motorcycle mechanic school and where it may lead

[kelly]

so im in school learning how to fix bikes and all that jaz. its going fast and furious adn im lovin it. i've decided im too old to start at the bottom with a shop as a porter or what have ya, so ima start a business in the industry. there is so many options i am seeing and would like some feedback if yall dont mind.

do any of you think there is a need for a motorcycle junkyard, possibly an indoor style. or maybe a mobile maintance and repair truck. there is always the dealership route, or is the basic repair shop the way to go.

i go back and forth consantly with this question, anyone thats taken the big step already id love to hear your opinions, and id love to hear the opinions of the rider/customer stand point as well.

 

[christianmb]

I like the idea of the junkyard. We kind of have one here in Indy, and it is called Cycle Re-Cycle. I would use them, but the people that run it are pretty much jerks, and when I say the work "Buell" they have no interest in my money anymore.

 

[agfish18]

I'd say open up a shop. A guy I know just opened up a shop of his own about a year ago. He was originally a parts guy at our local Ducati/triumph shop. he just opened a small shop that sells gear, tires, anything you can think of, plus he has a small area in the back where he does services for people. He has a HUGE following now here in town, it is hard to find a sportbike of anykind without his sticker on it (Moto Authority). He sells bikes on consignment too, and his showroom is almost always full. but it is just him and like 3 or 4 guys who work there. He seems happy, and I know he makes some decent change.

 

[wolfo68]

if I had the startup cash I'd be all over an indoor style motorcycle junk yard, possibly rental workshops on the back where guys could come in to use a clean environment and nice jacks and whatnot if they choose to do the work themselves. and of course offering to work on bikes for a decent rate rather than killing everyones wallet

 

[Alfatango1]

I guess it depends on where you live. Around here there are a # of independent shops and a few big dealers. No mobile shops that I know of so that could be something to consider. No building rent, just a truck and tools and maybe a trailer if you had to take a bike home to work on. Our shop does free pickup on bikes so it's a win win for our customers.

 

[browland]

All of the above... have a shop location that sells everything, do it yourself service areas, offer service yourself, and have a truck with trailer for emergency service on the road... then have an indoor salvage facility connected

 

[aaronbuell]

All of the above... have a shop location that sells everything, do it yourself service areas, offer service yourself, and have a truck with trailer for emergency service on the road... then have an indoor salvage facility connected

[up] If the funds are there I could see this working.

 

[50dro]

I seriously considered starting an on-line indoor used parts biz a few years back but it never came to be. I think there's a lot of money to be made there if you keep your inventory well organized and put the necessary time in to it. In my case, I was talking with a guy that was selling off his inventory of parts from an indoor yard. Unfortunately, he didn't have his inventory as organized as I would have liked and I just wasn't ready to get started.

Do your research online to see how others do it. I've bought stuff from Pinwall Cycles via Ebay before. They seem pretty organized. Another to look into is www.cycletherapy.com. They're in Ohio.

Good luck to you! Keep us posted if you start your business!

5-0dro
www.5-0dro.com

 

[TooFst]

Yep. Independent shop is the way to go. IMO. we have a junk yard up here in Minnesota. But they do alot of salvaged/ turn arounds and bike sales to keep there head above water.

 

[Burton]

TooFst - do they have a website and do they have any Buell stuff?

 

[Alfatango1]

Our repair business currently supports our sales floor. We stock around 30 bikes and auction average is maybe 4 to 6K per bike. So lets say $150,000 in inventory on bikes alone. We do a few consignments too, no cost there but all bikes need to be inspected, some need minor work, some more, some get inspected then go right back to auction if the cost for repairs are too high. Now stocking gear properly would cost at least $50,000, you want tires and pipes and lights and accessories too? More cash output. Our biggest obstacle is financing. A lot of people want our bikes but they don't qualify for a normal loan. We do have a "Buy here, pay here" lender but it's costly for the consumer and these funds come from investors. Once they carry 8 to 10 bikes, they say "No more".

So there's more food for thought. I'd start with service and do consignment sales as much as possible. Once you can afford to get bikes from auction pick a few where you can make $1500 to $2500 profit and go from there.

As far as used parts goes. I'd specialize in something, Buell XB stuff perhaps, Old British maybe, and of course organizing and advertising it takes a lot of effort.

 

[Burton]

Kelly, where are you located and looking to open up shop?

 

[kelly]

you all have great ideas and good advise keep it up.

burton im looking to open up shop in north west georgia.

i notice more and more bikes on the road on both sides of atlanta so im thinking with pretty much year round riding its a gold mine a coming to me one day. the all in one idea is a dream we all have i bet lol.

going small is what i can afford to do so far and my guess is thats all the kind of money ill have to start off with as well. i do have a reliable connection to some good auction bikes.