Texas X Riders
Main Area => General Discussion => Topic started by: xcaliber on January 25, 2018, 06:05:23 PM
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With motorcycle sales down significantly it appears that Honda of Houston has bit the bullet. Their phone message: "It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that we have had to make the very difficult decision of permanently closing the doors at Honda of Houston. We would like to thank all of our guests, riders, and supporters for an amazing 24 years in the Motorsports Community. We will never forget all of the great times and memories made along the way. “The journey is what you make it!” We will continue business in the Service Department and Parts Department until further notice. All in-stock items in the Parts and Accessory Department will be marked down to 35% off, including Gear, Helmets, Tires, Hard Parts, Accessories, Apparel, etc... Thank you for your continued support.
#HondaofHouston #HHR #EndofanEra"
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Well that sucks. They are only a few miles from where I live.
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Wow. that stinks. I imagine that their service department will quickly follow suit. That location there was the first time I saw a VTX 1800 Neo and fell in love with the big bike. I didn't buy it from them but my buddy did buy his 1300 though.
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didn't realize how big they were into racing. I think their service dept was a big problem in recent years. From Racer X website
Below if the official statement from the dealership.
Honda of Houston is closing its doors after nearly 24 years of supporting and encouraging Honda customers.
Opening in 1994, Honda of Houston charged into the metropolitan-Houston marketplace with creative ideas, huge displays, and a Texas-sized desire for customer service. Not content with satisfying Houston customers, Honda of Houston Racing ventured as far west as California, as far east as Florida, and as far north as Tennessee and Missouri. The Texas dealership jumped headfirst into amateur motocross support with such fantastic young riders as Josh Grant, Wil and Tommy Hahn, Jake Weimer, Tanner Krannenbuhl, Adam Chatfield, and many more. The dealership crew even found enough time to run the Lake Whitney Motocross Park for ten years. Lake Whitney was one of the greatest tracks in Texas motocross history. Today’s stars and many of the past champions of American motocross all did laps at the Honda of Houston version of the Lake Whitney Motocross Park. This Texas dealership has always been committed to the Honda customer, the Honda Brand, and to the powersports enthusiast.
As a Honda-only dealership, Honda of Houston again jumped headfirst into American Honda’s Powerhouse Dealer concept. Honda of Houston was always and truly “All Honda, All the Time.” The dealer principal and the entire staff of Honda of Houston are extremely proud of their legacy and what they gave to the powersports community. Honda of Houston hopes that they are leaving an industry and a community just a little better than they found it in 1994.
Support your local dealer.
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Makes me wonder if DFW Honda in Grapevine is not too far behind.
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other than Harley(for now) difficult for a stand alone single brand dealer to make it. They need to sell the mud buggies , skidoos , and different brands of MC's. The metric dealers need to step up their customer appreciation program. Not a fan of Harley bikes but they treat their customers better by far than anyone. They are always having some sort of event that keeps their customers involved in the dealership. If they built a bike that I liked, I would buy from them.
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other than Harley(for now) difficult for a stand alone single brand dealer to make it. They need to sell the mud buggies , skidoos , and different brands of MC's. The metric dealers need to step up their customer appreciation program. Not a fan of Harley bikes but they treat their customers better by far than anyone. They are always having some sort of event that keeps their customers involved in the dealership. If they built a bike that I liked, I would buy from them.
Give it a few years. They have 20 different platforms to introduce and somewhere there has been rumors of dual sports or at least entering into the off road segment of some sort.
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I was at DFW Honda last week picking up a part for the VTX and was told that two brothers that owns two of the Honda dealership in Dallas bailed out and sold his interest to his other brother.
Harley is cutting production on bikes for 2018 by about 50% this year. The dealer we deal with has been stocking up on used bikes anticipating a shortage later in the year. They have about 600 used bikes in inventory at this time.
The HD dealership always has something going on. Sometime Deb and I go up about twice a week and eat at the dealership. Heading up tomorrow for a Wild Wing eating contest. The winner get a 200.00 gift card. Which if I win I bet I can buy two t-shirts with the gift card
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Just a few months ago, I swapped wheels with Larry Smith because his were chromed. When I took his wheels off, the bearings were shot, so I decided to take both sets of wheels to HoH to have the tires swapped between the two sets and to have new bearings installed in the chrome rims. On the way there, they told me on the phone it would be $45 for each set to swap the tires between the rims, and then the cost to do the bearings was additional. When they called me to say they were ready to pick up, the parts guy told me the total was $575 and change! I about flipped a lid and asked him to break that total down. That's when he said the tire swap was $45 PER WHEEL. I told him that was not what I was told over the phone, so I asked to speak to the manager. He got him on the phone, and the manager said the exact same thing. I told him that if I'd have known it was going to be that much, I wouldn't have agreed for them to do the work. So when I went to pick them up, I paid the total and asked to speak with the manager again. He was sitting two desks down from where I was and he came over. I reached out my hand to shake his, and while I was shaking his hand, I told him it was nice to put a face to a name and that this was the last time I'd ever do business with them. He just smirked and said sorry you feel that way. I brought copies of my past work orders where they installed tires for me to show him that they were definitely higher in their prices than they used to be. All he said was that they had to raise there rates. I said that I'd done a lot of business with them over the past 10+ years, and he said he noticed that, too. Guess the writing was on the wall and I didn't see it coming, but their customer service went south that day and I was done with them.
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I have been down that road before myself at a Stealership. It is,a live and learn process!! Sometimes a painful one on the pocketbook. Ones that do that to there customers drive them off and end up going out of business and wonder what went wrong.
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You guys should buy Harleys, this way you'll never be surprised that each time you take it in you'll have to take out a 2nd mortgage for service work. Presto, frustration solved.
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Harley shutting down Kansas City Plant
https://www.upi.com/https:/www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/01/30/Harley-Davidson-shutting-down-Kansas-City-plant-amid-sales-drop/2651517326025
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Harley shutting down Kansas City Plant
https://www.upi.com/https:/www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/01/30/Harley-Davidson-shutting-down-Kansas-City-plant-amid-sales-drop/2651517326025
That's terrible. yet they moved their 750 and 500 production to India. Guess it don't matter, those dogs don't sell here anyway.
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul. Ruthy and I have done things and experienced things that many friends our age just talk about. With the exception of 1, none of my friends my age range even own a motorcycle and hell he hasn't ridden it in 5 years. As many places as I have been and shared with them it doesn't seem to motivate them. They prefer this fast paced life that amounts to nothing in the end.
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Can Millennials Save the Motorcycle Industry
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-05/can-millennials-save-the-motorcycle-industry
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Can Millennials Save the Motorcycle Industry
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-05/can-millennials-save-the-motorcycle-industry
No. they prefer to use emoji's to communicate and uber so they can continue texting.
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I think this phenomenon resonates across alot of industries. How many millennials are interested in cars? Specifically , old antique cars?
Interest in the NFL is down but the younger gen is interested in soccer if they are into sports at all. Boxing out UFC is in. Technology is their interest and that's OK. Generational thing. Will MC's become cool again? Hard to say. They were not cool among our grandfathers but got cool in the 60's. Maybe it will skip a generation and come back as a skybike like in Star Wars . That will be cool.
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Give it a few years. They have 20 different platforms to introduce and somewhere there has been rumors of dual sports or at least entering into the off road segment of some sort.
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It's true, HD is entering the off road segment! https://www.atvrider.com/harley-powered-atv
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HD actually marketed dirt bikes back in the sixties. And they were Italian two strokes, too!
Technically, the Sportster started out as a dirt bike; they raced on a circular dirt track. HD was looking for something to break the hold the Brits (Triumph / BSA) had on the flat track circuit.
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Don't forget the 14 or so years that AMF owned them
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Don't forget the 14 or so years that AMF owned them
I believe many don't want to remember AMF's ownership period.
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Don't forget the 14 or so years that AMF owned them
I had a AMF Sportster and never had a problem. It was a quick and fun bike to ride. AMF saved HD's butt in many ways. When they took over in 69 HD was in bad shape.They were bankrupt and almost out of business. Their factories and machinery was old and out of date. They were very inefficent and doing things like they did in the 1920's. AMF poured a lot of money into HD and created the Evolution engine. They also had a 750 liquid cooled bike in the works till the employee buyout and Willie Davidson killed it because he didn't like radiators. AMF did cut back on some QC trying to recoop some of their money. Their was also alot of employee resentment and rumors of sabotage. If you want to read something interesting read about the AMF HD Nova project. What might have been.
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Give it a few years. They have 20 different platforms to introduce and somewhere there has been rumors of dual sports or at least entering into the off road segment of some sort.
It's true, HD is entering the off road segment! https://www.atvrider.com/harley-powered-atv
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Hey....you need a hog to catch a hog.
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Don't forget the 14 or so years that AMF owned them
I had a AMF Sportster and never had a problem. It was a quick and fun bike to ride. AMF saved HD's butt in many ways. When they took over in 69 HD was in bad shape.They were bankrupt and almost out of business. Their factories and machinery was old and out of date. They were very inefficent and doing things like they did in the 1920's. AMF poured a lot of money into HD and created the Evolution engine. They also had a 750 liquid cooled bike in the works till the employee buyout and Willie Davidson killed it because he didn't like radiators. AMF did cut back on some QC trying to recoop some of their money. Their was also alot of employee resentment and rumors of sabotage. If you want to read something interesting read about the AMF HD Nova project. What might have been.
I recall some mighty impressive assessments of the Nova while it was in the developmental stages. IIRC it was a six cylinder engine. One of HD's problems was that every "radical new concept" they came up with was pretty much a bike the Japanese or Italians had been building for years.
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Great article here , the picture of the six cylinder engine is awesome. https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2016/09/19/harley-davidsons-project-nova-look-might/
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Great article here , the picture of the six cylinder engine is awesome. https://ultimatemotorcycling.com/2016/09/19/harley-davidsons-project-nova-look-might/
Cool article...man, who knows what could've been if those bikes had made it to market.
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heard an update on HOH. Heard an investor bought the dealership rights. It won't remain where it is. Don't know where but that's the rumor from different sources and when I was in there last week, an employee hinted that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and would know more at the end of this week.
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heard an update on HOH. Heard an investor bought the dealership rights. It won't remain where it is. Don't know where but that's the rumor from different sources and when I was in there last week, an employee hinted that there was a light at the end of the tunnel and would know more at the end of this week.
Water under the bridge for me, unless they get a new manager and charge fair prices.
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I could use a new helmet, may go by there on my lunch hour tomorrow and see what I can get... I purchased my 1st VTX from them when they were at the Old location off Bingle. The few times I had dealings with them they were marginal. I always liked dealing with Wildwest better.
I had better service from HD dealers, Mancuso was good to me, republic was alright too. The dealer in Conroe did some maintenance on for my bike once and they were very good, hell even wash my bike. :bikerider:
Always sad when a business goes under.
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Harley shutting down Kansas City Plant
https://www.upi.com/https:/www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2018/01/30/Harley-Davidson-shutting-down-Kansas-City-plant-amid-sales-drop/2651517326025
Consolidating to a different plant is a good plan. Restructuring, a good plan. Electric bike.....not a good plan. If they want to innovate they need to make a Street Glide with the V-Rod motor.
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build a SXS with HD Logo. Can Am type trike and they better figure out a DCT . That is where I think MC.s will eventually go. Local Can Am dealer that I work with doesn't even sell the standard tranny model anymore. Every body is buying the semi automatic model.
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lower production(some HD dealers will have to close down), increase price.... I would not want a Can am type if bike, I also don't see many around here.
Everyone I know that has and HD will replace it with another HD.
Same happen in 2008 to the automotive industry, once it restructure and got rid of some of the fat it was caring, things got better. May not be as good as the good old days but over all things are good.
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I see the can ams all the time, we give classes on Can Ams for people that don't want to ride a two wheeler.
/Everyone I know that has and HD will replace it with another HD.
That's the people you know, few of the Rider Coach instructors at the dealership that I teach at ride HD's and it's a HD dealership. Very few of the young students coming thru the class want a HD. But it's not just HD, motorcycle sales nation(world) wide are down significantly. Single brand dealerships are having a hard time. HD can ride it out for now but their clientele are aging out. I think they have a great opportunity at this time if they expand their offerings and become a powersports company. but what do I know. These guys probably know more than me.
https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/02/05/2017-was-bad-for-harley-davidson-2018-is-going-to.aspx
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Honda of Houston is no longer having a sale or going out of business.
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Honda of Houston is no longer having a sale or going out of business.
Details?
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Honda of Houston is no longer having a sale or going out of business.
Details?
http://racerxonline.com/2018/02/02/honda-of-houston-acquired-by-cypress-based-drake-powersports?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=social-share
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Honda of Houston is no longer having a sale or going out of business.
Details?
http://racerxonline.com/2018/02/02/honda-of-houston-acquired-by-cypress-based-drake-powersports?utm_medium=social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=social-share
Well, cool...I zoomed in on the picture of the employees, and the old manager isn't in it. He was an absolute prick, so I may go back to them in the future and conduct business with them again.
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
:rofl: GOOD ONE Rocketman
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
Touché. :rofl:
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
Don't worry....you will be here faster than you think. :thumbup: :popcorn:
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
Don't worry....you will be here faster than you think. :thumbup: :popcorn:
Not as fast you........ :bikerider:
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
Don't worry....you will be here faster than you think. :thumbup: :popcorn:
Not as fast you........ :bikerider:
The alternative to getting there, SUCKS!!!!!
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
Don't worry....you will be here faster than you think. :thumbup: :popcorn:
Not as fast you........ :bikerider:
I knew I could get you to say you weren't as fast as me. BOOM!
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I'm grateful I grew up an old soul.
Things hipsters say.
Things old people say
Don't worry....you will be here faster than you think. :thumbup: :popcorn:
Not as fast you........ :bikerider:
I knew I could get you to say you weren't as fast as me. BOOM!
pshhhh. You wish but I'll give you a few minutes so you can rub your asprecreme in.