revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Hope no-one had a deposit down on any of their stock.
Gone the way of all previous huge motorcycle chains....to the great finance broker in the sky!

At the rate dealerships are closing, soon there won't need to be any left!

Selling an expensive product to a diminishing market is becoming a very short term proposition. Sadly the closures of bike shops is likely to be increasingly common.

Skub wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:23 pm Selling an expensive product to a diminishing market is becoming a very short term proposition. Sadly the closures of bike shops is likely to be increasingly common.

Shops should help themselves more.

Over the years I've sent many emails when looking for new bikes or spares.
Only over got about 10% replies.
Idiots. They lost a few sales.

Yorick wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:32 pm

Skub wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 1:23 pm Selling an expensive product to a diminishing market is becoming a very short term proposition. Sadly the closures of bike shops is likely to be increasingly common.

Shops should help themselves more.

Over the years I've sent many emails when looking for new bikes or spares.
Only over got about 10% replies.
Idiots. They lost a few sales.

Not just bikes, but yeah some places don't half make it hard on themselves.

Business 101, if you want to succeed make it as easy as possible for customers to give you money.

Fuck em.

I haven't personally ever dealt with them, but my bestie has bought a couple from them.
Test ride.....only on a new bike!
Can i pay the deposit by CC, 'sorry only debit'
I did wonder how long they could continue behaving like that before they alienated a swathe of customers.
When they bought Thunder Road, there were mumblings of discontent, but they all said 'lets see what the future brings!'

Sadlonelygit wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:03 pm I haven't personally ever dealt with them, but my bestie has bought a couple from them.
Test ride.....only on a new bike!
Can i pay the deposit by CC, 'sorry only debit'
I did wonder how long they could continue behaving like that before they alienated a swathe of customers.
When they bought Thunder Road, there were mumblings of discontent, but they all said 'lets see what the future brings!'

last year I was looking at a 1090 adv, to be fair it was in really good nick, pretty low mileage and had quite a few nice little extras fitted. The price was pretty high compared to others on autotrader etc and when I asked about a deal on the price their answer was that the price was on the ticket. no negotiation, the end.

I wasn't that strongly invested in wanting it so I walked.

Thunderroad near me was taken over, they closed the cafe, which was busy and bought people in who then browsed the bikes and kit. They then increased the number of used bikes by a huge amount and were charging top money.
They reduced the number of helmet and clothing to all Oxford owned stuff. It got to the stage that from going in there every couple of weeks, that I've probably been there once or twice in the last 18 months or so.

Am I surprised they've gone under, not really. The staff never seemed happy there after the take over either. And unhappy staff, unhappy customers.

Taff wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:19 pm

Sadlonelygit wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:03 pm I haven't personally ever dealt with them, but my bestie has bought a couple from them.
Test ride.....only on a new bike!
Can i pay the deposit by CC, 'sorry only debit'
I did wonder how long they could continue behaving like that before they alienated a swathe of customers.
When they bought Thunder Road, there were mumblings of discontent, but they all said 'lets see what the future brings!'

last year I was looking at a 1090 adv, to be fair it was in really good nick, pretty low mileage and had quite a few nice little extras fitted. The price was pretty high compared to others on autotrader etc and when I asked about a deal on the price their answer was that the price was on the ticket. no negotiation, the end.

I wasn't that strongly invested in wanting it so I walked.

Staverton by any chance?

Sadlonelygit wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 8:07 pm

Taff wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:19 pm

Sadlonelygit wrote: Sat Oct 05, 2024 5:03 pm I haven't personally ever dealt with them, but my bestie has bought a couple from them.
Test ride.....only on a new bike!
Can i pay the deposit by CC, 'sorry only debit'
I did wonder how long they could continue behaving like that before they alienated a swathe of customers.
When they bought Thunder Road, there were mumblings of discontent, but they all said 'lets see what the future brings!'

last year I was looking at a 1090 adv, to be fair it was in really good nick, pretty low mileage and had quite a few nice little extras fitted. The price was pretty high compared to others on autotrader etc and when I asked about a deal on the price their answer was that the price was on the ticket. no negotiation, the end.

I wasn't that strongly invested in wanting it so I walked.

Staverton by any chance?

Yes

Another one gone. I used to use their mail order service when Cradley didn't have parts.
https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/246 ... tid=xfxF2i

Skub wrote: Thu Oct 31, 2024 8:48 pm Another one gone. I used to use their mail order service when Cradley didn't have parts.
https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/246 ... tid=xfxF2i

Local to me, surprised as always seemed busy.

Thunderroad motorcycles, near me, who were taken over by the Completely Motorcycles group are now reopening next month. CMC have bought the site, and I think some of the stock.
They're also looking to reopen the cafe, which was always busy, that CM closed soon after buying it.

Just been told Blade Motorcycles in Swindon have "failed to open" today?

WTF is it with big motorcycle chains? Are they repeating the stupid mistakes of the past? I can remember doing a DMS in the early 70s and doing case studies of people buying up all their competitors and then going bust in a big way.

Supply and demand isn't it.. more people quitting than joining and lots of people own amazing bikes already... The want want want of the newest shiniest thing seems to be on the decline, so companies who have a massive inventory are struggling.

On a more positive note,MotoGB who seem to own most bike dealers around here have took on Pidcocks in Nottingham https://www.motogb.co.uk/make/all-brand ... ycles-6178
I'm not sure how they're doing it as they started selling KTM's the other year & last summer they started selling KTM's at their St Helens shop (Milenium motorcycles)

What is there to take on ? Pidcock's 2 shops in Long Eaton have been empty for quite a while.

KungFooBob wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 3:25 pm https://www.visordown.com/news/blade-mo ... 1736780225

Can't say I have any sympathy for Blade Swindon. I tried to buy a Honda scooter from them about twenty years ago and was treated with distain as a scooter rider. Little did they know that I also bought other new bikes every few years and never went near the Blade dealer chain again.