Author Topic: Royal Enfield Bangkok - visit, photos, report :)  (Read 3982 times)

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alladinko

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on: July 06, 2016, 05:09:55 pm
hey guys! i hope you are riding day/night! i had my enfield in service for a bit so no miles made but... went to Bangkok and stopped by in their first RE store in Thailand. Super nice place, amazing people - great experience

if you want to see some photos and read a bit about it, check it out on my blog, i hope you will enjoy it

link:
http://www.domorides.com/#!sa-wat-dee-kraap-RE-Thailand-flagship-store-in-Bangkok/cmbz/57727c6d0cf2f8d6d10e48fd

thanks! any comments welcome!
2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
2014 Royal Enfield Classic Military
1976 Kawasaki KZ 750
1977 Honda CB 550 SS


Kevin Mahoney

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Reply #1 on: July 06, 2016, 05:36:09 pm
I concur, a very good article and worth the time to read.
Best Regards,
Kevin Mahoney
www.cyclesidecar.com


DanKearney

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Reply #2 on: July 07, 2016, 01:05:33 am
Great Story.  Wonderful portraits and candid shots.  Thanks for posting.


Cheers,


Dan K.


alladinko

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Reply #3 on: July 07, 2016, 04:43:56 am
Kevin, thank you.

Dan - reading your blog just now, what a last story, glad you are ok!
2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
2014 Royal Enfield Classic Military
1976 Kawasaki KZ 750
1977 Honda CB 550 SS


DanKearney

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Reply #4 on: July 07, 2016, 01:25:49 pm
Thanks Kevin.  Hard lesson learned that day.  I was lucky.  Now I'm more careful when changing tires.


Cheers,


Dan K.


Richard230

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Reply #5 on: July 08, 2016, 03:37:46 pm
That is a great article, interesting and informative.  The dealership looks really nice and I imagine that is what RENA would love to see in the U.S.  But I don't think most of the dealers in the U.S. are willing to put that sort of effort and money into a brand that they are not familiar with.  From what I have seen of California motorcycle dealers, only the H-D, BMW and Triumph dealerships appear to try to create a pleasant and interesting atmosphere for their customers (probably due to pressure from their ever-changing franchise requirements). The Japanese-brand dealerships appear to go for the "big box" warehouse look.  You walk in, buy whatever "unit" you want, hand over your money and are either never seen again, or if you return the salesperson has moved on. I would love to see an RE dealership in the U.S. like the one in Bangkok, but I am not holding my breath.  :(
2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM Duke 390, 2002 Yamaha FZ1


alladinko

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Reply #6 on: July 12, 2016, 04:43:43 am
thanks, Richard230. I would think that one store like that would appear in the states. As the HQ. I don't know how the Enfield USA headquarters looks like, anybody been? I should do that next :).. But - if you google - the store like in Bangkok is sort of a.. how to say it. There are similar stores with some little differences based on the country - in London and more in India I think, Madrid, Paris...  I know some in South America - Colombia or Brazil, not sure now. Probably more. And they call it 'concept store' or 'company showroom', you can find those terms in articles about these stores. So I think - one company showroom that looks like that, super nice, rustic, classic biker feel to it, with lot of bikes would be in the main city of the country and then other dealers just stay what they are. I kind of feel that people won't be refurnishing their dealerships because of Enfield

on the pic are stores: london, one in india, found the colombian store and one more. i think paris



2021 Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
2014 Royal Enfield Classic Military
1976 Kawasaki KZ 750
1977 Honda CB 550 SS


Richard230

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Reply #7 on: July 12, 2016, 03:26:47 pm
Those photos of RE shops look a lot better than even what BMWNA or Triumph is making their dealers do in the U.S., based upon my observation of BMW and Triumph dealerships in the SF Bay Area. Attached is a photo of my local RE dealership (that folded earlier this year, shortly after they lost their franchise) just to provide a contrast in dealership showroom displays.  It seems to me that with few exceptions, most U.S. motorcycle dealers really don't want to spend much money on fixing up their dealerships and showrooms and seem to expect their customers to know what they want to buy, make the purchase and ride off into the sunset. I have seen few dealerships, other than H-D or BMW, that try to keep in contact with their customers after a sale, or make their shops something that you would want to enjoy looking at.  Certainly, the Japanese-brand dealerships that I have visited (and I have visited a lot over the past 55 years) look more like motorcycle warehouses than traditional vehicle showrooms.   :(
2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM Duke 390, 2002 Yamaha FZ1


mevocgt

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Reply #8 on: July 12, 2016, 03:49:45 pm
Those photos of RE shops look a lot better than even what BMWNA or Triumph is making their dealers do in the U.S., based upon my observation of BMW and Triumph dealerships in the SF Bay Area. Attached is a photo of my local RE dealership (that folded earlier this year, shortly after they lost their franchise) just to provide a contrast in dealership showroom displays.  It seems to me that with few exceptions, most U.S. motorcycle dealers really don't want to spend much money on fixing up their dealerships and showrooms and seem to expect their customers to know what they want to buy, make the purchase and ride off into the sunset. I have seen few dealerships, other than H-D or BMW, that try to keep in contact with their customers after a sale, or make their shops something that you would want to enjoy looking at.  Certainly, the Japanese-brand dealerships that I have visited (and I have visited a lot over the past 55 years) look more like motorcycle warehouses than traditional vehicle showrooms.   :(
Having worked in a couple of dealerships in my lifetime.  I would not say that this shop is a good representation of all non-Harley US dealers.  I worked in a dealership in SC, that was very beautiful.  Lots of room for 3 brands, and watercraft too.  We even had a checkerboard outside area for used bikes and motorcycle parking.  The salesmen shared a podium desk to be able see the customers.  It was a nice place.  It was sold a year before I left and closed a few years later do to new ownership not knowing what they were doing.  The shop I worked at in MD, was a little less nice or new, but it was clean and maintained.  We had our accessories separated from our bikes, and the bikes were kept organized and spaced far enough apart that customers could sit on them without bumping into the other bikes, most of the time.   

I have been in dealerships like this one, too.  I think that part of the problem is that a lot of these shops are opened by enthusiast and mechanics without business experiance or sence.  They may survive for awhile, but when the customer base moves on because of bad customer service, or the shop just can't meet their needs anymore, then the shop fails.

I like my dealerships to be places I want to spend time in.  Kind of like that hardware store Tim use to hang out at on the 'Home Improvement' show. :)


Richard230

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Reply #9 on: July 12, 2016, 10:46:29 pm
I agree with your statement about many motorcycle enthusiasts who open up or buy and existing dealership are many times not good business people and typically are underfunded for the task at hand. The one that closed in my example above was bought by an elderly furniture store owner who wanted to make it into an RE enthusiast hangout, but he never really put any money into making his big ideas work. After a couple of years, the place collapsed. I might add that the original Honda dealership had been in constant operation since 1967 and was put up for sale when the original store owner developed medical problems and sold it to the RE enthusiast to pay for his hospital bills.

I have seen a lot of "mom and pop" shops closed over the years, as well as "mega-dealers" who tried to sell motorcycles like Wal-Mart. While there are some savvy motorcycle dealership owners around, most fall into the "hobbyist" category, in my opinion.  It is my guess that most people with a sharp business background would not be looking to selling motorcycles as a way to make their fortune.  ::)
2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2020 KTM Duke 390, 2002 Yamaha FZ1


Desi Bike

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Reply #10 on: July 20, 2016, 12:00:36 am
RENA is currently in this building temporarily while there new building is being prepared.

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میں صرف اپنی موٹر سائیکل پر سوار کرنا چاہتے ہیں