Another Dealer Bites the Dust? (Indy)

[Indy Dave]

Word is Falcone in Indy will stop selling "and servicing(?)" BMW's and Indian starting Nov. 1.

 

Can't say I'm surprised,  to me, they have never really 'gotten it'. Obviously disappointed.

[Rider1200RT]

I am surprised that Dryer & Reinbold haven't picked up a BMW motorrad franchise... They seem to have expanded quite well since we left Indy 25 years ago...

 

[John Ranalletta]

19 minutes ago, Rider1200RT said:

I am surprised that Dryer & Reinbold haven't picked up a BMW motorrad franchise... They seem to have expanded quite well since we left Indy 25 years ago...

 

 

No big loss.

 

Not sure D&R would be an improvement; plus, BMW is the "GM" of foreign cars these days - a model and price point for everybody.  A friend's son worked for D&R BMW.  He wanted to trade his BMW car in on a Subaru at the D&R Subaru dealer.  A competing Subaru dealer made a better offer and D&R refused to match it....for their own employee!

 

If the dealer network gets bad enough, BMW will abandon the US market except on the coasts.  They may not have to do that on purpose.

 

Who needs dealers when used BMW scoots with very low mileage can be had for cheap on CL and forums?  I'll never buy a new car or bike....ever, unless, the new C8.....

 

 

 

[Knobby10]

I heard that Tom Wood is adding BMW at his 96th and Keystone location. MV Agusta as well. 

[Indy Dave]

I heard rumors that "something was up" while visiting another dealer (out of state) this weekend. That's as much as they would say.

 

Falcone (in Indy) never seemed to get it and their parts manager is stuck in the 70's. I don't know of any other BMW dealer I've been to that was so sterile. Demo ride - they don't encourage that - except when they could get the demo truck there. Contrast that to Grand Rapids and St Louis, where they line up their demo bikes everyday out front, all set to go and they encourage you to take a demo ride. Or three.

 

Falcone is primarily a car dealer - as is Tom Wood. If Tom Wood is opening up a BMW shop, here's hoping they don't bring their car dealership mentality.

[Rider1200RT]

Didn't really know that D&R turned into such a a'hole dealership even to their own employees... It was different way back in the early 80's for sure.... 

It is a shame that some dealers have no interest in selling bikes the right way.

I guess I am lucky with my dealer in FT Lauderdale who have been in business for 60 years as a single line BMW dealer...

[Marty Hill]

Lauderdale has a single line BMW dealer?  Name please.

 

[Indy Dave]

2 hours ago, Rider1200RT said:

Didn't really know that D&R turned into such a a'hole dealership even to their own employees... It was different way back in the early 80's for sure.... 

 

 

Interesting comment. I bought a used 84 533i in 1987 from Dryer (from Herb Levinsen - who KNEW BMW's). Still have that car. Indeed, like pretty much everything, things were much different back then. Dealerships see employee's as an important source of revenue through demo programs and "employee pricing" (that isn't all that great). Times change and so has the game. The cars have changed considerably as well - they're no longer built to last, but rather built to last till the end of the typical lease cycle.

 

For Dryer - Subaru is selling. They're selling their allotments (or claiming too - my wife bought from them last year). They were apparently ready to make an appallingly short sighted decision - clear to all who work for the dealership - knowing they could get a higher net profit on another deal. I say appallingly because it's doubtful the price difference amounted to anything noticeable on the bottom line come year end - but it no doubt spoke volumes to the trusted and valuable employees.

[Rider1200RT]

Indeed how times have changed... IIRC we dealt with a sales person named Paul (forgot last name) quite nice and professional... The service guy was Lonnie, a former air traffic controller.. We brought a 1982 BMW 528E with us when we moved to Indy from Europe and the dealer never had seen that car until we showed up. My dad later traded it in for a 733i  also with a manual 5 speed in 1984. We put 260K miles on that 733i without major issues. I doubt that you can do that with a new one these days....

[Indy Dave]

I'm guessing you're referring to Paul Brown, who is retiring this year. Talking with a 20+ year employee who heads up sales at one of the Dryer dealerships, it strikes me how many long term employees they have. Paul Brown being one of them that goes back to the beginning. My friend with his 20+ years isn't near the top compared to many other employees. That says something positive about the owners and management, IMO.

 

When I shared the story about not matching the deal on the Subaru, my friend mentioned that there is one Subaru model that is in high demand and that are not being discounted. For every car of that model they get, they have 10 buyers. He didn't know the model, but knew the dynamic of that particular car.

[Limecreek]

LoneStar BMW closed its doors here in Austin a few years back.  Woods Fun Center picked up the franchise and even overlapped LoneStar at their old location before moving to the current location along I-35.  Woods was recently acquired by RideNow Powersports and the rumor is they may drop BMW from their multi-line dealership.  If the rumor turns into fact, that will leave Austin without a BMW dealership for the first time in over 30 years.

[Rider1200RT]

On 9/8/2019 at 3:22 PM, Indy Dave said:

I'm guessing you're referring to Paul Brown, who is retiring this year. Talking with a 20+ year employee who heads up sales at one of the Dryer dealerships, it strikes me how many long term employees they have. Paul Brown being one of them that goes back to the beginning. My friend with his 20+ years isn't near the top compared to many other employees. That says something positive about the owners and management, IMO.

 

When I shared the story about not matching the deal on the Subaru, my friend mentioned that there is one Subaru model that is in high demand and that are not being discounted. For every car of that model they get, they have 10 buyers. He didn't know the model, but knew the dynamic of that particular car.

 

Yes I think that Paul Brown is the gentleman I was referring to.. Well I guess I stand corrected on D&R... Ooops.. Subaru does sell well enough that discounts are rare on them so I can see why they don't deal on them as much... We have two of them in our own fleet.. 

Anyway it is sad to see another motorcycle dealer disappear...