not a nice thread but some good posts. The problem is that BDM supplies a luxury item, but not luxury enough to be exclusive or even desirable to the rich and famous who are immune from the economy, hence the boat post (big ticket stuff still selling). Any business dependent on discretionary spend will suffer at times like these and it is survival of the fittest time and it seems that Sheldon ain't the fittest. Ed's post about the brass not listening to the employees is unforgivable - what a fuck up that is - what is Sheldon's background? Is it business? I don't know. To survive times like this the minimum requirement is the product needs to be exemplary and provide real value for money and that might not even be enough to get you over the line. Are Big Dog bikes really either of these things? Also, from reading some posts on a different thread there are simply too many substandard dealers out there.
I think part of the problem (I hope so anyway and that it isn't down to profiteering which ultimately is the cause of the global recession) with the pricing, especially when compared with Ford etc, is that the big car manufactures buy and produce in such huge baulk, their costs will be lower.
As for the S&S clutch being reduced to $700 - yes that is a step in the right direction but how come Bandit's clutch costs less than half that?
