| Author | Message | ||
     Chiefilliniwek |
What are the chances that HD would let there be a stand alone buell dealer. The local shop here does not take care or Buell riders and the next nearest shop is 100 miles away. I could easily raise the capital to Build great buell dealership even though i dont qualify to even apply for HD. Dont have a million dollars lying around. My other option is to go to the local dealer and propose a partnership that gives me control of there buells in a different location. I know this has been done before and they might be interested as im sure they lose money on them. Let me know if you have any insight on this or who i could talk to thanks CHIEF | ||
| Court |
That has never been done and won't be unless some legal documents are changed. What has been done is HD dealers exercising their privledge of having a secondary retail location (used to be used for shirt shops like you see in airports) as Buell dealerships. Success has varied. There will be some changes. There have to. | ||
| Chiefilliniwek |
Buell is getting ready to explode with growth in my opinion and most of the current dealers will just hold them back. The 1125r is going to be hard enough for HD dealers to handle and they will be totally lost when the dirt bikes come. The stand alone BMW shop does well in my area so i am sure A buell shop could make it. | ||
| Buellshyter |
Court, as you know, when Erik was asked this question at Homecoming he didn't appear very warm to the idea of stand alone dealerships or having Buells sold in multi-brand shops. Does he really feel that way or was he just being politically correct in protecting the dealers he has left? His answer left me wanting... | ||
| Brinnutz |
What's weird is a buddy and I were thinking the same thing a while back... Chief, like you there isn't a dealership within about 100 miles of South Bend, IN either... It really sucks when I have to trailer my Buell, drive all the way back just to turn around and trailer it all the way back a week later...About $100 in gas spent alone... | ||
| Chiefilliniwek |
I think he just wants to go racing...... HD does not seem to be able to do Buell justice. The potential at this point could be huge. I dont think HD will ever let Buell go but they are going to have to be more flexible to cater to the new customer base that they will be bringing in. | ||
| Chiefilliniwek |
I got my bike from a dealership in indiana that last there buell franchise. 2 dealers in central illinois used to be buell dealers and the rest like to bash them. I miss my old shop in northern il McHenry HD/buell They know how to do buisness and If i had a buell shop like that around here there would be alot more people out there on buells. I have lived here 6 months and only seen one on the road locally. | ||
| Daves |
I know a guy in Iowa that would like to have a stand alone, no connection with HD, Buell dealership  | ||
| Court |
The conversation, and it's been going on for better than 10 years, becomes a bit circular in that the idea has merit, execution is more difficult. Let me explain.
With me? See the problems here? Don't get me wrong, somethings got to be done, but it's not quite as simple as just opening the flood gates. Discussion continues and is good. . . this chapter is being written. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
I know a guy in Iowa that I'd like to see with a stand alone, no connection with HD, Buell dealership.  | ||
| Ulywife |
I know a guy in Iowa that would like to have a stand alone, no connection with HD, Buell dealership Buells and Bows! Fun for all seasons. | ||
| Daves |
all they have to do is give me the "go ahead" There is space right next to my archery shop I could get. | ||
| Ratbuell |
Daves - if you're hiring (at either end) let me know. I fletch and repair my own and grew up shooting recurves ;) Which reminds me, I need to get out and shoot some. Maybe my shoulders will feel better if I do... | ||
| 4cammer |
Man, I'd love to be able to go into a stand -alone Buell shop, or even one that sold alongside Triumph, Ducati and MV. MCC in Illinois would be a good model.... At least I would not be the only one in the shop with real riding gear. Sarcasm aside, Buell has to do something. The 1125R will bring in customers that will be interested in the bike despite it being a Buell, instead of customers walking in because the bike IS a Buell. Salespeople will have to show more knowledge and enthusiasm than what I have seen in the shops around the Chicago area. | ||
| Panthercity |
After my experiences in two of the Fort Worth/Dallass HD dealerships, the likelihood of me buying a Buell is about 10%. Were there a stand-alone dealership or even a dealership with a different attitude, that likelihood would go up 85~90%. | ||
| Towjam |
Do you want some peace and quiet? Are you annoyed with people coming up and talking to you? Do you just want to be left alone? Do you crave isolation? Do you dislike attentive salespeople? Then simply walk into a Harley dealer wearing this:  and these:  | ||
| Diablobrian |
unfortunately that is far too true at far too many dealerships. However, the dealerships will have to learn to adapt or die. The supply of RUBs/boomers that won't buy anything non-H-D will take a downturn in the relatively near future and the younger generation is more interested in performance than nostalgia for the most part. H-D marketing has been very savvy for the past 25 or so years, but they have had a semi-captive audience and the business practices & poor customer service of many dealerships have alienated a large segment of riders. H-D is going to NEED Buell soon and they know it. | ||
| Chiefilliniwek |
My dad almost bought a local harley shop a few years ago so i am familiar with what its going to take to get a buell dealership going. Sure would have been easier for me if he had just bought the damn HD store. With the rules HD has i most likely would have to open a buell store in partnership with one of the local HD dealers. I believe so strongly in the products that buell has that i want them to be promoted right and then take care of the riders. Buell riders are a great group and deserve to be taken care of | ||
| Panthercity |
Twojam, Not to mention one of these  | ||
| 04buell |
Is the stand alone shop not still open in the Orlando area? Mr. 04buell and I visited there during Bike Week this year. | ||
| Daves |
We are talking about a real "stand alone" Buell dealership. Not one owned by people that also own a HD dealership. | ||
| Thesmaz |
I think that Buell ought to try a few (5) stand alone dealers in the larger market areas as a test case. I think that they would be surprised at how well the entire model line would sell if the had passionate, knowledgeable and friendly people selling and servicing their motos and accessories and how much happier the customers would be. Hell, I'd want to work at a stand alone Buell dealer after I retire from the USAF in a couple of years, given the chance. I guess I'm spoiled being here in Europe; the dealers here love Buells as do the people that ride them. Now where's that pitcher of Buell flavored Kool-Aid   | ||
| Court |
>>>>I think that Buell ought to try a few (5) stand alone dealers in the larger market areas Let me give you a sense of the steepness of the slope. I live in the largest city in the United States and am fairly Buell fluent and could easily finance a dealership. Try calling Tom at Liberty, the one who's forked over tons of cash investing in growing his Buell business and telling him "we've changed the rules". I'm not disagreeing, just providing a sense of the dynamics. It's easier to talk about than to do. In addition, I now get my new Buell dealership open and have no access to the HD parts and ordering system, access to Harley-Davidson University . . . the list goes on. | ||
| Panthercity |
Court, I'm a bit surprised by your attitude. I don't think anyone here discounts how difficult it would be to set up a stand-alone dealership. (Well, most of `em who have dealership history.) Butt, best I remember, your attitude used to be, "Don't tell me why it can't be done. Tell me how we can do it!" | ||
| Thesmaz |
Court, I'm sure that it would be a very difficult thing to do and I wouldn't want any of the top Buell dealerships to be left out in the cold but I still think that they (Buell) should give it a shot. I've always said "can't, never did anything" so I don't believe that it can't be done. I'm not saying that it will happen any time soon but I can always dream. | ||
| Panthercity |
Oh, and is it implicit that a stand-alone would be cut off from the HD parts system, the university and such? If so, why? Erik's no fool and HD, generally speaking, won't cut off its nose to spite its face. | ||
| Court |
I'm inclined to think it may happen. I'm certain SOMETHING will happen in that the current status quo is totally unacceptable. I am however a realist and my thoughts were more in response to the folks who may not be aware of the thousands of pages of legal documents that currently link Buell to Harley-Davidson dealerships. Some appear to think that Buell can just call someone up and grant them license to hang a sign and open the doors. Something (I'm not sure what, but have some ideas) is going to change. Buells rapid advance into the mainstream of manufacturers, their rising respect as a "here to stay" company and the shameful way that MOST (not all) dealers have handled the product virtually ensures Buell will not subscribe to a "no dealer left behind" way of doing business. Competency will, in the next several years, replace chrome, as the key ingredient of success and HD's market softens. | ||
| Kuuud |
If HD-only dealers have no access to Buell parts, etcetera, why is it impossible for a stand-alone dealer to have access to Buell without HD? Am i missing something? | ||
| Court |
I really need a Venn diagram to illustrate but you can imagine that HD is not eager to provide the local Honda dealer with the Talon system and access to parts. Many, growing less but still many, Buell parts are HD parts. There are a host of cultural and logistical concerns. Sales of the 1125R, XB's and other Buells may commence a sea change. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Harley shops are by far the best motorcycle shops I have ever been in this side of Europe, and my worst experiences with them are pretty much par for the course with my experiences with the local Yamaha shop. I understand why people want stand alone, but think there could be some pretty cool results coming out of fixing the current system... and those results would probably help Harley even more then it would help Buell. The big downside I see is that people like DaveS, with lots of talent, insight, ambition, and energy... are pretty much priced out of the market and not given a chance to compete. He can't just become a great Buell dealer, he has to become a great Harley dealer that also sells Buell. Thats the one big drawback of the current system. |
