| Author | Message | ||
     Niceharleystuff |
Hello everyone. I wanted to ask all of you for your input. We are currently working on expanding our section dedicated to Buell parts & accessories at our HD / Buell dealership. My question is what OEM and aftermarket parts & accessories would you purchase if properly displayed? Thank you for helping us to be a better Buell dealership!!! | ||
| Tpoppa |
That is good to hear, not every HD dealership I have dealt with wants to be a better Buell dealership. The most important thing for me is knowlegdeable Buell Technician--that will keep me coming back. Some tires have proven to be better than the OEM tires. Metz Z6's and Mich Pilot Power's come to mind. | ||
| Ryker77 |
I agree the a good Buell Tech is the key! Also don't forget about us with the tube frames. We still need parts and service. | ||
| Telewoodski |
Some of the most usual stuff I tend to break, the footpegs, levers, oil filters, turn lights. Some of the cool stuff too, like hats, t shirts, leathers, gloves. Maybe some of the third party stuff, aluminum dip sticks, lower rearsets. If my dealer had that stuff I would be broke right now.  | ||
| Signguyxb12 |
stock peg's , clutch cable, throttle cables, sator(sp), tires, a set of the once torque bolts ( or know when you take somethings of the bikes the bolts have to be ordered), primary gaskets and inspection window gaskets,relays and brake and clutch levers | ||
| Henrik |
Odinbueller from Liberty asked some similar questions. Here's one of those threads: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/17143/120086.html?1119239176 There's more in the Liberty Sponsor section here on Badweb. And thanks Jeff, for stepping up and making a better Buell owner experience. Henrik (Message edited by Henrik on June 27, 2005) | ||
| Djkaplan |
I would be overjoyed if I could just get the right parts I have to order from a dealer. The last three times I ordered parts from two separate dealers, there were problems with every order. | ||
| Midknyte |
No one said Belts yet? Anyhow, it's always a more pleasent experience when you [the delearship parts counter] admits to the existence of, and uses, the HDNet to locate a part(s) in other (possibly nearby) dealer inventories, rather than just sticking your order in to be received "whenever"... I as a customer, should not have to *know* that this exists and have to ask them to do it... | ||
| Jersey_thunder |
WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED?... JT S2 95/96 | ||
| Iamike |
Jeff- I try not to break parts but I have worn a few out. I like a dealer that actually acts interested in me. Ask me about my bike, where I'm from, how much I ride. Start a BRAG chapter if you don't have one in the area. Have a mechanic show up once in awhile to look at the guy's bikes and give suggestions. I absolutely hate to hear "That's the way they all are" and I hate to leave my bike in the shop for a whole week for a 15 minute job. If a car dealer was that way I doubt that they'd stay in business very long. Ask Dave Stueve what he does, | ||
| Ted |
I'd love it ,if my local dealer had the standard Buell accessories listed on the web site. I've asked for them to get the streetfighter seat, so I could at least sit on it in the showroom.( or better yet put it on a demo for me to ride!) | ||
| Rek |
I might handle my bike a little rougher than other folks but I go through blinkers like nobody's business (I personally think they're little too fragile, but that's a whole other topic). Having the drop-kit on hand sounds like a great idea. T-shirts, too. rob | ||
| Doughnut |
My opinion. . . I know little, possibly nothing about mechanics. I have gone to shops and asked questions and they seem to have as much idea as me. KNOWLEDGABLE people are worth more then their weight in gold. | ||
| Dbird29 |
How about stocking at least one set of parts needed to do the 10K service? | ||
| Blublak |
Hmm.. Here's a hard one.. Get some BUELL people in the store. Encourage your people to not make statements like this one (from a H-D Service Manager to my face) "Anyone stupid enough to own one of those buell piles of •••• should be shot in the head." - Have your people learn and know the line, have them ride them like they are meant to be ridden. If they are enthusiastic, well, we can't help but be that way as well. Hell, sometimes, when I'm at the dealer, the sales guy will come to me with a prospective buyer for my opinion on the bike. We, the 'Hooligan Elite' that already ride Buells may be a great untapped resource. For test rides, set the suspension (yeah it'll take a few minutes longer, but it's a better test ride when it's not set like an Ultra Glide) to the rider (at least get close). Set up a nice route that plays to the bikes strengths. Don't do what has happened to me. Had a dealer give me a three super slab, one major road route to ride. That's the kind of ride an I4 litre bike wants to make. Stock the things that sport riders want. Like helmets from HJC, Vega, Shoei, Arai, KBC etc.(not all of us want to spend the extra $$$ for a 'harley' brand lid)and stock some accessories for the lids as well, like face shields. Jackets (Rocket, Fieldsheer, etc.), gloves, sporting boots like Alpinestars and Sidi. Full leathers and sport riding gear to go along with them. Also, make sure you have someone that KNOWS how the items should be sized and how they are worn and used. In the end, most of us don't seem gear up for fashion (insert rider type here), but for safety. PARTS! Try and get your parts & service people to co-operate. Have enough parts on hand to service 3 or 4 different Buells at a time. Don't let the parts guys decide to order Buell parts via the snail speed round the world delivery wheelbarrow. We like to have our stuff in a timely manner, we don't want our bikes sitting for weeks waiting for something that you probably should have in stock or should be able to get quickly from another dealer or the factory. If you also spread the word that you stock the parts, intelligent dealers will also start calling you for said parts. (car dealers have been doing this since Edsel was in shorts) Start a BRAG chapter and make it welcome. The riders aren't the same as the HOG crowd, they will want to ride and talk about their bikes and Ride. Most of us don't seem to want to spend hours on the slab so we can stop and admire each other bikes. Try setting up a track day or two a year, just for your BRAG/Buell customers. I know some of this is re-hash, but let's face it. If you stick by us and support us.. we'll do the same for you. Buell folks can be insanely loyal, capitalize on that. If you treat us like the retarded stepchild because we don't bring in enough instant profit (or some other short sighted bean counter reason) we're gone and we're not shy about telling folks why. This board is a good example of that.. Lastly... Tell us where you are.. and expect visits from us.. Just 'cause you're there.. | ||
| Paulson |
Just seeing BUELL hats and tees in the dealership gives me a warm happy feeling. Keychains and a few accessories would go a long way too, for now. Maybe display one of each model on the showroom floor? | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Hire Dave | ||
| Kandie |
Newfie ssshh, Appleton is already too far away. He is the man though! | ||
| Dfbutler |
Stock some aftermarket performance stuff, i.e. Benke shifters, air filter upgrades, better (brighter) headlight bulbs, etc. | ||
| Trac95ker |
IMO, put up large signs on the outside of the building. The only sign on the post out front is not visible from the highway. Have Rod be the sales manager for Buell. What does he do anyway? He talked to me for about 45 mins. on tuning suspension and handling. He is a resource that needs to be exploited! Have more of he staff wear Buell clothes. More training for the Sales staff. Stock more parts and desirable aftermarket parts. Start the BRAG chapter. I have to say though, weekend rides are happening. Bring Battletrax back. Play Buell videos. | ||
| Seth |
If you had any idea what I just bid on E-Bay for a single Buell patch you'd either laugh of choke... Items like patches and clothes are crazy hard to come by. If you had them available I'd think you would sell a few. OH!, also when ever I see a t.v. commercial for a HD/Buell dealership all they ever show are Sportsters, Road Things, and their extensive inventory of chrome trinkets...no Buells. How are they ever supposed to sell one if the general public doesn't even know what they look like?! | ||
| Bomber |
There is one thing you can do that will warm the hearts of all your Buell Customers while we would all love it if you were to stock every part, accessory and and spare known to upright human kind, we all understand about inventory turn are profitability . . . .. what you can do is order the part from Buell the day it's requested by a customer -- (don't know if you're already doing that or not) Illustrative example there are a couple of serive parts that require periodic replacement for my M2 I called Daves and ordered em via email -- on the same day, I placed an order at a local dealer (they're cheap, I'll need both sets, and more, before the end of next summer, and I figured it would make an inetersting experiment). Friday, the UPS lady left a box on my front porch from Dave -- 2 weeks later, the local dealership called, saying my parts were in Dave clearly ordered the part the same day I contacted him -- dealer admitted they wait til they get $X worth of parts needs before placing the order. If my bike had been down, who would I go back to next time? parts are not hard to get from Buell. parts ARE hard to get at some dealers | ||
| Newfie_buell |
Bomber is exactly right. Customer Service is the KEY!!!!! I have absolutely no problems getting parts from my local Harley Dealer as long as I have a part number. Even for my Buell. They usually order same day and I get it a few days later, even way out here in the middle of nowhere!!!! Its all about the service you receive. | ||
| Ceejay |
good techs or just one for that matter, and if you say your gonna do it that day, order a part, fix a bike, then get it done and right. Read some of the dealer surveys. Patches, stickers and shirts etc. would be cool. But hell I can get all this stuff from Dave, and don't have to leave my kids, wife, garage, beer, so I guess the first one is the best one, Nice to see someone ask though  | ||
| Signguyxb12 |
My dealership asked me "How do we get better at Buells" i have just sent then a email with the link to this thread If your dealership wants to get better i suggest you send them an e-mail also Knowing my dealership (Sheldon's HD) is trying makes all the difference in the world  } | ||
| Xbduck |
I stopped by your dealership just a few weeks back. The family and I were on our way back from Maine and visiting my father-in-law. Once I found the Buells on your floor I was pleased to see that you had the most inventory of new bikes I had seen all week. While standing and looking at them the best I got out of any of your sales staff was "Hi how you doing" as they pass me to talk to the guys looking at the HDs. My wife and I even said out loud that you guys had the most bikes on the showroom floor and the statement we got back was that people say that to you folks all the time. Then I went looking for a shirt of any kind. Because it is so rare to find a Buell shirt I am able buy it without my wife giving me grief. there were none to be found, I also found nothing else in the store other than the motorcycles with the Buell logo on it. So from my stand point as a traveler you had nothing for me and missed a sale. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
Don't charge a surcharge for "special order parts" (parts that should be in stock anyway). A local dealer does that. | ||
| Odinbueller |
Hey Jeff! Welcome to the good fight! I'm pushing to be a better Buell dealer as well, and everyone on the BadWeb has been great with suggestions. I think each dealer on the BadWeb, sponsor or not, should network to ensure needed parts are available to our valued customers. I was hoping DaveS was going to be at the summer dealer meeting, but it looks like I'll have to wait until January to get his insight first hand. DaveS @ Appleton Buell has set the standard that every other dealer needs to rise to, and if possible, exceed. I am currently working with our department managers, working on a plan to stock needed parts (aftermarket hop-ups will come in due time, OEM stock is key for us right now), and have taken on the responsibility of starting & directing our BRAG chapter. You may run into some "reasons" as to why they can not do this or stock that. Keep pushing! Be diplomatic yet firm. There is an audience out there. We're starting to see more Buell riders at our dealership, and it is encouraging. I am still learning, but any help I can provide, feel free to PM me. Chris P.S. – Nice bike | ||
| Ftd |
Signguyxb12, You read my mind. I emailed the link to this thread to my local dealer, Seminole HD/Buell. Hopefully they'll at least read it. Frank | ||
| Tramp |
funny- i was going to take a service advisor job at 'cliff's bmw of danbury', but i got back east too late, and the service manager had a difference of opinion with the gm, and they parted ways. my reccomendation to your dealership is to hire ME as your dedicated Buell service advisor. that would improve your customer service experience in buell service.  |
