Canadian BMW dealer selling Husky's in 2010??

[Dirty Bikes]

it bought huskie to attract a younger crowd

....to the BMW brand

 

[Coffee]

Clearly some people will prefer the Uptites and Husky Sports of the world...

According to your listed location, and Husky Sports, you are about 25km from each other - a short drive! Next time you are over there please snap a few pictures so we can see what the shop looks like. I have reason to believe there may be a Cafe Husky sticker on the coffee machine

You could include some of the surrounding area as well, I really have no idea what that area looks like.

 

[petem]

According to your listed location, and Husky Sports, you are about 25km from each other - a short drive! Next time you are over there please snap a few pictures so we can see what the shop looks like. I have reason to believe there may be a Cafe Husky sticker on the coffee machine

You could include some of the surrounding area as well, I really have no idea what that area looks like.

Your wish is my command!

That distance is pretty much spot on, and I know the coffee machine very well. Never noticed the sticker but I'm always reaching for the coffee pot before I even get through the door so I'm preoccupied! I'll have a look next time and take some pics of that and some better pics of the building as a whole. It's not a huge place but bigger inside than you'd think as it goes back a long way and has two floors with the spares department and offices upstairs. It's in a beautiful location on the edge of the green in the typical English village of Cheriton, with a stream running nearby and ducks paddling about. So nothing like a BMW dealership then. Until I get there again with the camera, here's some old pics.

The end of the building, with the entrance at extreme right of the pic (the building's much wider than you can see here as there's a full width tilting door set back off-picture to the right which is used for getting bikes in and out):
View attachment 1850

The view out from the front of the building (how about that then! ):
View attachment 1849

Warning sign for ducklings on the road (!), and the village war memorial.
View attachment 1851

Very dark shot inside, taken from about half way down the ground floor looking to the back (the door at the end leads into the service department - guess what's in the crate you can just see...). Excuse the Yamaha in the foreground - that's my old bike I part exchanged for the Husky, and I believe the G450X behind it was also a p/x (oh no, BMWs creeping in already ):
View attachment 1852

I took these while I was waiting for my first service to be done. I'll pop in the next chance I get and take some better pictures, assuming I'm still allowed in - I've been so many times recently they're starting to think I'm setting up home (hmmm, not a bad idea now I come to think of it... ).

 

[Coffee]

Great pics!!!

They should also have a relatively large supply of Cafe Husky stickers too.

Hopefully they let you back into the store at some point

 

[ScottyR]

I have been away on holidays for the last week, but here is what I have been told.

Canada will have their own Husq Dist within the next few weeks. It is NOT going to be BMW Canada which will immediately turn off/away most BMW dealers. Originally, it was going to be BMW Canada and they were offering Husky to all the BMW shops. According to my contact within BMW Canada, only 1 shop in Ontario showed any interest in Husky and that was BMW Durham (Corp owned store).

I have had several conversations with 1 of the potential distributors and their plan is to have 12-15 Husky dealers in Canada in MY10. 3 in BC, 2 in AL, 1 in Man/Sask, 3 in Ont, 3 in PQ and 1 in the Maritimes.

I find it quite hilarious that all these BMW shops want Husky when none of them have proved they can sell a dirt bike. There have been less than 20 2009 BMW450Xs sold in Canada this year!! No joke.

 

[Dirty Bikes]

There have been less than 20 2009 BMW450Xs sold in Canada this year!! No joke.

Exactly!! And if anyone thinks it because of David Knight you are kidding yourself. The vast majority of BMW touring bike owners who do not already own a dirt bike are probably not interested in dumping $10k to get into out sport.

Also the current dirt riders are not likely to buy the 450x simply because the 450 market is full of awesome bikes all of which are south of $10k.


Wrong price, wrong product and wrong positioning.

 

[ScottyR]

The biggest issue that the BMW dealers will run into is with trades. 70% of my customers have a dirt bike trade. What do you think Budds are going to say when you roll into their taj mahal with your old CRF250X in the back of your truck and want to trade it on a TE310?

How do you think guys are going to handle their $115/hr labour rate as well? Get ready for a $695 PDI charge that will be non-negotiable. That is what they charge on ALL the BMWs sold today, inc the 450X.

 

[North]

Well, whatever happens, it would be nice to be able to go to a local Bike Shop here and get parts for my Husky.

 

[Poopy]

Well, whatever happens, it would be nice to be able to go to a local Bike Shop here and get parts for my Husky.

Amen, i've had it with our local shop that has a few huskys on the showroom floor. I just read that thread on DualsportBC, I see it was pacific Yamaha/BMW, that would be really good! They know whats up with the dirt bike crowd and know how to run a dealership.

 

[ScottyR]

I have heard good things about that BMW/Yam shop in Van. In Ontario, none of them have any interest in the off-road scene. That is not necessarily the case out west though.

I think that most BMW shops are still under the illusion that BMW Canada is going to be the Distributor, which is not going to be the case.

 

[Coffee]

I think that most BMW shops are still under the illusion that BMW Canada is going to be the Distributor, which is not going to be the case.

I know little about these things but, is the 'distributor' actually going to touch/fingerprint/process every bike & part? Or is it more of a legal 'Importer of record' that is more of a paperwork position and they will not directly process those items.

Any idea if they will be utilizing the services of Husqvarna NA? or has some responsibility been removed from them?

 

[ScottyR]

From what I have been told, Canada will have its own inventory of bikes and parts that will be "owned" by the new Dist. In a perfect world, I was told that Canada will be able to get bikes and parts from the US if necessary and vice versa as CDN and USA spec bikes are exactly the same.

The plan was to have the new people in place by the end of August, but I havent heard anything as of today who they are going to go with. I have my hopes that one company will get the contract over the other though.

 

[North]

Pacific Yamaha/BMW does support the Dualsport community here, they come out to all the rides.

Although, I personally have no problems with the current husky shop, other than not being able to get parts. Hence my 610 is sitting in my garage.

 

[Poopy]

Just talked to a sales person today at Pacific yamaha, he said they will hopefully be getting the Husky line sometime after or around the bike show. But nothing is confirmed yet. I think the bike show is February isnt it?

 

[Gregarious]

South Sound BMW in Fife, Washington

Just received an announcement that South Sound BMW in Fife, WA (between Seattle and Tacoma) will be carrying Huskys in the next month. Their sister store, RideWest BMW, in Seattle will not. I assume so they will not conflict with Tasky's in Everett.

-Greg