No Ventures!

[autopilot]

I don't understand Yamaha Corp. I had wanted to take a look at a new Venture just to get a better idea of the bike, in person. Of course they didn't have one, nor did they have a new RSTD. (If memory serves, I didn't see a Vmax either) I stop by there periodically and thinking about it, it struck me that they never have either one of them. They have a full spread of crotch rockets and V-twin cruisers, but no RSVs or RSTDs.

 

Now I should note that this is one of those consolidated dealers, where if they can get the licensing they'll sell it. So the place has Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda and Kawasaki bikes of all sorts. They have a Concourse 1400; they have one (maybe two) ST1300s; they ALWAYS have a Goldwing or two. Then there there are the innumerable 4wheelers, jet-skis and dirtbikes. Since I was the to see my friend in parts, I was talking about my observation and their lack of "our" kind of bikes. He said they only get about 2 a year! 2!! So I'm thinking to myself, WHY? More importantly, why would they license a store that clearly doesn't represent their product well, in an environment where they can easily slide a customer into the high-priced spread of any one of their competitors? I clearly don't get it! It wouldn't make sense to allow the store to completely dictate the inventory for their brand at the expense of their flagship model. Or is this Yamaha short supplying their product? I dont know.

 

I disagreed with the multiple brand dealerships when some car sales went that way, and I disagree with it for bikes, especially when they don't even keep a sampling of the entire line on the floor. That's not to say they have to have one of every color and different ones with different options. On top of that, the closest shop that has test rides is about 60 miles away.

 

Are RSV and RSTD sales so limited that they just keep them in the mix for apperances? Clearly, they haven't been making the changes & upgrades that have been discussed here so many times before. It's almost like they don't want to really "compete" in the touring market.

 

I learned a lot from my mentor about sales in my first job, that sticks with me to this day. (1) Know your product and know it well; and (2) if you want to sell them, you have to have them to sell. Point of sale and emotion play a large part and neither can come into play if you don't even have the product to sell (or in our case, to buy)

So, whoever it was that was taking notes for Yamaha, send them this one too.

 

What ever. I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I don't understand Yamaha Corp. ......... He said they only get about 2 a year! 2!! So I'm thinking to myself, WHY?

 

What ever. I'm tired and I'm going to bed.

 

 

The Venture is a pretty exclusive bike. My understanding is that Yamaha makes about one per dealer per year. Some dealers will trade inventory if they think they have a market for selling more than one...other dealers dont want even that one bike alloted to them. They'd rather have a faster moving item or two. No one in my area had one either...i had a dealer 45 miles from me trade one out from another dealer 180 miles away. If they know its sold, they will get on that computer and look for inventory...not a prob.

 

Stop whining. Go take a demo ride where you can. Or not. Your choice. Personally, I LIKE having a less common bike. Harleys and Hondas are as common as Chevys and Fords. It gets its own attention...some riders have never even SEEN one, dont know WHAT it is. I LIKE that!

 

And...me too...I'm going to bed...in a minute.

 

 

 

 

 

[gibvel]

My dealer said that they usually don't get the Ventures in till the end of the riding season. Don't know if there's logic to this or if that's when they "get their allotment".

[RoadKill]

And my dealer sold 8 last year and has an 08 Black Cherry/Raven on the floor now. And we are in what I would call a small market.

[firewalker]

My dealer orders what they think they will sell each year of any of the bikes, I know they order 4-6 RSVs a year, they have one of the floor now and have already sold at least one '08 this year, they got the '08s about 2 months ago.

[skidrow]

" Personally, I LIKE having a less common bike. Harleys and Hondas are as common as Chevys and Fords."

 

 

 

HONDA'S AND HARLEY'S ARE MORE LIKE BEER CANS...CRUSH ONE OR TWO AND NOBODY WILL NOTICE.

 

 

 

 

 

[Mariner Fan]

Last year my local dealer didn't have a Venture on the floor at all. I ended up driving to another dealership to get mine.

 

I don't know if I greased the skids or not but they ended up getting an 08 black cherry and an 08 silver for this year. I went in the shop just last weekend and they were both gone. The guys said they were sold and he's looking for another black cherry because he has another customer wanting one.

 

Quite the change from last year!

[rsstar]

Dealer in Picyune Ms. has two, a blue and a midnight. The dealer in Hattiesburg had 3 a month ago. I understand Corinth Ms. dealer always has them, and is the cheapest in the area, next to what my local dealer offered me. Dealer in Slidell La had a midnight about two weeks ago when I was there. This is the most RSVs I've seen in the area ever. I guess Yamaha isn't like Victory...if you don't sell at least 80 Victorys a year, you're likely to lose your franchise. (just what I've heard) As someone said the RSV riders are an elite group. PTBAV

[Naked Rider]

I talked to a local dealer and he told me that he will not carry the RSV but he does carry the other v-twins and he also carries the honda brands as well like the GOLDWING.

[Brake Pad]

The Venture is a pretty exclusive bike. My understanding is that Yamaha makes about one per dealer per year. Some dealers will trade inventory if they think they have a market for selling more than one...other dealers dont want even that one bike alloted to them. They'd rather have a faster moving item or two. No one in my area had one either...i had a dealer 45 miles from me trade one out from another dealer 180 miles away. If they know its sold, they will get on that computer and look for inventory...not a prob.

 

Stop whining. Go take a demo ride where you can. Or not. Your choice. Personally, I LIKE having a less common bike. Harleys and Hondas are as common as Chevys and Fords. It gets its own attention...some riders have never even SEEN one, dont know WHAT it is. I LIKE that!

 

And...me too...I'm going to bed...in a minute.

 

 

 

The dealership I got my bike from. only sold two for the year. & I got the first one.

I guess it depends on were you live. My area is middle income. most of the people here, can't afford payments of 250.00 a month.

I payed off my truck to keep myselve in do bounds.:cool10:I'd still be riding my Roadstar, and have to deal with an unhappy wife. Lifes to short.

[CrazyHorse]

I talked to a local dealer and he told me that he will not carry the RSV but he does carry the other v-twins and he also carries the honda brands as well like the GOLDWING.

 

My local dealer doesnt carry them either.

[Ozark]

I waited three months for my dealer to get one in just so I could sit on it. Very nice, but my 1st gen is paid for and a lot younger than I am. :rotf:

[MAINEAC]

When it comes to RSVs Yamaha does some strange stuff... Dealer in Newport, ME didn't sell the 2007 they got and Yammie sends them 2 2008s.. I think there doin something wierd with the options too... I think they had a silver one with chrome forks

[Sleeperhawk]

Come down to Sumter, they have 08 Ventures and the Raiders.

They will usually let you test ride also, especially if you sweet talk them.

[Guest Kurt Leopold]

My dealer had 3. 2 of the S model and one deep red. The deep red was sold as was one S model. I had to wait 2 1/2 weeks for the deep red bike I wanted and it was worth the wait. Picked it up last Fri.

[Ferrantelli]

Dealers will order bikes from manufactures (Yamaha, ect..) based on what they think will sell to their customer base (providing they are not late with the orders and stock is available). If they order bikes and do not sell, they pay a monthly note on them. Many times they are wrong on their estimations. I had a difficult time finding mine. Every dealer I went to offered to get it for me but had nothing on the floor to show me. Then I went to the least likely dealer to have one (Queens, New York) for business and there it was just uncrated. Just one look that is all it took!!!!!

Isn't she beautiful!!!

http://www.motorcycleaustralia.com.au/new/gallery/xvz1300tf%20-1132541860.jpg