Tag Archives: dealerships

Indian opens in two Queensland dealerships

Indian Motorcycle Australia has announced two new dealerships in Queensland to replace the company dealership in Brisbane.

The opulent two-storey Fortitude Valley dealership will close on 24 July 2020.

Motorcycle industry dealer showroom deal stores
Brisbane Indian Motorcycle dealership is in a mainstream motor vehicle retail area

Existing dealerships

It will be replaced by joining two existing multi-brand dealerships.

One will be a TeamMoto dealership in Moss St, Springwood, south of Brisbane, and the other an Ultimate Motorbikes dealership on Lawrence Drive, Nerang, on the Gold Coast.

In January, the company surprised its customers when it announced it would close its four company-owned dealerships in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Sources told us it was part of a long-term plan to move from company-owned dealerships to independent dealerships.

In February, they signed an agreement with TeamMoto, the biggest dealership network in Australia. Its owner, MotorCycle Holdings has 48 franchises operated from 31 dealerships and eight retail accessory locations in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and The Australian Capital Territory.

The deal did not preclude the company from signing on more dealers as this latest announcement shows.

Ultimate Motorbikes also has dealerships in Springwood and Ipswich.

TeamMoto will also sell Indian motorcycles at Penrith and Auburn in western Sydney, and Keilor East and Dandenong in Melbourne.

A statement on a dealer for Perth is yet to be made.

stores Victory-Indian-Perth-Dealership-Artistic-Render.jpg
Perth store opened in 2016

An official Indian Motorcycle Australia statement says the new dealerships will include:

  • Indian Motorcycle trained sales staff;
  • Full model lineup of Indian Motorcycles;
  • Demo fleet for test rides;
  • Indian Motorcycle trained technicians for all service and warranty work;
  • Large range of accessories and apparel on display; and
  • Shop rides and events (when possible).

“The expansion of our dealership network and moving out of the central city locations will give our customers greater and easier access to our dealerships nationwide and provide more than one location in each of the state capitals, providing more options for our customers,” they saids back in February.

“We have very high standards when it comes to how and where the Indian Motorcycle brand is represented and the level of service our dealerships offer our customers.”

Their statement said parent company Polaris was working with MCH to keep current staff employed at the new dealerships.

No other market around the world had experienced the luxury of palatial company-owned Indian dealerships which offered a heightened customer service for the revived brand. 

Many in the industry and in the company, as well as customers, acknowledged that it was an excessive and unsustainable business model.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Stern warning to MV Agusta dealers

New MV Agusta boss Timur Sardarov has a stern warning to dealers as he works to restore the company’s stocks after years of financial hardship and rudderless direction.

“A lot of dealers had been granted the dealership before my time and are not the right dealers and partners,” he says.

“They either have to step up or fuck off!”

Stern warning

He says his stern warning includes some Australian dealers.

“Some are doing well and some are not doing vey well,” he says in perfect English with a heavy Russian accent.

“It’s important that our distributor (Urban Moto Imports) is communicating and making sure they communicate the strategy, the new positioning and new way for MV Agusta to be presented.

“For me, the most important thing is the client. The dealer is an intermediary to MV Agusta.

“If the dealer does not invest and follow processes we have put in together to follow, it means the dealer will be terminated or converted into a service centre.

“For us it’s easier to sell and deal with the client directly through the internet and make sure that the dealers who do not have our identity and training are just delivery points.

“We’re working on dealing on online, converting ourselves into an online hybrid system with big dealers.”

Quality and parts

MV Agusta 75th anniversary continues 950ccTimur Sardarov

While issuing a stern warning to dealers, Timur has reached out to customers directly via social media to complain to him about parts and other issues.

“There are still perceptions from the past that MV Agusta is unreliable quality and spare parts delivery is not up to standard,” he says

“I want to assure that is not the case.

“We are up to the standard of Honda. In the past three years we have improved quality four-fold.

“Spare parts delivery is 48 hours in Europe and in Australia is within 10 working days like America. “Before coronavirus that was the case.”

Timur urges customers who have lost faith in the iconic Italian brand to re-engage with MV Agusta.

“I believe it is the most interesting bike to own and the most fun bike to ride,” he says.

“It’s different and has a lot of character.

“You’re not going to see many of them in Australia.”

MV Agusta Australia is currently offering $3000 off the ride-away price on selected 2019 Brutale, Dragster, and Turismo Veloce models.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Indian joins forces with Motorcycle Holdings

Indian Motorcycle Australia will sell their bikes through six more dealerships owned by Motorcycle Holdings Ltd who operate TeamMoto dealerships.

Last month the company surprised its customers when it announced it would close its four company-owned dealerships in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.

Sources told us it was part of a long-term plan to move from company-owned dealerships to independent dealerships.

However, rather than independents, they have now signed an agreement with the biggest dealership network in Australia. We believe it does not preclude the company from signing on more dealers, including independents.

MotorCycle Holdings has 48 franchises operated from 31 dealerships and eight retail accessory locations in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and The Australian Capital Territory.

MCH went public in 2016 at about $2.50 a share, reached a peak of $5.22 at the end of 2017, hit a record low of around $1.25 in May last year and was today trading at $.175.

Today’s announcement has bumped the share price about 5c to $1.80.

New dealerships

MotorCycle Holdings will sell Indian motorcycles at the following locations: Springwood in Brisbane, Nerang on the Gold Coast, Penrith and Auburn in western Sydney, and Keilor East and Dandenong in Melbourne.

A statement on a dealer for Perth will be made “in the near future”.

stores Victory-Indian-Perth-Dealership-Artistic-Render.jpgPerth store opened in 2016

“All locations are anticipated to be operational by mid-2020, a transition that will see a smooth supply and service for existing and new Indian Motorcycle customers as each company-owned Indian Motorcycle dealership closes,” an official Indian Motorcycle Australia statement says.

“The expansion of our dealership network and moving out of the central city locations will give our customers greater and easier access to our dealerships nationwide and provide more than one location in each of the state capitals, providing more options for our customers.

“We have very high standards when it comes to how and where the Indian Motorcycle brand is represented and the level of service our dealerships offer our customers,” the statement says.

“We will be working with MotorCycle Holdings to leverage both companies’ vast retail experience to provide our customers with the exceptional customer service and premium dealership experience that you’ve come to expect from an Indian Motorcycle dealership.

“Each dealership will have a full fleet of new and demo Indian Motorcycles, sell parts, apparel and accessories and be a factory-trained Indian Motorcycle workshop for all your needs.”

The statement says parent company Polaris is working with MCH to keep current staff employed at the new dealerships.

No other market around the world had experienced the luxury of palatial company-owned Indian dealerships which offered a heightened customer service for the revived brand. 

Many in the industry and in the company, as well as customers, acknowledged that it was an excessive and unsustainable business model.

2020 vision

The year ahead looks good for Indian wth the extra dealerships, and the launch of the new Challenger touring range.

It has already got off to a god start wth 69 bikes sold in January which is a 13.1% increase on the previous year in a month when road bike sales tanked were down 5%.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com