Question now is:
What can BDM do now to rise up and be the company they once were or better?
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BDM - Going forward
- Thread starter KnotSo
- Start date
What can BDM do now to rise up and be the company they once were or better?
EZ
USAF ATC
Well, I just bought a new 08 Pitbull with lots of extras including a cruise-mate....and your right, I have a great credit score and wouldn't have been approved for the entire amount...luckily I am paying cash for the bike and all the extras so there is my contribution. lol I hope they pull through and end up even stronger.
hollywoodjohnny
Banned
my 2 cents, Customer service #1 they need to re-right the book on it and do it better than everybody else, maybe do some ongoing problem solving / re-engineering with the bikes, ie: EHC, Clutch Cables, Clutches etc,etc. keep developing bikes for the main stream buyer like the new bike $20k area, more affordable to more people
barhopper
Another round please
Agree.my 2 cents, Customer service #1 they need to re-right the book on it and do it better than everybody else, maybe do some ongoing problem solving / re-engineering with the bikes, ie: EHC, Clutch Cables, Clutches etc,etc. keep developing bikes for the main stream buyer like the new bike $20k area, more affordable to more people
Wildthing
Got Life?
Ummmmm might help if someone carried the BD line too....
The dealers around me keep closing and the closest dealer to me is 150 miles away.
Makes it a tough decision to buy a big dollar bike that I cant get service work done on.
I have said from the beginning that they need to co-market their bikes next to the Harley Davidisons.
HD has an excellent dealer network already in place and they can work on V-Twins....
Kind of a no brainer if you ask me....but hey what do I know and I'm in marketing and sales....
The dealers around me keep closing and the closest dealer to me is 150 miles away.
Makes it a tough decision to buy a big dollar bike that I cant get service work done on.
I have said from the beginning that they need to co-market their bikes next to the Harley Davidisons.
HD has an excellent dealer network already in place and they can work on V-Twins....
Kind of a no brainer if you ask me....but hey what do I know and I'm in marketing and sales....
Big Mike
Active Member
That's a good point. The closest BDM dealer to me is 5+ hours away, and the local authorized service center leaves a lot to be desired. Most Harley shops won't touch them including the one I bought mine at.Ummmmm might help if someone carried the BD line too....
The dealers around me keep closing and the closest dealer to me is 150 miles away.
Makes it a tough decision to buy a big dollar bike that I cant get service work done on.
I have said from the beginning that they need to co-market their bikes next to the Harley Davidisons.
HD has an excellent dealer network already in place and they can work on V-Twins....
Kind of a no brainer if you ask me....but hey what do I know and I'm in marketing and sales....
Many of the other Big Dog owners I ride with around here went a long way away to buy their bikes at a BDM dealer, but I can understand why they would maybe shy away if you don't have a nearby reputable service center.
I will do a lot of the work on mine myself, but if it's something I can't do, I am forced to put it in a trailer and go 5+ hours away to get it done.:down:
I think what they need to do is something similar to what made them Great in the first place. Invent OR latch onto some new fad or look (remember the fat rear tire we all so love).
And get every old and young bike buyer wanting what they have! Of course if I knew how to do that then I would "build it and they would come" to MY door and I could be Rich!
BDM needs something like the gangsta-looking street glide with the big front wheel (I hear Harley can't build them fast enough).
Shovelcowboy
And get every old and young bike buyer wanting what they have! Of course if I knew how to do that then I would "build it and they would come" to MY door and I could be Rich!
BDM needs something like the gangsta-looking street glide with the big front wheel (I hear Harley can't build them fast enough).
Shovelcowboy
linx
Active Member
My local customer service rocks..but that's a dealer and not dealing direct.
The problem with these big corporations is they are on a set corporate structure and have to follow that structure sink or swim.
At the current time my local dealer is selling BDM's like candy. So this has to be in favor of the companies success.
In a way they do have the gangsta street-glide look with that monster wheel setup on the wolf...Damn those bikes are hot in person!
The problem with these big corporations is they are on a set corporate structure and have to follow that structure sink or swim.
At the current time my local dealer is selling BDM's like candy. So this has to be in favor of the companies success.
In a way they do have the gangsta street-glide look with that monster wheel setup on the wolf...Damn those bikes are hot in person!
Is the Bobber still the hot thing or is the interest starting to fall off? Meaning, if there is not a growing interest in this type of bike, this would just be another BDM bike coming late to the party.
I wonder what the next hot scoot style will be, or if BDM can bring that new style out before anyone else does, as BDM has done many times already.
I wonder what the next hot scoot style will be, or if BDM can bring that new style out before anyone else does, as BDM has done many times already.
K9Anniv
Well-Known Member
I just got back from AZ Bike Week and the really hot ticket out there right now is custom baggers with 21" front wheels...some customizers are even putting 26" fronts wheels on Roadglides and Streetglides. The 21" look is cool, but the 26" is ridiculous (IMO). Probably not a market BDM would be into at this stage in the game, anyway.
gixxbynite
Member
no matter what they do as a company. the problem is lack of sales. they can invest tons of money in the future and have great plans. but at the end of the day if the product is not selling then there is no growth. you are just in business to be in business, and your books are always in the red. i think the major issue they are now facing is that which the company was built. it was a thriving business with rapid growth in the industry. same as its competitors . during that discovery channel orange county chopper craze. and it seems that everyone at star bucks or the local bike night had to have a custom chopper. THERE IS THE BOOM. and that is what the companies growth was built on. the problem is that was just a trend. and the local posers have moved on the the next trend. so the only customers now are those that are really customers and really want the bikes for themselves and not to pose. but for the most part, that is not enough to sell bikes and keep up with the bills you have to run your business. on top of that a lot of potential customers are of course broke due to this catastrophe called the economy. and people are really watching what they spend money on. they realize if the spend 25-30k on a custom bike. there is no way they are going to get that money back on resale. and there is not a lot of people willing to just blow the depreciation right now instead they buy HARLEY'S which for the most part don't loose as much value. also potential customers realize that the other chopper companies have gone under. so they are not so easy to spend top dollar when the companies future is in ??? to sum in up in my opinion. i just don't think there is a market in this economy to fuel the business for it to thrive again like it once was. no one really has any money to spend on these types of toys. i personally am in the market for a mastiff or a wolf, but thats because i really want it. but i am shopping around for a rock bottom price because i am not willing to pay anymore than 26k for a new wolf and 22k for a new mastiff. some may say thats wishful thinking but search e bay and cycle trader and you will see a few near that price. so far the cheapest wolf i saw was 28k but i did not like the color. so i cant see paying near msrp when the resale will be far less than that. these are just my thoughts. i am sure many will not agree and thats cool.
hollywoodjohnny
Banned
Right there with ya brother, I bought mine at Steel Dreams in Burlington,WA 5+ hrs north & the service center I know the owner John & your right but we have no other choice for the over & above maintence work & I'm sorry but F**K the H-D dealers and there attitudes towards B-D's, to me a job is a job if I don't take it somebody else will know what I mean, take all the jobs ya can it keeps you shop full !
Theres alot of really good points being made on this thread, it shows the passion we have for our DOGS, BDM needs to really get in touch with the market now, not then, then is gone, build more bikes that attract a new wave of customers, marketing, more dealerships in new countries, totally revamp there customer service, make parts availible and all that takes money and vision
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Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
It's the economy, the custom chopper craze is over, and a lot of buyers were disenchanted with the lack of reliability and service. All of these things combined to cause the closing of dealerships, causing a lack of service and loss of interest in custom choppers, and so on.
KaptinAmerika
Guru
Your right there gixx
I knew back in 03 when I bought my first chopper, which BD had to buy back as a lemon, that the whole thing would only last a little while good economy or not. Thats one of the reasons why I do all the work on my 06 K9 myself. I don't even know where the nearest dealer is anymore as they have all been closing down in So Cal and I order everything off the internet.
I knew back in 03 when I bought my first chopper, which BD had to buy back as a lemon, that the whole thing would only last a little while good economy or not. Thats one of the reasons why I do all the work on my 06 K9 myself. I don't even know where the nearest dealer is anymore as they have all been closing down in So Cal and I order everything off the internet.
I'm not sure how they will survive unless they compete with Harley. The only way it's feasible is to be a very small corporation that builds to order. Let's face it, most of their profits came from ficticous money. People cashing in home equity they didn't really have and maxing out credit. Now that the chopper craze is gone and money has all but dried up, the horizon can't look to great.
Five Five
Well-Known Member
Today, too many manufacturers exist as a result of false demand, which was fueled by too-easy credit. As credit corrects, demand for the bikes have dropped, and manufacturers like BDM have seen a sharp decline in sales- doesn’t matter how pretty you paint the bike, the problem will be no mo’ money.
The only real solution for BDM is to seek international demand. The dollar is still cheap, and the realities of global finance haven’t hit everywhere in the world (yet)- market to wealth around the world if you want to stay in business, which is actually what BDM is pursuing...
The only real solution for BDM is to seek international demand. The dollar is still cheap, and the realities of global finance haven’t hit everywhere in the world (yet)- market to wealth around the world if you want to stay in business, which is actually what BDM is pursuing...
gixxbynite
Member
yep. thats one good thing about these bikes. if a person has the will to learn then they are a pleasure to work on and you get a lot of satisfaction from that. i live in Charlotte NC now but am from MD. the dealership here was extreme motorcycles and one day i went up there and they were gone. all closed down. so the nearest dealers to me north or south are about 2.5 hrs. so the hell with it. i just fix it myself. unless i cant. but another good thing is us big dog owners will really have some rare bikes.
That is a lot of the problem. There are a lot of near new Big Dogs out there that are selling over and over again for less than half their new price. At AZ Bike Week we met Chris who just bought a near new K-9 for about $14K. I think he said the story was that the bike was a toy of a guy who was flying high with the economy when it was good. But when it went bad the guy lost his wife (divorce) she got the K-9, didn't want it, traded it for water toys (got pennys on the dollar of its value), then the jet ski shop sold it cheap to Chris.
So how can a company like BDM keep finding buyers to spend $25 to $35K when cheap used good ones are out there and like others have said, the chopper trend is passe and the dealer network in shambles.
Shovelcowboy
heems
Member
I don't think BDM has the money to make anything new. All the talk about something new, shiny, magical, etc, etc. is all wishful thinking if you ask me. The company does not have the capital to invest in new ventures. They are just staying afloat. So what's left to do realistically? Button the hatches and sell what you got - go international, go wherever that'll buy what you already have. Little tweaks here and there are cheap so do those.... A new speedo perhaps? you get the point. BDM is doing exactly this already. Once you stabilize your cash flow, then entertain the next thing. What is that next thing? Hell would I know...