New Guzzi dealer in CT

[steven c]

Kaplan Cycles in Vernon.
https://youtu.be/nbpucqnZTbk?si=hCIxi86a2JO5bIC3

[guzzisteve]

New Dealer here in Georgia too,  Mountain Motorsports in Ellijay, GA.  A multi line dealer with many other dealerships in the ATL area.

[Kev m]

Kaplan Cycles in Vernon.
https://youtu.be/nbpucqnZTbk?si=hCIxi86a2JO5bIC3

. And the dolt can't even pronounce Guzzi!

That's doesn't bode well

And only an hour from one of the best dealers on the East Coast.

Man Piaggio really knows how to protect their dealers. 

[spmoto]

Good guy actually, and a real enthusiast. I don't understand what's to be gained by the name calling, anyway Kev.
Oh, and correction: should read: That doesn't bode well vs. your "That's doesn't bode well" .... just sayin'.
SM

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

Normally a dealer mispronouncing the brand would be a red flag for me as well, but I give Kaplan a pass on that considering his background. Great guy, interesting personality. Kaplan Cycles also hosts the New England Motorcycle Museum.

[PilotJet]

He is a Good Guy and I have never met anyone so into motorcycles as Mr Kaplan is. Great museum down there.

[Cam3512]

Regardless, Kev’s point was in defense of Hamlin’s Cycle.  It’s hard enough being a Guzzi only dealer without another boutique shop selling them so close.  If they end up selling enough Aprillias and Ducs they’ll be able to give the Guzzis away. 

[sdcr]

He is a Good Guy and I have never met anyone so into motorcycles as Mr Kaplan is. Great museum down there.

Is he the same Kaplan that published a vintage Motorcycle magazine?

[SLDMRossi]

That was Buzz Kanter...

SR

[Kev m]

Good guy actually, and a real enthusiast. I don't understand what's to be gained by the name calling, anyway Kev.
Oh, and correction: should read: That doesn't bode well vs. your "That's doesn't bode well" .... just sayin'.
SM

Omg a typo on a forum written on a phone in line at a grocery store, feck so much shame.

I don't know the guy and maybe he's great.

But jezus if he has any time around bikes and then acquires a franchise at least learn how to say the brand name. Or if that's an employee see that they are educated especially when producing marketing copy jjjeez.

And maybe more importantly it's a small market and I hate to see a good and dedicated dealer watch his potential customer base shrink when we already know many dealers are struggling with this brand.

So yeah, it doesn't bode well.

[blu guzz]

I'm a Jim fan myself, but I have to butt in.
The population in that area is enormous.  Based on that fact, then two dealers should be able to make a living. However, my experience with multi-brand dealers are that the "odd" bikes get put in a corner after a short while and the points of contact, i.e. the salesmen don't have any interest in them and unless a shopper has really come in for that brand of bike, said shopper is not directed to those bikes.
My first experience with this was 30 some years ago in the D.C. suburbs with a Harley/BMW shop.  A BMW buyer practically had to throw a lasso around one of the know nothing sales people to drag them over to the very small display of 5 bikes.  It hasn't changed in all those years.  If it sounds like I'm wishing Mr. Kaplan bad luck, I am not.  I hope he does great and Jim continues to do great, but he will have to be very hands on with his team if he wants to be successful with MG.
Of course, they can expect no help from Piaggio with advertising or anything along those lines.
Well, if you made it to the end, congratulations.  You just wasted 2 minutes of your life you won't get back.
Ciao all. 

[Kev m]

I don't think the population density is much different than the Philly suburbs where, in the past 2 decades I've watched at least 8 Guzzi dealers go out of business or drop the line in a ~2 hour radius.

My reactions are one of worry over how Piaggio NA handles their franchises and, selfishly, how that affects my access to a quality dealership (hint, there isn't one in my state).

[TN Mark]

Fans of the Moto Guzzi brand have no input on how Piaggio runs their business. To think otherwise is to be delusional. I bought my first Moto Guzzi in 1978. In all that time I can’t remember a time when the entire US had more than 4 or 5 good to excellent dealers.

At some point fans of the brand need to admit it’s a very small niche. Also that multiple dealers coming in and then leaving the brand is as much on those dealers as Piaggio. Let’s face the fact that Piaggio simply doesn’t offer anything that can’t be had cheaper and in higher demand by other brands. Guzzi, Aprilia, Vespa: are all niche brands sought by niche consumers.

Frankly, I’m thrilled we still have dealers like A1Racing, Cadre and Hamlin. We all know other dealers will come and go. Good for those dealers for trying. But let’s not lose sight of history and support the dealers you want to support while we have them.

[Moparnut72]

I would give the guy a pass on the pronunciation, that is the way it is pronounced in Britain. I didn't watch but the first few seconds of the video so I can only surmise that there may be British background involved. We all know how uninitiated 'mericans pronounce it. Hopefully it works for both dealers.
kk