I don’t think I’m unique in looking forward to walking through the doors of any kind of establishment engaged in the commerce of motorcycles, scooters and related products. Part of the experience of riding and owning is being able to browse and dream about the machines and accessories that promise to make the riding life complete.
The dominant business model in this industry makes it relatively easy to avoid actually spending money so I should consider myself lucky that I have not encountered the perfect motorcycle dealership. I have visited a variety of large and small, old and new businesses and apart from cosmetic and spatial differences they seem to all conduct themselves in the same manner.
So what exactly is the perfect dealership? After some thought I think the perfect dealership would embrace:
Here are some of the things that the perfect dealership would embrace:
REALISTIC HOURS
I’m not talking about hours that will make the staff happy. I’m talking about hours that will make me happy. I work during the week so I don’t care a whole lot of about what the daytime Monday through Friday hours are. I want the place open when I am not at work and can actually visit the place. I don’t want to see the doors lock at 6PM on weekdays, 5PM on Saturday, and Closed on Sunday. Come on now. You need to be open until at least 10PM every day. Think about the L.L. Bean model in Freeport. Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The Perfect Dealership will be open when I am out riding and need to see what kind of CrampBusters they have in stock.
Now some will say that there is no reason for these hours because there is no traffic through the doors. That leads me to the next set of things. You need to make the place welcoming. Give me reasons to come and keep me coming back. Let’s visit the Barnes and Noble model for a moment.
OUR STUFF IS YOUR STUFF
When I go to Barnes and Noble I see people using it like a library. They are reading books and magazines for hours and then walk out the door without spending a cent. The Perfect Motorcycle Dealership won’t have those annoying signs the say “Please Don’t Touch” of “Don’t sit in the Motorcycles”. Instead the big sign on the wall will say “Feel Free to Sit on the Bikes, Start Them Up, Take them For a Ride.” I’ll be able to stop every Sunday afternoon and take something different for a ride and not feel like a pervert for even suggesting it.
RIDER COMFORTS
And lets not stop there. I’m a guest in this establishment and should be treated accordingly. That means a lot of big easy chairs to sit and stare at the bikes. To talk with other riders and just relax or get warm. And the place will have a small cafe to provide for the sustenance necessary to truly appreciate machines and accessories. And wireless Internet access for those riders who want to telecommute and work on projects in a warm and friendly environment. And the place will employ some people who were alive when Truman or Eisenhower was President.
INVENTORY
This perfect place will have an extensive inventory of new and used bikes and scooters, riding gear for all seasons, and well-researched accessories for every machine on the floor. Lots of downright useful gear. Just like L.L. Bean.
I really believe a place like this could make some money. But it will require a long-term vision for success, something sadly lacking in the American business mind. And it will require a cultural leap of faith to stop looking at new motorcycles as precious objects to be worships, polished, lined up, and protected from those who covet them.
So I’ll keep my eyes open for the Perfect Dealership. Maybe one already exists. If so I would love to hear about it. Until then I will have to fulfill a big part of this dream by riding to Barnes and Noble for a cup of tea, chocolate chip cookie, and Rider magazine….
I just happened to stumble on your blog.
I like your prose.
I am 38 and have this sudden need for two-wheel motorized fun.
Your struggle between a Triumph Scrambler and a Vespa is much like my Ducati- Il Monstro vs. Vespa question.
Your perspective is enlightening, so much that I am going to revisit the only Vespa dealer in my state today.
More ruminating, I guess.
****
Your thoughts and ideas on the “perfect” Motorcycle Dealership can be used for “any business.”
Ironically, when I go to a Triumph, Ducati or Vespa dealership it is much more welcoming than the Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki establishments.
Everyone.
Every one of those “generic” establishments, leave a lot to be desired. At least in Michigan.
It’s really quite simple. Why don’t more businesses have that (your) model?
Surely it’s more “cost effective” than an obnoxious TV commercial with lots of shouting.
I mean what does a cup of Turkish coffee and some Hummous cost?
Keep up the writing.
I need more “evidence” for my wife.
She put up the “no crossing” sign for motorcycles.
I think a Vespa might ease here cerebellum.
I can tell you from working “behind the scenes” at motorcycle shops that it’s going to be a long time. Most of those shop owners are so narrowminded and shortsighted that it’s amazing they even sell motorcycles. Some of the “All Scooter” shops are going in the right direction, like JavaSpeed. Keep hoping, and let some of these shops know how you feel about them. With enough blows to the head, they may come around eventually.
We had a shop almost like that for awhile here in Minneapolis. It was called “Trackstar Motorsports”, and it was owned and run by real motorbike enthusiasts. One was a cafe racer / sportbike guy, and the other raced flat-track.
Anyway, there was a coffee-shop/lounge built onto the place, a separate business called “The Motor Oil Cafe”. They had good coffee, snacks, and a big screen television tuned to Speed! They were well-stocked with moto- magazines, and had a wonderful wooden deck outside for bench racing.
Of course, in our Capitalist system, Nothing Cool Ever Lasts. It is always replaced by something cheaper, more efficient, and ultimately, less satisfying.
Your “Perfect Motorcycle Shop” would never generate the kind of profit margin that business demands nowadays. Otherwise, it’s a great idea!
Ride well,
=gc=
I’ve seen elemets of the motorcycle shop you describe turn up here and there over the years. There was once a CZ shop in California that treated the customers like kings. Chapparal Motorsports in California has an amazing selection of gear and bikes but alas, no sofas or warm welcoming atmosphere. There used to be a Triumph/Ducati shop in Arizona run by a guy name Dave and it was a real enthusiast shop. Great place but Dave sold out to a “don’t sit on the motorcycles!” guy.
Oddly enough, the only current shops I’ve seen the come close to your dream shop are some…gasp…Harley dealerships run by motorsports conglomerates. The shops are spotless, you’re welcome to sit on the bikes, there are comfy sofas to sit on an shoot the bull. Sadly, they are Harley shops and unless one wants to join that cult there’s not much point in hanging around there.
I’ve often thought that if I won the lottery I’d open the last, real, motorcycle shop just to show how it should be done. And as someone else noted, the scooter shops seem to be coming the closest to being friendly, fun, places to visit.
Doug
Steve, as much as I like your Perfect Motorcycle Dealership, and would gladly work there, I see three major stumbling blocks: Money, lawyers, and Insurance.
The lawyers and insurance will make sure you can’t ride the bikes, or sit on them lest you tip on over and hurt yourself. Money could certainly be made, but it would take a lot of capital to start the business and run it long enough to turn a profit.
It seems the world is going to the McDonalds business model. Get ’em in, get their money, get ’em out. Or as I prefer to think of it, the generic corporate mission statement: “Our purpose is to seperate our customers from as much money as possible, while delivering as little as possible, paying our employees as little as we can get away with, to make our stockholders indecent amounts of money.”
I hope you find your perfect dealership. When you do, let us know and I’ll move there. Unless, of course, it’s in a place with only straight roads. LOL
Dave T.
What’s the LEAST I can do to make you happy? That seems to be the question that most dealers are asking, and it shows.
I suppose the question ought to have a copyright notice attached, as it was originally asked of me by my wife a good many years back. When she wants to give me a “Honey Do” list, I refuse the paper and negotiate from “the LEAST I can do” point of view. It is a great deal easier, since she usually settles for less than I would have done, uncoerced. Yes, I am lazy.
This is the kind of motorcycle/scooter shop we all dream about. But insurance and liabilities move it out of the arena of viability.
I think there might be a better way to develop such a business model. It would have to be predicated upon getting the customer involved in the dealership. Essentially what needs to be created is a two way street.
What you need is to have group rides starting at the dealership and lasting about two hours. Saturday morning dealership rides. People would be able to come early, pay a small fee and sign a no liability form and then get out there and join the fun. It is, afterall, about the ride. People would come back to the dealership after the group rides ready to purchase accessories. A real commeraderie could develop between the associates and the customers. For those who pay the fee, it would go toward a brunch or even a lot cookout for the riders. We have to start somewhere and as far as I can tell this would be as good a way as any.
People want to be involved in the groups they see having fun. They want a little more than stores being open at better hours although that would be a big step.
As much as I know that you prefer to ride alone, I think the bigger picture for the general riding pulic is in involvement. The public just wants someone else to set the rides up so that all people have to do is show up. It could could begin the trend you’re looking for.
Roadbum
I’m going to have to go the other direction. I came across the perfect motorcycle shop a couple of hours South of me. It was an accidental find because I took a wrong turn. Remember, you’re not really lost if you don’t care where the road goes.
This guy owns two buildings. One houses his flagship dealership. It’s a lot like what you describe without the “take any bike and ride it” thing. The other building is across the street and down about a quarter mile.
The second building is where I felt more at home. Bikes are crammed in everywhere. Jackets and gear are piled up all over the place. Floors are the old hardwood that nobody’s polished for a hundred years. Right in the front window is a big coffee pot. Serve yourself and no charge. I swear an old dog was sleeping in the corner.
The dealership is the business. The old building is “His” building where he can anything he absolutely damn pleases. It’s a bike maniac’s dream. There’s five gallon buckets you turn over and sit on. I like “minimalism” where the passion is the featured jewel, not the trappings.
The only time I went to Barnes and Noble is in Medford because there was a coffee shop there. We have a book store that looks like a dungeon. Come to think of it, maybe I’m in touch with my Prehistoric roots and like things that feel like caves!
Great post!
Dan
You wrote:
“I ride for the heightened awareness of the world and life.”
Here in Alabama we will have our first freezing temperatures of Autumn. I get off work at midnight. My wife asked if I’d be taking my Ford truck to work instead of the scooter. I bought a Honda Scooter this summer and have used it as my main transportation to work since then. I had her look around at the blue skies, colorful trees, and dappled sunlight and explained how I feel more a part of it when I am scootering or cycling. I don’t fear cold weather riding since I did a February snowmobile trip to Yellowstone. Someone told me that below 20 degrees cold was cold. He was mistaken! He should have been out there in that minus 30. I look forward to reading more installments in your blog.
Wow, so many comments about dealerships. I have to say I feel fortunate to have the local Vespa dealer just a few miles from home. While they don’t have a cafe with easy chairs they do offer great service and support. There are no signs saying to stay off the bikes but I don’t sit on them just because it never feels right.
So here goes with some specifics:
anonymous: Good luck with your Vespa-Ducati match. The longer I ride the Vespa the more I respect it’s ability on the road and more importantly it’s ability to satisfy me.
scooterguru: It’s too rural here to support a scooter only shop. It has crossed my mind as a potential business in retirement but….
gary: Why does capitalism always have to get in the way of the things I want? You’re right though, if there isn’t big profit there are not enough of those old school business owners around anymore who are in it for love.
doug k: If I won the big lottery I would definitely open that store. Hell, I would probably give bikes and scooters away to customers that I just knew should be on them.
davet: Money, lawyers and insurance. There just has to be away around that. Can’t we have our legislators establish liability free zones? Some sort of business incubator thing. If a lot of money is needed for startup…. on the outside chance that you are reading this Bill Gates, George Soros, or some other rich person, let me know if you would be interested in having me launch this enterprise for you. I promise with enough start up funds it would be a place like no other.
tinker: I laughed when I read your first comment—“What’s the least I can do…” I feel at times at some business establishments that they go even further and ask “What can we do to piss you off today?”. As I read all of this and think about it I am so grateful that KisselMotorsports is a good dealer. Not the perfect dealer I describe but they do treat me fair and are friendly, helpful, cheerful, brave, clean and reverant. *grin*
I’ll definitely let everyone know if I find the perfect dealership.
american scooterist blog: You may be right about groups and involvement as you describe but it did send shivers up my spine since as you note I tend to be a loner. I started to try and picture a place full of people like me all sitting around purposefully avoiding anyone. That sounds like a sort of sad place. Damn, my personality traits are always stepping in to muddy the waters….
irondad: The bike maniac’s dream sounds pretty cool and I especially like your idea where minimalism is the passion. But will they have all 30 different pairs of winter riding gloves I want to look at?
Tim: Your observation of the world and having your wife take a look at the sky and trees and light says volumes about being alive and walking (or riding) on the earth! Ride safely down there in Alabama.
I’m all tired now and have to ride to work. The thermometer says it has warmed up to 28 degrees. My feet are cold and I haven’t even left the house yet…
You have definitely hit a hot topic!! Customer service seems to be the most lacking in our two major dealerships here in town. My husband and I are discouraged. There’s an attitude in the air, a fear that the customer will dethrone the associate with more knowledge then themselves. I just want to buy something. I’m not out for a knowledge war.
The parts and repair departments are the worse. Talk about uptight/unfriendly people. We have had cars fixed in the past and never came across these attitudes. Even the car dealerships we have been to are nicer. What’s with these attitudes?
My husband just recently had some repairs done to his bike, so that’s why that area is so fresh in my mind. It was a simple rear tire change. They found something broken to do with the chain and would have to order the part. Okay, go ahead. Two weeks later my husband calls only to find it’s back order and they have no idea how long it will take. Could they have called my husband weeks ago to let him know? The car repair shops do! So a guy calls and I answer. He says “It’s due in by Friday.” As I’m say thanks for the call, he hangs up. What’s with that? We have no plans to go back to that motorcycle shop again!!!
I hope all the dealerships in America read your blog.
I’m an aggressive rollerblader/ vespa fan
know as therailnutter on modern vespa
I feel the same way about dealers
the reason i brought up my aggressive rollerblading was to tell a little story
We rollerbladers are a very very small community in contrast to the majority skateboarders
We had 1 shop in all of oregon called sk8house, compared to at least over a thousand skateboard shops
but sk8house (while it was still in buissness) was a place to relax rather than i place to spend money.
we knew the owners, and after a while they put in some tables and a big TV and couch to watch any skate video in their stock on, one time after a big skate me and my freinds went to sk8house to relax and i needed some new wheels for my skates. after putting my new wheels on all the sudden pizza arrived and the owner (Josh) said the pizza was for him but we could have some (or course he got it for us as there was 3 boxes of pizza he and the other 1 staff member couldnt eat it all )
that made my day , but it was terrible when it shut down last year.
whenever i go into vespa to stare at my future LX 150, i dont feel comfortable at all, i feel like the employees want me to buy somthing or get out,
not good at all
Your adventures with the Vespa are similar to my own with my Kymco 150. I did the coast-to-coast tour this past summer and got to see the U.S.A. close up and personal. The daily musings of your posts inspire us all to take that closer look at what we see before us as we ride. Keep it going.
Scooterman: A coast to coast tour is definitely on my list of things I would like to do before I take up the rocker.
How long did it take you to accomplish?
steve
I happened to find this article while looking up “margins” If I'[m reading your article correctly, what you seem to want is a freeloader’s paradise. You want the store to be open and staffed 24-7, you want to hang out, ride bikes for free- and I’m suspecting ultimately allow the store to make 2% on your purchase.
Awesome! Where do I sign up? With a business model like that, it’s amazing you don’t open your own shop. Ah, sadly- you’d be faced with business realities, which frankly require profit margins in order to accomplish what you seek.
The closest to that might be Harley-Davidson stores, many of which have a huge selection of parts and accessories, have longer hours, and offer creatures comforts- but hey- they can! They have been allowed by their public to make money. the same isn’t often said about Japanese brands, especially niche models.
All joking aside- I too would love to encounter the perfect dealership you describe- but I also know that be it motorcycles, sporting goods, a restaurant- it requires a partnership between a proprietor looking to do good business, and a customer base willing to part with their money in order to support such a business model.
Rapscallion: Come now, don’t ruin my dreams with such a big dose of reality. Let me dream the freeloader’s dream. But I understand what a dealership faces and do not envy them their task. On the other hand some are like cookie cutter experiences. I often wonder if there is not some motorcycle dealers network that supplies Web sites and business plans since they are so similar. Or I guess it works so well they copy each other. But there are some things that don’t make a lot of sense to me but since I am not doing the business accounting I could be wrong.
I do understand the need for a business to make a profit and that the buying community needs to support the dealer if they are to stay in business — especially now with the economy tightening up discretionary spending for things like motorcycles and scooters.
I do think that the hours that many businesses operate don’t seem very well thought out. Weekends and evenings seem a better bet for a dealership. And if the numbers don’t work for the extra hours then cut a couple weekdays.
Anyways, I am still dreaming and just writing my thoughts and observations. I make no warranty as to their usefulness or accuracy.
And still riding. Even though today the thermometer was in the teens. I stopped at the local dealer but alas they weren’t open yet. I wanted to steal some heat!
Thanks again for commenting Rapscallion. We need more level heads around here.
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