Local Moto Shops Survive?

[vfrAustin]

I am all for supporting my local economy. I consider myself a lifelong enthusiast that consistently needs parts/ supplies to maintain my addiction. I need the parts I need and want to pay a fair price. I find it impossible to buy stuff from my local motorcycle shops. They never have what I need in stock. They never really understand what I am trying to do to modify my bikes. They flip through bull---- catalogs that always, kinda, have something close to what I need. Are these shops not meant to be for a guy like me? are they for a customer that walks in and wants a new bike and wants to spend 2K to wear crap that matches his bike? You know, the R1 leather jacket in Blue that matches the Tribal design Blue helmet and gloves (But they wear shorts with it).

Am I missing something or I must not be their target customer? I find what I need online, pay cheap and it's like Christmas every couple days as the parts I want arrive. Hate to do it but I just cant support a business that doesn't give me what I need and/or adapt with the times.

Oh, off to Ebay now to get my SF parts...

[Switchblade]

The one's i use to use have change to off brands that i have never ever heard about.

I now just go online and find what I want.

[FJ12Ryder]

My problem with the local shop is that they usually don't have what I want, but they will "Order it and it will be here next Monday". Heck, I can do that! Or they do have what I want, but the price is so outrageous that I don't buy it.

To be honest I think the internet put the final nails in the coffin that mail order order houses started. In the 60's and 70's I bought all my stuff at the local bike shops. Not many other (okay, no other) choices. In the late 70's I started ordering from places like Competition Accessories, and other similar mail order houses, but still bought stuff locally. Now I buy 99.99% of my bike stuff from the internet shops.

I kind of hate that the local shops suffer, but the small shops I frequented in my youth encouraged you to just stop by and shoot the breeze, and these are pretty much gone anyway. Most were open Sunday for races and dirt bike parts, but closed Monday. The bike shops now are basically all business, anyway that's what it seems like.

JMO of course.

[luvtoleanit]

Outdated business model by people who refuse to change. It will cost them in the end.

[YoshiHNS]

There's so many different brands out there now that it is probably very difficult to keep stock of everything possible. So they go for the lowest common denominator and stock the low end stuff, like mechanix gloves, that is cheap and people who really don't know or care about gear will buy.

There was a ducati shop a bit away from me that had a good selection of gear. All high end stuff, and prices were pretty similar to online.

[wagzhp]

Both the local Honda and Yamaha/Kawasaki dealers near me will price match if I bring in a print out of what I need from the on line vendor. I usually have to wait a couple of days longer, but I like to support the local shop to keep them in business. The other bonus is that if there is a problem I just take it back to them, rather than the hassle of an on line return.

[Guest]

Cycle Gear is no different...

If you don't want Bilt crap, you won't find anything in your size or what you would want to wear.

I guess that is the bonus of living two hours from a dealership.

I don't feel guilty about buying on line.

[Conedodger]

My local dealer will come very close to internet pricing, but I have to pay sales tax. It does make size exchanges much easier. Too bad he won't work on my 6th Gen because it is more than 10 years old.

[luvtoleanit]

Too bad he won't work on my 6th Gen because it is more than 10 years old.

That's a ---- dealer, ----

[Cogswell]

Locally I've seen more dealers either going out of business or consolidating in to mega stores to survive. It's not surprising given that they so often have leftover bikes in inventory they've been sitting on for several years. That's money they have tied up (and probably paying interest on) that's doing nothing. When they finally sell the bike at a big discount from MSRP they're probably taking a loss. The local Honda mega store (multiple brands) has 2 leftover 7th gens on heavy discount and no 2014 VFR's on the floor. For parts and accessories, the internet retailers are spreading the cost of carrying a vast variety of inventory across a far broader base of customers than a local shop ever will be able to. The internet has fundamentally changed the economics of it and there's no going back. If I had or could get a couple of hundred thousand $ to start a local business, it would not be a motorcycle shop.

[TheStig]

I have to admit, I tend to buy online. I don't even have to leave the house!
But then again my local bike stores both quoted me the same price (nearly $100 equivalent) to change a rear tire on a wheel brought in.... At that price they don't deserve support.

[BCmcrider]

I have to admit, I tend to buy online. I don't even have to leave the house!

But then again my local bike stores both quoted me the same price (nearly $100 equivalent) to change a rear tire on a wheel brought in.... At that price they don't deserve support.

That's a bonus. It just means you have absolutely no reason to feel guilty.

I have to admit that doing my own service in combination with never needing parts till my recent repairs and adjustments, I've never purchased from my local Honda dealer till now. I ordered a t'stat, o-ring, and the three houses connected to the stat housing. The dealer called a day later and basically told me I was wasting my money on the long stat hose as they'd never sold one before. Thanks to the local action Honda dealer, that's what I consider good service.

[The mailman]

My closest local Honda shop is now a Doggie Daycare after 4 or 5 different owners tried to make a go of it selling just one brand of motorcycle over the years. The next closest Honda shop doesn't have much besides the bikes themselves however, what they do have, they WILL PRICE MATCH on-line sites. I found that out when I was looking for a new tank bag. They had one but at $40 over a website price. I talked to the manager and explained that I would like to support local business but not at a cost of $40 to me. I was willing to meet in the middle. He said he would just match the price and off I went with my new bag. Now the manager knows I will be back to shop his store the next time I need something. Getting to know people pays off sometimes.

[SamW]

I have a good independent shop near me, his tire prices almost match the catalogs/internet, so I buy them since mostly he has them in stock. He has a decent amount of new stuff in his shop, but does most of his business working on older (not vintage) bikes for people. I think he is an ex-racer, really knows the bikes, plus he can point you in the right direction for things like a welder to weld up a clutch cover, or a good local guy who does suspenion rebuilds. I am getting more concerned about supporting the little local guys, seems like they are the one who have the knowledge and are willing to walk you through what you are working on, not just motorcycle shops, but most kinds of shops. I do buy a lot online, but every now and then I need something now or want someone else to do something I just don't want to fool with. And it scares me some of the guys working at dealers who barely know what they are talking about half the time.

[MaxSwell]

I love my local dealer, Honda Town. Family owned for over 50 years the have great mechanics, including a former VFR owner. And he has agreed to provide parts a cost + 10%. Tim said he'd be willing to do the same for local VFRD Honda owners on most deals. Price matching is possible. So if you are a VFRD member in Minneapolis/St. Paul area check with Tim.

[crakerjac]

Thanks Max! I will have to check them out. There is a local shop (simply street bikes) that I like to support and they seem to treat me well. I bought my PR4s there and the price they gave me actually beat a lot of online retailers.

[VFR4Lee]

It's hard to beat the selection and prices online.Locally I like this place.

It's local to me anyway, and they give me a good price always on accessories, tires, parts, etc.

Although they are a small shop and don't have room to stock everything.

http://www.bombaymotorsports.com/

And I went to look at my local mechanic shop, and they are moving 20 miles away, and doing who knows what else.

No!!! http://www.aipracing.com/

I gotta go over there tomorrow and see wtf.

[FJ12Ryder]

Wow, what a coincidence! I just ordered a DID chain from an Ebay seller called BombayBusa, and their online store is Bombay Motorsports. Suppose it's the same place?

[VFR4Lee]

Wow, what a coincidence! I just ordered a DID chain from an Ebay seller called BombayBusa, and their online store is Bombay Motorsports. Suppose it's the same place?

Yes it is.

[FJ12Ryder]

Cool!

[VFR4Lee]

Can someone that doesn't detest Facedork please go here and tell me wtf is going on with AIP?

https://www.facebook.com/AIPmotorcycles

Shop phone number cannot be completed as dialed and old shop is empty today.

No signs in window, no time for me to go to Santa Clarita to check the new place.

[gll429]

it says new # is 661-298-7198

[VFR4Lee]

Thanks man, I'll give that one a try.

[Switchblade]

:blush2:

[SlimWhitey]

The local bike shop wanted enough to just swap and balance tires that I went out and bought a balancer, bead breaker, spoons, and weights for about the same cost.

they wanted enough to set the throttle bodies that I went out and bought a 4 channel manometer. I coulda made one, but hell I might as well just buy it, right?

for the cost of a new set of fork stanchions I can buy RC51 forks, rotors, and calipers online. everything but the wheel. Used yes, but it's the same price as just the friggin stanchions for my VFR.

why in the hell should I bother?

[dalesvfr]

My local Honda place has open houses and events to bring people in. I've had tons of free food, tee shirts, and I've won a motorcycle cover and gloves in drawings. Yes, I could get some things cheaper online, but with shipping it's often awash. And if they carry the overhead of having jackets and boots etc and I pay a couple of bucks extra at least I got to try them on and find something that fits. If they go away there will be an empty building and local people out of work and the town eating the property taxes. It's a price I pay to have them there and open. That said, I won't pay $90 or a $100 an hour for an oil change. That's just dumb.