[ace.cafe]

Most of us resent the "new" business model.
 We know the new guard rejected us along with the Mom & Pop shops we do/did business with.

Here is the deal with the hipster movement,..FYI,.. I was riding "singles" back in 1981 with a metal flake helmet and flannel shirt, and real Wolverine boots.
 It kind of pisses me off that lumber jack sexuals want to dress like that now, and RENA caters to them.

Dissing the existing dealer and customer base, along with enlisting a nearly non-existent "new" network and a wishful hope that hipsters will somehow decide to  adopt RE as their new trend, doesn't seem too promising for "dominating the mid-size motorcycle market" to me.

[Richard230]

I have a friend who works in downtown San Francisco (the home of more than one hipster).  He thinks that hipsters should love the Royal Enfield Bullet, as it is retro and has enough bling on the bike to keep them happy.  But he also says that they likely wouldn't ride it outside the city limits as they would immediately become lost and wouldn't be able to comprehend suburbia. 

[malky]

Here's a pic of a U.K. dealer option.

[Farmer_John]

By the time this network gets rolled out, the hipster trend will be long gone. It's already the butt of jokes in the real pop culture, as well as here, the internet, and everywhere else.

As for the combined dealer layout, try this on for size, "For just a little more, sir/madame, you could have this real Triumph over here..."

Don't tell me that won't be happening over a cup of double mocha latte.

But, the main point here seems to be that what we think or need apparently  isn't of much impact on their plan.

I got home early from work yesterday and still felt rested enough to go out for a ride.  Our local Triumph club was having a little get together at the only Triumph dealer left in Detroit, so I went.

Parking lot full of bikes, impressed.  Really friendly club members and in particular a small group of brits who were really interested in my Enfield and we talked for quite a while on it's strengths, weaknesses and things I had done and am planning to do in the future.

It took me nearly an hour to make my way to the showroom, through the sea of really nice Meriden Triumphs, Nortons, BSAs, Velocettes...It was freakin heaven.

Then I walked through the door.  Rant on.

IMO, Moto dealers are no longer Moto dealers.  Form has taken the place of function. The sights and smells of what I have always associated with dealers have been washed away with merchandising that could (should) be displayed in any shopping mall, anywhere but in a shop that sells machinery.

If this is the direction RENA is taking this ship, we're fucked.

And there's no way in hell that I'll ever purchase a Motorcycle from a dealer network that you step up to a fucking cashier like you're in line at Walmart to purchase a vehicle.

And this is not an isolated incident.  Rant off.

[ace.cafe]

Time for the ivory tower crowd from RENA in Milwaukee, and RE in Chennai, to step up and explain themselves, and provide answers for real RE owners in this country who need service, and have had their dealers cut off, and left out in the cold by the current urban hipster and latte strategy that isn't anywhere near close enough to them to be considered available. Promises, which at this point don't look realistic, of 100 dealers coming a year from now is not covering the current RE population's needs for riding this year. Promises don't make oil changes and replace broken parts. And what of people with new bikes and warrantees which will lapse during this hiatus of the dealer network?

This isn't "pining for the good old days".
This is a serious matter that needs to be addressed.

[Otto_Ing]

“To sell your soul is the easiest thing in the world. That's what everybody does every hour of his life. If I asked you to keep your soul - would you understand why that's much harder?”

Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

For most people a bike is a consumer product ment to be consumed. They want to sell "LOT" of bikes...

[ace.cafe]

Since this is probably the biggest RE forum in the US, and possibly the world, I think that it is incumbent on RENA to come here and make a statement to the owners on this site about how they will be taken care of pending the completion of their "dealer network".

I believe that it would be impossible for them to not know what is being discussed on here, considering that there is a link at the RENA page to this forum. However, if they actually are oblivious to this subject, then I suggest plugging in to the real world for a few minutes a day and getting connected.

[Arizoni]

I totally agree with you ace.

firecaptp7:  You are obviously talking about Mid-West or East coast motorcycle shops when you mention "stained wooden floors". 

You got everything right except out here in the West the floors were always covered with very old, broken 12 X 12 Linoleum floor tiles, usually with lots of pieces missing.

Motorcycle center stands and side stands play hell with a Linoleum floor. 

[2014BulletC5]

In my opinion the RE line just is not ready for the broad American market.  As much as we enjoy our bikes I think if we were honest about them we'd have to admit the quality/durability/reliability just isn't there.  The average urban buyer is likely not looking for something that leaks oil or needs parts tightened every couple hundred miles. RE has made big strides in improving quality but they still have more to work on. Also I don't think they'll see a generous uptick in sales without a twin cylinder engine.  They'll probably need to add ABS while they're at it.

As for the multi-brand super stores; I don't imagine too many people will venture into the local Honda Yamaha Suzuki Royal Enfield shop and ride out on a Bullet. Given the money spent vs recognized name with a proven track record of reliability he'll probably buy something Japanese.  RE can only compete with the Suzuki TU250 or Honda Rebel.  Not much market there.

I'm not saying RE can't do it but they just aren't where they need to be to be taken seriously in America.

[Kevin Mahoney]

I am going to jump in for a moment. I realize the dealer network thing is "cloudy" at present. I think RENA will be able to make things more clear soon enough. They have 3-4 times as many people running things than we ever did so I have confidence that with their resources the structure will take form.
As for service - for years we have helped non RE dealers work on your bikes and will continue to do so. Most of what needs to be done on these bikes including repair can be done by most any dealer unless they are "baffled by the simplicity". Have them give us a call at 800-201-7472 and we will get them started.

As for parts, it is going to be internet/phone for a while. We have most parts that you would need for any type of maintenance. We also can get you most anything within a week if we don't carry it.

Your other option is to contact one of the current RENA dealers and have them order it through RENA.

[heloego]

I'll continue to stick with Option #1.  Kevin and the rest at CMW have been outstanding!

[TwowheeledTash]

I am Bree Poland  the Marketing Manager at Royal Enfield North America. I and my boss Ryan Hoffins, VP of Marketing, have  been actively monitoring all of these posts and we are listening to everything you say.

Open internet forums are not where we feel we can have the most productive clarification conversations with Royal Enfield customers. I, Ryan or anyone on the staff from North America are available to help alleviate worries and help you have a better understanding of what are current business status is and where we are going in the future.

Please feel free to reach out to me at breep@royalenfield.com Thanks

[Arizoni]

Welcome to the forum Mr. Poland.

Although I can appreciate your desire to discuss things one on one, you can eliminate the need to answer many individuals general questions by using this open forum.

Issues like keeping us informed about newly opened dealerships in various States would be nice.


Living in Arizona, as I do, I am concerned about the lack of dealerships in my State.
Prior to the restructuring, I had three dealers within 120 miles of me, one of them being less than 20 miles away.

 Currently, according to the RENA website, the nearest dealer for me seems to be in Brea, California, a distance of over 340 miles from me.

I am not the only one to be concerned about the lack of dealerships.  Many of the members who take the trouble to post here are asking the same question and I feel I can confidently say there are thousands of members who are wondering the same question.

Again, welcome to the forum and I (we) hope to hear from you soon. 

Jim

[singhg5]

I am Bree Poland  the Marketing Manager at Royal Enfield North America. I and my boss Ryan Hoffins, VP of Marketing, have  been actively monitoring all of these posts and we are listening to everything you say.

Open internet forums are not where we feel we can have the most productive clarification conversations with Royal Enfield customers. I, Ryan or anyone on the staff from North America are available to help alleviate worries and help you have a better understanding of what are current business status is and where we are going in the future.

Please feel free to reach out to me at breep@royalenfield.com Thanks

Glad to hear that you are reading the forum. But only reading does not solve or alleviate any concerns of hundreds of Royal Enfield riders, owners and potential buyers.

I am one of the first buyers of Royal Enfield UCE and owner of G5 since its first introduction in USA over 7 years ago. Live in New Jersey. We always had at least 3 or 4 dealers in the state for years. There were more in next state of NY and neighboring state of Pennsylvania. But now, there is not a single dealer in New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Your website suggests to go three states away to Connecticut . People have repeatedly asked me where to buy one, but no one is willing to go to Connecticut. You are losing sales and confidence of owners and new potential buyers. 

RENA website does not even have a list of service centers that will service/repair the motorcycle. New buyers are reluctant to buy something that they cannot get repaired nearby.

If open internet is NOT the way to connect to masses, I don't know what other medium is better than that. I disagree with your or RENA's reluctance to use internet forum for its customers.

When and where I grew up, the only medium was news papers and radios. Do you suggest using perhaps an FM radio . Sorry that only reaches a few miles; try a SW - short wave radio or individually hand-written paper letters to connect LOL !! You get my message - and joke.

The Forum members not only help each other out with technical issues (we have seen pretty much everything here), but also network, ride together, share a laugh / sorrow and discuss a wide variety of topics even those which are not related directly to Royal Enfield but are helpful - since we learn from far and wide fields. So we are pretty sure that it is a very good media.

Hope to hear from you and Ryan Hoffins soon.

[TwowheeledTash]

Thank you everyone for the spirited enthusiasm and debate on this forum. We highly encourage discussions and support groups through social media. Our previous assertion that we do not engage in open forums for customer service complaints still stands. We believe each and every one of our customers deserves personalized attention and answers to their questions and concerns.  We do not and will not engage in conversations that are not productive to the health of the brand.

Since there is apparently a larger discussion surrounding these topic (outlined below), allow us at Royal Enfield North America to go on the record pertaining to a few of the topics being volleyed back and forth.

In regard to the dealer network. We understand there may be some frustration and confusion surrounding recent changes. The explanation for this shift is in essence very simple. All of the Royal Enfield dealers that were in place in the North American market prior to December 31st, 2015 were contracted to the previous distributor. As Royal Enfield North America (a strategic business unit of Royal Enfield) takes over the market, we are afforded the opportunity to build a new dealer network that is capable of growing the brand.

Royal Enfield is committed to this market and is looking for substantial growth. We are in the process of building this new dealer network from the ground up. Nothing that was in place under the previous distributor is transferable to this new business organization. What is being perceived is the amount of time that it takes to get this new infrastructure up and running. However, rest assured, the new dealer network will be optimized to meet both the business objectives of the brand and most importantly customer needs. That said, the task of signing up the new dealers is not an endeavor that occurs with the flip of a switch. The first and most cumbersome task that has to occur is to obtain distributor licenses in almost every state. This is not a fast process. Until those license are issued through the pertinent government agencies we are not permitted to on-board the dealers that we have in the cue in each state.

The majority of the dealers that have been activated at this point in time (19) are dealers that were dealers under the previous distributor and have reapplied to continue as dealers under Royal Enfield North America. They are in states that we have already received licenses, have agreed to the new more aggressive sales goals, and have established credit.  Areas where there are gaps in coverage at the moment are because a few reasons: 1) we have not yet been issued the distributor license in that state (all 50 have been applied for), 2) In some geographies we are still vetting dealers who will help grow the brand.

Pertaining to service. All of the current (19) dealers offer service on Royal Enfield models. The previous dealers who are not continuing forward are still permitted to service Royal Enfield motorcycles. If there is not a current Royal Enfield dedicated service center in a geography, Royal Enfield's service team will work individually with customers to find a qualified service solution. If in the mean time you have any questions about where to obtain service, please reach out to our customer service team at u.scustomerservice@royalenfield.com   Our service team is highly qualified, friendly, and accommodating. We encourage you to work through them as their information will be the most up to date and most accurate. All customers with Royal Enfield models two years old and newer will have their warranties honored. All warranty inquiries should also be sent through u.scustomerservice@royalenfield.com   

About targeting. We are an inclusive brand. We highly encourage everyone to experience and enjoy the pleasure that is motorcycling. As with all brands, we too, have key target demographics that we target. Currently we are targeting numerous groups that have an affinity for our brand. We do not exclude, nor over-index to any particular audience. Everybody can be a rider and we encourage everyone to come along for the ride.

We highly value each and every one of our customers; past, current and future. Again, we are doing everything possible to ensure the satisfaction of our customers as well as establish the Royal Enfield brand as a viable and fun motorcycle for generations to come.