NO MGC, my local dealer closed doors

[tiger_one]

Very sad.  Probably 50 or more bikes, Yamaha, Suzuki and KTM plus ATVs.
Allemans in Shreveport.

[John A]

Why did they close? Gene get old? I was the service manager there one summer when aviation dried up because of oil shortage in the 80's. Decided that for me motorcycles are best left as a hobby. The part of that job I liked was the test ride. Got a sense of admiration for Suzuki products, and thought I liked the brakes on Guzzis best , those big sport bikes could get me in trouble fast. Too bad they are closed.

[bacongrease]

 While traveling  I drop in at  various dealers just to kick the tires, lately  things appear to be rather slow, real slow, slower than before.  Even the HD guys.  MG dealer had a dozen or so, I'm thinkin'...who will buy these ?? 
 New Moto Guzzis ?  ?

[Lannis]

While traveling  I drop in at  various dealers just to kick the tires, lately  things appear to be rather slow, real slow, slower than before.  Even the HD guys.  MG dealer had a dozen or so, I'm thinkin'...who will buy these ?? 
 New Moto Guzzis ?  ?

I won't even try to guess who will buy them.  I've been wrong too many times.

Back in 2003, I predicted the bursting of the "H-D Bubble" as people frantically bought "100th Anniversary" Harleys.   I then predicted, around 2008, that it couldn't go on much longer when I looked in the back of our local Harley dealer, who had 20 bikes on the showroom floor, and saw 100+ like-new trade-ins.   I thought for sure that prices would plummet.

I suppose there's no limit.   As long as people see "Long Way Around" and buy Beemer GS's, or see Sons of Anarchy and buy apehangered HDs, there'll always be money around to buy new $18,000 motorcycles.

It's telling, though, that in the last 10 years, Guzzi dealers have gone out of business in the state of Virginia.

Red Line, FrontLine, Ultimate Cycle, Outlanders, the place in Colonial Heights, the place in Harrisonburg, SteelHorse (where I bought my new Stelvio), and (practically) Winchester Motosport, who doesn't have Guzzis on the floor any more.   

I mean, that's really bad when EIGHT dealers go out of business in 10 years, leaving ONE (Scoot Richmond) and they seem to be doing pretty well with Guzzi, Triumph, Aprilia, and a line of scooters .....

Lannis

[bacongrease]

      Rumor has it one of the guys here actually bought a  Moto Guzzi,   new,
  but that was back in the early 90's I believe.   

[rocker59]

It's telling, though, that in the last 10 years, Guzzi dealers have gone out of business in the state of Virginia.

...EIGHT dealers go out of business in 10 years, leaving ONE (Scoot Richmond) and they seem to be doing pretty well with Guzzi, Triumph, Aprilia, and a line of scooters .....

What is telling about it?

That largely rural Virginia can't support a bunch of Moto Guzzi dealerships?

That those dealerships had poor business plans?

That PGA didn't care that they were putting dealerships in places where the bikes wouldn't sell?

What's YOUR take on your observation?

[Lannis]

What is telling about it?

That largely rural Virginia can't support a bunch of Moto Guzzi dealerships?

That those dealerships had poor business plans?

That PGA didn't care that they were putting dealerships in places where the bikes wouldn't sell?

What's YOUR take on your observation?

"Largely rural?"

Been a while since you been here, hasn't it?   

We WISH it were still that way ....

Lannis

[rocker59]

"Largely rural?"

Been a while since you been here, hasn't it?   

We WISH it were still that way ....

Lannis

Winchester, population 26,203.
Harrisonburg, population 48,914.
Colonial Heights, population 17,411.
Luray, population 4,895.


Hey,

Virginia is great, but when huge metros like Houston don't have Guzzi dealers, and entire States don't have Guzzi dealers, one has to wonder the wisdom of trying to make all those dealerships work in those small towns in Virginia.

[Devildog]

Virginia has two MG dealers, LaMoto in Alexandria seems to be doing ok with MG and Aprilia.
Both it and Scoot Richmond are in urban locations. The Hipster market?
Redline in Yorktown benefits from the large military presence, selling Ducatis and MV Agusta but they dropped MG keeping Aprilia and adding Triumph. Seems to be working for them.

[rocker59]

LaMoto in Alexandria seems to be doing ok with MG and Aprilia.
Both it and Scoot Richmond are in urban locations. The Hipster market?
 

That's what it takes to sell Moto Guzzis, these days.   

Half of Guzzi's current sales are in smallblocks.  A great bike for the urban markets and college towns.

[oldbike54]

That's what it takes to sell Moto Guzzis, these days.   

Half of Guzzi's current sales are in smallblocks.  A great bike for the urban markets and college towns.

 So you are indicating that small block Guzzis are being sold as a fashion statement ? Hey , whatever sells motorbikes 

 Dusty

[rocker59]

So you are indicating that small block Guzzis are being sold as a fashion statement ? Hey , whatever sells motorbikes 

 Dusty

Not really what I'm saying. 

But yeah.  I'm sure Piaggio doesn't really care who buys them,  as long as they buy them.

[tiger_one]

Why did they close? Gene get old?

 

I don't know the reason, but hardly ever anyone in there for a while.  Gene and us are getting old.  Think he still has the Super Tenere, used to ride some local.

They had a lot of bikes that had been sitting for a long time.  I always wondered who was going to buy them.  They sold the HP2 Kawasaki, and the RC8, I was thinking about trying to deal on the SDR (had 2 of them) but it would require a lot of farkling to get up to my level of comfort. 

Lots of good deals on cars out there also, as the economy sags.

[Lesman]

Bad Business Plan? Bad Location? nope There are less than 300 people  in the US that will buy a Guzzi at new full retail. That number maybe high by a 1/3. 80-90% of those people currently own another Guzzi  or have owned a Guzzi in the past.
Superior Dealers are great for business. Not having a dealer is bad for business. If Texas can only support  a couple dealers that is bad news for the brand.

[Lannis]

Bad Business Plan? Bad Location? nope There are less than 300 people  in the US that will buy a Guzzi at new full retail. That number maybe high by a 1/3. 80-90% of those people currently own another Guzzi  or have owned a Guzzi in the past.
Superior Dealers are great for business. Not having a dealer is bad for business. If Texas can only support  a couple dealers that is bad news for the brand.

Probably a lot of truth in that, although I'm not sure about the 300.   Scoot Richmond seems to be very positive about Guzzi, I don't hear the (what have come to be) normal horror stories about dealing with Piaggio, and they seem to be moving quite a few Guzzis - the same ones are not on the floor gathering dust every time I go by.

Lannis

[Two Checks]

For that matter ,how many m/c dealers are in the Tidewater area?

I can tell you, not many. Even with the huge military presence there are fewer than you think.
I had a bear of a time finding a rear tire for the Cal III. Honda of Norfolk had a Cheng Shin in 4.00/18. The next closest was in Richmond.

[derek533]

Surprisingly, I think it's going to turn the other way eventually and here's why:  With the prices of bikes and especially Japanese bikes increasing at every new model release, they're coming that much closer to what other makes of bikes cost.  Ducati for instance, was always deemed to be a maintenance heavy and price heavy make of bikes.  Now that reliability has gotten better and the other makes are almost or just as expensive, the European makes are going to get 2nd, 3rd and take-my-money looks from would be Japanese buyers.  I don't think you'll ever see much crossover from traditional Harley guys because that's just not what they're into.  But for everyone else, the Euro makes are really starting to be enticing compared to the Japanese counterparts. 

Maybe I'm biased but I do believe this.  I would have never before considered a Guzzi until I saw it in person and found the price to be just as competitive with something of a similar style from a different make.  A little research proved to me that Guzzis are reliable and simple to wrench on so it was a no-brainer.  Oh, and no matter how much we may dislike hipsters, they are out there buying standards and cafes (V7's, Scramblers, Bonnies, etc.) and putting those brands on the street which will only increase brand recognition.