revtothelimit - motorbike forum

So, just before Christmas I called into the new local Yamaha dealer. It is 5 minutes from the new house and I was really keen to swing my leg over a new MT09. Popped in and had a quick chat, explained my situation. Turns out they don't have an MT09 demo bike, but they have an MT09 SP coming on very soon. Right then, can I book a test ride over my Christmas break?. Sit down with the fella and sort a date. 3 weeks in advance. Great, looking forward to trying one. Get a phone call a week before the demo ride. They call me to ask if I'm still on for the demo ride, I confirm I am and looking forward to it. No problem sir, see you next week! New heated gloves arrive a few days before the ride so that was a nice bonus. They day comes, pack all my shit up and head down. I'd taken my car as I needed to go and do some messages straight after. Walk in, straight over to the first sales desk. To cut a long story short, the bike wasn't ready. Infact, it wasn't even built. Which is odd, as just as I'd confirmed I was here to ride the SP, he pointed at the one sat on the dealer showroom and said, 'oh, it should be this one but there's no plate on it'. So, there's me stood looking like an idiot with no bike to ride. Not much in the way of an apology. Walked out the door.

After my truly sh1te experience with Triumph when I bought my Trident, do these people not want your money? I have zero confidence in dealing with them any longer. I was so annoyed I just left the showroom speechless. Got home and took the Trident out for a ride to calm me down.

I'm in the position to spend my money on a really nice bike for myself but the dealers always seem to let themselves down.

Is this common or is it just my bad luck? It was Paddock Motorcycles in Congleton.

Why don't you try Hunts in South Manchester?

I've had my last 2 new bikes from Wigan Yamaha, never had a problem with them and best PX value I could find. Fit any accessories with free labour.

Sounds about right to me, from my experience with most 'regular' dealerships. (including working in one for a short while).

The last bike that I test rode was the tracer 9GT, and that came about because I was stood there looking at this brand new bike when the sales guy came out to put the demonstrator stickers on it and he asked me if I wanted a go.

10 mins later and a bit of paperwork, I was pulling out of the carpark on it.

So there are some out there that are on the ball.

Finding a decent dealership that will treat you like a human is an exceptionally rare thing. Even 'good' ones sometimes depend on which member of staff you land with.

In all my years on bikes I've mostly bought private as I hate doing business with most of them. In 2020 I came across a fairly local dealer who had a reputation for going the extra mile and making a potential punter feel welcome. Most of them seem to regard you as a bloody nuisance,it amazes me half them are still open to trade.

Skub wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:53 pm Finding a decent dealership that will treat you like a human is an exceptionally rare thing. Even 'good' ones sometimes depend on which member of staff you land with.

In all my years on bikes I've mostly bought private as I hate doing business with most of them. In 2020 I came across a fairly local dealer who had a reputation for going the extra mile and making a potential punter feel welcome. Most of them seem to regard you as a bloody nuisance,it amazes me half them are still open to trade.

When I bought my first Rockster the dealership experience was probably half of what sold the bike to me.

I'd been to a VERY big dealership in the South (Infinity Farnborough) to test ride a Guzzi Ballabio, and it was a grotty building stuffed to the gills with cheap tat (and some expensive tat to be fair), bikes so crammed together you could barely move in the place. The test ride was 'escorted' because obviously I wasn't to be trusted, and consisted of 10 minutes pootling about the local 30 zones behind the sales guy who kept me waiting about half an hour when I turned up.

There was no comparison to the BMW dealership (Vines Guildford). Vines IS a big car dealership, and the bikes are handled in a very similar way: modern decorated showroom with lots of space to move around and look at the bikes, sales guys polite and friendly the instant you show that you want to talk, test ride was "show the licence, sign the form: here's the keys: have fun!" and free (decent) coffee for my partner who waited around in the showroom.

Over time Vines let themselves down a few time with certain things, but for the most part I am still very happy to be a long-standing customer there. I just don't like most of the new bikes!

Rockburner wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:06 pm

Skub wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:53 pm Finding a decent dealership that will treat you like a human is an exceptionally rare thing. Even 'good' ones sometimes depend on which member of staff you land with.

In all my years on bikes I've mostly bought private as I hate doing business with most of them. In 2020 I came across a fairly local dealer who had a reputation for going the extra mile and making a potential punter feel welcome. Most of them seem to regard you as a bloody nuisance,it amazes me half them are still open to trade.

When I bought my first Rockster the dealership experience was probably half of what sold the bike to me.

I'd been to a VERY big dealership in the South (Infinity Farnborough) to test ride a Guzzi Ballabio, and it was a grotty building stuffed to the gills with cheap tat (and some expensive tat to be fair), bikes so crammed together you could barely move in the place. The test ride was 'escorted' because obviously I wasn't to be trusted, and consisted of 10 minutes pootling about the local 30 zones behind the sales guy who kept me waiting about half an hour when I turned up.

There was no comparison to the BMW dealership (Vines Guildford). Vines IS a big car dealership, and the bikes are handled in a very similar way: modern decorated showroom with lots of space to move around and look at the bikes, sales guys polite and friendly the instant you show that you want to talk, test ride was "show the licence, sign the form: here's the keys: have fun!" and free (decent) coffee for my partner who waited around in the showroom.

Over time Vines let themselves down a few time with certain things, but for the most part I am still very happy to be a long-standing customer there. I just don't like most of the new bikes!

I hear ya.

I scouted a few dealers when I was thinking of a new bike in 2020,most ranged from being offhand to complete indifference. The last dealer I visited is a family run business and the difference is black and white. I'm old enough to understand when I'm there to spend money,that's the reason a salesman is being nice to me,but how most other dealers find even a temporary front of pleasantness impossible,boggles my mind.

I repeatedly see punters being treated badly,yet still returning to a dealer. It seems there is an inbuilt masochistic trend with us. We regularly buy substandard gear and suck it up along with substandard service. Baffling.

I'm not even expecting anything extraordinary. They can't even get the basics right. With Triumph it was mostly communication, followed by no rush to fix the problem. If a dealer can't even provide me a demo bike as promised, what hope is there for an actual sale.

Grateful for the recommendations, but I'd be going into these places with zero confidence.

I live round the corner from a Triumph and Honda dealership, they're a bit shit, I use the Suzuki, Kawasaki and KTM dealership which is the other side of Ipswich, if somewhere is crap, don't go there.

Never used to use dealers but the last 4 I have and 3 were good but one was useless and pretty much ripped me off.

Full of praise for Superbike Factory, Craigs Honda and Wigan Yamaha!

I was sold a dog of a XMAX 400 which they knew damn well had left the workshop with a partially seized rear caliper and a bodged exhaust with rounded off header bolts and despite being told it had just been serviced it had the dirtiest air filter I've ever seen on bike. I think they've gone now or got swallowed up but they were out west London and had two branches across the road from each other? Utter thieving cnuts whomever they were and I hope they went skint and lost their homes.

Skub wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:26 pm
I hear ya.

I scouted a few dealers when I was thinking of a new bike in 2020,most ranged from being offhand to complete indifference. The last dealer I visited is a family run business and the difference is black and white. I'm old enough to understand when I'm there to spend money,that's the reason a salesman is being nice to me,but how most other dealers find even a temporary front of pleasantness impossible,boggles my mind.

I repeatedly see punters being treated badly,yet still returning to a dealer. It seems there is an inbuilt masochistic trend with us. We regularly buy substandard gear and suck it up along with substandard service. Baffling.

Who's that? Cos I can't think of a single cunt over here I'd give a penny to.

Bigjawa wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 5:36 pm

Skub wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 4:26 pm
I hear ya.

I scouted a few dealers when I was thinking of a new bike in 2020,most ranged from being offhand to complete indifference. The last dealer I visited is a family run business and the difference is black and white. I'm old enough to understand when I'm there to spend money,that's the reason a salesman is being nice to me,but how most other dealers find even a temporary front of pleasantness impossible,boggles my mind.

I repeatedly see punters being treated badly,yet still returning to a dealer. It seems there is an inbuilt masochistic trend with us. We regularly buy substandard gear and suck it up along with substandard service. Baffling.

Who's that? Cos I can't think of a single cunt over here I'd give a penny to.

Coleraine Kawasaki. They've never been less than helpful and pleasant with me.

I bought 5 bikes from 1 bloke across 2 different dealers. I'd have bought 6 if he sold Suzuki's. Finding a good dealer/salesman makes a huge difference.

Taff wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:51 pm The last bike that I test rode was the tracer 9GT, and that came about because I was stood there looking at this brand new bike when the sales guy came out to put the demonstrator stickers on it and he asked me if I wanted a go.

10 mins later and a bit of paperwork, I was pulling out of the carpark on it.

So there are some out there that are on the ball.

I fancied a go on the Niken when the dealership up the road had one in... popped in, enquired, got looked at as if I'd crawled out from under a rock (well, it's was a very clean rock) and asked to bring in my National Insurance number.

You're joking, I said... nope, he wasn't. So no test ride.

Bought 3 bikes from Superbike Factory, the first 2 were fine but when I went to collect the 3rd time I was kept waiting for over 2 hours to sign the paperwork. The handover was a joke, I don’t think the guy had a clue how a Ducati worked, I mentioned a cover for the ignition was missing, it covers where the key would go if it wasn’t keyless start, and was told they would order one in. 2 weeks later when I chased the sales guy hadn’t even bothered to order it. Wasn’t impressed so not been back.
A dealer in Nottinghamshire who sells Triumph and BMW gave me nearly a grand back after he sold me a bike, but didn’t MOT it. I only found out after checking all the paperwork at home after a nearly 200 mile ride. I had been assured all the paperwork was in the large pack I was given by a couldn’t care less salesman. Again, not been back.
Mick

Okay, so went back down to Paddock this lunchtime. Have arranged a demo for Friday. I made it pretty clear, don't f*k it up this time. If I'm happy with it, I'll likely pop a deposit down on it and get them to hold it until March for me. The fella did try to say it was partly Yamahas fault on the previous demo being cancelled. Anyway, they have another chance to put it right.

Sounds reasonable mate.. Sometimes it's out of their hands... Lets see how they treat you on Fri.

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 8:15 pm

Taff wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:51 pm The last bike that I test rode was the tracer 9GT, and that came about because I was stood there looking at this brand new bike when the sales guy came out to put the demonstrator stickers on it and he asked me if I wanted a go.

10 mins later and a bit of paperwork, I was pulling out of the carpark on it.

So there are some out there that are on the ball.

I fancied a go on the Niken when the dealership up the road had one in... popped in, enquired, got looked at as if I'd crawled out from under a rock (well, it's was a very clean rock) and asked to bring in my National Insurance number.

You're joking, I said... nope, he wasn't. So no test ride.

Why wouldn't you give him your NI number ?

weeksy wrote: Tue Jan 10, 2023 2:00 pm

The Spin Doctor wrote: Thu Jan 05, 2023 8:15 pm

Taff wrote: Wed Jan 04, 2023 3:51 pm The last bike that I test rode was the tracer 9GT, and that came about because I was stood there looking at this brand new bike when the sales guy came out to put the demonstrator stickers on it and he asked me if I wanted a go.

10 mins later and a bit of paperwork, I was pulling out of the carpark on it.

So there are some out there that are on the ball.

I fancied a go on the Niken when the dealership up the road had one in... popped in, enquired, got looked at as if I'd crawled out from under a rock (well, it's was a very clean rock) and asked to bring in my National Insurance number.

You're joking, I said... nope, he wasn't. So no test ride.

Why wouldn't you give him your NI number ?

Why is an NI number relevant for a loan bike?