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Kitfox · 04-09-2012, 06:31 PM

I sold Kawasaki & Yamaha in the same facility with different showrooms. I did not find it very easy to mix the the motorcycle and auto businesses. In many ways they are similar but many ways very different customers and employees. There was a time when it was every motorcycle dealers dream to become a car dealer, and a time that every car dealers dream was to become a motorcycle dealer (slightly exagerated I know). Just like the RV business, MC dealers that were able to hang on long enough found themselves with expanding demand and very little competition and were able to do very well. I was president of the state MC dealers association and still have several close friends in the business. The Harley dealer I spoke of is a partner of mine in another business and also has 2 smaller Harley stores that each set a record last month. Unfortunatly I have no financial interest in the Harley stores

I had the chance to attend the Polaris-Victory-Indian-GEM new model show in Nashville last year and was very impressed. It was great seeing the excitment and passion of the MC dealers again, it took me back 40 years ago but in the end I could not bring myself to open another MC dealership. If it were up to my son he would do it tomorrow...must be an age thing. As I said before, in every buisness there are opportunities and challenges-just depends who is looking.

04-09-2012, 06:31 PM	#7
Kitfox Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 93	I sold Kawasaki & Yamaha in the same facility with different showrooms. I did not find it very easy to mix the the motorcycle and auto businesses. In many ways they are similar but many ways very different customers and employees. There was a time when it was every motorcycle dealers dream to become a car dealer, and a time that every car dealers dream was to become a motorcycle dealer (slightly exagerated I know). Just like the RV business, MC dealers that were able to hang on long enough found themselves with expanding demand and very little competition and were able to do very well. I was president of the state MC dealers association and still have several close friends in the business. The Harley dealer I spoke of is a partner of mine in another business and also has 2 smaller Harley stores that each set a record last month. Unfortunatly I have no financial interest in the Harley stores I had the chance to attend the Polaris-Victory-Indian-GEM new model show in Nashville last year and was very impressed. It was great seeing the excitment and passion of the MC dealers again, it took me back 40 years ago but in the end I could not bring myself to open another MC dealership. If it were up to my son he would do it tomorrow...must be an age thing. As I said before, in every buisness there are opportunities and challenges-just depends who is looking.