Riders of Bridgwater

[Dazzlin]

The Bristol showroom has been selling new Ducati stock as well as HD for sometime now. I do wonder whether this is a business decision on the part of the owners of Riders to consolidate their HD presence into one location and possibly move all Ducati sales into Bridgewater or maybe give up the Bridgewater location altogether.

They have, but they are segregated showrooms in Bristol, same as Swansea M&P or Oxford Harley for example;

The Bridgewater showroom has no segregation, which I guess HD see as an issue;

I imagine they will have to split the showroom with a wall, so it's dedicated Harley one side and all other bikes the other.

Bit like the old Steptoe & Son episode

 

[watchman]

Oxford do the same harley one side kawasaki the other

 

[Rick]

Each to our own opinion, but from my point of view the "Golden Days" are well and truly over. Over priced, overweight, enormous engined bikes that are overly complicated and have every mode to compensate for poor rider skills is for me depressing. These bikes are expensive to run and dealer maintain and good luck once the warranty expires - support will be minimal and key components like ECU unavailable in less than a decade. We live in a disposable society - dealers want customers that frequently buy bikes.

Nope - the joy of motorcycling is keeping it simple for me.

 

[michael_dinwiddy]

Each to our own opinion,

Yep everyone to their own... My friend says that about his horse... just eats and shits. Don't make em how they used to.

 

[Mark Hammond]

They have, but they are segregated showrooms in Bristol, same as Swansea M&P or Oxford Harley for example;

Bit like the old Steptoe & Son episode

The segregation in the Bristol showroom is a partition wall of no more than maybe 8 feet in length in the middle of the showroom. I can’t imagine many customers really think they are moving between two separate showrooms when they are wandering around the ground floor of the Bristol premises. The separation of the two brands on the showroom floor at Bridgewater is marked out by the use of different flooring types, which most customers probably don’t even notice either.

As you say, maybe HD UK have had enough and asked Riders to have a genuinely HD exclusive outlet, which they can do if they simply make the Bristol showroom HD and Bridgewater a Ducati showroom. It’ll be a shame if that is what’s happening because the team at Bridgewater generally have a better reputation for customer service than the team at Bristol.

 

[peter1450]

I would have thought having a showroom with other motorcycles on display was the least of the Mo CO’s problems to be honest. The best thing at Rider’s is the breakfast and even that’s overpriced!

 

[Roach]

It's also true that Bridgwater's service department haven't always had a good reputation.

 

[hamilton]

I would have thought having a showroom with other motorcycles on display was the least of the Mo CO’s problems to be honest. The best thing at Rider’s is the breakfast and even that’s overpriced!

They closed the cafe in both branches during the plandemic , but you can get a free coffee and biscuits when I am on my way to Minehead .

 

[Rick]

The Bridgwater facility has in my opinion been on the decline for a few years on reflection. The popular cafe closed during Covid never re-opened and was another disappointment and an opportunity to attract more customers lost. I hope if the Bristol branch does become the H-D hub they make it something worth visiting. Parting with our hard earned cash should be memorable for the right reasons and customer loyalty should not be taken for granted.

 

[rocking rooster]

you can get a free coffee and biscuits when I am on my way to Minehead .

I often call in and just use them for a pee break if I'm going that way.

It's also true that Bridgwater's service department haven't always had a good reputation.

Ditto Bristol.
The best thing I can say about them is that they gave me a good price for my Triumph when they were canvassing by email and looking for
second hand stock.

 

[Dazzlin]

Riders in Bridgewater were the only dealer where they remembered my name as I walked through the door. Bought my Fat Boy there and they gave great service during purchasing and after.

It is a shame the cafe closed as it was pretty good.

I think my next favourite HD cafe is Swansea, although but of a trek for a sausage bap

 

[Titch]

Many many years ago, we used to ride out to a 'hut' almost, representing Worcester HD, they moved to an industrial estate.. never been since...
Titch

 

[watchman]

If ever we needed the likes of Jake’s , Agos ,john Davey ,riverside , southern cycles, rmd ,fat boys diner, grizzly’s ,Boz engineering and their ilk its now i think the small Indy’s are going to become the life blood to keeping our world going as the moco deserts us…….

 

[Maff]

Can't say I have much sympathy for HOG chapters when the dealer loses it's franchise or goes bust.
It's pretty much an inevitable outcome if you align your club that closely with a commercial enterprise.

 

[Rick]

The only clubs worth joining in regards to one make are the independent owners clubs. Good.examples being Triumph & Royal Enfield, both have company clubs, but far better independent clubs - just like us!

 

[Single8Twin]

Was a member of the old Triumph owners club for many years, cold winter rides to Codford st Mary to sit by a roaring fire with about 6 local members and freeze back home again but you dont feel it when your young

 

[Mike P]

Was told earlier today that Riders of Bridgwater are losing their Harley franchise in the new year. My source doesn't know if the same applies to Riders at Bristol or not.
If they do go, where can I buy my Christmas tree baubles and dog waistcoats? . I guess it will have to be Cheltenham or Southampton.

Hi, I’ve just joined the club, and living in Yatton, I’m not far from the Churchill meets, so hopefully see some of you there. I’m a Bridgwater hog member too, how long that will last I’m not sure, but I just thought I’d clarify a few things regarding Riders at Bridgwater from last month’s AGM. Yes, H-D have withdrawn their franchise for 24, along with 4 or 5 other dealers. The excuse they gave was that they needed to invest heavily in forming a structural separation between H-D and Ducati, but this had been like this for many years. Although, I had since heard that the dealer had only sold around 40 new units apparently last year, and as the MoCo are only providing a rolling 12 month licence allegedly, it’s more likely due to this. Someone had already mentioned a rationalisation of their dealer network, and it appears where one business operates multiple franchises within relatively close proximity. If you look at the map, like Riders losing Bridgwater, M&P are losing Cardiff, and Warrs are to lose their south London franchise. Of course we know to Jersey, and one or two others are to go also. As a chapter will remain as such, and their 2024 Cider Rally is still going ahead, and the Riders Bridgwater will continue to support the chapter through Bristol. Riders Bridgwater will become an independent Harley specialist while losing the official bar and shield, but they won’t be closing as the owner also owns other commercial property in Wylds Road. You can still order parts from the dealer, and they’ll still be servicing, probably using Bristol’s dealer number for your service record and warranty claims.

 

[watchman]

Interested to see who else gets the chop if the moco is using sales as the tool in this climate at the moment when people are struggling now and its a case of buying bikes/parts or paying bills to live……

 

[Mark Hammond]

Hi, I’ve just joined the club, and living in Yatton, I’m not far from the Churchill meets, so hopefully see some of you there.

Hi, I’m the regional rep for the West Country region who run the Churchill meet. If you are planning to attend a Churchill meeting, could you message me in advance and I will be able to tell you whether the meet is going ahead (I wouldn’t want you to travel to the meet to find nobody there) Due to a lack of attendance by members and guests over the last 12 months, we have been asked by members to add the continuation of this particular meet to the agenda for the region’s forthcoming AGM.

 

[Mike P]

Hi, I’m the regional rep for the West Country region who run the Churchill meet. If you are planning to attend a Churchill meeting, could you message me in advance and I will be able to tell you whether the meet is going ahead (I wouldn’t want you to travel to the meet to find nobody there) Due to a lack of attendance by members and guests over the last 12 months, we have been asked by members to add the continuation of this particular meet to the agenda for the region’s forthcoming AGM.

Hi Mark, that’s disappointing, I only joined based on the Churchill Inn being Fairly local to me. Where is the alternative venue now?