I have a dealer near me, called them and the conversation went like this " Hi there, do you folks sell Royal Enfields?"
"Yep, but we don't have any in stock"
"Okay, there is a dealer who is quite a distance away from me, could I bring it to you instead for a 500 mile service?"
"No, we don't work on them"
I called another dealer nearby, and the conversation was like this:
"Hi, do you have any Royal Enfields in stock?"
" Yes we have one, it is a classic"
"Non AVL?"
"I don't know about that"
"Is it a newer engine, with aluminum cylinder vs cast iron?"
"Let me take a look"
--Long pause--
" It IS a classic."
"Is it the classic with the newer or older engine?"
"I'm not sure"
"How much are you asking for it?"
"5200 plus 400 shipping and 75 for prep"
"Is it ready to go? "
"Yes, ready to go. I think we need to get a battery for it, we haven't done that because we can't figure out what kind of battery it is. You would have to give us a call and about 24 hours notice before you come to pick it up."
(Needless to say, I bought a used one the next day and logged 700 miles between saturday at 5:00 pm when I picked it up and tuesday afternoon. It came with a tractor seat and was green, just what I wanted!)
The question I have, is what ARE the parameters for dealers to be dealers? Willingness to answer a phone?
On the other hand, M&S Cycles in Schenectady NY, Steve is the owner, and on a day when the shop was closed, I went there and he spent about 3.5 hours on his off time explaining all the nuances of the Royal Enfield motorcycle. He was so helpful and informative, I brought my brother the next day on a 2 hour journey so that he could buy his bike from Steve. Excellent service and help there at M&S. It seems that there are so many variables with RE regarding service.
More Steve's, less RV dealers!