Peter Hammond Motorcycles

[Tonibe63]

The manufacturers know that youngsters don't walk anywhere these days because they're on snap chat or PlayStation all the time and the old farts (myself included) with time and money on their hands want a certain level of customer service/ambiance ie cafe etc.
I had a short break today and walked into a small independent bike shop for a browse but the sales staff had their heads in a computer screen.
Give it a couple of years and it will all be Amazon style click and collect ........

[Scott_rider]

One of the Hammonds used to race with the Cotswold Enduro Club when I used to race with them in the '90s .

I was in Blaze Abingdon las year, when I was changing my Tracer 900, and the service was shocking. In contrast, the service at Kings in Kidlington was first-class, and I bought my bike .

[nathanm]

Same with Skellerns in Worcester. Yam dealer, now Kawasaki as Yamaha expected a full refit of the showroom. I don't get the business sense in it. Worcester loses a Yamaha dealer. I don't see how Yamaha gains.

[Treadtrader]

One of the Hammonds used to race with the Cotswold Enduro Club when I used to race with them in the '90s .

I was in Blaze Abingdon las year, when I was changing my Tracer 900, and the service was shocking. In contrast, the service at Kings in Kidlington was first-class, and I bought my bike .

Kings are the my local Suzuki dealer, always good service with a nice shop above to spend the kid’s inheritance.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Kings of Oxford has been around since God was a boy.

It was owned by Mike Hailwood's dad: even in Hailwood's early days as a racer his bike and pit area were always immaculate with liveried Kings vans etc.

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

Same with Skellerns in Worcester. Yam dealer, now Kawasaki as Yamaha expected a full refit of the showroom. I don't get the business sense in it. Worcester loses a Yamaha dealer. I don't see how Yamaha gains.

You have to buy all the stuff from Yamaha, carpet tiles etc as well as the signs and display boards.

[garyboy]

reading this thread, it seems that the days of the local friendly bike dealer are coming to an end ... but surely this is the result of trend that has been ongoing for years now ..... run down high streets, reliance on internet ordering, poor city centre parking and extortionate rentals and taxes, ... availability of out of town do it all shopping centres with acres of free parking and easy access, plus goverment and LA grants etc etc.

Should be no surprise really?

[Richard Simpson Mark II]

There are still some out there.

JD Racing moved from the very salubrious Union Street in Plymouth to an industrial estate in Saltash, but it's run by Mrs Deacon and her daughter with a small staff, and they are chatty, friendly, low-pressure people. I was happy to hand over a chunk of money for my GG to them...and it's a lovely bike.

[garyboy]

I guess the bike shops and mechanic shops that are still surviving are there because of their high quality and high good will factor.
We hold on dearly to them because we know that once they are gone they are gone, and will never be replaced.

But times move on, and economies of scale, and new selling and buying methods, do not necessarily mean a great lowering of quality in customer experience?

[dodursley]

I think Completely took over Skellerns perhaps they transferred the Yamaha franchise to Staverton, always thought of Skellerns as Honda dealers, used to get some Black Bomber bits cheaply from them bits they stripped off their racing 450s.