[Zuki]

I found out this week that Cycle city in Burlington has shut down. Apparently its going to become Stoney Creek Choppers or something like that. BOO!

So in the last 2 years the Canadian motorcycle market (or at least locally) has taken a real **** kicking. We've lost 2 or 3 of the big ones and there are a couple more that look like they wont be around long. I heard a RUMOR that Envy Rides might be go soon as well. I don't like them anyway but that really isn't leaving us many options.

On another note i understand that buying parts from across the boarder hurts our market but...its hard to justify paying twice as much for certain parts. The best example is The Arai RX7 Corsair helmet. Up here it sells for around $1100 and that doesn't include alternate padding if you need it. I can get the same helmet in the U.S. including the alternate padding for $650. Even with a crappy exchange rate and shipping you save $300+.

Discuss?

 

[mada]

ya, when I showed up at Cycle City to have my tire taken off only to find out they were shut down, really made me start to wonder what's going to happen to the last few dealers around here. I want to buy from Canadian dealers because it helps our economy, but you get *** ***** with almost everything you buy up here (compared to US prices).

I'm really getting tired of Canada saying you have to buy here, and then keep the prices up (they are even RAISING prices)

If I had my way I'd move down to the US, cause I've almost had it with Canada (well Ontario at least)

 

[SvReed]

No kidding it is unfortunate.. Here in London we have Inglis, and (boo) Hully Gully for the big guys.. and a few smaller other ones, probably most notably G&G Cycle. At Inglis they are pretty nice, but when you walk into Hully Gully you can smell the monopolization. They don't even let you sit on their bikes..

I know (through my dad/brother) a few people that bring used boats back from the States and make a killing re-selling them.. maybe we should start doing that with the bikes. Who wants to go splits on a transport truck?

 

[Currently]

I grew up on the Canadian border ... for the thirty five years that I lived there, I utilized the advantages of both worlds.

I even bought a new Jetta diesel in '84 for 58 cents on the dollar when the discount was lopsided! Dealer even paid half the tariff importing it in the US! Did not pay any Canadian taxes ... just import fees and Maine state excise taxes to get the vehicle registered.

You are not that far from the border where you can take advantage of those transactions.

 

[spacemonkey]

I found out this week that Cycle city in Burlington has shut down. Apparently its going to become Stoney Creek Choppers or something like that. BOO!

So in the last 2 years the Canadian motorcycle market (or at least locally) has taken a real **** kicking. We've lost 2 or 3 of the big ones and there are a couple more that look like they wont be around long. I heard a RUMOR that Envy Rides might be go soon as well. I don't like them anyway but that really isn't leaving us many options.

On another note i understand that buying parts from across the boarder hurts our market but...its hard to justify paying twice as much for certain parts. The best example is The Arai RX7 Corsair helmet. Up here it sells for around $1100 and that doesn't include alternate padding if you need it. I can get the same helmet in the U.S. including the alternate padding for $650. Even with a crappy exchange rate and shipping you save $300+.

Discuss?

I too heard envy was struggling, but hadn't heard that they were going under. That kinda sucks because they're the closest dealer to me and I haven't had any problems yet.

 

[Krauser]

If dealerships were a little bit more honest and weren't trying to rip you off left and right or if their mechanics weren't complete knobs - things like this wouldn't been happening. That's exactly the case for the 2 nearest to me, I personally will never bring my bike into a dealership so some con-artist can inspect it. It'll cost A LOT and they'll do a half-assed job.

 

[cycling]

I too heard envy was struggling, but hadn't heard that they were going under. That kinda sucks because they're the closest dealer to me and I haven't had any problems yet.

I hope not.
They are good and will buy my next bike from them.
Great service and eager to help.

 

[CanuckSV650]

I have good experiences from both in London. Bought my K7 from Ultimate (hully gully) brand new for $5800 18 months ago when dollar at par. I got a steal. Get great parts help from ultimate too. Ingliss great service too. Gord (owner/partner) let me download the 2007 OEM manual onto my USB drive for $30. The hard copy was $135 cdn. Gord downloaded it from Suzuki and even let me behind the counter to copy it to my USB drive. He doesn't know me from Adam but when i can afford a Monster I will go to no one but them.

 

[dtwalker]

We lost the one here in Sault Ste Marie over the winter. The signs are still posted all over the building but when you go in that's another story. They were never the best people to deal with but now they are, well this is a G rated forum so I'll save it for later. In order to get genuine parts it's a 2 hour ride east to trailside or 2.5 hrs south into Michigan.

Being on a border it's easy to get parts shipped to a box in the US and go pick it up, but I'd like to keep my money here in Canada. Hard to do it when everyone pulls out.

Hopefully someone gets wise and opens another or at least picks them up.

 

[mada]

I hope not.
They are good and will buy my next bike from them.
Great service and eager to help.

I try and stay away from Envy in regards to service. I haven't had ANY good experience as far as their service in either their service department or in the store.

 

[Nudist]

Business' can easily be run if you follow fairly cut and dry operations. Folks get into trouble by getting ahead of themselves in the operation overhead and trying to make up for it by gouging customers - recipe for failure.

 

[jetfixer]

OEM parts cost far to much from Canadian dealers. Simple stuff like oil filters and grips are over double what you pay in the USA. I'm in the middle of nowhere and the only dealer is a Honda (and I own 2) shop that is a tragedy for motorcycles, but what can you do when you live in quad country. Each year I get my parts by mail from the US, and even with exchange and shipping I save money. Many dealerships offer discounts to racers such as myself but still, it doesn't match the US prices. Having lived in the US I KNOW we get the stiff one here in Canada on almost everything we buy. The dealers aren't at fault completely as our import, federal and provincial taxes are rediculous.

 

[Dread]

The dealers aren't at fault completely as our import, federal and provincial taxes are rediculous.

True, but they play a HUGE part of it.

I work at a dealership and it makes me feel dirty sometimes to tell a customer what he has to pay for something when I see our cost...especially on tires, good god the mark up is sickening.

Having lived in the US, where most things seem to be HALF the price, Canadian prices are hard to swallow.

 

[aloyas]

True, but they play a HUGE part of it.

I work at a dealership and it makes me feel dirty sometimes to tell a customer what he has to pay for something when I see our cost...especially on tires, good god the mark up is sickening.

Having lived in the US, where most things seem to be HALF the price, Canadian prices are hard to swallow.

I hear you. I use to work at a dealership too. They are there to make money. Not all is rosy. They are no longer a dealership. Let's just say they down sized.

 

[Krauser]

OEM parts cost far to much from Canadian dealers. Simple stuff like oil filters and grips are over double what you pay in the USA. I'm in the middle of nowhere and the only dealer is a Honda (and I own 2) shop that is a tragedy for motorcycles, but what can you do when you live in quad country. Each year I get my parts by mail from the US, and even with exchange and shipping I save money. Many dealerships offer discounts to racers such as myself but still, it doesn't match the US prices. Having lived in the US I KNOW we get the stiff one here in Canada on almost everything we buy. The dealers aren't at fault completely as our import, federal and provincial taxes are rediculous.

This is true, I remember my friend imported 15 brand new Gixxers from an Ohio wholeseller when our dollar was amazing. He paid about $5500 CAD per 600 and $6000 per 750 - he had a fight with customs because they wouldn't let him import them all. Not sure how he got them through, but the profit he made per Gixxer was about $2000-4500. If insurance wasn't rape for anyone under 25 in Ontario, I would have taken a 750 myself. $6000 is a steal.

 

[Zuki]

This is true, I remember my friend imported 15 brand new Gixxers from an Ohio wholeseller when our dollar was amazing. He paid about $5500 CAD per 600 and $6000 per 750 - he had a fight with customs because they wouldn't let him import them all. Not sure how he got them through, but the profit he made per Gixxer was about $2000-4500. If insurance wasn't rape for anyone under 25 in Ontario, I would have taken a 750 myself. $6000 is a steal.

**** i would have bought a 750 and just stored it for a year until i turned 25

 

[Krauser]

I would too, but I didn't have enough for an SV and a 750

 

[Zuki]

I would too, but I didn't have enough for an SV and a 750

hahaha i understand.