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Court
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 10:04 am: | 
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>>>>When is the last time you walked into a Harley dealership and saw brightly colored...?
I guess maybe it's just me . . . here is a photograph of Topeka HD Buell in 1997. Perhaps this is why they have more Bar & Shield Awards than ANY DEALER IN THE WORLD . . . You'll see heads, cams, bikes of all colors. . . every shirt, jacket, cap, keychain and so forth that was in the Buell catalog that year. . . when you HAVE the stuff there people (many non-Buell owners would buy, for instance, a hat to send to a buddy who was a Buell fan) if it's in front of them . . . they'll buy it.
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Slaughter
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 11:06 am: |
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Keep in mind, many of us are associated with a dealer who GETS Buells.
Glendale was sponsoring the Inside Pass at Willow Springs (along with Lancaster and Orange County) - not only were they out, they sent Ernie (sales) - Dixon on the RR Racebike, Eric (arguably one of the BEST Buell wrenches) and one of their other mechanics (I'm embarrassed to NOT remember his name) and they all had a chance to run the 1125R on the track. It's a GOOD thing when the mechanics actually RIDE the bikes before even going to Buell 1125R school. It's an awesome thing to TALK to the guys who might be working on your bike just after they've come off the track on their 2nd or 3rd ride and they're ear-to-ear grinning!
There ARE some dealers who GET it, some still who don't. MANY of those who don't have been weeded out but I'm convinced a dealer can't do a good job for Buell unless there are enthusiasts for Buell in Sales, in Parts and in Service... ESPECIALLY in service. At Glendale, you have RACERS in Management (Mario - GM), Sales (Ernie Snair) and you have track addicts in Parts (Josh Bass) and Service (Eric Antillion and Tom Castro). It is always comforting to have true enthusiasts in the guys you buy the bike from, the guys working on it, the guys you buy your parts from AND the boss of ALL OF THEM.
All that being said, there really aren't HUNDREDS of dealers but the few that you can find are well worth the trip JUST for your peace of mind.
Check Badweb - you CAN tell the dealers that "get it."
(Message edited by slaughter on October 19, 2007) |
Molly_hatchet
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 11:17 am: |
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u realize there is something wrong with u right slicker....i think ur dealership might have more on their hands than they know...did u ride a buell before u started working there....or were u always like this. |
Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 03:20 pm: |
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I have always been off center, I didnt come to Buell till after a track day of riding them, promptly sold the KLR250 & Ninja 600RR to get the CityX. You should have heard the stuff I went through to get my sportster to where it is now (not too many would do 4k of parts accs to an 883 that is still an 883 ;) I like my bikes, loud, fast, light, orange and stripped of chrome. (still taking chrome off the sportster)
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Molly_hatchet
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 04:01 pm: |
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that dosent look very dirty....u feelin ok. |
Molly_hatchet
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 04:15 pm: |
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its not to hard to tell the dealers that get it..my point was..that imo most arent prepared and it will hurts sales...most of the people here have become very resoursful when it comes to their bike...be it finding a real dealer or just doing it themselves(not a bad thing) but...buell dealers havent seriviced their customers well when it comes to hardcore sport bike culture...they have had what 25 years to figure this sh!t out i have never seen a buell dealer that had half the stuff a honda dealer has be it touring gear or kneedraggin stuff...where i bought my bike they had a guy who raced buells and they were hardcore when it came to the brand....when u buy a bike from them like most dealers u get a goodie bag...i gave it to my kid and her friend and let them get stuff cause there just wasnt any decent buell stuff...thats waaay lame in my book...when i got my goodie bag from the honda dealer i damn near broke my neck from lookin all over at all the cool stuff....left with a pipe, seat cowl, shirts,new leathers,grips,windscreen and some other crap...got new pucks for my pants....25 years and nuthin has changed for the buell section at most dealers....most people that buy a new bike dont want to have to go on a search and destroy mission just to get a headlight bulb let alone a new pipe for their bike....its gonna hurt buell...im wondering why there isnt some guy that goes around to the dealers and says hey this is the way we need this to be....give us x amount of room and stock this we need to be prepared for our new customers and they dont need some silly @ss half helmet these guys ride hard...it baffles me...that was the first thing i noticed after buying my bike...um wheres the beef...id kinda like some new grips that arent metal and have flames on em ya'll got some of those....duur no sir maybe we can order them...cyaaaa il go to cycle gear thanx...but if i had wanted a waaaay overpriced jacket with a harley shield on it...i had many to choose from....lame..... |
Brumbear
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 07:41 pm: |
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well Buell looks like it will keep groing so I wouldn't worry about gear and such it will work out. The one thing I am a little worried about is good maintainence guys I am lucky living in NJ I have a couple of ok and 1 very good Buell dealers not so far away. I would worry a little in other parts of the country. However I still think HENRY FORD WAS RIGHT YOU CAN HAVE IT IN ANY COLOR AS LONG AS ITS BLACK |
4cammer
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 10:28 pm: |
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I have 4 Buell dealers within 30-90 min from my house, and not one stocked a rear Diablo for my '07 XB9R when called two weeks ago. That is troubling. Now MY dealer stated it is on backorder until mid November, as Dunlop has trouble shipping product in a timely manner. Hmmmmm. Good thing we can ride all year here in the Chicago area.
The 1125R will most likely be the breakthrough bike for Buell. I just hope that the lack of dealer dedication (at least from what I have witnessed) does not limit or kill sales like I fear it will.
It will take much for some to even step into a HD palace to see the 1125R when it becomes available. Buell would do well to make sure these dealers have the right people working there to land the customer and make the sale. |
Gregtonn
| | Posted on Friday, October 19, 2007 - 11:54 pm: |
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"That's my only beef with many of the Harley guys... they don't seem to ride. Which is silly, as Harley makes really good bikes to ride. Go figure."
Mmm okay...
1998 Laguna Seca AMA races. I'm outside my motel room wiping the bug splats off my bike. Harley guy a couple of rooms down is giving his bike the full wash job. Guy on a BMW rides in and parks beside the Harley.
BMW guy, "Nice bike. Looks brand new, but then you Harley guys always spend more time polishing than you do riding."
Harley guy, "Mmmhmm.." Continues washing.
BMW guy, "I've already got over 20,000 miles on my Beemer and it's only 3 years old. How many miles you got on yours?"
Harley guy, "A few, but then it's six only months old."
BMW guy, "That's what I mean."
Harley guy taps a finger on the odometer and raises an eyebrow.
BMW guy walks over and looks at the odo. "60,000 miles...!!Six months...!!But...???"
Harley guy, "Yeah, I keep it clean, but I ride some too." |
Molly_hatchet
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 12:01 am: |
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somehow erik and company have managed to muddle through no matter what stands in their way..they are lucky to have so many dedicated fans...these arent bikers...more like rabid sports fans that would happily stand outside in 20 below weather to see their favorite team win or lose...those fans will be the growth of the brand...not harley dealers...i think the buell team knows this..it seems to show...maybe if things got to easy it wouldnt be a buell anymore. |
Josh_
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 12:02 am: |
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>and not one stocked a rear Diablo ... is on backorder until mid November, as Dunlop has trouble shipping product
What does Dunlop shipping have to do with your dealer stocking Pirelli tires? Maybe if they ordered from the right manufacturer... |
4cammer
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 12:16 am: |
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>and not one stocked a rear Diablo ... is on backorder until mid November, as Dunlop has trouble shipping product
What does Dunlop shipping have to do with your dealer stocking Pirelli tires? Maybe if they ordered from the right manufacturer...
.........
Yep- took all of my good manners not to correct the service writer when he stated that 3 or 4 times. Sad. |
Zac4mac
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 06:39 am: |
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+20 Molly
Spot on, kinda reminds me of my other "obsession"
@ 4cammer - Aren't Dunlop and Pirelli one company now? Recall reading one of them bought the other.
Z
(Message edited by zac4mac on October 20, 2007) |
Steve_mackay
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:05 am: |
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Perhaps this is why they have more Bar & Shield Awards than ANY DEALER IN THE WORLD
Yes, but who has the most Pegasus awards in the world?  |
Zac4mac
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:37 am: |
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damn - that's what I love about the internet.
30 minutes of searching turned up info from ancient history, back in the 70s that pirelli/dunlop were together, but not recently... my bad, sounds like a good shop to avoid.
Z |
Jaimec
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 11:51 am: |
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Pirelli is now owned by Metzeler, I believe. |
Zac4mac
| | Posted on Saturday, October 20, 2007 - 02:29 pm: |
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Thanks Jaimec, that would have bugged me for a while. At least it took my mind off the 1125 for part of a day. |
Budo
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 - 10:57 am: |
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"You know when you are in a dealership where loyalty and a relationship can be built and when you are in one where it is not going to happen."
This is a fundamental truth. My dealer does not need to sell Buell. They do but kinda as a after thought. They sell so many HD's that Buell is kinda a hobby. This is also their attitude in service and parts for Buell. As always your dealer may make or break your Buell experience. The sales girl that I am kinda pals with has deposits for four 1125's, this was a month ago so..... |
Cityxslicker
| | Posted on Thursday, November 01, 2007 - 12:56 pm: |
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True, Buell bikes are a very small slice of the total of bikes that we sell, and since MOST of the guys are doing their own work, it is even a smaller slice of the Service sector too. But I am way more flipping excited about a new blast in a crate than droves of chrome cowboys drooling over the new Rocker (which we wont have til Jan 08) Why, because that lil bike sells and it is a kick in the ass to ride. Add in the Uly, cityX (my fav) the TT and the new 1125R: I am a big kid in a candy store. Everyone should get to try one. Get your endorsement, come see me for a demo, damn if you dont get hooked too ;) |
Court
| | Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 09:51 pm: |
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>>>>>ยป Are the Harley dealerships prepared for...?
The answer, at least locally, is looking like a huge YES.
I had the pleasure to stop my Liberty today. They have folks headed to a host of upcoming tech classes, including the HELICON and 1125r training.
My dealer will be in the first class. . . . has anyone else been checking to see what their dealers are planning to get prepared.
I'm also thrilled that Liberty ordered the maximum number of 1125r allowed and is planning on selling them.
These guys know Buells, they sell them, ride them, race them and are passionate. It refuels me everytime I walk in that place. |
Bearly
| | Posted on Saturday, November 24, 2007 - 10:16 pm: |
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I stopped by my local's parts counter the other day and asked them to stock a few oil filters. They looked up the number and placed the order.
Just trying to do my part. But I think 600 miles is going come pretty fast once I sign on the dotted line. |
Barker
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 05:53 pm: |
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Bumpus Buell is ready.
Made sure for myself.
Went on a ride with the owner this weekend. Yes you heard right. The owner/principal of a HD shop enjoys riding his Buells (he has a collection of buells as personal rides) Service manager rides a XB9S. One of the service writers has her own pink XB12S. They have 2 serious buell techs, and word on the street is they hired a Rotax expert.
They always have a buell shirts, helmets, patches, gloves, leather etc. Not alot but same or more manufacturer branded gear than most jap/euro shops.
They cant wait. |
Bobup
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 06:37 pm: |
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I have bought a few shirts from Bumpus in Collierville (Tenn.). My folks had moved there upon my dad's retirement back in '90.
Great place to go. Very friendly AND helpful employees.
Nice display of collector bikes....I want the XR750 that is there....notice my drool near it...LOL.
Too bad it is SO FAR away, like about 2,000 miles, or I would do more business there.
My dad lives with me now, but that's another story way off topic from here. |
Jimidan
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 11:09 pm: |
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The ressssst of the sto-ree:
Harley guy taps a finger on the odometer and raises an eyebrow.
BMW guy walks over and looks at the odo. "60,000 miles...!!Six months...!!But...???"
Harley guy, "Yeah, I keep it clean, but I ride some too."
BMW guy, "I guess it doesn't get very dirty if you never get off of the Interstate highway, huh?"
Harley guy, "But...???" |
Cobralightning
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 - 11:17 pm: |
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I just hope Cowboy HD is ready for me. I will be there soon. Just hope they have a good collection of t-shirts and hats. So I can show my Buell pride with my second Buell. |
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