Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

Overheads - Shops have them, online shops don't have anywhere near as big ones. Also, places like Biker Bargains buy in huge numbers and get better discounts, they also buy abroad and sell last years designs cheap.

It doesn't take a genius to work that out. Fer christs sake, you only have to pick up and try an Arai on to realise the quality is 100 times better than a Caberg. It's like comparing a 1970s Skoda to a new Toyota, both will get you from A to B, but the Toyota will do it in comfort and style and you won't die when someone hits it at 30mph

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

Thats your choice, but when all the bike shops are gone no one service your £700 lid, get parts from, sort out a loan lid, need a service item that day ect what ya gonna do? I like people, I like being able to sort out a problem there and then just everything that goes with it really. I'm sure other people feel same as I do.

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

Don't moan when your local bike shop isn't there for you to buy that set of spark plugs or battery you desperately need in future. Online shops are killing the bike trade by making people like you think the high street shops are blatantly profiteering. It's really not like that, there's actually very little clear profit once you take out the overheads. We've been over this time and time again on here.

Just look at how few bike shops are left in your area, then think about how many online shops there are selling bike spares and kit. All that online stuff has killed the shops and when you need something desperately you're going to have a job finding a shop that stocks it soon if you keep supporting the online places and not your local shop.

Besides, when you've ordered that Arai online without trying it on, don't be surprised when they tell you to do one when you're trying to return it. Don't be at all surprised when the online shop isn't there in a year either. Go to a proper shop and you can try before you buy. We don't do returns on helmets for safety reasons unless it's a bona fide warranty problem, but we make sure the customer is 100% happy with the one she or he is buying before we take their money.

I wouldn't dream of buying a helmet online, not in any circumstances.

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

Probably the most sensible shizzle you've posted all year :salut:

+1 billion. Support your local bike shops guys........it not all about the money.

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

well ive had bikes since the mid 70's and have seen good and not so good bikeshops come and go,some through poor service and lack of trade,one honda dealer lost its franchise coz honda only wanted large dealers selling there bikes, they had sold honda since honda started importing bikes in the 60's,but things have changed and the internet wont go away and its here to stay,and(lozzo) i believe you sell second hand bike bits online,so with the net, auto jumbles and bike shows there are several outlets for parts and alot off companies /bike shops are selling online,if you cant beat them join them

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

rrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhttt tttttt :confused:

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

That's your opinion, not fact

Honda don't mind smaller dealers having their franchise, but they require all dealers to meet certain standards. If the business wasn't prepared to meet those standards then it's bye bye from Honda, and rightly so. That has absolutely nothing to do with the subject we are discussing.

We are a Kawasaki main dealership, the first new main dealer to open in our town in over 30 years. As we also break bikes and quite a few know this we have people walking in buying used spares over the counter every day - to broaden our market we also advertise them on ebay with 'buy it now' fixed prices. We also advertise our used bikes on ebay as classified ads. Selling our used parts (for modern bikes) at autojumbles and bike shows is not a viable financial proposition - it's costly, takes staff away from the shops at the busiest time of the week (Saturday and Sunday) and is a waste of time and effort for very little gain because the people who want to buy parts at these events are pikeys who want to pay thruppence for everything. I've watched the kind of buyers you attract at this type of event, and to be honest we're better off not bothering because it'd end up with either me or the boss wrapping a fork leg round some idiots head one day.

We'd be foolish if we didn't sell on ebay as we hit a huge international market and 30% of our total trade in used spares goes abroad. We also get a fair bit of interest generated on our used stock from our ebay listings but so far no-one has actually paid for a bike online, they've always come to the shop to view and buy. It's a good cheap method of advertising used bikes and selling used spares for us. Our breaking business is only viable because we are breaking the bikes we can't or won't retail out for one reason or another, it's not like we've put a bike breakers out of business because they all relied on overpriced accident damaged bikes coming from insurance companies and there are only a few left now who get all the salvage and charge the earth for it.

What we do online is completely different to what discount warehouses do selling kit and spares. We don't sell new spares, batteries, plugs or anything like that online or on ebay, after all, we have a town centre shop where we do all that.

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

What we do online is completely different to what discount warehouses do selling kit and spares. We don't sell new spares, batteries, plugs or anything like that online or on ebay, after all, we have a town centre shop where we do all that.[/QUOTE]
well may be not bike related but i buy amongst other things buy my ford engine oil from a ford main dealer on ebay,they sell it and make money on it,the the last time i ordered 4x5l cans they charged about £58 delivered,thats about £15 a can, john grose and my local ford dealer wanted £36 a can for the same oil,they are all ford main dealers and all have overheads but the 2 local garages must be making once you take the p+p off about £24 a can,and its the same with bike related bits,yes i know bike shop have to make money but if they charged less and then sold more would this still not have the same outcome

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

Costs a lot of money to buy, keep and manage stock, a lot of smaller places can't justify it and so buy in (much) smaller quantities. This in turn leads to much smaller discounts for them, and subsequently for us too at the bottom of the pile.

There's a topple over point which differs for everyone between how much service/convenience you're willing to sacrifice to save a few quid on something. Personally (and this is just me), I always try to get things locally, ideally from the small independent bike repairer that's 500yards down the road, or failing that from the bigger local Suzuki dealer in town.

Without either of these places, biking in our area would become a great deal more hassle - I've lost count of the number of times both have helped me out with emergency parts or advice.

They don't (can't) always have the same amount of choice, or be as keenly priced, as say a George Whites or an online dealer, but I'm very confident I'm well up £££ wise in free advice and help when I've needed it.

Each to thier own of course, but for something as important as bike kit (especially helmets), an actual shop is the way to go for me.

(PS - I make a living out of helping companies sell online!)

Re: Quick, helmet advice
 

well where i live this dont ring true as we have 2 main dealers and one small motorcycle accessory shop and i mean small a one man band been going for years has to buy in small amounts and if not instock will get it in for you, he sells clothing helmets chains batteries oil etc and in most cases is cheaper then the big boys that buy and stock in bulk