| Author | Message | ||
     Oddball |
Hughlysses, As i remember the suggested price was $6K or so a piece to pay off the purchase price and leave bruce with all the rest of the equipment/tooling for nothing. I guess you could add $3K dealer mark-up and be at the $9K price that appears to be the uppermost point of interest with bidders I've seen. | ||
| Davegess |
Here is how it works with a new vehicle. The manufacturer has a ID number tied to them. This is used in the VIN. The VIN is stamped in the frame early in the production process. For a different manufacturer to sell that bike they would need to remove theVIN and give it a new one. Hard to change that VIN with taking a completed bike apart. Not as easy as taking completed bike and changing the decals. Then you have the EPA cert, Even if the bikes are allowed a pass on the testing and the results of the EBR testing can be used you would still have to file new paperwork and the EPA takes a month or two to get that paperwork processed. Then add in that the 2017 regs have some really significant changes so that you would want to make all these bike 2016s, and you might have trouble doing that because of the time it takes to do the first two things on the list and you see a little of the challenges. Now I have to say i have no inside info and have not talked with Erik in several months so I have no inside info but the little I do know tells me this is much harder than any of us imagine. | ||
| Court |
Would $250 be a good deal? 😀 The best thing Bruce could do would be to give the orphaned EBR bikes to folks as goodwill. Better yet..... Donate the to charity, write them off at MSRP and be done with it Some have already found homes. They'll be a distraction given the monumental tasks that lie ahead | ||
| Gabby_duck |
I think The new EBR should follow Elon Musk business methods on how he sales Tesla cars. | ||
| Gabby_duck |
http://www.teslamotors.com/ Continue from above | ||
| Buelliedan |
The Tesla model would never work for EBRs. Where are you going to take it when you need service? Remember these bikes need the valves adjusted at 6,000 miles. Plus what about warranty work? I do not see any way possible for you to cut out the dealerships with these bikes. It would be a disaster. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Whatever happens with the 250 bikes, I just REALLY hope they don't wind up in dumpsters. | ||
| Noone1569 |
They should give one to each of the first 250 purchasers of an ebr  | ||
| Froggy |
There are service centers for Teslas. No they don't need as much maintenance as a gas car, but they still need to have work done on occasion, including warranty work when stuff breaks (which is usually something other than the powertrain) I couldn't say if that model would work for EBR or not | ||
| Milar |
Dear Mr. Belfer, >For a different manufacturer to sell that bike they would need to remove the VIN and give it a new one. If it is true that your current inventory of frames is toast, might I, most humbly, make a suggestion. Have your next order of frames be tube frames. A modern "White Lightning" speaks deeply to me. It gives homage to the past while using contemporary mechanicals to move to the future. I know Erik will kick, scream and shout at such an idea. But I suspect a modern "tuber" might resonate with your long time, core riders who love Buell . Mike  | ||
| Lake_bueller |
^^^ Still my favorite Buell of all time. | ||
| Buelliedan |
"There are service centers for Teslas" How much do Teslas sell for? What do you think the profit is on each Tesla sold? I don't think a lot of you have any idea how expensive it is to run a dealership. How much do you think it would cost EBR to have to either rent or build those kind of facilities in each state plus how much would it cost to have a mechanic, manager, receptionist, etc on staff? I can pretty much assure you there is no way EBR could afford to do that with the limited amount of bikes they sell and the very low profit each bike makes. And as others have said it is illegal in many states for a manufacturer to sell their product direct to the consumer. They have to be sold thru liscensed dealers in many states by law. (Message edited by buelliedan on October 02, 2015) | ||
| Milar |
Bulliedan: >I don't think a lot of you have any idea >how expensive it is to run a dealership And this is the rub. That expense is passed along to the customer. It is he who decides if that expense is worth it. I'm not sure how relevant the dealer based sales model will remain. Most brick and morter retailers are under pressure. The internet is changing everything. It is ruthless in cutting expenses to the bone. Zongshen has an internet based business model. Buy the bike online and they will pay a local mechanic to do the service work. Parts are stored in a large warehouse and shipped as needed. No brick and morter required. For a small manufacturer like Buell this is a viable option. Open an online store and contract with local mechanics for warranty work. Dan are you a dealer? If so you are going to be under intense pressure in the coming years. If you are not part of a large chain like Ride Now you may well fail or sell out to a chain. Most independent car dealers have failed or sold to chains like Penske and Auto Nation. I can envision a time in the next decade when you buy your Subaru online and Subaru contracts with NAPA or some other entity for warranty work. Laws that have protected dealers like the requirement a product be sold thru a dealer will be overturned. I love independent dealers. I hate chains. But it doesn't take a weatherman to see which way the wind blows. And I would have no problem if Bruce Belfer changed Buells distribution to something more like Zongshen. Mike | ||
| Buelliedan |
Zongshen???? Are you seriously trying to use cheap Chinese dirt bikes as a business model that you think EBR should follow?? As for service work I challenge you to try to find an independent shop willing to work on an EBR even when the customer is paying for it. Now try to get shops to do warranty work on an EBR using your ideas when most places have heard about how EBR dealers got burned for warranty work payments after the EBR shutdown. I can tell you it would not be an easy sell. If EBR tries to go it on their own without a dealer support network I wish them luck as I see that business model as doomed from the start. (Message edited by buelliedan on October 02, 2015) (Message edited by buelliedan on October 02, 2015) | ||
| Froggy |
I never said they could, but you are the only one saying they cant.
There are many on here who have bikes that have never seen a dealer after being picked up. I know I personally wouldn't mind dropping my bike off at an authorized service center for work the same way I drop off anything else to be fixed at their own service shops. Obviously given the low volume the service center would have to be servicing other things in addition to the EBRs. I'm not saying it is a practical option, but it sure isn't a bad one. | ||
| Froggy |
I've already had my SX serviced by an independent shop. I bring the money, they bring the wrenches. | ||
| Buelliedan |
"I've already had my SX serviced by an independent shop. I bring the money, they bring the wrenches." Did they do the 6,000 mile valve adjustment? | ||
| Buelliedan |
Like I said, IMO if EBR tries to go this alone without a dealer network then I wish them luck as they are going to need lots of it. | ||
| Hughlysses |
Whatever happens with dealers, earlier this afternoon Court had a VERY interesting "phantom" response to a post above. | ||
| Court |
>>>>I don't think a lot of you have any idea how expensive it is to run a dealership. While not untrue . . .I am interpreting the fact that my local dealer "refreshes" his 911 Turbo annually and that the 2 brothers down the road have matching Ferraris to mean it's all pain and suffering. Many dealers, like the folks here in NJ . have silently bought many other shops, such as Honda, Yamaha, BMW and Ducati and are amortizing those operating expenses over a number of brand, locations and so forth. One payroll department for 9 shops. The smart and innovative will stay. The weak will be lost through attrition. My "home dealer" is one of the best in the world and has more awards than any other HD dealer in the world. | ||
| Milar |
>Zongshen???? >Are you seriously trying to use cheap >Chinese dirt bikes as a business model >that you think EBR should follow?? Yes I am. And slurring the product (cheap Chinese dirt bikes) doesn't invalidate the "direct to consumer" business model. Zongshen had a blank slate, like Buell, and chose a different distribution model. Some say that model is the model of the future. Look at the middle men that have mostly been squeezed out by technology. Travel agents (Expedia), insurance agents (Geico), gas pump jockeys, taxi drivers (Uber). It would not surprise me to see the forthcoming Google self-driving car sold directly. Dealers will always be around. But the smaller dealer that might embrace Buell is being replaced by big chains. And big chains want volume. They won't waste their floor space on a niche product. If you have a clean plate why not investigate what smart guys like Elon Musk and Sergey Brin are doing? Mike | ||
| Mog |
Time for my silly question of the day.  Is there some way that each bike could have an on line identity, assembly guide and be parted out to a buyer? You buy the parts you want or partially assembled kits (as are kit air planes).  | ||
| _lightshow |
The North Star has always been helpful to those who become confused with their direction. | ||
| Gabby_duck |
By the way your XB wheels are made in china | ||
| Gabby_duck |
Watch "Elon Musk's Top 10 Rules For Success" on YouTube https://youtu.be/zX7I_Rw8Q0I | ||
| Gabby_duck |
Watch "Steve Jobs's Top 10 Rules For Success" on YouTube https://youtu.be/eHzAtxW3TzY | ||
| Court |
All fun . . . all enlightening and all powerful. But . . .long before there was a Steve Jobs or Elon Musk . . . folks like Robert Townsend had the basics nailed in ">Up The Organization". I have about half a dozen books in my library, things like "Miller's Bolt", that I constantly go back to. I wrote a paper once on "static values" and how, in a world that seems to be in constant flux, there are certain basic values that have never changed. Those who recognize that have a huge advantage. Being on Facebook does not, for instance, relieve you from saying "please and thank you". Sounds simple . . but, it's huge. I do a 30 minute segment during the last session of my spring semester class on "Secrets of Successful People". Nothing very earth shattering . . but over the years I'd had the great pleasure to be around many successful people and I've noticed there are certain traits they all share. (Message edited by court on October 03, 2015) | ||
| Reepicheep |
Put the next one on YouTube Court. I'd like to watch it. | ||
| Milar |
For those who poo poo the "direct to consumer" distribution model for motorized vehicles, I see that Elio Motors is up to 46,000 reservations for their new commuter car. It is sold direct to the public and Elio has contracted with Pep Boys for service. I suspect Buell would be pleased with 5% of that. Mike | ||
| Johnshore |
What about GM and Dodge. Both bankrupt operating under new ownership selling the same old cars. I don't know that the productions lines ever stopped. Although I do know someone who has a rusty pickup from that era because someone forgot to rustproof it properly. Oddly enough its being fixed on warranty. |
