Padgetts dealership in Bike magazine this month

[Paul the 6th]

... I was flicking through the february 2009 issue of bike magazine (it's only december 2008 - what tef heck is going on with magazine dates?) and talking to the missus' uncle ste when what should appear on the page in front of me - "THE GOOD GUYS - PADGETTS OF BATLEY IN WEST YORKSHIRE"

oooh a write up about a local dealership, interesting. Now apart from an entire feature which licks bum bigtime, I think the journalist must have been slipped a nice bit of crack in his cuppa or some other kind of psychotropic substance, because they would have you believe that padgetts are some kind of narnia where the staff are dressed as angels handing out free rolex's...

I've only been to padgetts about 6 times in as many years and pretty much every visit has left me thinking "what a pack of tossers"... Except for Kath - she's lovely. She sat me down, gave me a cuppa and chatted to me about different licence options when I was considering doing my test 3 years ago... To be fair, she did try and explain that 600's are too expensive to run and that I'd be much better off with a 125cc trials type bike due to me being 6ft 2 and hefty...

The other experience was of the main man telling me my honda cbf600 in mint condition with 4 thousand miles & 2 years old was only worth 1500 quid and that I "won't get anything more than £1750 for it in bike trader because they're crap bikes... not very reliable and crap engine" (boringly reliable, strong cbr engine tuned down AND it eventually sold for £2300 ta!)...

Another time was when I tried to pick up an oil filter for the sv - one guy on the phone (not saying anything to the person on the other end) ignored me for 5 mins and put his hand up when I tried to ask if anyone was free, then the other guy came out with a sandwich in his hand and said "what do you want then?"...

Basically, not impressed with them (and neither is anyone else in the west yorkshire area who I've spoken to) - So how have they managed to convince bike magazine that they're some kind of crusader heroes of the biking world?

yea i saw this too.

[G]

Was an interesting read, I often find this type of write up is a.....they gave us a free service, we'll give them a good write up.

Same goes for the general product test, they paid us the most, we'll say they are the best buy.

Main reason I only ever go for word of mouth recommendation and personal experience.

I bet they advertise in the mag. Thats always a sure thing for free editorial.

Originally Posted by Paul the 6th

Basically, not impressed with them (and neither is anyone else in the west yorkshire area who I've spoken to) - So how have they managed to convince bike magazine that they're some kind of crusader heroes of the biking world?

I can't really comment on them of recent times, but I used padgetts a fair amount for parts etc when I was racing go-karts years back.

They were always spot on back then, and pretty much anyone I grew up with that is or was into bikes would most likely have the same opinion.

Mind, I'm basing this on how they were back in '99 and before, lots could of changed since then.

PS Paul, is the go-kart track still there in Batley, where the old Mill used to be (just down from the cemetery)? Can't remember road names any more unfortunately.

They're probably still seen as local messiahs because of the racing stuff, I reckon... I dropped in there yesterday, and they had John McGuiness' Senior TT winning bike on a plinth.

I work in advertising, once a year my company awards some of the people that advertise with us for various (made up) things.

Best artwork
Best Feature
best concept
most informative blah blah blah

and basically its the sales guys jobs to ring these victims...errrr companies, and say " hi im calling from (insert publication title), congratulations!, you have won an award for best advertising feature for 2008" and they are like wow have i brilliant.

so we send them a certificate which they can then use on future advertising saying they are the best at this that or the other and they send us money.

(I say we, but this is not a practice me or my staff follow as i dont agree with it, however we are a big company with loads of publications and i know it happens)

therefor, as said above, i only go on personal recommendations and word of mouth.

[Paul the 6th]

Originally Posted by Baph

PS Paul, is the go-kart track still there in Batley, where the old Mill used to be (just down from the cemetery)? Can't remember road names any more unfortunately.

Eyup baph - yes and no

I visited that track about 6 times in 3-4 years while it was there, the last time being summer 2007. Then about a month later I heard raceway karting had moved to a new building in castleford...

http://www.racewaykarting.co.uk/cms/

used to be a right laugh but the building was causing them more trouble than not - leaky roof, condensation forming on the track through winter months (and therefore having to cancel track sessions), carpark was basically a gravel trap with some mental bumps (great for handbrake turns on the way in and out)...

As for padgetts, they've got john mcguiness' tt winning bike and loads of other legendary machines sat around the showroom, but they've always been ****ty with me for some reason. They once even tried to deny the existence of the oil filter removal tool. "Whoever told you they are available shouldn't have said that because we're not allowed to supply them to the public, they're suzuki workshop tools only". I was only bloody asking about it

Ah well... just wondered how they'd managed to pull that one. I guess the journo must have been stunned by all the amazing machines from well known races & racers...

[yorkie_chris]

Yes I've heard horror stories about them.

The usual mantra applies... don't go to main dealers because they will have all your money off you, leaving you homeless, bikeless, with a meths habit.

[Paul the 6th]

and sucking for crack like superhans on peepshow?