What's up with Envy Rides?

[ReSTored]

Too bad if another dealer bites the dust, regardless of what people thought about Envy. I shopped there for accessories a few times and their service was better than average, perhaps not saying much I know.

Just finished placed my Spring orders for filters, misc parts and a few things from US sources. With exchange and shipping I still save 30% - 40% and I have the convinience of doing this from my desktop.

So question is who is making money in the industry. Dealers will tell you that they order parts from Can. authorized distributors and OEM's and pay more than if they ordered retail direct from one of hundreds, if not thousands, of mom and pop small shops in the US. Someone is raking it in and the small Can market, the usual excuse you hear, is not valid. There should be as many, per capita, shops here as in the US and the metro area should be able to support dozens of vialble businesses.

[theusedone]

Too bad if another dealer bites the dust, regardless of what people thought about Envy. I shopped there for accessories a few times and their service was better than average, perhaps not saying much I know.

Just finished placed my Spring orders for filters, misc parts and a few things from US sources. With exchange and shipping I still save 30% - 40% and I have the convinience of doing this from my desktop.

So question is who is making money in the industry. Dealers will tell you that they order parts from Can. authorized distributors and OEM's and pay more than if they ordered retail direct from one of hundreds, if not thousands, of mom and pop small shops in the US. Someone is raking it in and the small Can market, the usual excuse you hear, is not valid. There should be as many, per capita, shops here as in the US and the metro area should be able to support dozens of vialble businesses.

So you feel bad that a local shop is going under, and you're questioning why there aren't more of them in the GTA.... but you're ordering your parts from the states?

Makes sense. (???)

Motorcycle dealers don't have it easy. I wouldn't take over that business if they offered it to me for free! Too much money tied up in inventory and overhead, and everybody is running down south to buy bikes because they can save a crapload of money.

[Jayv]

Got to try and support your local guys.

Always going to be tough sledding for a Canadian bike store, as cheap and frugal as i am with my money i try my best to spend in Canada.

[Fiery254]

So you feel bad that a local shop is going under, and you're questioning why there aren't more of them in the GTA.... but you're ordering your parts from the states?

Makes sense. (???)

Motorcycle dealers don't have it easy. I wouldn't take over that business if they offered it to me for free! Too much money tied up in inventory and overhead, and everybody is running down south to buy bikes because they can save a crapload of money.

I beginning to think that the only shops which will survive in Canada are parts and service shops, with the exception of some exotic and Harley dealers. Main dealers for the big 4 Jap bikes just can't seem to make margin on new bike sales. Riders Choice seem to survive pretty well just on service, parts and apparel. Motorcycle Superstore also.

I mean, Honda and Suzuki want main dealers to sell all their products. Which makes it harder for bike only dealers to sell their product. BMW do the same, but they're different anyway.

What does anyone else think? Is there a way forward for big 4 Jap main dealers whose main focus is new bike sales?

[theusedone]

What does anyone else think? Is there a way forward for big 4 Jap main dealers whose main focus is new bike sales?

Not when you can go south and buy 2 bikes for the price of 1.

I buy all my gear and parts locally, but there's no way Im dropping an extra 5 grand on a new motorcycle just to support the local dealers. If its a thousand bucks, sure, Im gonna buy local. But when a new 1k is $8000 down south and the same bike is $12k up here..... not a chance.

[konix]

not going to lie, to save $1,000, i'd still go down to the states.

Not when you can go south and buy 2 bikes for the price of 1.

I buy all my gear and parts locally, but there's no way Im dropping an extra 5 grand on a new motorcycle just to support the local dealers. If its a thousand bucks, sure, Im gonna buy local. But when a new 1k is $8000 down south and the same bike is $12k up here..... not a chance.

[ReSTored]

So you feel bad that a local shop is going under, and you're questioning why there aren't more of them in the GTA.... but you're ordering your parts from the states?

Makes sense. (???)

Motorcycle dealers don't have it easy. I wouldn't take over that business if they offered it to me for free! Too much money tied up in inventory and overhead, and everybody is running down south to buy bikes because they can save a crapload of money.

Yes, it makes perfect sense and validates exactly what I said. The cost structure is flawed and I owe no one my business if I can find a better price somewhere else, as most seem able to do.

Remember all the publicity re inflated Can prices for other types of vehicle and general consumer goods. Prices came down in response to this and there is no reason the same could not happen to bike, parts and accessories prices. All it would take would be customers contacting central distributors and OEM's asking for clarification on discriminatory Can pricing with a cc to your local paper.

[theusedone]

not going to lie, to save $1,000, i'd still go down to the states.

It wouldn't be worth the effort (to me) but obviously that's a personal choice.

[theusedone]

Yes, it makes perfect sense and validates exactly what I said. The cost structure is flawed and I owe no one my business if I can find a better price somewhere else, as most seem able to do.

Remember all the publicity re inflated Can prices for other types of vehicle and general consumer goods. Prices came down in response to this and there is no reason the same could not happen to bike, parts and accessories prices. All it would take would be customers contacting central distributors and OEM's asking for clarification on discriminatory Can pricing with a cc to your local paper.

The fluctuating dollar and economic uncertainty is to blame. When things settle down the prices will equalize. If the dealers and stores wanna stay in business they'll make sure of this.

[The Road Warrior]

You can save so much money buying bikes from the States, who cares about local dealers, it's all business, they are in it to make money, you are in it to save money.

[JohnnyP636]

Guys its not like they dont have any work to do, or arent selling bikes...The owners just dont give a **** about owning and operating a motorcycle dealership anymore. I know the mechanics that work there and there was tons of sleds to work on during the winter, and a ton of motorcycles in storage that needed service done.

[The Road Warrior]

Their equipment / parts / accessories section is very weak in my opinion, they don't have squat there so no wonder people will go online and to other dealers to buy stuff. I couldn't even find a freaken swingarm spool set for my ZX10R there. THAT'S how and why a place like that might go out of business.

[theusedone]

Guys its not like they dont have any work to do, or arent selling bikes...The owners just dont give a **** about owning and operating a motorcycle dealership anymore. I know the mechanics that work there and there was tons of sleds to work on during the winter, and a ton of motorcycles in storage that needed service done.

If business was booming they wouldn't be closing the doors. Can the service support the retail failure? Doesn't look like it.

[JohnnyP636]

Their equipment / parts / accessories section is very weak in my opinion, they don't have squat there so no wonder people will go online and to other dealers to buy stuff. I couldn't even find a freaken swingarm spool set for my ZX10R there. THAT'S how and why a place like that might go out of business.

Yeah selling $25 spools with a $5 profit margin will really keep you in business...

Most motorcycle stores rely on catalog orders for small bits like that, stocking a shelf full of spools that only a few people are going to buy will actually make you go out of business when you end up sitting on them for 3 years. You tell them what you want, they order it and its there the next day or 2-3 days.

[theusedone]

Yeah selling $25 spools with a $5 profit margin will really keep you in business...

Most motorcycle stores rely on catalog orders for small bits like that, stocking a shelf full of spools that only a few people are going to buy will actually make you go out of business when you end up sitting on them for 3 years. You tell them what you want, they order it and its there the next day or 2-3 days.

If they can order it, so can I. I'll skip them and just do it myself online then, and have it come to my house directly instead of having to go to their store twice for one item. I hate it when stores tell me they can order the part in for me.... yeah, thanks, so can I.

[JohnnyP636]

If business was booming they wouldn't be closing the doors. Can the service support the retail failure? Doesn't look like it.

Yeah the owners are really hurting for money......Actually they have other business's and havent been around ENVY for months. Business's dont always close because they are not making any money, you as an owner have to make the decision if you want to keep pushing or just let it go...No body said it was booming, but I think they had enough work there to keep a float if they really wanted too.. Something tells me (the fact they dont even show up at thier own business anymore) that they lost interest in staying a float....Well just have to see how its all goes down

[theusedone]

Yeah the owners are really hurting for money......Actually they have other business's and havent been around ENVY for months. Business's dont always close because they are not making any money, you as an owner have to make the decision if you want to keep pushing or just let it go...No body said it was booming, but I think they had enough work there to keep a float if they really wanted too.. Something tells me (the fact they dont even show up at thier own business anymore) that they lost interest in staying a float....Well just have to see how its all goes down

I understand, all Im saying is that the decision is a lot easier to make if your shop is raking in the dollars as opposed to just barely staying afloat.

I wouldn't run a business if it was just getting by either. Especially if I had other things on the go.

[JohnnyP636]

If they can order it, so can I. I'll skip them and just do it myself online then, and have it come to my house directly instead of having to go to their store twice for one item. I hate it when stores tell me they can order the part in for me.... yeah, thanks, so can I.

Thats just the way it is buddy, Kahuna never has my brake pads in stock and wont let me order them over the phone without leaving a deposit, so I have to drive there twice... Same with parts for my Toyota truck, having to wait for parts to come in is nothing new...Sometimes I can wait 2 weeks for something to come in from the US, and sometimes I cant... If a shop trys to stock everything, they wont last long either...

[theusedone]

Thats just the way it is buddy, Kahuna never has my brake pads in stock and wont let me order them over the phone without leaving a deposit... Same with parts for my Toyota truck, having to wait for parts to come in is nothing new...

Some shops just do it better than others. Im not expecting anyone to store an entire catalog worth of parts (that would be nice though) but some owners just have a better sense about what to keep around and what to order in.

[JohnnyP636]

Some shops just do it better than others. Im not expecting anyone to store an entire catalog worth of parts (that would be nice though) but some owners just have a better sense about what to keep around and what to order in.

I agree

Riders Choice does a really good job at stocking what people actually buy regularly, and at really good prices...And yet people still hate that shop, so even when you do one thing right, you still dont please everyone...John McBride as an owner is alot more involved with what is stocked at his store thou, unlike the owners of ENVY...

Another thing is you have to build your relationship with a shop, and let them know what you want them to stock...ENVY rides brought in parts for me that no one else would, stunt crash cages from the US and other stunt related parts that they had to apply as dealers for and make minimum orders...Those parts were on the shelf for a while, but all eventually sold...If I didnt tell them we needed them, then they would have never brought them in

John Mcbride is smart cause you dont even have to tell him what to stock, order something a few times and one day youll walk into the shop to find 20 of them hanging on the wall...They will be cheaper and you dont have to wait for them anymore...