Where oh wear do I buy my jacket?

N

NightRider_imp

Been there
Thread starter
I went for a FirstGear Kilimanjaro jacket, dark. Revzilla $287.95, Sloans Honda $289.00.

Let's see, order online and save 2 bucks and hope you ordered the right size and it looks better than that crappy web picture, or go to the dealer and try them on and then go outside and order it online for a 2 dollar savings or let the saleslady earn that commission and also build your relationship with that dealer and take it home today, right now, wear it home and spend 2 dollars more for it and take it back that day if you change your mind...hmmmmm...I suggest the last option is the first and only option to consider.

Now, maybe one can find it somewhere online for much less but who really wants to since buying from your favorite dealer, your favorite dealer because you chose to buy from that dealer not because he happened to be a Honda dealer and had the best deal for a few extra bucks off, but because he/she has a great reputation in the community over years, did right by you also when you bought the bike and so begins a long relationship with that dealer that favors you. You buy the dealer and not the bike because you can buy the bike anywhere but great dealers are few and far between.

This is just my humble opinion. Thanks for listening. - Art
 
I would love to give most of my business to my local dealer, the one who I buy my bikes from, but he carries zip squat (well he carries a ton of dirt bike and quad stuff...just no street bike stuff). The best he can do is "I can order it for you, prepaid, and it will take about 7 to 10 days, and we will call you when it comes in" .... and he only quotes retail.

I have tried explaining to him that if he doesn't want people ordering on the internet he has to increase his stock in accessories. He claims there are just too many people, wanting too many different things, to be able to stock what everybody might want, but he can order it for me (yep heard that).

Here's the thing, he can order it for me, get it in 7-10 days, at retail, costing me 2 trips to the dealership, one to order, one to go back and pick it up..... or I can order it myself, get it in 3 or 4 days, probably save 25% and not have to drive anywhere.

We do have an accessory shop in town that carries pretty much stuff, so I can buy some stuff and carry or wear it home, but they are still mostly I can order it for you and have it in 4 days, prepaid, 2 trips.

There is a store in Cols, Ohio maybe 140 miles from me that carries a ton of stuff but it's an all day trip and a tank of gas, on the outside chance they MIGHT have what I want in stock.

Consider yourself real lucky if you have a good shop that will sell you something for $2 dollars more than mail order and has it in stock. Not like that here.
 
I try to buy my gear and accessories from my local Honda dealer. The parts guy is awesome and is willing to help me track down the things I need even if he doesn't stock them. That said, there are some things, especially apparel, that I have had to order online. In general, though, I'm a huge "shop local" proponent even though I have had excellent buying experiences dealing with Revzilla and the folks at Heat Demon.
And let's see a pic of your new threads, NightRider. :)
 
My very local Honda dealer closed two years or so ago. They were great and I always tried to buy from them. A different dealer about 20 or 25 minutes away is now my "local" one. They really dropped the ball when I was looking to buy my Honda NT. They have the attitude where they can take you or leave you, so I have no qualms about buying anything I can elsewhere. I've had great success buying gear from motorcyclegear.com and have had great customer service for returns or exchanges. Helmets, jackets, pants, gloves, etc.

It's business, and I don't have unlimited funds, so I'm going to buy where I get good value and good service. If it was a dealer that treated me right I'd buy from them, but for me, it's not.
 
When I was in bis. we tried to carry the name brands
Frist Gear and Tourmaster/cortec , etc. and in the models that we
could sell. (size runs) . We never sold at retail prices.
What a lot of people don't know is a lot of the name brands have a
"map Policy" that makes the internet stores can not sell below 10 or
15% below retail.
Once a customer came into our store you could sell a item to them at any price you wanted just so long as you did not put it on the internet. Yes our good repeat customers got the best prices and if
we did not have it we could get it in under 24 hours.
(We were less then 70 miles from our PU warehouse and less then 100 miles from our TR warehouse. )
We ordered every day from both mainly because we did so many tires.
 
The genie is out of the bottle. The internet is slowly squeezing the life out of local dealers accessory wise. Additionally the choices available to us the consumer make it a prohibitively expensive proposition to carry an inventory that will entice the buyer to stay local. For many years I had a friend that owned a high end sport bike dealership in AZ. Ducati Aprilla and Hinckley Triumphs and Guzzi's. I bought many bikes from him over a 10 year period, about 9 bikes actually. I would always buy a new jacket, helmet and gloves every time I bought a new bike from him. I started shopping the internet when my friend decided he no longer wanted to compete with internet retailers. We had a long discussion about this back in 2014 just before he finally sold out to the largest multiline dealer in AZ. I've recycled many of my jackets on ebay over the years. Now I actually prefer to purchase my accessories via the Web. Return policies are generally excellent and Pay Pal adds an element of security. I recently bought a new Schott leather jacket on line and I couldn't be more happier. This is the new world of retail.
 
Thread starter
EmptySea_imp said:
I try to buy my gear and accessories from my local Honda dealer. The parts guy is awesome and is willing to help me track down the things I need even if he doesn't stock them. That said, there are some things, especially apparel, that I have had to order online. In general, though, I'm a huge "shop local" proponent even though I have had excellent buying experiences dealing with Revzilla and the folks at Heat Demon.
And let's see a pic of your new threads, NightRider. :)
Click to expand...
Sure. Thanks for asking. Give me some time as I'm not very good at putting pictures up on here. I think there is some website I need to upload them to and then do something else here to point to it, cross my fingers, pray to the Rlet gods and it happens.
 
Guys... I think that's part of the draw with Harley. All of their stores stock much more than just bikes. When I was just into Harley's, I bought everything at the local dealer...jackets, shirts, gloves, helmet, you name it. And they are all open Sunday's too. When I bought my KLR, I was able to buy a jacket at the Kawasaki dealer but that was about it... I got lucky. When I bought the CB, the Honda dealer in Clearwater where I bought it had squat. The Honda dealer in St. Pete has a pretty good selection of accessory's but I couldn't find a jacket that I liked. Once again, I got lucky at the Kawasaki dealer and got a Tourmaster. I have found some items (like my Shoei Helmet) at Cycle Gear, but their private brand Bilt apparel seems cheap. As a retailer myself, I certainly support buying local and not from the Internet. However, if the Internet is the only way to go, you don't have much of a choice. They just need to figure out how to tax sales on the net. We need to level the playing field.
 
Harley, or so I've heard, makes more money on apparel/accessories than they do on bikes. The whole "lifestyle" thing just works for them, at least for now.
 
Your point is right, ride4now. I'm not a retailer, but I know there are some in Australia who impose a charge for trying stuff on if you then don't buy. They are constantly being burned by people trying things on and then rushing home and ordering what they want from the Internet.

It's a dilemma. From limited experience, I would never buy a helmet without trying it on. They look good, but they don't fit quite right. I couldn't buy shoes without first trying them as I've odd,shaped feet. I can't imaging buying a jacket without having first tried it on. If the Internet takes those possibilities away, I for one will not be happy.

I also agree that it is very unfair that Internet sellers get a tax break denied retailers. But I'm not persuaded that railling against it will stop it. It's too dam*ed convenient.
 
Thread starter
Firstly, thank you Comanus for the instruction link to photobucket.

NightRider_imp said:
EmptySea_imp said:
I try to buy my gear and accessories from my local Honda dealer. The parts guy is awesome and is willing to help me track down the things I need even if he doesn't stock them. That said, there are some things, especially apparel, that I have had to order online. In general, though, I'm a huge "shop local" proponent even though I have had excellent buying experiences dealing with Revzilla and the folks at Heat Demon.
And let's see a pic of your new threads, NightRider. :)
Click to expand...
Sure. Thanks for asking. Give me some time as I'm not very good at putting pictures up on here. I think there is some website I need to upload them to and then do something else here to point to it, cross my fingers, pray to the Rlet gods and it happens.
Click to expand...
Sure. Thanks for asking. Give me some time as I'm not very good at putting pictures up on here. I think there is some website I need to upload them to and then do something else here to point to it, cross my fingers, pray to the Rlet gods and it happens.


[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1425262751131540100862_zpsp4nqzwqe.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1425262019695-1626516434_zps8zurpe3g.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1425262210233-35404458_zps7gujfq1g.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1425262300348963940195_zpskni6bpxb.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1425262379783-907970228_zpsm5icmpbe.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/Mobile%20Uploads/1425262493670-406759364_zpsitsraaxf.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/14%20Black%20Edition_zps2yrbtnl4.jpg.html]

[url=http://s284.photobucket.com/user/Art_Tennessen/media/14%20Black%20Edition%20crop_zpsrpkt1ky6.jpg.html]
 
Prayers to the RLET gods appear to be answered. :)
 
Is that Rosebud in the first bike pic?
 
Thread starter
Cormanus_imp said:
Prayers to the RLET gods appear to be answered. :)
Click to expand...
I knew they were good for something! Thanks for the pointers
Lord Popgun_imp said:
Is that Rosebud in the first bike pic?
Click to expand...
There's a genuine Gatlinburg souvenir coffee cup from last year on the steps, a genuine Regions bicycle in mint condition, a genuine old sled and refected is my KUBOTA Tractor and the bike has no name, although I have called her my "Black Beauty" in earlier posts. So, yes. I guess. Maybe. What's a "Rosebud"? :huh:
 
Thread starter
You gotta pick your dealer based on everything he offers and not just the bike. My Honda dealer is as big as the local large Harley dealer and has one third of the building for bikes, one third other vehicles and the rest is parts, accessories and helmets and clothing and boots and the parts and accessories area is staffed by four people and has at least two dressing rooms and organizes two pancake breakfast rides two Saturdays a month and a mystery dinner ride once a month and supports the local motorcycle safety class and gets you a discount when you present their card. In contrast, another Honda dealer closer to my house had about ten - fifteen bikes, a small repair shop and forget anything else and he is out of business. I bet I could have got him to order a CB1100 cheap cause he was hungry but since I buy the dealer I would have gotten little for my money, I would have gotten just a bike.
 
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