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Preston Superbikes And Adventure Bike Warehouse
Blog Date - 23 July 2013
The gf and I had a grand day out this Saturday (20-7-13)
We started the day up early due to the scorching and clammy heat making sleep nigh on impossible. After a light breakfast we set off out on the Fazer to go to Preston Superbikes (www.prestonsuperbike.co.uk) as they were having a Kawasaki open day. I'm not one to turn down the opportunity to test ride a bike or two and this was too good to miss.
It seems warm weather is a double edged sword to bike dealers. Good conditions cause riders to ride. You'd think the bike shops would be bustling. But on such days the bikers go out and actually ride their bikes, it's the not-so-warm days when they go to the shops and drool over the latest and greatest two wheeled offerings. So at 10am I had the option to ride whatever I liked. I chose the Z800 which turned out to be a stonking plaything.
I got talking to Colin McDonald who apparently isn't a sales rep for Preston Superbikes but a regional manager type for Kawasaki! It was very interesting indeed. We started out by completing a post test ride questionnaire to help Kwak understand what people thought of their bikes. This was a thoroughly refreshing and inspiring opportunity to communicate what I'd like to see in future motorcycles to someone who may actually influence the manufacturers. Colin took the time to discuss and more importantly listen to what I was saying.
Colin asked about other motorcycles by other manufacturers I was interested in and why those bikes appealed to me. We discussed cost, fuel, reliability, speed, luggage and other subjects. I know my taste doesn't follow the masses and the masses are where the money is but he never dismissed my opinions. With his gentle Scottish lilt he also persuaded me to take the Versys 650 out for a ride. This also proved to be a capable machine, a tad less exciting than the Z800 but much more user friendly and practical.
I also enjoyed a good chat with Martyn, who does work for Preston Superbikes. Again I must say he wasn't giving me the hard sell, in fact he seemed more than keen for me to ride all the range for no other reason than telling my friends about the bikes. He's a farmer, planting seeds to reap rewards in the distant future, not a hunter out for the kill that day.
Both the gf and I were made to feel welcome. While I was out on the Z800 Colin had spent time with the gf discussing her lack of height problem with various options and the sales team kept us both in cups of tea and the offer of bacon butties, but we weren't hungry.
After that we went to the Adventure Bike Warehouse in Agecroft, Manchester (www.adventurebikewarehouse.co.uk). I'd been invited to a barbecue they were having and by the time we got there we were hungry. Surrounded by BMW GS 1200's and a couple of serious KTM's my poor Fazer looked a little out of place. It didn't matter, we were welcomed like old friends and were soon chomping on burgers, sausages and a rather spicy baked bean hash of some description.
John "Jono" was working on yet another GS 1200 (when will the adventure types choose something more original?) and Steve was manning the food between showing people footage of him falling off on a trail in Spain. It's a really chilled out place. It wasn't too busy, maybe a dozen people at any time as some came and others went. We sat around on random benches and chairs just chilling and talking to others of bikes, injuries, family and travels while various others got teased and tormented. It felt like a barbie at a mates house not a shop and a business.
What a day! We're all different I know but personally I hate high pressure sales. We'd been to two shops, had two test rides, enjoyed food and drink and no-one had tried to tell me what I need to purchase all day. I come back to the farmer analogy.
I run my own business and a mantra that I come across is that people but from those they "know, like and trust". I now know a Kawasaki manager, a salesman at Preston Superbikes and 2 jolly gents at the Adventure Bike Warehouse. Because they didn't give me the hard sell it's a lot easier to like them. In time I'll probably grow to trust them. I may not necessarily buy from them very soon. But I'll talk of them to my friends. Recommendation is the biggest seller in any business. I'm also here writing about them, telling my readers.
Many thanks to those above, we had a grand day out.
Reader's Comments
Sharon said :-
I concur, great day with some lovely people. All of whom were very friendly and interesting to chat with. Plus sunshine, bikes and good food. Happy days !!
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