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I did and all I thought was what an idiot for driving to the shop first instead of calling to see if it was in stock 😂. Then The last sentence made no god damn sense.
And it’s not real surprising you wouldn’t get help. You come off as a huge douche bag who throws a temper tantrum when he doesn’t get his way and the world is out to get you.
My local dealer has been great, but I echo the sentiment of not having inventory. They support me and I advocate for them, but man sometimes it is hard when I go in to grab a 21" MX34 and they have none, when they should have 20.
I have 3 local shops, 2 are dealers and one is not. I've a good enough relationship with them I call, order parts and if not in stock, pick them up when they arrive. Usually just a day or two. Easy as RMMC. Usually just a couple of bucks more than RMMC. Fortunately they are close enough that it's no big deal going there. Just like the good old days! And they do support local racers.
I am an idiot for going to the shop to order parts to support my local shop as you suggest I should be doing. I already know they have zero in stock parts that fit my bikes or any other bikes for that matter.
You’re the idiot whose comprehension is 0 and hate is 💯.
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I've been at the parts counter for most of 40 years and the game has changed dramatically. Mainly since 2008. I see the margins in new bikes and basically tell my owners to quit ordering them. If someone wants it, dealer transfer it. By the time a bike has sold, After sitting there collecting interest from he floor plan, There isn't any money left to be made. On the parts side. I try to stock the important stuff but like I said in another thread, I'm not gonna line the walls with $30,000 in moto gear, Just to discount it all at the end of the year and eat another loss. Feel free to hit me up if you'd like some real #'s of what bikes cost. After freight, I think we make $29 on a pw 50
I struggle with this. There used to be 2 really good shops here, John Burr Cycles and Yamaha of Cucamonga. B&B Cycles in Victorville was a racing type shop but they were too far to deal with. I don't know why they closed. They were very involved in the local moto scene sponsoring a dealer series and their own ride days with free lunch etc. It was great to walk in and know the counter guys by name. They were also involved with the community on non-moto events. The city basically ran YOC out by trying to move them to another location they couldn't afford. JBC went under when the 3rd generation took over. I can get good prices on parts at Chaparral but shopping there leaves me feeling a little cold since it is a "super store".
After freight, you probably lose money on the PW if it is sold at MSRP. (This is assuming your store charges a shop rate for PDI, and before any holdback which is bound to be basically nothing on that bike.)
To those who are upset that their local store doesn't stock everything, imagine how many "basic" parts are on your motorcycle. (Brake pads, chain & sprockets, air filters, throttle cables, clutch plates, etc.) Now multiply that by how many models your manufacturer made. Now multiply that by how many OEMs are on the sign outside. Now multiply that by every model year you think is relevant to stock for. Is it the last 5 years? 10? 20? If your math adds up like mine does, that's easily 10,000 parts, which equates to tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars sitting around in inventory, waiting for you to come purchase, $20 at a time. It's a tough gig to run a parts department!
Thank you!
Yeah, I assume it's a very tough task to try to stock parts at a dealership, especially when you consider how few dirt bike riders there generally are.
But years ago when I was riding a 1994 CR250 that was a couple years old, I thought it was pretty crazy that the Honda shop almost never had basic parts for that bike. I think the 1992 through 1996 CR250's were all pretty similar. That had to be the single most common Honda around that time. And probably a lot of the CR125 parts were the same. But they rarely had anything I needed in stock.
Do any of the local/small shops have robust websites with OEM parts interfaces that enable customers to place orders online, and then just stop by at the shop to pick up the order? I would be much more willing to use my local shop if that was the case. That way it would only be one trip to the shop, and the browsing process would be much easier.
20 would be a years worth for most dealers. More like 5 or 6 would be realistic. Reorder at intervals to keep in stock and on the shelf.
lol try this next time and you’ll save a trip.
Step 1 call dealer see if they have part.
Step 2 If yes go pick it up.
If no ask them to order it in.
Step 3 pick up when arrives
Okay... But not this dealer I'm referencing (obviously). I buy more than 5 a year by myself.
His local dealer should have the parts he needs! Hs a top 3 out of 3 racer!
I mean, when the local dealer won't stock any parts on a motor that's been the same for 25 years or a chassis that's been the same for 19 years, what am I supposed to do?
I don't want to deal with the parts counter guy, honestly. The back and forth on part numbers for accuracy and "I can have it here in 2 days" (for a lot more than any online shop). That also means driving and picking it up. Nah...
Dealers should have modernized ages ago with getting parts and gear online (I know a few have, but not many). Even the things they won't carry, they could have drop shipping. Wouldn't make financial sense? Ok, then maybe some sort of collaborative deal where all the dealers in a region go in on an online store and split profits. It could be it's own entity with a unique name. Just spit balling.
Point is, adapt or die.
Spooner can back me up on this. Dealers do have the ability to drop ship at a very reasonable rate. The problem is developing it and getting customers taught that all they have to do is call me and I can usually put it on your door for $10. Granted, Tires and big stuff does get a bit more but still very reasonable. I had racers going out of town last week and just had the parts delivered to the address (airbnb, hotel, track) that they needed. It's became so easy to just get on the internet that people forget that there are dealers like me who want to hook up the moto heads.😎
"all they have to do is call me"
Have you looked into any sort of web page or app to arrange this instead? I'm 52 and I don't want to call and order parts. The younger generation is even FAR less interested in making phone calls.
That's good info. It's never been communicated to me, even in a couple dire situations, but I'll inquire on my next visit.
Don't get me wrong, I've bought a lot of bikes and a couple PWCs from my local dealer. I still head over for the occasional oil or SC1 purchase at times as well, mostly just as an excuse to check out the floor. I just can't stand the lack of OEM parts when on the other side of the wall the sales guy tells me they sell every YZ 2 stroke they get.
Additionally, I do have a discount on my account (which is greatly appreciated, I never asked for one), but the prices are still higher than the alternatives.
I'm 55 and yes I do have a website(danscycle.com) and you can order online and have it out right on your doorstep. Not wanting to call sounds like a cop out but i understand there are a lot of bad dealers out there. I'm not the greatest by any means but every rider of every brand knows that if I see you at the track, Either just riding or racing the local series, You get a deal with me!
Pit Row
It's not a cop out. I'm just talking about the reality of what's convenient for the customers. It's just very easy for me to go to Rocky Mountain and browse and click on what I want. If I call, I have to try to describe what I want, you have to look it up, I have to worry if I've communicated properly what I need etc. I have to go through the hassle of reading off my credit card number. It's all just a lot of friction in the process.
With my system, You don't even have to give me the card#. I complete the order and send you a link to put your card info in. You had to do that once at least at Rocky mountain. I get it, The dealer experience has gone to shit since 2008. I'm just saying, There are still a few of us out here that give a damn. If you were to call me, All I need to know is the year, model and what you want.
Local dealer hear has that but will NOT let you pick up online orders at the store, require you to pay shipping and have it delivered. Sucks cause I would use them more as they are approximately 10 miles from my house but that policy makes it way more expensive to purchase.
The Lightspeed system tracks the demand on every part number. If enough have been ordered it pops up on a list of potential stocked part numbers.
Honda can be a real pain because the same part that is used on multiple years will have a different part number for the same part each year. Thats where a GOOD parts manager can track of it so they don’t have to stock 10 of the same part.
I had always heard and was told the little bikes like the PW50 and CRF50 only had a $100 gross profit if sold at full MSRP. And big bikes don’t have near the profit margin most people think.
That seems short sighted on their part. I'm sure lots of people would end up buying a few more items when they come to the shop to pick up their order.
Dealers pay tax on their inventory and tie up cash when inventory is not well managed. But it really just mostly determined by the sales volume of the store. But you are corrrect, a good parts manager is woth a good paycheck.
Do you mean they pay interest on their inventory? Why would they pay tax?
Because they hit their quarterly/yearly quotas and targets and get a massive bonus payment. They take a small hit to bank on reaching their targets
So explain it to me then - why would/should we subsidize that? What's in it for the customer, other than higher prices, less convenience, and longer wait times relative to online retailers?
Don't get me wrong - I'm all for supporting the local guy, but not at my expense. I have no interest in offering charity to the local dealer, I'd rather give my $$ to the local food bank.
Called the closest Triumph dealer about the 450. Dude couldn’t tell me anything about the bike other than he ordered two and will be in first week of December. Told me Triumph hasn’t even gave them a price yet to sell the bikes even though is on the website. Hadn’t set up doing demos with Triumph because they want Yamaha or Ktm to have a ride day so they couldn’t bring the Triumph out then… it’s hard to support these new chain dealers in Florida. Broward motorsports and Riva bought everything up here in south Florida.
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