My Local Bike Shops Whats UP with em?

[Flash393]

Ok, I am climbing up on the ATM soap box here for a minute. As you know I just bought a 2005 YZF 450. I've been going through the bike and wanted to replace some worn parts (nothing major) for cosmetic purpose only, and I did notice the front wheel was missing a spoke. So I drive 12 miles to my local Yamaha shop here in Austin, go in put my parts down on the counter and asked the parts guy for new ones. He looks the parts up in his computer and said we don't stock these and will have to order them, mind you these are just a couple of cover screws and o-rings. Next I say I also need a front spoke (an outer) so back to the computer, then come this blank look on his face and informs me that they only come in a set and they run $115 bucks... I said you've got to be kidding me and at first he says well that doesn't seem right so he calls his parts head quarters and they confirm I must buy a complete set. Which they would have to order if I was that desperate in need of one spoke. Anyway I get a couple of things that they had on the shelf (so I at lease have something to take home), so I put my stuff up on the counter and ask the guy for a Yamaha decal for my truck as I wanted to show the world I own a dirt bike. He looks at me like I’ve got 5 heads and says a what?? Laughs at me and says we don’t carry that kind of stuff then whispers to me that they mostly cater to the street bike mob because he did not want his boss to hear him. Buy now I am beat red in the face and ask him since you race where do you go to get parts and he tells me well I don’t work on my bike I have someone do that. err... I then ask well if you were out play riding and broke something where would you go or would you have to wait 7 – 10 days for parts and he just looked at me. Mind you this a large Yamaha & Honda chain of shops here in Austin and San Antonio. Is this like this for the rest of you guys & girls? Do you have to order your parts and wait to fix your bike? What has happen to bike shops today, my wife says it’s because they don’t want the inventory on hand which I’m starting to thinks she right. I believe it might be just easier to stay home and shop on the internet, don’t have to drive anywhere and you still have to wait for your parts..

Climbing down now..

Thanks for letting me vent..

[crdude]

Its usually like that for me, heck, last time I went to the Honda shop they didnt even have an air filter in stock for my cr..

[kw4570gov]

It is the same in my area, we have a Yamaha/Kawasaki dealer, a Kawasaki/Suzuki dealer, a Yamaha/Polaris dealer, and a Honda dealer and no one stocks parts for anything except for a little oil gloves, and helmets. The Kaw/Suz dealer is able to get parts from Dallas in less than a week and I can phone them up and order without paying first which the other dealers will not do for me. It is sad but customer service is dead!!!!!

Kent

[Dano426]

Same stuff happens here as well. If I go to the Yamaha dealer to order parts, everthing takes 10-15 days. If I go to the Suzuki dealer to order Yamaha parts it only takes 3-5 days for the same parts. Customer service is everything. Go figure?

[cloleson]

I've been through the same ordeal. Our local Yamaha shop used to be very good. The parts guy was knowledgable, and I always got stuff for well under full retail (which you have to pay for OEM when ordering off the net in my experience).

A year or so ago this changed, and now going to the dealership is just an added aggrevation. They charge full retail now, and it takes longer to get stuff than ordering straight off the net. In addition, the guy ordering the stuff has no clue.

I feel your pain brother. I've resorted to just staying at home and getting stuff off the net, except in really desperate situations.

[P1M]

Hey Flash,

I have a small motorcycle shop and I go through the same thing with the local dealers here. It has gotten so easy for them to order parts online from their warehouses that sometimes if they don't hold orders they will get it the next day so there is no point in tieing up money for something that might take awhile for them to sell. They are correct about buying the entire spoke kit. You might want to check with smaller shops in your area for a spoke because I always try to save a few when I lace up a new wheel just for that reason.

[Flash393]

Originally Posted by P1M

Hey Flash,

I have a small motorcycle shop and I go through the same thing with the local dealers here. It has gotten so easy for them to order parts online from their warehouses that sometimes if they don't hold orders they will get it the next day so there is no point in tieing up money for something that might take awhile for them to sell. They are correct about buying the entire spoke kit. You might want to check with smaller shops in your area for a spoke because I always try to save a few when I lace up a new wheel just for that reason.

Thanks P1M,,

you go away for a few decades and looks what happens...

This is what we've become and it's just not bike parts either...

[monkeyonahill]

i feel your pain.. when i had my CR the closest honda shop was 45 minutes away in Quincy.. Chetts Honda.. it's been in business since the 70's! and the reason why it's been in business for so long is because they have great customer service and some of the nicest employees you will ever meet! and right now it's owned by Chett's (the original owner) son which takes after his father in his business ways.

but here in town we have a Yamaha/Kawasaki/Suzuki shop, and when i want parts for my YZF 250 they mainly have to order parts, but every so often they do have the parts i need. And as for the spokes.. i have had the exact same problem! i snap a spoke from a hard landing.. i go to the shop and ask if i can get ONE rear sprocket side spoke.. nope! you gotta buy the set!! but luckily.. one of the guys that work there said he just changed all his rear spokes on his '05 or '06 YZF 250 and he said they should be the same. and he said almost all his old spokes were fine, so he just ran downstairs and got me a used spoke from his bike for free. the yamaha shop here has pretty good customer service.. but not near as good as Chett's. it seems like good service is a fading practice. very sad to see it go

[Flash393]

WOW Guys, hard to believe this is all over the map.... Well I gust I will try and get use it or figure out another plan of attack...

Thanks for the replies ATM'ers ..............

[ossagp]

some dealers will break down a set of spokes and sell them individually. the shops in alaska are pretty much the same as you guys are getting,,,they show you the picture, and then make the order. reminds me of the montgomery wards order centers when i was a kid. i call my local shops before i order, and if they stock what i want, i buy it disregarding the price. if they don't i use people like yamaha of troy or fay myers in denver.

[DRGSin393]

I think weve done this to ourselves. We order parts thru the internet because its cheaper, so the brick and mortar shops have reduced the amounts of parts they stock. They'll only stock things that can be sold daily to reduce inventory costs. I cant say that I blame them. They have to cut costs to compete-therefore they hire part time high schoolers that havent a clue. It sux all around.

[monkeyonahill]

Originally Posted by DRGSin393

They have to cut costs to compete-therefore they hire part time high schoolers that havent a clue.

haha you better watch it old man! us high schoolers are tomorrows leaders.. wow.. that's not scarey at all..

hah, i get what you're sayin though! sometimes they higher the kids who dont know what the crap they're talkin about... they need to find the ones who actually know how to work on bikes, how engines work, etc etc etc.. some of these guys are sad and can't trouble shoot worth crap!

But us high schoolers ARE desperate for money and will work for minimum wage! (YES! just hit about $8.06 here in WA state!)

[Flash393]

Originally Posted by monkeyonahill

i feel your pain.. when i had my CR the closest honda shop was 45 minutes away in Quincy.. Chetts Honda.. it's been in business since the 70's! and the reason why it's been in business for so long is because they have great customer service and some of the nicest employees you will ever meet! and right now it's owned by Chett's (the original owner) son which takes after his father in his business ways.

but here in town we have a Yamaha/Kawasaki/Suzuki shop, and when i want parts for my YZF 250 they mainly have to order parts, but every so often they do have the parts i need. And as for the spokes.. i have had the exact same problem! i snap a spoke from a hard landing.. i go to the shop and ask if i can get ONE rear sprocket side spoke.. nope! you gotta buy the set!! but luckily.. one of the guys that work there said he just changed all his rear spokes on his '05 or '06 YZF 250 and he said they should be the same. and he said almost all his old spokes were fine, so he just ran downstairs and got me a used spoke from his bike for free. the yamaha shop here has pretty good customer service.. but not near as good as Chett's. it seems like good service is a fading practice. very sad to see it go

I agree !!!

[Flash393]

Originally Posted by DRGSin393

I think weve done this to ourselves. We order parts thru the internet because its cheaper, so the brick and mortar shops have reduced the amounts of parts they stock. They'll only stock things that can be sold daily to reduce inventory costs. I cant say that I blame them. They have to cut costs to compete-therefore they hire part time high schoolers that havent a clue. It sux all around.

Doc, I agree with you but still wonder if we did it to ourselves or were we forced to because of the lack of customer service and the drying up of part inventory at the shops..

[DRGSin393]

Originally Posted by monkeyonahill

haha you better watch it old man! us high schoolers are tomorrows leaders.. wow.. that's not scarey at all..

hah, i get what you're sayin though! sometimes they higher the kids who dont know what the crap they're talkin about... they need to find the ones who actually know how to work on bikes, how engines work, etc etc etc.. some of these guys are sad and can't trouble shoot worth crap!

But us high schoolers ARE desperate for money and will work for minimum wage! (YES! just hit about $8.06 here in WA state!)

Dude, if I saw your resume and application, Id make certain assumptions; and they wouldnt be that you can trouble shoot for crap!

I dont blame you guys for taking those jobs! On the contrary, thatd be a great gig for a high schooler.

[dhighlan]

Same thing here to the point I gave up completely and order everything online. I have back ups on common stuff and stay up with maintenance. I have Service Honda 25 Min away usually get to me in one day. The Kid at the counter always asks if you want them to order it for me. Well let me see if I want to wait 3 days for a part I can get in one, pay 35% overhead fee on it, and drive back here to get it when I can have it delivered to my door?

[YZ125motoracer]

yeah i think all dealerships are like that. It doesnt help that Yamaha only has a warehouse on the west coast

[ossagp]

lol monkey, my bet is that you will learn the difference between hire and "higher" before you get to be one of those leaders you mention.

George, the trend to not stock was brought on before the internet. It comes from a lot of things. most notedly is not keeping track of lost sales. the shops that i mentioned that stock heavy found themselves in good position to take over internet sales because they were already tracking those. the sad part is that dirt bikes never have been very profitable as so many of us do our own work, buy right etc. touring riders with high incomes are where it is at. they wont know a good tuneup from an average one in most cases either.

[mxracr121]

Even some of the large OEM mail order companies don't stock parts. They order it, when you order it. This helps them keep their prices lower too.

[ossagp]

Very true,,you need to ask if they have it in stock. since i end up paying blue label ups in most cases i kind of demand they have it or i keep shopping. that or they pay for it to ship usmail which is slow but cheap. service honda has fallen into that category. HOT has been pretty good about telling me if it is in stock when i ask. FM always tells me and is willing to do the usmail thing.