Would you take photos of your Nomad here if you were trying to sell it?

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by ponch

It seems like used car and bike prices at dealers have gone up in the last year or two. I wonder if it is to incentivize buying new? Dealers pay flooring fees on new vehicles and the margins are narrower. The longer a new bike sits, the less profit. A used bike is usually purchased at a much lower price than retail and doesn't really cost the dealer anything to sit there. It's what I call the greater fools theory. There will always be some greater fool to buy it. That bike is a good 2K over reality.

It is not uncommon for dealers of all types to have a "floor-plan" financing for their used vehicles also. So, to assume there isn't a cost for a used bike to sit there would not be true...

[ponch]

Originally Posted by glwilson

It is not uncommon for dealers of all types to have a "floor-plan" financing for their used vehicles also. So, to assume there isn't a cost for a used bike to sit there would not be true...

Really? Well, I know the margins are usually higher. The ratio between what they paid and what they are asking can be 1.5-2:1. I have seen this on cars. It's nuts. So, for instance, why would they pay a floor plan for a traded in bike that they gave someone squat? It's just I never heard of it.

[yoda]

This seller is about 15 miles away from me, and I have been there several times. The business is a huge construction and farm equipment dealer, and he got into the motorcycle business several years ago. As I understand it, he started buying trade in of non-Harley bikes from Harley-Davidson dealers who didn't want to resell the trades they took in. At this point, they have a pretty big inventory of used bikes, and most of them look clean. As for the pricing, just as all dealers, ya gotta start somewhere, I guess. It isn't the asking price that is the deal, it is what the bike actually ends up selling for. If someone pays the asking price for an item, I guess it was worth it to that buyer or they wouldn't have bought it...

[ponch]

I bought my bike from a dealer that also went into selling bikes. Victory, Honda, Yamaha and BMW. I have found their service to be lacking unless what you ride is green and yellow.

[yoda]

Originally Posted by ponch

I bought my bike from a dealer that also went into selling bikes. Victory, Honda, Yamaha and BMW. I have found their service to be lacking unless what you ride is green and yellow.

You mean they honestly believe nothing runs like a Deere?

[ponch]

Originally Posted by yoda

You mean they honestly believe nothing runs like a Deere?

That's their primary line of business. I think selling motorcycles is more of a sideline. I had a battery issue right before the Redwoods trip and they blew me off twice. Luckily nothing came of the problem, but they didn't show the customer service most BMW riders get and expect when dealing with a BMW dealer. Just saying and I am not the only one that has had issues with them. The local BMW club members told me they wouldn't pay someone to learn on their bike. How they keep their BMW dealership, I have no idea. You'd think they'd want to have a good relationship with the local club. The shame of it is that the nearest other BMW dealer is 120 miles away. They have a great reputation, but it's a long way to go if you need it.

[ringadingh]

Here the Beemer dealers are pretty professional operations, they are so clean and modern that you feel grubby going into one. They don't have bike dealers here, all the bikes are sold and serviced from the car dealerships. The dealerships sell either cars and bikes, or cars and Minis, but none sell all three. The mechanics all go the BMW College that they have just east of Toronto and get regular service update training, as do the sales people and the parts people. My pal works at a Beemer dealer and fills me in the stuff once in a while. They have a full bathroom upstairs where he works and if you show up anything but neat and tidy the manager tells you to get yourself cleaned up quick.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

Here the Beemer dealers are pretty professional operations, they are so clean and modern that you feel grubby going into one. They don't have bike dealers here, all the bikes are sold and serviced from the car dealerships. The dealerships sell either cars and bikes, or cars and Minis, but none sell all three. The mechanics all go the BMW College that they have just east of Toronto and get regular service update training, as do the sales people and the parts people. My pal works at a Beemer dealer and fills me in the stuff once in a while. They have a full bathroom upstairs where he works and if you show up anything but neat and tidy the manager tells you to get yourself cleaned up quick.

Yeah, I heard about the combination dealers in Canada. I don't know why. I also know about the certification requirements. BMW is very strict. As far as neat and clean, it's an Ag dealer, so it's not any better than any other dealer. I am sure other BMW dealers are cleaner and more professional though. Like HD, I am sure BMW has standards that they try to get the dealers to conform to as well. BMW is a German company and they are anal retentive.

[ringadingh]

And they know how to print a healthy invoice.

[yoda]

Dealer service is a pet peeve of most folks no matter where they are or what product they sell. It's a shame, but I get to see both sides of things. People blow off customers and customer act like idiots. I guess it is part of being a part of the human race! Anyway, very few dealerships do so well that there is no room for improvement, and some customers really do deserve to be "fired".

[ponch]

Originally Posted by ringadingh

And they know how to print a healthy invoice.

I've heard tell. BMW=Bring More Wampum or Bring Money Wilhelm. I actually had the first service done by the dealer and they are supposed to check the valve clearances and change the FD fluid. After doing it myself, my intuition from the evidence is that I paid a lot for an oil change. I'll never go back there.

[ponch]

Originally Posted by yoda

Dealer service is a pet peeve of most folks no matter where they are or what product they sell. It's a shame, but I get to see both sides of things. People blow off customers and customer act like idiots. I guess it is part of being a part of the human race! Anyway, very few dealerships do so well that there is no room for improvement, and some customers really do deserve to be "fired".

If it was just me, I might question it. I just don't think they take motorcycle service seriously, at least not the BMW side. When I bought the RT, they seemed more interested in trying to sell me a Victory. Understand the RT had been there a year for sure. I wasn't interested in a Vision, which is what he was trying to push and after dealing with them, I am not so sure I'd by a Victory as I wouldn't want the possibility of having to deal with these idiots for whatever reason. They left me that pissed. I never had problems with the Kawasaki dealer I bought my Nomad from and I still stop in from time to time to say hi.

[glwilson]

Ponch... regarding floor-plans on used stock... it may not always be the case for every dealer; but for certain some dealers of various product-types have such plans.

It basically comes down to how much money a dealer has on hand to stick into his inventory. If they don't have the cash or care to tie it up; they can add it to their floor-plan (that is if their plan allows them to do so).

I realize most don't realize this exists...

[cactusjack]

Originally Posted by ponch

I've heard tell. BMW=Bring More Wampum or Bring Money Wilhelm. I actually had the first service done by the dealer and they are supposed to check the valve clearances and change the FD fluid. After doing it myself, my intuition from the evidence is that I paid a lot for an oil change. I'll never go back there.

BMW = Broke My Wallet

[ponch]

Originally Posted by cactusjack

BMW = Broke My Wallet

Pretty much. Now it just sits waiting for me. It's going to need tires this season and I have to change the brake fluid/bleed it through. Other than that, that's it.