I do think the quality of sales people makes a LOT of difference in selling certain product lines. For example, Harley's, people walk in the door knowing what they want, yet still they're sales people often do a great job with knowledge of the line etc (it helps nothing has really changed in 100 years :-) , Honda's, people come in and want the Spring event for $0 down and $99 per month, just pick which color. If you want a Triumph, Guzzi, and maybe a Ducati, I think you need a sales person who can explain and KNOWS the advantages of our bikes. For instance, I'd say that it's fair to say that Somone shopping for a Sportster would also be a good fit for a TBA. So could a sales person explain that our 800cc bike will have more torque and HP than the 883 Sportster? That the parallel twin runs smooth and you can see out of the RV Mirrors when your stopped at a light. That a TBA can fit an average sized man where one on an 883 looks like a circus act? Can that sales person explain that an Volusia 800 is heavier and is putting out around 40 something HP and will be dog slow?
Long story short, I go to dealers whenever I'm traveling. VERY seldom have I been impressed by a salesperson in any of them. To me the guys in the Honda, Suzuki, Yamaharley, and Kawasaki joints are sitting around waiting for some guy who can get a credit app approved and sell them the most expensive bike, with the biggest payout they have.
When you can walk into a Triumph Suzuki dealership and the salesman has a choice to pimp a $7500 TBA or a $12K Suzuki with dealer incentives allowing 0% financing etc, what do you think they're going to lean towards?
God, I'm just ranting about nothing now. There is a reason that car manufacturers launch new models, to keep interest up. The Rocket III is a cool bike, but there is a GLARING hole in the 1300cc area for Triumph. Their big launch this year has been the VERY unimpressive Scrambler and the very nice Daytona 650. Let's hope they start paying more attention to the cruiser line.
