Today, I decided to stop at my local motorcycle dealer. As a blogger, avid motorcycle enthusiast, restorer, and lover of all things petrol, I walked along the aisle of new bikes with my girlfriend as salesmen greeted me and asked about the bikes I was interested in. My first words uttered were, "What do you think of KTM?" The salesman's eyes shifted to the ground. Anyone who has been involved in any powersports dealership gets the look. Manufacturers promise the world, and the dealer bites, and is often left hanging. All manufacturers do this at one point or another, though some are better than others.
I walked up to a newer R1, and my girlfriend asked me about it. I explained that the bike is basically unrideable for me, and I sat on it, showing her what I call an "ultra-aggressive riding position." Now, I have a skinny frame with long arms. I probably shouted louder than I should have, saying, "Unless you have a barrel chest or huge boobs, don't buy this bike." The salesman and a lady in an office nearby started laughing. They understood where I was coming from. Yamaha has evolved a MotoGP riding position that doesn't work for all riders. In my opinion that was just part of the downfall of the newer R6 and it not being built anymore. The first time I rode a newer R1, I thought I was going to crash due to the position, and as soon as I got back to the dealership, I immediately got off it.
I'm here to tell you that many dealerships have it rough. Specifically, motorcycles, in my opinion, offer cheap fun but come with a major downside – they lose value quickly. While some bikes do a great job holding their value, most don't. People are often shocked when they go to trade in their bike for something else. Additionally, dealerships are competing against the internet. The do-it-yourself community is huge, and bikes are at a point where they need to be serviced at the dealership. Well, just go with an older bike, and the dealership is at a disadvantage, and the internet wins since something can be ordered, and work isn't missed to pick up a part.
I'm not here to say dealerships are bad. After working for a few, they definitely leave me avoiding applying for a job with them. I do understand the strife of every employee there, though. It amazes me that the longer I stay away from a dealership, the more I realize they don't change.
I am not saying that a dealership will disappear because of the internet, but the competition between dealerships is much higher due to the internet. Most dealerships have enthusiastic and very helpful people, but the problem is a customer-first approach. Dealerships will offer the world, and then, in my opinion, give a slow letdown. These letdowns could include cost, more issues than first assumed, trade-in problems, and, my favorite, not getting a vehicle repaired quickly enough.
Now, I don't have a way of remedying the letdowns. Even if I did, my advice falls on deaf ears. As a person who has worked in this world, the managers and owners seem to know best. My problem is they base their education on years in business and old, microwaved-beyond-burnt selling tactics.
The idea that a salesman is by the door immediately asking me what I am looking for is crazy to me. I could say you have an orange sign that says KTM and keep walking. I might speak more on this situation in another blog post, but for now, I will keep it where it is
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