Jamestown, California Harley Davidson Closing
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Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 51
Likes: 14
From: Delaware
It is a tough call. Who needs a $45 tee shirt? I just went to our local dealer to look at picking up some Christmas gifts. I understand that both the dealer and Harley need to make money, but $45 for a tee shirt was too much for me. While there, I got a quote on tires and installation. Their quote was twice what paid last set at another dealer. Twice as much. Not just more, but twice as much. I will find another place or buy a motorcycle tire changer and do it myself.
Raising prices does does look like it will increase profits, but it is a slippery slope to driving customers elsewhere, even online. For our riding friends, we made custom high quality silk screened tee shirts with our custom design, so we know what the cost is. We also had embroidered logos on high quality polo shirts and work shirts. So we can only guess at their markup. I agree the Harley name is worth something, but not that much. Instead of trying to sell Harley tee shirts to everyone, they have them priced for a select few yuppies.
What i I learned at my visit was that I was no longer their target consumer.
Another aspect shown by this thread, that when a group owns multiple dealerships, it is a lot easier to close one or two. Imagine if a single dealership owner had that business, would they be finding ways to increase business before throwing in the towel. Yup, that's the dealership I'm going to for my tires, as they realize that for a reasonable price, they will have bikes lined up for new tires and brake pads. But this dealership I'm going back to for my tires is a single owner, one dealership that knows, it needs happy, returning customers. That Harley riders and buyers are not an infinite resource.
i am sorry this Harley cathedral is closing. I don't know if the multiple owners really did what they needed to do to make it work. Sure it is cool to have a destination ride, but did they make it attractive for you to spend your money there? Or did you just drink free coffee, talk with your buddies, and leave?
I always wondered if the dealership lowered the cost of their tee shirts to, say $35, if sales would go up enough to increase profits in that category, and everyone for 100 miles around would have that dealerships Harley tees on.
Hope the other one is successful. But my main concern would be for the employees at the business they are closing. Seen this before, it hurt friends of mine who worked at a dealership. Therefore, while I understand investment groups that own multiple dealerships, just like auto dealers, I do not think it is healthy for the community at large. But it's just business for them, and owning multiple does give you the ability to throw in the towel and focus elsewhere.
Good luck to the former employees, unless they got the offer to move and the commute does not kill them, financially or timewise.
Raising prices does does look like it will increase profits, but it is a slippery slope to driving customers elsewhere, even online. For our riding friends, we made custom high quality silk screened tee shirts with our custom design, so we know what the cost is. We also had embroidered logos on high quality polo shirts and work shirts. So we can only guess at their markup. I agree the Harley name is worth something, but not that much. Instead of trying to sell Harley tee shirts to everyone, they have them priced for a select few yuppies.
What i I learned at my visit was that I was no longer their target consumer.
Another aspect shown by this thread, that when a group owns multiple dealerships, it is a lot easier to close one or two. Imagine if a single dealership owner had that business, would they be finding ways to increase business before throwing in the towel. Yup, that's the dealership I'm going to for my tires, as they realize that for a reasonable price, they will have bikes lined up for new tires and brake pads. But this dealership I'm going back to for my tires is a single owner, one dealership that knows, it needs happy, returning customers. That Harley riders and buyers are not an infinite resource.
i am sorry this Harley cathedral is closing. I don't know if the multiple owners really did what they needed to do to make it work. Sure it is cool to have a destination ride, but did they make it attractive for you to spend your money there? Or did you just drink free coffee, talk with your buddies, and leave?
I always wondered if the dealership lowered the cost of their tee shirts to, say $35, if sales would go up enough to increase profits in that category, and everyone for 100 miles around would have that dealerships Harley tees on.
Hope the other one is successful. But my main concern would be for the employees at the business they are closing. Seen this before, it hurt friends of mine who worked at a dealership. Therefore, while I understand investment groups that own multiple dealerships, just like auto dealers, I do not think it is healthy for the community at large. But it's just business for them, and owning multiple does give you the ability to throw in the towel and focus elsewhere.
Good luck to the former employees, unless they got the offer to move and the commute does not kill them, financially or timewise.
Before I can turn my head he walks by me to my bike, starts swapping them out, and then he re-programmed the BCM to accept the new lights. No charge for the install, and I paid around $75 less for the parts then I would have on the internet. Admittedly, the signals are simple as hell to install. But, that's not the point. It's that give and take that creates a true relationship between a business and a customer. Makes it a two way street. Simple things that will cost the dealership a few dollars in the sort term, but provide them with greater prosperity in the long term.
Club Member
Joined: Jul 2014
Posts: 11,467
Likes: 3,569
From: Idaho
Saturday I drove up to Hannum's in Chad's Ford, Pennsylvania in order pick up my bike from the service dept. While talking to the service manager (Brian) I decided to ask him what he'd charge me for a set of Custom Dynamics led turn signal inserts. He looked at me for a split second, got up without saying a word, and walked over to their "bargain" table (which I had just walked past 4 or 5 times). He picked up the front and rear kits for my bike, the smoked lenses I asked about, and started walking back toward me. I'm figuring, "Cool. I'll install them after I ride the bike home".
Before I can turn my head he walks by me to my bike, starts swapping them out, and then he re-programmed the BCM to accept the new lights. No charge for the install, and I paid around $75 less for the parts then I would have on the internet. Admittedly, the signals are simple as hell to install. But, that's not the point. It's that give and take that creates a true relationship between a business and a customer. Makes it a two way street. Simple things that will cost the dealership a few dollars in the sort term, but provide them with greater prosperity in the long term.
Before I can turn my head he walks by me to my bike, starts swapping them out, and then he re-programmed the BCM to accept the new lights. No charge for the install, and I paid around $75 less for the parts then I would have on the internet. Admittedly, the signals are simple as hell to install. But, that's not the point. It's that give and take that creates a true relationship between a business and a customer. Makes it a two way street. Simple things that will cost the dealership a few dollars in the sort term, but provide them with greater prosperity in the long term.
My local HD dealer wanted $780 to put two new Michelin Commander II's on my bike. The local Honda/BMW/Kawazuki dealer did it for $440. A month or so later I stopped back by the Honda dealer to ask if they had a Pin-Lock shield for my helmet. The parts manager looked up the number, said "I think we have one.", and went into the back. He tossed it on the counter and said: "There ya go!", I asked what I owed him and he said: "You bought your tires here, this one's on the house."
My local HD dealer charges $2.00 EACH for 11105 o-rings for your oil drain plug. Buy a $25,000 motorcycle, then stop by a few months later for HD oil for a complete oil change. an HD oil filter, and o-rings.
The o-rings are still $2.00 EACH.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 11,185
Likes: 7,961
From: In my head
Think the bubble money printing money days are over my friend, particularly if you have to deep throat the MoCo and follow their gilded bullshit. I think we're going to see an eventual swing back to fewer and more compact dealers in coming years unless the mothership has a magic hat and a damned big rabbit hiding in it. Only way they can maintain the exclusive image they've been fronting for the last 2 decades is make things less common than it is now.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 587
Likes: 312
From: here n there
Saturday I drove up to Hannum's in Chad's Ford, Pennsylvania in order pick up my bike from the service dept. While talking to the service manager (Brian) I decided to ask him what he'd charge me for a set of Custom Dynamics led turn signal inserts. He looked at me for a split second, got up without saying a word, and walked over to their "bargain" table (which I had just walked past 4 or 5 times). He picked up the front and rear kits for my bike, the smoked lenses I asked about, and started walking back toward me. I'm figuring, "Cool. I'll install them after I ride the bike home".
Before I can turn my head he walks by me to my bike, starts swapping them out, and then he re-programmed the BCM to accept the new lights. No charge for the install, and I paid around $75 less for the parts then I would have on the internet. Admittedly, the signals are simple as hell to install. But, that's not the point. It's that give and take that creates a true relationship between a business and a customer. Makes it a two way street. Simple things that will cost the dealership a few dollars in the sort term, but provide them with greater prosperity in the long term.
Before I can turn my head he walks by me to my bike, starts swapping them out, and then he re-programmed the BCM to accept the new lights. No charge for the install, and I paid around $75 less for the parts then I would have on the internet. Admittedly, the signals are simple as hell to install. But, that's not the point. It's that give and take that creates a true relationship between a business and a customer. Makes it a two way street. Simple things that will cost the dealership a few dollars in the sort term, but provide them with greater prosperity in the long term.
Banned
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 21,413
Likes: 18,030
I understand completely, and I've had the same experiences, only in reverse.
My local HD dealer wanted $780 to put two new Michelin Commander II's on my bike. The local Honda/BMW/Kawazuki dealer did it for $440. A month or so later I stopped back by the Honda dealer to ask if they had a Pin-Lock shield for my helmet. The parts manager looked up the number, said "I think we have one.", and went into the back. He tossed it on the counter and said: "There ya go!", I asked what I owed him and he said: "You bought your tires here, this one's on the house."
My local HD dealer charges $2.00 EACH for 11105 o-rings for your oil drain plug. Buy a $25,000 motorcycle, then stop by a few months later for HD oil for a complete oil change. an HD oil filter, and o-rings.
The o-rings are still $2.00 EACH.
My local HD dealer wanted $780 to put two new Michelin Commander II's on my bike. The local Honda/BMW/Kawazuki dealer did it for $440. A month or so later I stopped back by the Honda dealer to ask if they had a Pin-Lock shield for my helmet. The parts manager looked up the number, said "I think we have one.", and went into the back. He tossed it on the counter and said: "There ya go!", I asked what I owed him and he said: "You bought your tires here, this one's on the house."
My local HD dealer charges $2.00 EACH for 11105 o-rings for your oil drain plug. Buy a $25,000 motorcycle, then stop by a few months later for HD oil for a complete oil change. an HD oil filter, and o-rings.
The o-rings are still $2.00 EACH.
Same experience with tires and fluid change. Less than half dealer. I called ahead so they had the gaskets and tire.
They parked my Harley out where every passer by could see it.
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