Edinburgh Harley/Kawasaki closing
Discussion
hiccy18 said:
Jeezo! Never been to either but have been thinking about looking at Kawasaki in the spring, that's bust now.
There is still Kirkcaldy Kawasaki, at least for now. It's been a terrible 18 months for motorcycle dealers in Scotland. Mickey Oates, Ecosse Motorcycles (Dundee and Aberdeen), Saltire motorcycles, and now Edinburgh Kawasaki / Harley Davidson all closed / closing.Marquezs Stabilisers said:
Manufacturers and UK importers are going to have to step in and offer support. If there are no dealers, how are we to buy new bikes and keep them in business?
I agree, although perhaps we are seeing a shift to cheaper bikes, mostly from Chinese manufacturers. From what I've read most of the dealers that have closed across the uk have been for Japanese manufacturers, triumph, or BMW.Combined with the average age of a motorcyclist in the UK being around 54 I think its possible that we are seeing a change in the landscape. Is it that the number of people buying expensive bikes is decreasing and/or that younger riders (and also perhaps older riders) are more likely to be drawn to cheaper bikes from emerging manufacturers? Speed limits decreasing everywhere, increasing use of dash cams, average speed cameras, condition of roads getting worse, standard of driving getting worse?
Who knows what the future holds.....
Edited by Ecosseven on Friday 24th January 22:00
Ecosseven said:
There is still Kirkcaldy Kawasaki, at least for now. It's been a terrible 18 months for motorcycle dealers in Scotland. Mickey Oates, Ecosse Motorcycles (Dundee and Aberdeen), Saltire motorcycles, and now Edinburgh Kawasaki / Harley Davidson all closed / closing.
I've been to look at bikes there before, and we've family in the area, but it's a bit far from the other side of the central belt for a potential daily rider.It's been rough since Covid, there's loads been lost.
So what does that leave in Edinburgh now?
Two wheels or BMW in Dalkeith?
I'm old school and I like to see what I'm buying in the flesh plus quite often I'm not even sure what I want and am just browsing with intent to buy. Hell there's more choice in Fife than there is in the capital city.
I'm not surprised, I actually looked at the price of a new Harley at the start of the week, it's starting about £26k, and I don't even know if that's a good one.
Leather jackets that look like you got them out of Primark for £700. A pair of jogging bottoms were £80.
I used to understand why fat folk that still wanted to ride got a Harley but surely it's cheaper and easier these days to exercise, or get the fat jab or I dunno take up ketamine so you can ride and afford a decently priced bike that isn't s
t.
Leather jackets that look like you got them out of Primark for £700. A pair of jogging bottoms were £80.
I used to understand why fat folk that still wanted to ride got a Harley but surely it's cheaper and easier these days to exercise, or get the fat jab or I dunno take up ketamine so you can ride and afford a decently priced bike that isn't s
t. StonedRollin said:
the cueball said:
Ahhh... Edinburgh Kawasaki... the place where they refused to give me a test ride when trying to buy a bike as they were "trying to sell it"...
Very odd sales tactic, clearly didn't work for them...
Getting test rides at all these days is getting harder and harder. Very odd sales tactic, clearly didn't work for them...
Still sorry to see them go
moanthebairns said:
I wonder if there is any longer a place for a big motorbike dealer in Edinburgh with all the bike crime that's going on there. I'd sooner ride to Perth or Fife knowing it wont get stolen whilst its sat outside waiting for a MOT.
Leaving Saltire a wee while ago I got followed by a couple of young gentlemen on a SurRon type thing, obviously cold as they had their hoods up. I'd like to say my superior riding skills enabled me to escape but the reality is the lights all fell in my favour and after 2 sets they gave upAlways a shame when businesses go down. Never visited either…and if I wanted a Kawasaki I’m in Fife so would have gone to Kirkcaldy. But shame for all the workers. Is there a glut of motorcycle mechanics and sales folks in the market now? What are that going to do; I’m not sure they can all set themselves up as independents.
The Harley closure is really surprising - I thought having a HD business was a licence to print money with all the accessories and gear.
Be interesting to see who’s available to actually sell you a bike in Edinburgh by the time the Scottish Motorcycle Show comes around on March.
The Harley closure is really surprising - I thought having a HD business was a licence to print money with all the accessories and gear.
Be interesting to see who’s available to actually sell you a bike in Edinburgh by the time the Scottish Motorcycle Show comes around on March.
Marquezs Stabilisers said:
Manufacturers and UK importers are going to have to step in and offer support. If there are no dealers, how are we to buy new bikes and keep them in business?
I think the dealers brought nothing to the party. Two cups & a bit of string operating in the smartphone era. Seriously, I can't see what most dealers add to the bike buying experience. They're reluctant to offer test rides, most of the sales staff don't have a clue about the product they're selling & many of the techs do shoddy, sometimes dangerous work. Boomers might accept this st service but younger buyers will just switch-off & spend their money on something else - often non bike related.Edinburgh Harley would have been better opening a coffee shop years ago as their customers hardly ever rode their bikes anyway. More interested in mincing around South Queensferry in over-priced faux leather branded jackets, drinking tea & admiring their reflection in the chrome.
EasternBlocGeek said:
I think the dealers brought nothing to the party. Two cups & a bit of string operating in the smartphone era. Seriously, I can't see what most dealers add to the bike buying experience. They're reluctant to offer test rides, most of the sales staff don't have a clue about the product they're selling & many of the techs do shoddy, sometimes dangerous work. Boomers might accept this st service but younger buyers will just switch-off & spend their money on something else - often non bike related.
Edinburgh Harley would have been better opening a coffee shop years ago as their customers hardly ever rode their bikes anyway. More interested in mincing around South Queensferry in over-priced faux leather branded jackets, drinking tea & admiring their reflection in the chrome.
Despite being a HD rider almost exclusively, I detest their dealerships - its 95% useless tat/merch, their techs are second rate, and the prices are ridiculously inflated for anything even as basic as tyres. As such I'd much rather buy a used HD and support my local cruiser specialist indy places for anything I can't do myself.t service but younger buyers will just switch-off & spend their money on something else - often non bike related.Edinburgh Harley would have been better opening a coffee shop years ago as their customers hardly ever rode their bikes anyway. More interested in mincing around South Queensferry in over-priced faux leather branded jackets, drinking tea & admiring their reflection in the chrome.
I'd rather push the damned thing 10 miles than go to my local HD dealership; because I'm younger than their normal demographic I feel like I'm treated as a nusiance and not worth talking to, even if I have money burning a hole in my pocket for a new bike they aren't interested. The final nail though was work done under warranty where they red loctited the clutch cover bolts in - eventually they replaced everything they had ruined but not after a significant fight to get them to admit liability. Absolute clowns!
Bob_Defly said:
There was one guy on Reddit that planned a huge tour JUST going from HD dealership to dealership. It honestly looked like the most boring motorcycle tour ever, couldn't understand it at all.
Gaffer from work has just passed his test and got a Harley. They do ride outs from the Edinburgh branch to the Glasgow one, with marshalls and lead boys etc high Vis vests the lot. I've went further crashing. Gassing Station | Biker Banter | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff