Big Dog update/more info

[PaulHart]

Well why everyones ranting
Heres what I think.
Why would anyone buy a Chopper in a box,Off the shelf bike ? ? Pick your frame
tank, fenders,motor ,tranny,rims,paint scheme-the way you want/like/prefer it, Not hey that looks nice-I'll buy it ! Theres a great deal of satisfaction saying- I put this together
Not - hey look what I bought !
As far as warentee goes I think S&S warantees their motors as well as Baker with their trannies.-All this my EHC is broke stuff-Why my bike won't start .If you or someone helps you with the tuff stuff-wireing,clutch set up ,tuneing-you would have no one to blame but yourself-and have the knowledge to fit it.
A custom motorcycle is just that A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE not a manufactured
assembly line bolt together .
I hope this dosent offend anyone-
( Disclaimer ) No bikers were hurt or injured in the previous statement.
This isnt necessarly how Tim from NY feels . We have no control of his actions.
TimNy has no offilation with this post.

Thank you

For me Tim it comes down to time available and as we know time is money right. It took me Three years just to remodel my kitchen. Sometimes I'm better off paying someone to do something while I continue to work than taking the time to do it myself. If I'd have built my Mastiff from the ground up I'd probably lost twice the amount I paid for it in revenue coming in. Maybe one day when I retire I'll get to build one. If I ever get to retire. No offense taken.

 

[K9Anniv]

For me Tim it comes down to time available and as we know time is money right. ...Maybe one day when I retire I'll get to build one. If I ever get to retire. No offense taken.

I agree - I'd LOVE to build my own bike and paint it the way I want!

But, as Paul said...it's all about time and money (plus tools, space and wherewithal to do it).

Maybe when (if?) I get to retire someday and still have my health and a couple bucks (assuming the government doesn't screw me out of it!)...

~ ~

 

[jimizee028]

I bought mine for the same reason TIMNY,and we even own a bodyshop ,have all the knowledge,tools and space,and have been in the industry for 30 years...thing is I am raising 2 grand daughters...alone,running a bodyshop,doing the yardwork,the domestics and everything else that comes with LIFE....I wish I had the time,but it seems as though when I am done for the week 60 minutes is comiing on sunday nite and I am preparing for the next week.......I just wanted to ride,so I paid.........different strokes,different folks.....

 

[05 old dog]

thank you paul hart...exactly why i bought and love my big dog...as far as repairs WE can fix our bikes...this forum proves it...only real problem i see is maybe future problems with the sofisticated computer boards...we need to find an outlet for these

 

[mark whitrock]

I have built a few bikes and have started another one but when I seen a K-9 the first time I was hell bent to own one and I found the one I wanted four states away I made a great deal over the phone with the dealer sent a buddy to pick it up and trailer it back to Missouri three years ago and I still get excited everytime I get on it, the honest truth I would have bought it even if there was not a new warranty.

 

[2004BC]

Good thought Tim but building a custom chopper from the ground up as oppossed to bolting together bought parts to create a chopper is a lot harder than you think. Tons of designing, engineering, machining, welding, etc etc etc. Even bolting together a chopper sucks because NOTHING ever fits right the first time.

I had my own small custom bike shop in the 80's and I only built one off show bikes but I bought a used 2004 BD Ridgeback. Why when I could have built my own? Tremendous amount of time, effort and definitely would have cost more. The BD had it all and was already done. I looked at it and couldn't think of much that I would have done differently or would want to change if I bought it. So I did, and other than raising the handle bars and a few custom touches I am very happy with the bike. I'm still building other radical Harley Choppers for myself for fun in my spare time but I RIDE the Big Dog. I hope this makes a little bit of sense and of course it's just my opinion on the subject.

I'd love to stay and chat but it's the first warm day here in NY oin a long time and I'm heading out to fire the RB up and take a spin. Adios!!!

 

[Vegas]

Well why everyones ranting
Heres what I think.
Why would anyone buy a Chopper in a box,Off the shelf bike ? ? Pick your frame
tank, fenders,motor ,tranny,rims,paint scheme-the way you want/like/prefer it, Not hey that looks nice-I'll buy it ! Theres a great deal of satisfaction saying- I put this together
Not - hey look what I bought !
As far as warentee goes I think S&S warantees their motors as well as Baker with their trannies.-All this my EHC is broke stuff-Why my bike won't start .If you or someone helps you with the tuff stuff-wireing,clutch set up ,tuneing-you would have no one to blame but yourself-and have the knowledge to fit it.
A custom motorcycle is just that A CUSTOM MOTORCYCLE not a manufactured
assembly line bolt together .
I hope this dosent offend anyone-
( Disclaimer ) No bikers were hurt or injured in the previous statement.
This isnt necessarly how Tim from NY feels . We have no control of his actions.
TimNy has no offilation with this post.

Thank you

That all sounds great until you get into the deal. When you are using a bunch of bastard parts, you are engineering your own ride. It's never as easy as it looks from the outside. I'm surprised they held on as long as they did.

 

[machete]

Allow me to edumacate the bruthuz

Big Bears Choppers, Saxon, Swift, Arlen Ness, Lorenzo Cycles, Eddie Trotta, Kendall Johnson, OCC, Paul Jr. Designs, etc etc.....how is it they're all still in business and not Big Dog???
I don't get it! :bang:anic2:

It's quite simple actually. BDM business cycle (growth) mirrored the housing bubble. Sheldon sought to maximize the opportunity and simply grew too fast. I don't know the man but it is the classic business error and I'm a little shocked that he expanded so quickly without looking ahead (as the Japanese do, they plan for 20 years in advance vs 1-2 years for american companies)
to anticipate the downturn.

The demand BDM enjoyed in its hey day was in no way sustainable. Sustainability being the key in any business.

When is long term sustainability not important? When the end game is to cash out. Meaning if your company's end game is to get acquired, go public etc, then you manage the business accordingly. Many of these companies are life style companies. The end game being personal wealth building.

These types of companies realize short life cycles.

The reason those others that you mention are "still around" is simply that they never scaled like BDM. They never relied on such high sales volumes to capitalize operations. Many of those you mention are really boutique builders with much smaller manufacturing overhead, sales, etc.

Today, every tom dick and harry with a garage can say their a custom builder. Even if they have a manufacturer license.

The economics of manufacturing, and in particular a luxury item like a $30k motorcycle, is fundamentally unsustainable in a mass custom/production business model.

Less is more in this economy.

Regardless, as soon as I get up all the cash (dont finance anything), I'm still buying a Ridgeback.

These are bare non the hottest choppers around.

 

[reflective]

build your own

The mentality that believes everyone should just build their own bikes is like me saying, "everyone should grow their own food and raise their own livestock". And while you're at it, you should generate your own electricity.

We don't walk around with a bushel of potatoes, a bushel of corn, and a squealing pig under each arm to barter and trade for the cotton we haven't grown.

We work our own speciality jobs, and then use the money we've earned to pay someone else money to buy the service or products we want. If it's cheaper for you to do all of those things, and that's what you want to do, then go for it! But if you own or work for a drywall company, and everyone is doing their own drywall....then you are out of a job. Thanks a lot all you "Do it yourselfers".

Maybe those who have the time to build their own, will have the time to make steel from iron ore. And they can make tires from rubber trees.

Of course we pay someone to build a bike for us...DUH. If you want to build your own, then do it, but don't fault me for leaving that up to someone else that has more expertise than I do. Shucks, build your own custom cars and trucks if you want to.

And another thing......I don't make all that much money, but I'm glad those rich lawyers, contractor, doctors, whatever, are out buying stuff (motorcycles included) to keep businesses afloat so that I too can have those businesses available to me. People complain that folks with more money are "posers". Hey, I don't care; just keep pumping as much money as you possibly can into the economy. It's what keep companies from folding and going under. Where you gonna get that S&S motor from if they were ever to shut down. :argue:

Disclaimer: I've never taken an economics class/course, but I keep my check book balanced.

 

[coach]

Especially enjoy the Dick taking so much pride spreading bad news. :angry:

The only thing BDM did was becoming popular....get in over their head. At least it wasn't a case of blowing the profits up their nose as a few of the others. I believe the new company will do what they can to honor warranties, supply parts for repair.

 

[TimNY]

Paul , Mike $ Jimi
I bought a Rolling Thunder frame,S&S Motor and Baker 6 speed. Found a front end on E bay -someone converting to 12 over . Bought a few parts from BDB members and
a few from a BDM dealer. rims from American wire wheel,Avon tires. I built my own to make it my own - mainly because I couldn't afford a k9 or Chopper. After all is said and done I probably could have found a used Chopper for what I have into my bike.I like BDM bikes I always did.I hope the company can bounce back. No bail out money for them unfourtanately. Lets sit back and wait/watch. Choppers 4 ever Tim