wangsta6

what is everyones opinion on an ideal shop......
what would they have
what can they do for you
what kinda parts would they carry
just everything that you would want from a shop

RoadStainR6

Let us know. What doesn't your shop have that you wish it did. What would you love to see in a dealership. We're lookin to get somethin goin after goin to MMI. Anyone with pointers on how to get started? Any and all input is greatly appreciated. Guys who have been in the game before please share your advice. Pro's and Con's of runnin your own shop. Let us hear it! Thanks in advance!

RoadStainR6

So nobody has any input? C'mon people. Help us out here! What would make YOU a happy customer?

StuntRagz Chris

it used to be that if they kept stator covers in the shop we were happy...basically keep tires,oil,filters,clutch cables,spark plugs, cages, bars, STUNTRAGZ APPAREL AND GEAR, stunt DVD's, some good magz. need a Tv to play some vids. Used plastics are always good. Also levers, clutch adjusters, brake pads, sliders, chains, and don't forget some of the bling bling type stuff for the newbies. did i mention STUNTRAGZ GEAR

RoadStainR6

haha so we need good gear, and all the parts that break when you wreck. Good start. But what could we do to stand out from the other shops? What would make us THE shop to go to?

Nick_R6_OMC

price your **** right.....have a dyno for the weekend racers...(some arent into stuntin totally and like the track too) ...pipes, PCIII's jet kits, and all the other **** that breaks.....a thought for a source of parts would be the junkyard.....for engines, trannys, stuff like that.....gears, chains....and protective gear.....possibly outsource to racing 905, or FI....to get those brands in the store..

StuntRagz Chris

another thing, not sure if this applys but in Florida all bike shops are closed Sunday and Monday. i would say be open Sunday at least close Mon and Tues.
Do free bikini girl washes on Sat or Sun. they girls will make good money in tips and you could pay them waitress hourly rate.
form bike rides that start or end at your shop, and have a bike night there once a week. that night keep the shop open until 9 or so.

just ideas i thought about for a shop here. my other idea was a shop that opened at noon til 9pm, cause the shops around here close 5 or 6pm

Rocket

I was going to open a shop in ATL but it fell thru. These were my ideas for making a better shop.

All employees need to be smiling and happy while they're at work.
I hate it when I walk into a shop and the dudes are sketchy cause they don't know you. It's like you're not in their club yet so they aren't very nice and helpful to you. It's like you gotta prove that you know your **** before they talking to you and ignoring you like a moron. From the second that customer walks in the door, they should be treated like they are the most valued customer we have.

More mechanics and some that don't specialize.
The main problem with every shop today is a rediculously slow turnaround time. My idea was simple, hire a couple of mechanics that knew what they were doing with any bike but also offered something that other mechanics didn't. That way, when they weren't needed, the could do other things in the shop to still be earning their pay. They don't just specialize in being a mechanic. Here is an example. My friend Bryan is an incredible custom turbo system fabricater as well as a ton of other custom **** he does. I would hire him and another guy with his skills so that when volume was high they could be fixing bikes keeping the turnaround time fast. When volume is slow, they could be making custom turbo setups and other custom work to sell in the shop. So either way you're not losing money on them. They're still generating profit.

Have a good selection of everything.
Pretty self explanitory. There's nothing I hate more than walking into a "bike shop" with 6 bikes and a little gear and parts and everything is answered with "no but we can order that." Screw tha noise. I'll go to the nice shop down the street.

Knowledgable salesman are a must.
Don't hire a salesman because he's good at selling ****. I want a salesman who knows what he's talking about and isn't just trying to make a buck. A saleman who can really help you find that good starter bike is going to be a lot better than the salesman who's telling you that starting out on a liter bike is beter because you won't have to spend the money to upgrade later. Customers come back a lot more often for repeat business when they're still alive. The salesman needs to know his bikes and people.

I've actually got a million and one ideas that I was going for with this shop but the investor lost his *** in the market so I got ****ed out of starting my own shop. If you guys ever decide that you need someone to help you out with more ideas and whatnot let me know.

RoadStainR6

Rocket man that is exactly what I was looking for. We've come up with pretty much the same stuff that you have but I like you're thinking. Especially with the "more than mechanics" idea. The thought is that myself and wangsta would both be certified mechanics and capable of servicing any sport bike or cruiser made by yamaha, suzuki, Honda, or Kawasaki. We want to be able to do it all. Plus have knowledgable people working in the shop. People who are as enthusiastic about the sport and riding as we and our customers are. If you have more please share them. I appreciate the help!

RoadStainR6

Chris, Thanks for the input. We will most likely have the shop in FL or VA Beach area. Somewhere down where the riding season isn't cut off by cold weather (fu(k snow!) We will also be open 7 days a week. The shop will be my life... so I can't think of anywhere I'd rather spend my time. As it is now, all I do when I get off work is play or work on bikes. Why not do that at the shop... and still be able to help customers?

I also like the bike wash idea's... who can pass up on a beautiful lady? :YEAH

onsighter514d

make sure your employees know what the hell they're talking about!!!

Daenan

i work at a pretty successful shop in orlando, fl... first off... i agree with all of you about what an "ideal" shop should have... but seriuosly.... stator covers, stunt gear, etc., crash cages, 12 bars.... nobody comes to my shop for that... maybe had 2 or 3 inquiries in the past 8 months for each of the above.... it sucks but that's just how it is... cause if it was up to me... we'd need to sell clipons, crash cages, 12 bars, dirtbike conversions, race plastics, etc..... too bad that **** doesn't sell

wangsta6

so what would you recommend?

Daenan

i dont' know... bottom line is sportibke people don't spend $$$... it's the cruiser guys that drop a ton of money on accessories.... everything that has anything to do with a cruiser... anything chrome.... where as the sportbike guys down here buy NOTHING! buy a $10000 2005 GSX-R 1000 and a garbage HJC CS-12 helmet.... i mean honestly... it pisses me off.... I wont' even own an HJC because they're garbage.... and my bike is a piece of ****.... i make more money on old guys with Suzuki Volusia's than i do with hayabusas.....

Armenian

Here's an idea---make sure you do some serious paving around the lot, fence it in, add some bright *** lights and allow certain people to stunt their bikes whenever they want. THis is just one of my ideas--....Roadstain you from VA Beach? THats where Im at right now...have I met you?

LMB

Strippers :YEAH

RoadStainR6

We're way ahead of you on the big *** lot idea bro! It was 1st on the list haha. My mom lives in VA Beach. I come down a lot to visit her. I'll probably be down there around christmas time. And for a while over the summer. I always come down and take my little brother off her hands so she can go on vacation with my step dad. I'll definiately be bringin the bike down when I come. I'll give you a holler. BTW, how are the shops around there? are there any? Are they nice? My brother says they're dinky and suck ***.

Daenan, thanks very much for the input. I understand what you mean as far as sportbike riders not payin fo shyit. Most of us buy the bike, then get online and buy an exhaust, some sliders, and maybe a tinted windscreen or fender eliminator and we're set. I'm hoping to sell cruisers as well. While my main interest is in Sport bikes, you can't deny that the older guys and their weekend cruisers bring in the bucks. I want to carry everything that anyone could want. I know it's gonna be hard to cover the costs, but I think it'll be more successfull if we have more than just sport bikes. I'm hopin for Sport bikes, Cruisers, Dirt bikes, and quads. I wanna carry everything that someone could come in and ask for... even if it's just one, I want to have it. I hate walking into a store and hearing "uhhh we don't have any right now... but I can order you one." So three weeks later I might have my part. It's only on paper and in our minds right now. But we want to make sure we cover everything. Any more input from a guy who's "been there done that" would be greatly appreciated! THANKS!

Rocket

I got a ton of ideas bro. Everything from mobile mechanic **** to having an airbrush artist in the shop (serious money in beach communities). Where are you guys gunna open a shop. If you need another guy let me know. I got selling **** and fresh ideas on lockdown. lol. Plus I got more graphics, marketing and web experience than you can shake a stick at.

The mobile mechanic idea was one I was going to push hard. For everyday maintanence work from tire changes to tune ups to brake servicing, call the shop and we send someone to your house. You could have one mobile mechanic and make a shitload of money off that. I've worked in shops with mobile small engine repair and stuff like that and those people make hella money. Not too many rich ***** can find time to take their Harley over to the shop to get serviced and they would pay to have someone come do it at their house while they're at work. Trust me. I make some decent side money fixing the bigwigs' bikes at their houses that work at my company.

Rocket

Just make sure to have the waivers ready for anyone taking advantage of your bigass lot. lol. Also if you're going to do that. I have have someone trained on standby. Somebody will get ****ed up in your parking lot. I worked at a skatepark for a while too.

Armenian

Va beach shops suck--2 of them are dealerships--and never carry any parts in stock--and they're WAY overpriced--I never order from them. Here's another idea---I only use these shops for oil and filter purchasing.
A friend of mine just bought a motorcycle filter and oil I believe STP brand from Advanced Auto for REAL cheap--like 3 bucks for the filter and like 2 bucks for a quart of oil.
I'm buying oil and filters from Advanced Auto from now on! Nobody wants to spend upwards of 30-40 dollars to change their oil! What about also keeping a real nice stock of wheel cleaners, plastic polish, coolant, Chain greases, and how about tooth brushes next to the greases so people realize that you actually need to CLEAN your chain first!

I've personally seen a mobile tire changing station once in Connecticut 2 years ago. This guy in a truck had a big *** rack of brand new tires in his enclosed truck and a tire changer w/ bike stands. He offered to mount and balance my tire right then and there. They only took cash so I went to get the cash from an ATM and when I came back they were gone!