike than anything else. Sure footed smooth. Power just keeps coming and the brakes are amazing, strong but controlled. Where ever I stopped people looked and ask a "What is THAT?"
Birdy |
Ccryder
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 06:24 pm: |
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Heck I've got more inventory of Buell parts than that dealer! What did you need?
Anyway, it is a shame that some dealers will not even go that far.
Time2Ride
Neil S. |
Court
| | Posted on Sunday, October 21, 2007 - 08:28 am: |
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Birdy:
Glad to hear you are fixed up and no one thought you posts were cry baby. It is, unfortunately, all too common.
The good news, in part is, that Buell is doing a good job of making the parts available. The next challenge is getting them to the dealers.
More and more dealers "get it" . . . and right now the best thing a Buell owner can have is access to badweb!
Have fun! |
Ridrx
| | Posted on Sunday, October 21, 2007 - 10:00 am: |
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. . . and right now the best thing a Buell owner can have is access to badweb!
Couldn't agree more!
Spent a week trying to get a clip-on and rear brake pedal from the two local dealers. Not only did neither of them have any parts in stock...they didn't even bother to offer to order them! Called Stone Mountain HD( a BadWeb sponsor) and had all my parts in hand less than two hours later. I feel sorry for those who are nowhere near a good Buell dealer, as that REALLY makes Buell ownership a pleasure. |
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