Disappearing Dealers

[KungFooBob]

I knows over the past decade bike shops have been vanishing, but recently my two most local Honda stealerships have dropped the Honda franchise.

Castle Motorcycles and Via-Moto are no longer Honda dealers.

I know Honda were the first to introduce the 'solus' franchise model and I'm guessing it's not worked out that well for them.

Is it because Honda bikes don't sell?
Is it because there's not enough profit in Hondas?
Is it because the solus model is too restrictive?
Is it because all franchised dealers are going down the pan and Honda are just first?

[Couchy]

Looking at local Honda dealer most stock is non Honda and second hand, if you want to buy a Honda you have to order and wait weeks or months. Honda are restricting bikes to the UK and certain dealers get preference or risk ordering stuff they haven’t sold according to the dealer.

[KungFooBob]

Just looked and my next nearest old Honda dealer 'Hunts' have dropped Honda and gone Yamaha!

[KungFooBob]

Padgetts and Craigs still both sell Honda, but they both also sell other brands too, but get around the Solus thing by having sperate building for the other brands.

[Bustaspoke]

Just looked and my next nearest old Honda dealer 'Hunts' have dropped Honda and gone Yamaha!

Hunts dropped Honda last year,the new Honda dealer for Manchester is Youles who are a Triumph dealership.
I was surprised when Hunts went over to Yamaha as I always thought that they were one of the main Honda dealers.
Last week I was at my mates bike shop on the dock road in Liverpool & we were lamenting the lack of a big dealer in the city,if we want to demo a Honda the nearest dealers are Youles in Manchester,Bill Smith in Chester or North West Honda near Blackpool,a sad reflection on the times...

[Bustaspoke]

Padgetts and Craigs still both sell Honda, but they both also sell other brands too, but get around the Solus thing by having sperate building for the other brands.

That's what Youles have done in Manchester

[ZRX61]

Check out this FB group:

The Golden Days of the Motorcycle Shop

https://www.facebook.com/groups/302592325264002

[weeksy]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

[Count Steer]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

There is that but car sales models are changing so maybe bikes will follow. eg I think Volvo have said that the future sales process won't involve dealers/showrooms. (My local one still has Volvo branding on display but it's now a service agent. Most of the cars on the forecourt aren't Volvo and the showroom bit looks empty). You just spec and order a car on line. (Dunno how you'll get test drives unless they do like the hire companies and deliver to the door).

Margins are tight so lopping a chunk out of the supply chain makes sense. Of all the bike manufacturers likely to do something similar I'd say Honda are favourite.

[ChrisW]

On the bright side Staffs Triumph have recently opened a Honda branch in really rather nice separate premises over in Newcastle-u-Lyme.

[KungFooBob]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

Yeah, I get that, but these dealers ain't closing, they're just dumping or changing franchise from Honda.

[Mussels]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

There is that but car sales models are changing so maybe bikes will follow. eg I think Volvo have said that the future sales process won't involve dealers/showrooms. (My local one still has Volvo branding on display but it's now a service agent. Most of the cars on the forecourt aren't Volvo and the showroom bit looks empty). You just spec and order a car on line. (Dunno how you'll get test drives unless they do like the hire companies and deliver to the door).

Margins are tight so lopping a chunk out of the supply chain makes sense. Of all the bike manufacturers likely to do something similar I'd say Honda are favourite.

I've worked with a few car manufacturers/importers recently and there is a desire to sell direct rather than through franchised dealerships, cut out the middle man.

[roadster]

I have visited the two Honda dealers nearest to me several times within the last few months and the scary thing is that the showrooms, full of expensive machinery, were quiet as the grave. Whether this is a self imposed problem is a matter of opinion. Triumph dealerships have always had a greater footfall but is that just because they have far fewer outlets? Honda should have an advantage because they can sell small capacity machines to younger riders who then become regular riders and customers, but they don't seem very interested in exploiting that.

[Couchy]

Have to consider the UK market isn’t a priority for motorbikes either, I can imagine Honda make far more selling basic scooters in developing countries.

[Dodgy69]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

But when them youngsters are 45/ 50 they'll be in the game. That's how it seems to me, so they'll always be a customer.

[Bigjawa]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

But when them youngsters are 45/ 50 they'll be in the game. That's how it seems to me, so they'll always be a customer.

If they're not into bikes now, there's little chance they'll suddenly wake up at 45yo and say 'hey, lets get a motorcycle."

Especially as by the time they get there, it'll all be electrics.

[Skub]

When I was an apprentice,we used to get on our bikes at lunch time and do the rounds of the Belfast dealers,just kicking tyres.
There was Maurice Bradshaw's Suzuki shop.

Noel Orr for Homda.

Abe Alexander. Russells.

The Kawasaki centre .

Stateside custom.

Rod Taylor.

Andrews.

Owens Bros.

Even my old home town of Carrick had a bike shop. I feel like I grew up in Jimmy Dunne's shop.

All gone now.

[Bigjawa]

When I was an apprentice,we used to get on our bikes at lunch time and do the rounds of the Belfast dealers,just kicking tyres.
There was Maurice Bradshaw's Suzuki shop.

Noel Orr for Homda.

Abe Alexander. Russells.

The Kawasaki centre .

Stateside custom.

Rod Taylor.

Andrews.

Owens Bros.

Even my old home town of Carrick had a bike shop. I feel like I grew up in Jimmy Dunne's shop.

All gone now.

Maurice retired around 1996

Hursts bought over Noel Orrs, Alexanders and Andrews

Russells are still going out in Carryduff doing MX stuff.

Rod Taylor got really badly hurt on the Hillhall Road and Billy ran it for a while.

Allens bought out Owens Bros.

John Bourne did all the Jawa/CZ stuff was sailing round the Med when I last saw heard of him. He was selling skateboards at the end.

[Mr. Dazzle]

It's a dying game/sport/past-time. It's not going to get better. Youngsters simply don't care about motorbikes.

But when them youngsters are 45/ 50 they'll be in the game. That's how it seems to me, so they'll always be a customer.

If they're not into bikes now, there's little chance they'll suddenly wake up at 45yo and say 'hey, lets get a motorcycle."

Especially as by the time they get there, it'll all be electrics.

Of all the people I know in real life with bikes only one is a lifelong biker to the best of my recollection.

Is sir familiar with the term "mid-life crisis"?

[MrLongbeard]

I've been to a grand total of one dealer specific dealership in my life, Triumph.