| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
Chili in VT? Try it. If you can get good BBQ in New york City, then you can get good chili in VT. | ||
| Slaughter |
Court - we have it on good advice: don't bet against chili in VT. . Wonder if I can get some sent mail order or order some online? | ||
| Reepicheep |
Sure, if you like cinnamon in your Chili. | ||
| Road_thing |
Crusty: I'm sure you can get good barbecue in New York City... ...if you ship it in from Llano or Amarillo! rt | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Court, let me remind you that we have no bet- you appear to be stretching the truth a bit. I won't enter into a wager with you because I don't trust you- remember a couple years back when you said the local dealer had my bike repaired promptly. The dealers own paperwork said otherwise, and proved my point. So like I said, if you want to bet, buy HOG. I specialize in buying undervalued stock, but HOG doesn't look like a good candidate. The company still doesn't realize that the glory days of 30% or better profit magins on $20,000 big twins are over- with credit standards returning to sanity, they'll have to make a profit on under $10,000 bikes like Sportsters and Buells. The motor company seems nowhere near accecpting that reality. If you're looking for a turnaround stock, consider Ford, which has been beaten down to historic lows. Right now Ford has twenty billion dollars worth of inventory (new cars) alone, yet all the stock could be bought up for eight billion. Unlike HOG, Ford has foreseen the fundamental permanent shift in the market and taken action- a year ago they cut inventory and got out of the profitless rental car market. In response to rising fuel prices, they're retooling plants to build smaller cars and bringing their whole Euro lineup over here. If HOG management showed that kind of leadership, I'd be buying HOG today. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
Honestly, do you just crawl out from under a rock every few months to take a crap on HD? You do the same on advrider.com. Sell ALL your Buells and walk away. We don't want you any more. Your money is no good here. | ||
| Lightstick |
+1 | ||
| Mikef5000 |
+1 | ||
| Ducxl |
+1 }Court, let me remind you that we have no bet- you appear to be stretching the truth a bit. I won't enter into a wager with you because I don't trust you- Yellow...that's right | ||
| Crusty |
+1 | ||
| Brumbear |
Hey sounds like someone wants to stand when they pee. Sounds like to me like a malcontent. Do you also suffer from MANASS or nationgeographic pancakeflapper syndrome. | ||
| Court |
>>> Ford has foreseen the fundamental permanent shift in the market and taken action H.O.G. went one better . . . . they harvested many of Ford's top people . . . like Jon Flickinger. Okay . . so the bet is on? Who holds the money? "Over 50% Harley-Davidson dealers gone in a year" . . . let's see who's not being either truthful or realistic. Starting to sound like the "facts" surrounding your bike, eh? | ||
| Court |
As Harley-Davidson stock, with the market down 233 today, continues to rise I think it's interesting to see the folks who are buying Harley-Davidson dealerships. Does this look like the profile of a neophyte "dumb" investor . . .
For the FULL STORY Knowledge extinguishes the fires of stupidity. | ||
| Bomber |
Court wrote: }Knowledge extinguishes the fires of stupidity. if only it was that easy, my friend . . . | ||
| U4euh |
Yea but she has a friggin inferno. | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Court, I really don't care who's currently occupying the executive suites in Milwaukee... They're clearly out of touich with the market. I visited three stores today, and I've been in ten or so in the last month. Two of these three dealers clearly don't get it. One was a small town dealer, the other a block long megastore. I saw the same problems in each- year and even two year old Buells with price tags demanding MSRP or close too it, about as many late model used bikes (repos?) as new on the floor, and near nonexistant floor traffic. BTW, the smaller dealer sells Kawasaki also and had pretty much sold out of them. Both dealers have added big new stores in the past few years... Wonder if they're behind on payments? The third was one of the few dealers I would buy a bike from- St.Croix HD/Buell/Ural. I've seen Buell sized tires in their parts dept., they've got free cappachino as well as coffee, and I usually get to meet the owner, Del, when I visit. This guy is a genuine enthusiast and fellow sidecarist, he even has two new Harley sidecars in stock as well as the Ural sidecar outfits. He's sponsored dinner for our SKUNKs (SideKars Up North Klub) even though other than one member we don't spend peanuts at his store. I understand this dealership has a loyal following, and I suspect they'll survive anything the economy can throw at them. So Court and cohort, when you gonna get out and get some first hand knowledge of the market? | ||
| Mikef5000 |
Can this thread PLEASE just go away. It's bring out the worst in this board, and many members. EVERYONE would be better off to never have seen this thread. | ||
| Jimduncan69 |
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| Koz5150 |
I am surprised this thread is still going!!! Anyway, I wish Buell had a Buell dealership in East Troy, or some type of "home" dealership that was just for Buell. Something that would have everything in stock for you to touch and try on with Bikes for sale also. I don't blame Harley dealerships for not stocking ton's of Buell stuff ( I am refering to clothing and bikes) it just doesn't move like the Harley gear. I will be the first to admit I by almost everythign Buell at a discount. I bought my 2002 M2 for new for $7,400, my sidewinder leather jacket on line for $125, tons of body parts off ebay, my T-shirts off the discount rack at the local dealerships (Appleton WI, Hal's, House of Harley...) and tons of other parts in the clearance tent at Hal's. Why pay full price when I can wait six months for the dealership to sell it at a discount. One of my favorite stories is how I bought my bike from a dealership in Iowa (Wilwerts) since I had watched the price drop from $9,250 down to $8,000 within six months on Cycle trader. I called and asked for the drop dead price and they sold me the bike over the phone for $7,400. That Saturday I brought the bike home on a trailer and stopped by Hal's to order an exhaust. (I had a $100 gift certificate from the MSF course I had taken there) A salesman asked me how old the bike was and I informed him I just bought it that day in Iowa. He said he had the same bike on his floor for sale. I asked how much and he read the sticker at $9,800 something (it did have the PM wheels like mine). I laughed and told him what I paid and he said he could have made a deal with me. $2,400 off the sticker price? Think if I had just walked in and said "What's the real price?" he would have said $7,400? Somehow I doubt that. On the other hand, if they would sell it for that cheap, why did the sticker still say $9,800? My guess would be because they wanted more money then the bike was apparently worth on the market. Think new 1 or 2 year old Buells are worth MSRP on the market? Not even close. So what does this all mean? Here is what I have learned. 1. The internet is a great way to buy Buell stuff (including bikes) at a discount and has the overall best selection of stuff. 2. If you see something you like in a local dealership, wait, chances are it will be on the discount rack this at the end of summer. 3. Do to limited stock, there is no one dealership, or location, where you can get your hands on all things Buell. When there is, I will eventually make a road trip there! 4. It takes a strong salesman to make Buell profitable for a dealership (Read about legend of Dave S.). And for every great Buell salesman, like many of the sponsors here, in the long run they are earning/stealing the business of the local shops. 5. As much as I like Erik and after reading "25 years of Buell" (I am not quite done yet) I have serious concerns about what will happen after he steps down. I hope someone else with his passion steps in to keep this thing alive. However, since I got tube frame, I will be able to find parts for about as long as I need to. I just tell the parts guy I own a Sportster. | ||
| 46champ |
Ya wana see how good no dealer will work, just watch how the Chinese scooters get taken care of 2 years down the road when you need a piston or a clutch. The wash boy at the used car lot won't be much help. | ||
| Xl1200r |
Interesting - My dealer's floor is nearly empty, and there's maybe 8 used bikes there total. They've sold every single '08 Buell they got in, including (my estimate) probably 5 1125Rs. The Kawasaki dealership might be empty because their ordering process is very different than HD and Buell's. And slow foot traffic in a motorcycle dealership in October? SURPRISE! The season's nearly over - people don't have the "bug" nearly as much as they do from late winter through summer. Evertime I've ever been in the BMW or Japanese dealership (both within a mile of my HD/Buell dealer), they are EMPTY. I'm likely one of 2 or 3 customers in the building. Sure, the same has happened in my Buell dealer, usually when I stop in after work, right before they're about to close on a week night. But on a weekend, there is plenty of traffic. I'm not sure what you've done in the past to upset so many people here, and I don't generally like to jump the bandwagon of not liking someone without having been personally wronged, or knowing exactly how others were wronged, but you come off as some kind of "expert" who really has no expertise. | ||
| Ft_bstrd |
you come off as some kind of "expert" who really has no expertise. DING, DING, DING, DING!!!! We have a winner! Don't forget these gems of Buell discussion: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25 6955 What I love was the absolute bitching and moaning at the procedure for changing a belt. Wanna see what it takes to replace a clutch on a BMW?   | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Well, I've done two clutches in the last week on BMWs and they were a cinch- all the wheels on the ground, just unbolt, slide the rear end back, and take the tranny out the side. BTW, both these bikes have around 100k miles and the clutches were within the thickness limits for new clutches. I replaced one because it was slipping due to grease (my mistake) and the other one I just cleaned up and reinstalled. Koz, I bought my '01 M2L from Wilwert's too the same way you did- I called around and they offered me the bike for $7677 OTD in October of '01. The local dealer at the time still had MSRP price tags on their year old and older Buells, and their sale staff was to busy bench racing to even talk to me. As for floor traffic, Judson (BMW & Guzzi) and Moon BMW, Honda, Yamaha, and Aprilia) are both very busy these days. | ||
| Court |
The BMW dealer (I just sold a BMW last week) here is very busy as well, selling Ducatis and BMW's . . they are a really good dealer. Liberty is selling Buells about as fast as they get them in the door as well. There is a huge shift to 2 wheels in New York City, I am riding to school 3 days a week and scooter sales, for the last 3 months, are up over 180% over the same months last year. I am starting to see a new crop of electric scooters around town as well. I've heard that HD 883 sales are very strong too as folks, who MUST have a Harley, opt in for the lowest $.. . .perhaps part of the reason the HOG, Polaris and Honda are all up today. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
I am on the sales floor every day from open to close, stop on by. Our numbers of Buell sales have been the largest this year than any other, we are buying them from other Buell dealers, auctions, and taking in aggressive Tuber trade-ins to meet our local demand. We are hosting a Sport-Bike Open house this weekend. Hell we will even BMW's are welcome to show up; especially when we get to take them in on trade  Nationally Buell maybe the 3%, locally it is 10% of my numbers. Argue stereotypes all you want, concrete numbers trump that every time. | ||
| Koz5150 |
Perfect example of a few great dealers stealling/eaarning a major portin of the Buell business. I am on the fence about the Stealling vs. Earning arguement. Unlike a Sears or Home Depot department store where inventory is the same price, same stuff, dealerships are really in the business for themselves against each other besides being against dealerships with competing brands. The "American" in me says if one guy can do it better, he deserves to be rewarded. However, the lack of consistancy really ruins the overall image of the brand ultimately leading to threads like this and the consumer wondering if they are really getting the best deal possible. Wasn't it Saturn that sold new cars at the sticker price, no haggling? What a concept. Walk into any store and know you are getting the same/best price available at any other store. | ||
| Bomber |
and Saturn stopped that practice pretty quickly ;-} I LOVED dealibng with Daves -- however, as much admiration I have for him, it's not like he's a genius -- just a smart, hardworking fella that keeps his word . . . (this should, in no way, be construed as damning Daves with faint praise, btw) shouldn't be so rare to replicate that level of service -- | ||
| Koz5150 |
Remember Dave's Fly and ride program? Buy a bike and he wold fly you to Appleton to pick it up, you would ride it home. Wonder how many local sales that stole from other dealerships? | ||
| Bomber |
I'd use the term "earned," but I get the thought process it's a zero sum game, to some extent - -X number of sales, Y number of dealers . . . that said, I wonder how many riders are on Buell due to Daves' enthusiasm? (Message edited by bomber on October 09, 2008) | ||
| Xl1200r |
and Saturn stopped that practice pretty quickly ;- } That practice is still in effect today. |
