Guest whidbeyrider Posted October 5, 2004 Posted October 5, 2004 Moto International in Seattle just did some warranty work on my bike, and rewired the starter circut to take care of a recurring problem of having to cycle the kill switch while holding the starter button to get the bike to start. The rewiring took longer than expected so they gave me a free loaner bike, and they did not charge me for the extra shop time. A true group of professionals, their shop just took best motorcycle shop in Washington state for the the fourth year in a row, and when you look at all the big Harley and Japanese superstores, thats pretty amazing. They only sell Guzzi and Aprilia so if you are in Seattle stop by and check it out.
Motomonster Posted October 6, 2004 Posted October 6, 2004 Seattle is a great town to own a Guzzi in. We have Montointernational, with Dave Richards -- who wrote the book on Guzzi. We also have Greg Fields -- who, uh, also wrote the book on Guzzi. We have Bob Nolan, who has had a lifetime of Guzzi adventures and even fabricated a snazzy 3 wheeler out of one. And finally, we have the world infamous Guzzi satyr, Enzo.
robbiekb Posted October 6, 2004 Posted October 6, 2004 I agree, i'll be bummed to move in the middle of the month
Dirtybill Posted February 6, 2005 Posted February 6, 2005 Ya, I agree with all of the above. I'd been there before but this was the first time I was actually dealing with them in regards to a bike. Unfortunatly, the timing/money thing isn't working out for me yet but the next week or so could be different. I like the shop. Small and purposefull, just like the shops were when my older brother started riding and I begged to ride on the back. I dunno what it is, but these large well lit car showroom type places immediately breed a feeling of mistrust in me. I must be just old fashioned.
Lex Posted February 8, 2005 Posted February 8, 2005 I dunno what it is, but these large well lit car showroom type places immediately breed a feeling of mistrust in me. I must be just old fashioned. 42689[/snapback] Bill, Yup, you are getting old. I know that 'cause I'm old and agree with you completely. It has gotten so I can't go into a BMW shop without feeling like the "po relation". Kinda strange when you consider my BMW cost over $20K. Again, I'm on the old side but I just don't think a bike shop should look like it was decorated by the "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" team. Lex
Dirtybill Posted February 11, 2005 Posted February 11, 2005 Bill, Yup, you are getting old. I know that 'cause I'm old and agree with you completely. It has gotten so I can't go into a BMW shop without feeling like the "po relation". Kinda strange when you consider my BMW cost over $20K. Again, I'm on the old side but I just don't think a bike shop should look like it was decorated by the "Queer Eye For The Straight Guy" team. Lex 42813[/snapback] I feel a rant coming on What's wrong with old bike magazines and dirty coffee cups? Old buildings and the smell of motor oil?? Mechanics in dirty clothes?? Parts guys who don't have to look everything up? These same Parts guys will put the phone caller on hold immediately instead of the person in front of them!! Those were the days! And what I really miss, is the Shop Dog!! Usually a German Shepherd or some other breed that is known for it's watchdog capabilities, but this one is in his senior years and would rather be petted than do anything else. Ahhhh...reminds me of my old Mike Hailwood shirt which reads..."When Men Were Men" I feel better now.
Lex Posted February 12, 2005 Posted February 12, 2005 I feel a rant coming on What's wrong with old bike magazines and dirty coffee cups? Old buildings and the smell of motor oil?? Mechanics in dirty clothes?? Parts guys who don't have to look everything up? These same Parts guys will put the phone caller on hold immediately instead of the person in front of them!! Those were the days! And what I really miss, is the Shop Dog!! Usually a German Shepherd or some other breed that is known for it's watchdog capabilities, but this one is in his senior years and would rather be petted than do anything else. Ahhhh...reminds me of my old Mike Hailwood shirt which reads..."When Men Were Men" I feel better now. 43117[/snapback] What is wrong? Absolutely nothing. Sadly the guys running the motorcycle industry will never understand that. Gotta' move that PRODUCT, can't have people standing around BSing, can't pay a parts guy enough to live on, get some kid who'll work for nothing, blah, blah, blah. One of the reasons I stopped buying Japanese motorcycle was I liked the BMW shops better, I got real customer service and enjoyed stopping by. The service manager could tell me how to do a job or tell me I'd be better off leaving it to the pros. The parts guy could answer questions, often knew what model I rode. Now BMW shops are pretty much like Japanese bike shops but with nicer decorating. I'd hope Moto Guzzi doesn't follow Ducati down the BMW path. Yup, he is old, Lex
todd haven Posted February 12, 2005 Posted February 12, 2005 I feel a rant coming on What's wrong with old bike magazines and dirty coffee cups? Old buildings and the smell of motor oil?? --Got ya' covered.-- Mechanics in dirty clothes?? --Check-- Parts guys who don't have to look everything up? These same Parts guys will put the phone caller on hold immediately instead of the person in front of them!! Those were the days! --Yep-- And what I really miss, is the Shop Dog!! Usually a German Shepherd or some other breed that is known for it's watchdog capabilities, but this one is in his senior years and would rather be petted than do anything else. --Meet Turbo, the biggest, baddest overweight Doberman marshmallow on 4 feet-- 10 years ago, he earned the name Turbo, now, it's just a sad joke. His other name is Shiffer. Cuz he's got Shiffer brains Tx Redneck knows this dog, and will testify to his "capabilities". Ahhhh...reminds me of my old Mike Hailwood shirt which reads..."When Men Were Men" I feel better now. 43117[/snapback] --Methinks you're just lookin' in the wrong place-- Ever been to Houston?
Guest Brian Robson Posted February 12, 2005 Posted February 12, 2005 I think though, that as with most things we need to look to ourselves. When we say we miss these mythical shops, are we not sure that we are the reason for their demise? There has been enough said on these pages about the virtues or lack thereof in mail order parts, and it seems to me that many of the bikers bemoaning the lack of local stores are really quick to send off to an anonymous wholesaler, or in the Lower Mainland of BCs' case, take a trip over the border to save a few bucks...I'm sure that once you figure in a dollar amount for your time, the gas and wear and tear on your vehicle PLUS the additional costs of any tickets, then those savings had better be bloody worth it. If I had a pair of rose coloured glasses I'd wear them on my trip down memory lane, passing houses with unlocked doors, on my way to the local dealer. He would be local, and he would sell one, maybe two brands of new bike, which changed little over a few years, using many of the same mechanical parts, making it easy to stock parts and have a good knowledge of said parts. Kiss that on the lips goodbye, because you found the helmet cheaper from mail order, suspected the dealer was ripping you off on the price of tyres, and didn't have the brand in stock (despite the fact that most kids on BMX's get closer to the edge of their tyres than you do on your Sunday bimble through the countryside), and you just had to have a pair of unobtanium battery terminal bolts. Guys that I ride with, a decent bunch of guys, buy tyres by mail and have a local store put them on....and don't see whats wrong with that (and we've had this argument before, and you either do this or you don't, and you know who you are!). They earn enough to cover the difference, maybe $15 per tyre, and spend more on a couple of frappacapaespressdecaffamericano's. Can a store cover the rent in January on this sort of business? No, they bloody can't! I get well treated at my local store, get a 25% discount on tyres all the time, and get prompt service using my first name. I'm not particularly nice or friendly, but they seem to appreciate my business and if I have a problem with a price or availability, they get the answer for me. If those stores are gone its because people didn't use them, and spent their money elsewhere and invariably they are the first to whine and drop their mouth when they are asked to shut up.
Lex Posted February 13, 2005 Posted February 13, 2005 I think though, that as with most things we need to look to ourselves. When we say we miss these mythical shops, are we not sure that we are the reason for their demise? 43152[/snapback] Brian, I cut out the supporting part of your post because I think your first paragraph said it very well. There are some of the old style shops around. I can't say I always do the right thing but I do make an effort to support these kind of places and strongly advise other to do the same. This isn't just a motorcycle issue, I also have a strong attachment to old fashioned hardware stores, many of which have been put out of business by Home Depot and Lowes. I am lucky to live in an area with a great local chain of hardware stores. Just like a good bike shop they are a little scruffy but I can go to one of their stores and get good advice and what I need in less time than going through the checkout line at Home Depot. Some times it costs a few bucks more (but not always) but overall I think it is a much better deal. I also know they treat their employees MUCH better than Home Depot, that makes even a major cheapskate like me feel a little better about spending more money. Just to be sure we don't get too far down nostalgia lane, lets remember there were (and probably still are) really crummy bike shops (and hardware stores) and be happy when the higher powers give them a "get better or we'll jerk your franchise" message. I know of one BMW shop that had its franchise pulled. They were my nearest dealer and after one visit I completely support BWNA's decision to pull their franchise. My point is that most of the motorcycle importers (and Harley) are eliminating the option to run a small, low overhead dealership. To get a BMW dealership you need to put 10 or 20 grand in just lighting, more than that into display cases, blah, blah and have a location that means the rent will be astronomical. And you still don't have employees, bikes or parts! I don't know what the total start-up costs are but I would be shocked it was less than $250,000 and wouldn't be surprised if it was $500,000. Now you have to "service" that debt, pay the building rent, etc. Once you are at that point you have to move lots of product just to keep the doors open. I hope Guzzi doesn't follow Harley, BMW, Triumph Ducati and others down this path. I'll find an out of the way shop and don't need ridiculously expensive lighting and display cases if the money saved on rent is invested in a parts man who knows his stuff, good mechanics, etc. Your point about people really thinking about how they spend their money is a very good one and not just of motorcycle money. I just want to point out the problem has two sides. We can choose to spend our money wisely and still wind up in a world of over decorated "Motorcycle Super Stores" because of the action of people we can't control. Now I'm old and depressed, Lex
Guest Brian Robson Posted February 13, 2005 Posted February 13, 2005 Lex, don't get depressed. We know where the good shops are and they get our business. If they don't sell one product (other than a Guzzi part), I'll either try what they have (usually chosen on the basis that it works well and they get few complaints) or I'll ask them to order it and pay up front. Hopefully they remember me, and a personal contact is always a good thing.
Dirtybill Posted February 17, 2005 Posted February 17, 2005 What Lex said. The door swings both ways Brian. I've been dealing with a Yamaha/BMW shop since the late 80s because they sold their bikes to me for a fair price. I thought that loyalty that we both shared would still be happening. But no, it isn't. At least not in their Sales Dept. Their take it or leave it attitude for almost full suggested retail price is insulting. You see, they get full retail from rich kids who don't know any better now. My last Yamaha purchase was from a local shop where I had never bought a bike before. A friend who also buys or did, all his stuff like oil etc and knows the one owner from way back, recently went in to trade his 748 on a new R1. $5000 difference is what they wanted. He went down the same street to the Honda shop and payed $1500 difference on a new CBR1000RR. Some of the dealers and specificly, their sales staff cause their own grief. These people don't even know the basics of sales or keeping a customer. For each long time loyal customer they lose, the shop will lose a couple of more from strictly hearsay. I'm just waiting for a sales slump to happen like it did in the early 80s. The good shops will still be around but the crap ones will go under. And the BMW story applies to from what I've heard, a superb dealership that was once active in this town. He now operates an independant shop very close to our Guzzi shop. He told BMW where to go also.
todd haven Posted February 18, 2005 Posted February 18, 2005 There are some of the old style shops around. I can't say I always do the right thing but I do make an effort to support these kind of places and strongly advise other to do the same. This isn't just a motorcycle issue, I also have a strong attachment to old fashioned hardware stores, many of which have been put out of business by Home Depot and Lowes.........snip Your point about people really thinking about how they spend their money is a very good one and not just of motorcycle money. I just want to point out the problem has two sides. We can choose to spend our money wisely and still wind up in a world of over decorated "Motorcycle Super Stores" because of the action of people we can't control. x 43252[/snapback] Case in point-- we have had several customers approach about buying Arai helmets. We do not currently carry helmets, and thought it would be great to have a helmet to offer our customers. In particular, we liked the idea of no cut-rate-internet sales(excluded in the Arai dealer agreement). Sell for any price you like, but no advertising below list price. Arai wants helmets fitted in the store. This supports a dealer who will pay to stock their product. The Arai sales rep(who rides a late model BMW which we service) admitted they have a "problem" with the internet. Brand new, latest model 05 color schemes on E-bay for $40 over dealer cost, with free shipping. The guy calls himself a "shopping service" No exchanges, no refunds, just another internet whore. He actually encourages people to go local to an Arai distributor, try on the different styles and sizes,and contact him for a new helmet for a "fraction of the retail price". 3 of 4 riders in our shop wear Arais-- it would have been the only line we carried-- I believe we could sell quite a few, among our riding group and clientele. No thanks. $5000-$6000 investment for an initial order in order to make $40-50 per lid?--Pass. The Arai rep left unhappy, but not mad-- He understood perfectly. Not everything in life should be ordered online-- And when we service his bike-- he doesn't carry in parts-- he seems to know better. "Price is what you pay, Value is what you get." --Warren Buffet
dlaing Posted February 18, 2005 Posted February 18, 2005 he doesn't carry in parts-- he seems to know better. 43561[/snapback] I have never liked that attitude from dealers. If your are making money on labor that is fine, but if I have the part, for whatever reason, you should install it. Granted if the part is defective or does not fit, I still pay the labor. Example 1: A car lube shop charges $25 total for 10w30 dino and $50 for Mobil one. The auto parts store charges $20 for my 4 liters of mobil one. They won't let me save $5 by using my bottled mobile 1, when they would save money by not having to use ANY of their oil. Example 2: Tires. I can get the same tire on the internet for $20-$50 less than my dealer charges me, and then he charges me maybe $50? to install it. He does not stock the tire, and I would not mind him making $10 on the tire plus $50 labor, but $50 labor plus $50 markup on the tire and I feel like I am getting taken. What would be the big deal of me getting a tire for less than he can wholesale, and him charging a fair price for the labor? Pet Peeve number 2: I understand why mechanics won't loan tools, but I absolutely adore mechanics that DO loan tools. I am not talking, can I borrow TechnoResearch software so I can tune my own bike, I am talking, can I borrow a ratchet wrench, so I can pull it, so the parts guy can match up the part. That is one of things that drove me away from Honda dealers.
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