My friend and I are opening up a dealership here in Michigan. We got approved for the loan and we might have found a building. So i have gone onto sites (honda, suzuki, KTM, Yamaha) but i can find anything on selling there bikes and all that. Does anyone have an idea of what I need to do in order to carry and line of bikes or whatever? There is no numbers on the sites only addresses but writing letters takes too long so I figure ill ask here first then write a letter if needed. THanks alot guys!
Rob

 

I FOUND A NUMBER ON THE HONDA SITE CALL AND MAYBE THEY CAN GIVE THE NUMBER U NEED (310) 532-9811

 

ahh...cool thanks man!

 

Better check and make sure your building is outside of the area of other dealerships or else you won't be able to buy in to any of the company's.

 

yo rob you know im all about it bro that **** is gonna be awsome, i dont know exactly what to but im sure theres some more people here that can help ya out more, good luck bro

 

Sweet man...Yeah i know the whole distance thing (6 miles here) and Honda is not in any need of dealers here so im think suzuki, yamaha and KTM. But yeah mike hit your boy up and lets figure out what all needs to be done and have a 50 track out back and a bunch of stuff.....Im excited haha! Im also looking to buy dealerships around here too. So we will see guys. But when i get one open i will for sure be carrying stunt products and accessories for all you guys and for sure a SL discount

 

good luck man.......keep us posted

 

I would skip the KTM and go Kawa instead.

Or Suzuki/Kawasaki...... Watch when that ZX-10 and some of the others start doing really well...................Then the public will sway......Away from the OOOOOOO so hyped up gixxer. Remember back in 86-88? Was the gixxer all that then? Nope. Now they are winning and the public freak ands sways the other way.......

Go with your gut feeling. You know what shops are in the area. etc... Go off that.... You should be ok....

good luck

 

It's a contract bro..you'll need them to show a binding contract so that the State of Michigan will recogize your dealership. You should get all of that 1st hand before you got a shop. Keep in mind that you'll need certified mechanics, workmens comp insurance, Fleet Insurance, and so on....I can tell you from experiance that insurance is gonna be a bitch...!!!!! they will not offer low competitive rates to new business. You'll have to be in business longer then 2 yrs for insurance companies to even look at you. Good luck!!!!

 

Sell salvage and used bikes too. Straight up stunt bikes. Make them rideable but not pretty. Sell em' online. As a dealership I bet you can get your hands on some cheap bikes that were totalled, stolen, repo'd, etc. Sell em for like $1000-$2000. And you wouldn't be breaking any laws/rules selling hondas either.

 

you need about a mill for any big four dealership i think....

selling salvage is prolly a waste of time if you're gonna be a new dealer, but obviously there is $$ in used bikes.

good luck,

teach

 

If i'm not mistaken, in order to sell the 'big 4' (Honda, Yamaha, Kawaski, Suzuki) makes, they require you to prove that you can sell and are not a fly-by-night dealer. I remember reading somewhere along the line that the 'Big 4' manufacturers require you to submit a proposal and your sales figures from the last few years form another manufacturer. Also as was mentioned they (I know Honda for sure) has a minimum mileage between dealerships. Again, Im sure to thin out the number of 'fly-by-night' scheisters.

After I finish school, It is my goal to open a motorcycle dealership with a very good friend of mine. I am very much interested in hearing about your experience, so let me know whatever you find out!

 

Yeah for sure you guys all are right....The thing i have found out (last night) is if the manufacture needs more sales in that area they let you know. I called Honda and they need a dealership in IL but not MI so im going to try and get suzuki and yamaha for sure and KTM or Kawi too....I think KTM will get just as big with all the new bikes they have but there is 1 KTM authorized dealer (not a dealership) and 3 Kawi dealers here. So im just trying to see whats up with that....I will keep ya guys posted for sure man.

 

keep us or me posted about this ive always wanted to know about this.

 

what part of grand rapids are you opening up your dealership?

 

Good luck man. Grand rapids is saturated. KTM has bikes on the floor on Plainfield now. If you want to beat the established dealers you will have to give a good level of customer service. It won't take much to beat them in that aspect.

Suzuki is covered in GR by two big dealers. Honda is locked down by three dealers. Yamaha by two dealers. Husqvarna by one in Jenison. KTM is also VERY established in Grand Haven and Lansing. Riders have been going to those dealers for years and they will be hard to pull away.

Kawi will be your best bet if you really want to sell new bikes.

I think the money is to be made in parts and heavy sellign over the internet. I have lived in GR my whole life and I hate to say it but the stunt and sportbike community here is a little thin.

Like I said,good luck and I hope it works out. Where are you looking to open a store front? I will be there with the fiddy for the opening BBQ and drunk fest.

 

A friend of mine had to do a report on dealerships for a business class. If I remember right it was the better part of a million dollars just for the franchise, not including buying the building, getting permits, etc. (I don't remember if this was for several francises or just the one) If you are going to throw some brutal cash around throw some to your lawyer and have him get the city counsel and the BBB and chamber of Commerce to sign off on it before you even get started, that way you don't get shut down for not having some dumb little piece of paper. The city I live in only has around 17,000 people, and I know you can't open another Suzuki dealerhip, because they have ONE.

 

Yeah i have been reading alot about this and my friend and I are thinking maybe grandville (2 miles outside of downtown). They have 0 dealers and i think it would be the best place to do it. The whole stunt thing is growing in GR big time. There is over 800 people who ride/stunt (on another site). so i think once we get a good dealer in who cares about the people thats including younger ones too (the current ones dont care really unless you are 40 with $$$$) so i would love to open up a place and change that for sure. I dont think it would be too hard to win alot of customers over. But yeah when i get this open and find a store front you all will be kept up to date. Thanks guys for all the info and help.

 

..

Wow..that's a grip load of peeps ...Wonder how many really stunt... (GRstreetriders.com)??????

When Thew had his thing over the summer at Muskegon..There was like all 10 of us that were regulars, stunting.

 

That was in Muskegon though. [sarcasm]That is a long ways to ride from GR.[/sarcasm]

Hell, I rode my supermoto out there from GR a couple of times. That is a ways on basically a dirt bike.

I am not buying the 800 stunters in GR either. PM the website where they hang out if you would. Thanks.