BDM - Going forward

[meyerld]

I am lucky to have a BD dealer just a few miles from my house where I order parts and buy maintenance supplies. They are very good, but lately even simple part orders take weeks to fill. The dealer is getting frustrated and thinking of dropping BD all together. They indicate communications with BD is awful and getting parts take weeks now vs. a few days just a year ago. If you need anything like a warranty paint job on the tins apparently you are in for a very long wait. Things will either turn for them or won't. I have began planning how to maintain the bike without BD in business and believe with ebay and the forum should be okay.

 

[gixxbynite]

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

exactly.

 

[KnotSo]

Any new news?

 

[TCALZ06]

1. Fix electronics reliability issues
2. Make All dealers required to send techs to factory for a training program(don't allow dealers to sign up without completing training first)
3. Diversify product line
4. Have enough capital to make it through this economy and until all the excess inventory is gone

 

[K9Anniv]

1. Fix electronics reliability issues
2. Make All dealers required to send techs to factory for a training program(don't allow dealers to sign up without completing training first)
3. Diversify product line
4. Have enough capital to make it through this economy and until all the excess inventory is gone

Item #4 is the main problem...the rest are all doable if Sheldon pushes it.

 

[CDOM]

With this economy all I can say is thank god for this forum and people that are on it!! I'd love to see BDM make it and wish them the best!!! If you take care of exisiting customers they will take care of you!!

 

[Steve1028]

1. Fix electronics reliability issues
2. Make All dealers required to send techs to factory for a training program(don't allow dealers to sign up without completing training first)
3. Diversify product line
4. Have enough capital to make it through this economy and until all the excess inventory is gone

:iagree:

and 5.

With this economy all I can say is thank god for this forum and people that are on it!! I'd love to see BDM make it and wish them the best!!! If you take care of exisiting customers they will take care of you!!

:iagree: Customer Service!

 

[Mastiff Rider64]

Not to rain on anyones hopes of BDM making it, but I have heard that if BDM doesn't either find investors, sell the company, increase sells that it will sink, soon. I have had an ongoing lawsuit against BDM and the dealership I bought my bike from for over two years now. (Its a long story why, but believe me when I say I loved my dog, its was better than any H-D I ever rode. But the dealership really done a number on it and me. I went to BDM about it, and they just turned thier back on me, the consumer.) Thier lawyer tells my lawyer "that they (BDM and dealership) want this cleared off thier books, but can't pay any money toward settlement. They just don't have it." BDM makes me an offer to settle. They offer me a brand new 2006 model. (why and how do they still have new 2006 models in the factory, why have they not tried to reduce the price and sell to make some of thier money back?) With full 6 month paint warrenty and 2 year drivetrain warrenty. Now heres my question, why would I take that offer when thier lawyer has told mine they are about to go under? From what thier lawyer also says "they are being paid pennies on the dollar of what they use to charge BDM, because BDM can not afford thier normal rates." Now, how much of this is true, who knows. But I'll know in Dec. if they are not in buisness anymore.

 

[gixxbynite]

sorry to hear about your issues and your bike. i too have made comments regarding the investor situation in this forum. and my info came from talking to the company looking for the investors, as myself a potential investor. and your info is accurate. although we dont want to hear it since we love the bikes. its the truth, they need someone to give them at least 10 million or more with no way to assure it will ever be paid back due to the lack of sales. so i understand where you are coming from. and like yourself my info has come from direct involvement with the company in business standpoint not as a potential customer. also i think the reason they did not lower the prices on leftover inventory was probably a marketing strategy to try and look good for the investors. if you lower the price then its kind of like "WE know we are about to go under" or makes the value of the bikes go down. vs if you leave them as they are then a person cannot really make that assumption. thats just my opinion as to why they did not lower prices on leftovers.

 

[Mastiff Rider64]

Well, believe it or not, I do hate it. I like thier bikes. I think that the bagger is the right way to go, but not for 40k. When all it is, is an 06 mastiff with saddlebags, a flaring, and a rubber mount motor. But yes, the conversation between my lawyer and thiers, and if it is true, then they will probably not be around much longer. I do hate it, but when it comes to my lawsuit I do have to keep that in mind. We have a telephone conference later this week to give them my counter offer and I will be bring up th efact they may not be around and see what hes says directly to me, and keep you posted.

 

[KnotSo]

Can you discuss the nature of this suit and will you settle this issue with a 2006 or even a 2010 model?

 

[Mastiff Rider64]

I can discuss the case its not like I'm under an order not to, but may limit some things that I have gotten/recieved from BDM employees to protect them. And as far as settlement, it depends. I have had my BD for 4 years come this Sept. and the first two years of them it was only in my posstion for 8 months. I only put 3200 miles on it. The next 2 I have been to afraid to ride the bike much. Because of the problems that I still have going on with the bike. Since Dec. 08 the longest ride I have been on the bike was 192 miles. And I nearly didn't get home that day. So, now I take the bike out once a week to a bike night here in town, and the total miles start to finish is 5 miles. And the only reason I do that is so I can see my riden buddies, or ex since I don't really do it anymore. The bike since Dec. 08 has only had 1100 miles put on it. So is another 06 or 10 worth it? It may be if I didn't have to put up with the dealership I bought mine from, but theres not another one close for me to use. And if BDM doesn't close thier doors. Well, I'm at work and will be back on later, my break is over. Sorry

 

[jimizee028]

I am with MOE and GIXXBYNITE on this one.....reality says THE FAT LADY HAS SUNG..........Timing in the world is everything....and the time has come and went.....banks aint lending,people cant buy.....american people are changing their priorities .........'cept for those of you that have made good financially sound decisions in their lives....I for one am not one of them...I am a guy that makes enough money TODAY to afford this bike cause i still got a job....i make monthly payments on a bike whos value is soooooooooo far under what i owe that i am completely upside down in this venture,and i will bet to say i am not the only one thats in this predicament...It is a situation that is haunts me every 17th of the month.....now if you ask me what kept BDM going was the fact that banks were lending guys like me money to get high ticketed items...but this is no longer the case...you best have a good bit of the money to buy one of these bikes or you aint gettin one......and therefor the company continues to teeter towards disaster.....so its my opinion you should start stocking up on parts.......or know what you are doing....or just get a lawyer and sue them like this guy above whos love for BDM is so great he wont accept another bike and most likely thinks he needs financial compensation for the hardship of not being able to ride his $30,000 bike.......join the freaking club...I put 200 miles on my bike last yeaR cause it was getting warranty shit done each month untill warranty ran out......

 

[KaptinAmerika]

I found out real quick, when I bought my 03 Chopper, that if your going to own a "Custom" bike you better have one of two things, or possibly both,

1) MONEY
2) No how to work on and repair it with or without the help of the builder
No.2 has led to me now being able to ride my K9 with little to no problems.

Big Dog's mistake was thinking they had a production buke when all they really had was a bike in R&D. Unfortunately they have been conducting all that R&D on their customer's at incredible prices.
Like so many other companies, mine inlcuded, this economy is going to sink them.

 

[armad]

I like my BDM and have had a lot of bikes. BDM had started a liquidation earlier this year. Supposedly just excess inventory. When you start seeing recall kits , and other items for sale on Ebay, it makes you wonder if failure is not too far off. Try to get parts from a dealer, if there is one around. Parts are weeks out and dealers are dropping like flies. These economic troubles are going to take years to turn around. Hopefully BDM can figure out a way to hold it together. Pissing off customers is not going to be the way to do it!

 

[Germanbiker]

Just one question:

I'm a European, our Euro went down >10 % last weeks.......

Would you guys buy a 2008 Pitbull WITHOUT any warranty? I'll be without here in Germany. I'm convinced in my 2008 GMC Sierra Denali - also no probs, no warranty here. Even no Service - I do it all on my own. I'm really mad on American Iron .

Would you really risk to go on an 2008 Pitbull - in my situation? I love the bike, I love the S&S engine, the carb and it's idle :2thumbs:.

I currently own a 2009 HD Rocker C, put on Thundermax, big sucker and all the chrome things that have to be done. Exhaust is italian :lol:!
But she still is an air pump - that's what we call it here - no power .
Jochen

 

[TCALZ06]

Can you discuss the nature of this suit and will you settle this issue with a 2006 or even a 2010 model?

I think the majority of these bikes have very few problems. Of all the people on this site i bet there are less than 5 with your kind of problem.
I would take the new bike and be happy because if they go under and they probably will you will get nothing.

I will say I would try to get a newer model year.

As I have said before they have a lot of old inventory from what I was told from all the dealers going under that's why they have new 06 models.
Hell I was in Illinois at a Kawasaki dealer in March and they had probably 15 new 07 models on their floor. Big dog is not the only company with this problem. AIH still has bikes popping up.

 

[TCALZ06]

Just one question:

I'm a European, our Euro went down >10 % last weeks.......

Would you guys buy a 2008 Pitbull WITHOUT any warranty? I'll be without here in Germany. I'm convinced in my 2008 GMC Sierra Denali - also no probs, no warranty here. Even no Service - I do it all on my own. I'm really mad on American Iron .

Would you really risk to go on an 2008 Pitbull - in my situation? I love the bike, I love the S&S engine, the carb and it's idle :2thumbs:.


Yes, if you can get a good deal. These bikes are solid. You don't get better than S&S/baker. The only real problem BDM has had was electrical and you can fix that yourself with a wireplus kit if it comes to that

 

[Mastiff Rider64]

jimizee028, I do feel that I should be compensated for the time I was without my big dog and the fact that I can't enjoy it for something a dealer done and BDM sat back and let happen. But unlike your problems that were covered by warrenty, mine were caused by the dealer. If the dealer hadn't of stuck it to me by cutting corners and saving cost(which for your info I didn't need for them to do, because I got money), maybe BDM would have not voided my warrenty for something a dealer done. Not to mention the fact that before BDM canceled my warrenty I told them what the dealer was doing, I talked with Ann Stevens in the customer service department and Bob in consumer affairs department. Not to mention Dee that worked in the paint warrenty department before they let her go. And they did nothing about it, except let the dealer do it, then send me a letter telling me that they would no longer be covering my bike under warrenty. Oh not to mention, since I filed my lawsuit, no BDM dealer or service center has or will work on my bike. And now that my bike still has issues from what dealer done, and things that have happened since Dec. 08, lifters, head gasket, gas tank rubbing aginst coil side motor mount, Rpm gauge being about 1000 rpms off (if it works at all), front fork seals leaking, front brakes leaking and not working, Carb so out of adjustment I can barely keep bike running at red light, fouling out spark plugs every 80 to 160 miles, bike cutting off going down the interstate, and more and more. So, jimizee028 atleast you can still get your bike worked on, I can't. I've been to three BDM shops and after they run my vin, I get turned away. Not to mention something someone gave me at a shop before it closed that shows me why noone will work on my bike. So, intill you know what I've been dealing with, don't assume that I'm just looking for a hand out. Because you know what they say "assumption is the mother of all fuck ups."

Sorry to everybody else, for wasting your time for having to read this.

 

[barhopper]

I love my bike and would never sell it. I pray BDM makes it through. Most things can be fixed by a quality shop or by yourself. Ride it, enjoy it, you only live once. This website can fix any problem you have.