Another bike shop closes

Hot on the heels of Ron Parkinson, In2 and Redline comes Biker Den in
Milton Keynes, which is a damn shame because they had only been open
about 6 years and were a pretty good shop to buy parts at.

Receivers went in on Saturday from what I am told.

 

Why are they all closing?

 

dwb says...

It's been a bad year in the bike trade. Many dealers are uncertain if
they'll be here next year. TOG's predictions seem to be coming true, if
a little earlier than anticipated.

 

Powersports closed their Derby branch about 18 months ago, I went to
their Clay Cross Branch (also head office) recently and it was empty.

Conversely Pidcocks trade seems to have picked up since they inherited
the local Suzuki Franchise. They also seem to have got rid of that
annoying canadian mo-fo in the parts dept[1], so it's all good.


[1] Who used to work for Powersports, you know him.

 

dwb wrote

According to the small straw poll I did of some Essex dealers today:
lack of buying customers, pure and simple.

No lack, apparently, of folks wanting to sell. One bloke reckoned he
was getting offered 4-5 bikes a day right now and expects it to peak
even higher in a month or so.

 

Ginge says...

Jean is his name, we've crossed swords in the past. The single most
obnoxious Canuck I have ever encountered. He must come from Quebec.

 

steve auvache says...

I know of 5 or 6 dealers who are stockpiling stuff like R1s and
GSXR1000s in lock-ups because they are being sold so fucking cheap by
the general public. I saw a 18 month old, 5000 mile Gixer Thou that a
dealer bought for 3 grand. It seems that Jo Public needs cash in the
bank at the moment, and doesn't want to splash out on new bikes or kit.
He'll take whatever is offered by the dealers because selling privately
is difficult right now.

Everyone is in the same boat, no-one in particular is setting the world
alight with sales of anything motorcycle related.

 

you mean the one on the roundabout in Woburn Sands?

if so then *bugger* they were supposed to be a good shop.

--
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It was only Donnington KRC weekend we were up there looking for a
brake lever. Is it just the showroom bit cleared out or the parts shop
and garages as well?

He was an utter twonk.

 

Lozzo wrote

That is pretty much the story as I heard it told.

A pot filling time for potential buyers I hope.

 

I dunno; sellers of GoldWing spares seem to be doing a roaring trade
at the moment.

--
| ___ Salad Dodger
|/ \
_/_____\_ GL1500SEV/CBR1100XXX/KH500A8/TS250C
|_\_____/_| ..73063../..16589.../..3180./.19406
(>|_|_|<) TPPFATUICG#7 DIAABTCOD#9 YTC#4 PM#5
|__|_|__| BOTAFOT #70 BOTAFOF #09 two#11 WG*
\ |^| / IbW#0 & KotIbW# BotTOS#6 GP#4
\|^|/ ANORAK#17 IbB#4
'^'

 

Yeah that's him, If I used him as my benchmark for Canada I could excuse
Marc Donnovan for *absolutely anything*.

 

I'll give him £3150. Can't say fairer than that.

 

Salad Dodger wrote

That is a given regardless of market conditions I would have thought.

 

Empty as in no customers.. They still had lots of stock.

Yeah there's another american/canadian guy there though, a younger one
looks after the servicing side.. don't know if they're related or not,
but he's ok.

 

Lady Nina says...

And the "Understatement of the Year" award goes to.......

<drum roll>

....... Lady Nina.

I had a run in with him when buying a pair of plug caps for my old
350LC. I went in and asked for two NGK LB05F plug caps. He demanded I
tell him exactly what type I wanted because they all have different
values of resistors fitted, for what age and model of bike, why I
thought I needed new caps etc etc. He wouldn't even look for them until
I'd answered all his questions.

He shut up when I told him I had owned about 80 RDs and LCs over the
years, knew exactly what type of cap was needed and needed them today,
right now, which is why I was there.

He then told me he didn't have any in stock, to which I replied that
after the hassle he'd given me, even if he'd got them in stock I was
going to tell him to shove them up his arse anyway, and walked out. I
bought some, without being given the third degree, from Chesterfield Mcs
about 15 minutes later.

 

Ginge says...

I already tried with 3200

 

Yeah, too high, sounds suspicious to me as well..

 

Ginge says...

Gee ta, I'll go back and offer 2850.

 

And yet MCN keeps saying new bike sales are going up?