[billmeek]

From the 'Don't shhot yourself in the foot" thread in the 'Feedback for Suzuki' forum:

I had my Pirelli tire put on at a local dealer today and recieved some sad news.
He said he may be dropping Suzuki Motorcycles (after 20+ yrs.) because of the Corporate Sales Dept. The 2005 year they are dropping some Styles of bike (Volusa, etc.) and replacing them with the "Boulevard Series".

My local dealer said the Boulevard series was just a rename of the existing cruiser lines. Have some of them been dropped and not just renamed? Which are actually new designs?

 

[Jim]

I don't know all the details as to which ones are dropped or simply renamed, but forcing a dealer to carry that many units, I think is poor. The corporate offices don't know the local market as well as the dealer, and forcing the dealer to to take product he can't sell (in that quantity) is poor judgment. There is already a Harley/ BMW, and Honda dealerships in a town of 20,000.
The market is Rural. The other dealership (that dropped Suzuki) was in a town of 50,000 and now sells Victory, and Kawasaki.

 

[Greengoose]

Whenever I pick up a magazine with the new bikes all lined up. My first impression as well as others around me at work, "They all look the same."
Unless you take the time to focus on the actual lines and fenders, etc... The entire line looks too similar to each other to make me say wow. Just my 2 cents.

 

[NormanB]

Sometimes even in big and erstwhile successful organisations, the sales and marketing departments somehow manage to stick their head up their collectives asses!

Remember Coca Cola and that suicidal strategy of changing the formulae 'to bring it up to date' fiasco?

 

[Randy]

Greengoose wrote

The entire line looks too similar to each other to make me say wow. Just my 2 cents.

Now that I am over 60 I sometimes feel that way about the woman I see.

 

[Jim]

NormanB,

I think it's each others asses.

 

[NormanB]

NormanB,

I think it's each others asses.

In that case it would not be their heads just their noses :wink:

 

[NormanB]

Greengoose wrote

The entire line looks too similar to each other to make me say wow. Just my 2 cents.

Now that I am over 60 I sometimes feel that way about the woman I see.

Better spectacles may help, or move to a different locale! :wink:

PS: I could pop a pair in the post - I ain't using those I have on in my avatar anymore! :wink:

PPS: Put an offer in on the wig and I could do a bulk buy deal.

 

[pauljo]

My local dealer said the Boulevard series was just a rename of the existing cruiser lines. Have some of them been dropped and not just renamed? Which are actually new designs?

Your dealer pretty much nailed it. Minor tweaking of the old line right down to the 650cc single cylinder "Savage". Suzuki's cruisers have always been the least interesting of all the metric bike cruiser lines in my opinion - and just changing the name ain't gonna move them to the front of the field... But then I'm really a Kawasaki fan, currently living in exile with two Suzuki's... :wink:

 

[pauljo]

forcing a dealer to carry that many units, I think is poor. The corporate offices don't know the local market as well as the dealer, and forcing the dealer to to take product he can't sell (in that quantity) is poor judgment.

I am not saying it is right, and I'm personally opposed to that practice.

But Suzuki is not by any means the first to do this sort of thing. Yamaha did it in a big way with accessories for their Royal Star / Road Star cruiser line - and may still be doing it for all I know. Even the large dealers griped about that. My dealer in Connecticut started out as a Yamaha dealer years ago, and later took on Honda and BMW. He sent BMW packing when they tried to force more units on him than he could sell - called them and told them to come get their bikes. Took on Triumph to replace them. He was thinking of dropping Yamaha over the accessory policies for the Royal Star line. But I think they hammered out an agreement. Why would any multi-brand dealer want to carry a $50,000 dollar accessories inventory for one bike model????

It's a stupid practice, and even worse in the light of the poor supply chain in this country for parts. It's not uncommon to lose 8 weeks of riding waiting for body parts - or even tires! The big dealers have enough leverage to negotiate away from those terms I think, but the small guy probably can't.

Now... There would be one exception that I can think of. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Suzuki would force their dealers to carry a $15000 inventory of accessories for the Burgman line? :twisted:

 

[billmeek]

Why would any multi-brand dealer want to carry a $50,000 dollar accessories inventory for one bike model????

Gotta wonder id there isn't an extra zero in the figure. $50k of accessories seems more than outrageous.

Now... There would be one exception that I can think of. Wouldn't it be wonderful if Suzuki would force their dealers to carry a $15000 inventory of accessories for the Burgman line? :twisted:

Sounds good to me! While they're at it...make the dealers carry the Burgmans in the first place and have at least one person trained on how to service them.

 

[Bleeder]

Greengoose wrote

The entire line looks too similar to each other to make me say wow. Just my 2 cents.

Now that I am over 60 I sometimes feel that way about the woman I see.

LOL!!!
My Grandpa used to rail on with me about the ironic sense of humor God must have. One of his examples was that when you get old there's more available tail than you can shake a stick at, but who would want it?




Peace.

 

[Pinwheel]

I know the Volusia is now the C50 and has fuel injection and floor boards. From what the people in the Volusia group say, it's a little heavier too. They all look just the the previous models just have a cheesy name badge that says Boulevard.

Does that mean my Volusia is worth more since it's not made anymore....hhhmmm trade it in for a scooter..... is it the first of the year yet....

 

[bechtoea]

Please let me rant....

I have ridden four cruisers over the last four years. Let me tell you, I hate them. The one I remember most was a Honda Shadow 1100. I told the buddy that has it after I rode it that my old 79 CX500 would put that thing on the trailer. "Well, it's not build for speed." That's a **** good thing because is wouldn't keep up with my 500cc dresser on it's best day. My B400 will supposedly go 95MPH and I think the top end on most of these 1100cc cruisers is around 110...what a joke!! The worst thing is that when you roll on from 50MPH in top gear, well, the first time I did it with my buddy's Shadow I honestly thought the carbs were out of sync or a sparkplug wire came loose. "No, that's the engine." He wanted me to be impressed...I wasn't.

But at least they look good, right? No, they all look alike, all derrived from HD which themselves look like the custom motorcycles of the 70's. But I guess if the companies can take bikes that are literally 10, 15, even 20 years old and sell them as "cruisers" instead of having to come up with something new, then that's what they will do in the name of profit. The Shadow 1100 that I speak of has been around since the mid 80's. The Intruders, which are now Boulavards, were old ten years ago.

And about these "supercruisers" of 1800+cc's...these things are GARBAGE TRUCKS. I sat on a Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 (yes, 2000 freakin cc's). I could hardly get it off the sidestand because of all of the weight that was above my knee. The salesman said it's dry weight is more than an 1800 Gold Wing. At least the Gold Wing comes with a reverse gear and a flat engine for a lower center of gravity. How ya gonna get your 800 Lb cruiser out of a parking spot, eh? And God help you if you drop it, which since it weighs as much as two B400's, could easily happen.

And these cruisers all look like each other. From the engine profile and transmission to the pipes down the right side, they all look alike to me. Like I told them at work, if wanted a cruiser with all of the chrome, pipes, jackets, and other crap that goes along with it, I'll just go get a Harley and get it over with. It's my midlife crisis, I might as well do it the right way, don't you agree?

Suffice to say, I hate top heavy, overweight, oversized yet underpowered for their sized bikes. Gimme a "twist and go" that is quick and ecconomical any day of the week.

There...now I feel much better!!!

 

[NormanB]

Please let me rant....

[snipped]

There...now I feel much better!!!

Way to go - great stuff.
Bravo!

 

[bechtoea]

Thanks, Norm. My shrink said it's good for me to vent every now and then. That way, I don't beat my cat as often.