The local dealers really make it hard sometimes...

Suzuki shop 5 blocks from my house. Never have anything it doesn’t take 1-2 weeks to get. And when they do get it , it’s full retail. One of my best friends works there.

I order from Honda East. Jaci has gotten me everything I’ve needed within 4 days ( including the 29 year old GSXR) and always at a very good price.

 

I guess I'm "lucky" that I have a few race specific shops that have alot of parts on the shelf. Mostly because they buy and part out bikes, and sell alot of stuff online. So they usually have parts. The problem comes in when they charge you new prices for the used parts- or any one of the other little minor screw jobs that it seems every shop pulls at some point.

The irony is that they came into success because the dealerships in the area simply can't fix anything. You go in there to fix a problem and they sell you other stuff you don't need, usually the bike comes out worse. And forget race stuff, when it comes to that they have no idea and zero presence at the races. i.e. nobody that works there ever goes to the track, so they have no clue what's going on.

In one of the bike tests in RRW last month they were saying how far motorcycle sales have fallen- The dealers are an easy target, but it seems like there's more at play. Kind of hard for the dealers to spend big bucks stocking alot of parts when they just aren't doing that much business selling bikes, not to mention the parts that go with them.

Curious what is going on with other leisure item sales, sports cars, boats, personal watercraft, etc.....perhaps the motorcycle people just aren't doing enough to sell the "lifestyle".

 

Banks are no longer financing everyone and their brothers...and with liter bikes being $15k and up, kids can’t afford them like in the good old days.

 

Boats, watercraft and marine engines are doing very well right now.

It seems a lot of the younger crowd are more into UTV’s than sportbikes.

 

If you pay the vendor fee....

 

Those tire dudes earn every penny they make changing tires track side in the middle of summer! Eff that

 

I'm hearing lots about dealers can't afford to stock parts. Well the couple dealerships by me have brand new buildings and carry almost every brand. These places look impressive with 100 bikes in the showroom. But the letdown comes when they don't have a stock main jet for a pw50, universal windscreen screws, grips, or gloves.

 

I ain't settin' up shop nor advertising the service, but if a riding buddy wants to offer a grant for a quick change/balance AND I have the time...
Just sayin' favors are a two way street.

 

Many of those UTV's are in the $12k to $25K range too, so it's not a money thing. The mindset of younger folks has to play into it. I have a 17 yr. old kid who has zero desire to ride a bike, motorcycle, drive a UTV, or a car. Perfectly happy goofing around on his phone, laptop, or video games. Most of his friends are the same way.

 

I agree.

I wonder how many guys complaining have ever run a business and managed emoyees. It is hard to stock a lot. I have over 200k in parts for a forklift company and that is because I bought my place and then bought out another dealer.

This isn't including forklifts for sale or rent.

Margins are low and it doesn't make sense to stock a lot of stuff. I have much more than necessary. I can get most stuff overnight from the main industry parts supplier. I still stock the basics, but when I moved 9 years ago I trashed thousands of dollars of old Clark parts. Clark used to own the industry, and I had a lot of seals, brakes, transmission parts, master cylinders, starters, etc. I gave a huge chunk to a local mom and pop parts house, as it didn't make sense to me to waste the space as I downsized into a smaller building to survice.

 

Try ordering Suzuki parts to put on your honda!!

Id take my race tires in to be mounted and they tried to surcharge me for not buying tires from them that they said they couldn't get. They even called the Dunlop guy to try and get them since I went there first. I pointed that out to them and they stood their ground and I left and never went back. The service manager was cool but he finally quit. If I wasnt dealing with him directly it was like beating my head into the parking lot.

Does carrying basic track day/race stuff really take up that much room/cost that much? Numbers. Safety wire. Twisters. Maybe something other than 19 and 21 inch tubes? That's really too much to ask?

 

you guys having issues with parts staff, should stop going in and asking do you have... avoid that crap, look up your own stuff. hell you can look up stuff in parts unlimited, western power sports, tucker rocky ect... for all accys too. FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR OWN HOME, OR PHONE.

all parts/numbers for everything, can be looked up online. I use www.hlsm.com look up my own oem part numbers so, I know I am getting the right part the first time.

I get the msrp so I know what it"should cost", max.

then I take my list to the local dealer, I don't hand them the list, I tell them bring up my account, this is what I want, I read them the numbers, pay my bill, they give me what they have, and tell me the rest will be in, in a few days. yes, it is 2 trips but, you are supporting the local brick and mortar, and getting what you want the first time, no arguments.

once the parts dept knows they don't have to waste time with you at a computer, fiche ect... they will be more inclined to help you, before helping the bozo at the counter with "what year, make, model bike does this fit?" "uhhhh, I don't know, it's blue" guy.

you have the technology to avoid terrible counter people, USE IT. it is not rocket science but, with that said... a great parts person, is worth their weight in gold. Ski

 

$15,000 aint nothing. Have you seen what a new side by side costs? I cant imagine the majority of those customers have a liquid 20 grand laying around. I could be wrong.

 

Since I'm doing their job in the parts department should I call ahead to see when's the best time to come in to sweep the floors and throw out the trash too?

Not only are you wasting your time looking all this stuff up for them, you then get to waste time driving down TWICE and paying higher prices.

 

I hear ya... I do the same... best thing about taking my machine to the track with me is not worrying about a pit cart and lugging your wheels across a blazing parking lot...

 

I agree with all you said except this:

And I call BS here. I don't feel like it's a waste of their time. More like it's their job. But coming in prepared is a reasonable expectation.

 

Wrong.
What you are doing is ensuring that you get the correct part...and if looking up the part number is too much of a burden on you, maybe you're not really cut out for this hobby?
Did you miss the part about telling them you can buy it anywhere and if they want your business that they'll do what they can to price match?

What about buying a bike in the first place? You just gonna go in and believe everything the sales rep says about that bike you're interested in or are you gonna do some homework and research everything you can about it? You'll know more than they do. Why should parts be any different?

Ah, hell...why even bother? When it's time to buy a bike, just get whatever you can find on Amazon...I'm sure you'll get a deal so there's no need for any kind of relationship with a local dealer.

 

the people I am referring to as time wasters, are the people who do not know what bike they have, and or trying to fix something they have no knowledge of how to fix, or estimated costs. then they tie up the parts, service guys and burn them out. if you know what you want, and can articulate what you want, it is easier for both parties. reasonable expectations.

rebel, as far as wasting your own time looking things up... do you want an inexperienced person looking up the wrong stuff for you, wasting your time on site at the dealer, then you walk around the parts counter to "help" them look it up anyway? or do you want to be confident you are ordering the right part the first time, with your numbers?

you are going to have to go back twice anyway, if they don't stock the item(s)... might as well not make it 3-4 trips, if the parts guy looks it up wrong for you. no one is saying sweep the floors take out the trash. like Jerry Maguire... "help me, help you"

I have a good enough relationship with my dealers, I call in the order with my numbers, and give them my cc over the phone, they call me when it is in... one trip.

stop making this harder than it has to be.

Ski

 

Do you know your parts person? Maybe the person is new...or you don't know your dealership?
Either way, always choose to go in forewarned/forearmed...and offer to help, if you know what you're doing more than they do...
Diplomacy is the answer, the only force you can use is going elsewhere. Having to do that makes it "work".