Triumph playing dangerous game?

[king kong]

Went to the local dealership today to check out the new Triumph Tiger (Alfs in Worthing, Kawaski Triumph dealer) and it was half empty.
The chappy there told me that Triumph had withdrawn theie Franchise because Alf would'nt supply solely Triumph bikes and clothes.
Triumph are instead letting a Renault Car dealership sell their bikes instead. Chappy said that there was no way that they could survive on selling Triumphs alone (80 a year sold). He seemed to think that Triumph are pinning all there hopes the new Tiger and letting a car dealership sell bikes was asking for trouble in terms of expertise, service etc.
Apparently 4 other dealerships have had Triumph withdraw also.
Triumph could be shooting themselves in the froot

[colin1]

its one thing to try to push dealers into just doing triumphs, but getting car dealerships to sell bikes is ridiculous

i can sort of see the marketing sense, in that someone going in to look at a triumph isnt likely to buy a car instead, but everything else just doesnt make sense

seems a shame when their bikes seem more respected than ever.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[st3v3]

that seems to be pretty stupid to me, but that is me..

and is a car garage going to get equipment etc mechanics etc to service the bikes if they sell them?
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Roger wrote: Women don't get damp for clingy puppies. Get some better happy pills, hit the gym & buy a medallion the size of a dinner plate. Job done

[MarJay]

A car dealer would have to get the equipment and mechanics.

BMW only sell bikes in Solus dealers or alongside their cars.

Honda only 'officially' sell bikes in Solus dealers.

Its the way the industry is going.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[veeeffarr]

Hmmm is one of them Woods of Abergele? I know they sell Ducati/Suzuki's as well...

[Andy C]

Ive been to alfs and its far too big to just sell Triumphs as loads of bikes in their, and sell lots of makes if i remember.

That does seem a bit stupid
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99 RS125 --> 02 SV650s --> 03 Speed Four --> 92 RXS100 --> 93 CB400sf --> 01 CB600f Hornet

[Finglonga]

Triumph have gone down the pan once, didn't think they would last as long as they have, especially with the launch of the TT600 years ago...It was a dog!

As for the new style Tiger....https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v112/finglonga/Finglonga%20Inc/vomit-smiley-024.gif I guess its down to personal taste.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[biketeacherda...]

there is a suzuki car dealership in tonbridge some where which has just started selling bikes as well very pleasant chap the sales man, complete idiot when it comes to bikes, 1 of my lady pupils went in to find out about an sv650

yes we have 1 in stock its in a crate out back

what do you mean lower it? if we do that then we wont honour the warrenty because it wil be modified

whats a restrictor kit?

what do you mean how much is the suzuki lowerd seat it come with a seat i didnt know they did another 1 for it

yes the retail price is £4599 no discount( its a naked on sale at £3900 else where)

no none of our mechanics are bike trained we are thinking about sending 1 on a course he ride a moped to work so he must have some idea what to do

she finished her coffe and left and has now popped into a not so local dealer BIKE DEALER who is sorting out a new bike fer her
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www.dgridertraining.co.uk

[gavin]

it *might* have something to do with the fact that one of triumphs youngest, most successful dealers, who were nominated Dealer of the Year in a customer satisfaction survey, are primarily a car dealer.

franchised car dealers are generally professional, customer focussed businesses. bike dealers, generally are not.

im glad that the historical, stereotypical, sharp trading, arrogant and sloppy dealers are on their way out.


it dosent bother me that my triumph dealer is also a saab dealer. what has bothered me many times in the past is the way ive been ripped off, sold short or poorly treated by many a bike "dealer"
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1988 TZR125 : 1990 RD350YPVS/ RGV250 HYBRID : 1982 RD80LC : 1983 RD80LC : 1994 RGV250 : 1991 TZR125 / CR500R HYBRID : 1976 BENELLI 500 QUATTRO : 2006 TRIUMPH 675

[Stu_666]

[thx1138]

[king kong]

[thx1138]

I mostly drank in the Half Brick, and in my younger* days J.B's bar.

*i.e I was still in high school

[st3v3]

[Chriss]

Hi, I hear Robinsons Foundry in Canterbury have also lost Triumph, though, because they won't ditch Suzuki. I know Triumph owners are passionate about thier bikes, but Triumphs are fairly low quality (owned a Daytona 600 since 2004, and had to fight Triumph loads of times about warrenty items) so it's no great loss, imo.
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TheShaggyDA: I've got 3 or 4 pairs that predate my wife, so at least 11.5 years old.

[gavin]

hmmm.. my suzuki dosent go out in the wet, if i get caught out on it and leave it overnight, the brakes sieze, the ally furrs up and the fastners corrode. the triumph on the other hand dosent mind it one bit.

jap bikes arent built for british winters, triumphs are.
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1988 TZR125 : 1990 RD350YPVS/ RGV250 HYBRID : 1982 RD80LC : 1983 RD80LC : 1994 RGV250 : 1991 TZR125 / CR500R HYBRID : 1976 BENELLI 500 QUATTRO : 2006 TRIUMPH 675

[king kong]

[McJamweasel]

Triumph are very keen on pushing the customer service side of things, therefore if a dealer does not match up to what is expected of them they will loose the franchise. This is the same with any other manufacturer.

I'm personally not sure about taking on car dealers, although it has worked for Harley and BMW also manage OK with it. At the moment used bikes from other marques are allowed (unlike H-D and BMW who have to trade out any other makes) but Triumph have just introduced stocking only their clothing as part of their solus dealer requirements. This does not apply to multi-franchise dealers, of which there are a few, and having either other franchises or clothing does not lead to the loss of the franchise, just the loss of 'solus' status and so less bonus/discount etc.

What you are saying about not liking bike places because they are a bit scruffy is interesting, a lot of people that I've spoken to like bike places to be like that as its 'how they should be', and not upmarket and sterile like car dealers.
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[Teaman]

It came across that Triumph were a customer driven company where they could deliver the goods to customers,

It feels to me that there turning into the Hardly Movingson style of marketing selling things at hiked up prices for "normal" quality quality.

Obviously if half a massy fergerson cant sell in a shop that sells other stuff at the same quality but at half the price, (just the name missing) there going to want to go it alone.

good luck to em, thats what I say,
I like the bikes but wouldnt be sad or surprised if they folded again.
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There is no point in ranting about someone stupid because there is nothing u can do about it. There is no cure for stupid.
Someone stupid does not realise they r stupid.stupidity is indistinguishable from malice U just have to accept that some people are thick as p1gsh1t and work around them.

[The Tot]

If a car dealearship were to offer the same level of service and expertise as say, chiswick honda, it would be no problem, but with a triumph, you'd need those essential fuel map updates etc, which i'm sure a car dealer MIGHT be able to handle with sufficient training. However, i still think that it's a silly idea what triumph have done.
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The Tot 2019 Z1000SX - 2007 R1
Never argue with autism

[extreme3d]

This happened to my local Honda/Yamaha/Kawasaki dealer in Darlington. (White Bros). Honda told them they would be unable to sell Honda bikes alongside the other manufacturers.

Lucky for White's they are a large and successful business so they were able to move into a second shop across the road for their Honda dealership. The other two manufacturers are now kept in the original site, which having more room is a better showroom for it.

For a smaller business though I can see it being a big problem suddenly being told they can only have only a small and narrowly focused 'product range'. Quite simply they will not survive. The dealers will have to subsidise them if they wish to keep a presence in that area.

[sickpup]

[THCi]

[sickpup]

I did it all as a study years ago.

Think of it this way.

Bike sat in corner costs £8000.

Profit to dealer at 13-17% = £1040-1360

leaving total of £6960- £6640 For triumph. Out of that you have development costs, materials costs, labour charges to build and delivery/storage cost. I would be surprised if the profit was £1000

In that space lets say you have 20 jackets at £350 each so thats £7000 in stock.

Profit on the gross sale price for the dealer will be in the region of 33%

33% of £7000 = £2310 so a cost to the shop of £4690

Triumph will also be making about 33% profit

33% of £4690 = £1547 profit

So every one makes a higher profit for less initial stock cost and a lower floorspace.

Bikes bring people in, clothes and servicing makes the money.

As many people know one of the hardest thing in business is to have enough space, so if you can increase your profit margins while taking up less space and lowering your investment many would consider this a fair exchange.

[THCi]

That does make sence, just supprising when you think of it like that.
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Past: GZ 125 K4 Marauder, VL 125 LC Intruder, FZS 600 Fazer. Present: GSF 600 N K3 Bandit, GSX-R 600 X(soon)
"We're not gonna die. We can't die, Bendis. You know why? Because we are so...very...pretty. We are just too pretty for God to let us die."