Lyle Lovett and his "Large Motorcycle Shop"

["TriumphRules" <triumphrules@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Lyle Lovett (yes the singer with the funny hair) just opened a motorcycle
dealership in
> Houston.  I was told that it was a Triumph dealership along with BMW,
> Aprilia, Cagiva and Yamaha.  I stopped in today just to check it out,
> thinking this high profile dealer would be a boost to our favorite
> brand.

The people who live in Houston can tell us when Lovett opened but it
was not
"just opened".  I went to Lovett's shop over a year ago.

>  What a thorougly modern, obviously well financed
> operation, a rival to the glossiest Harley boutique.

I had the opposite impression.  Last year I visited Lovett's
dealership
twice.  I have listened to Lovett's music for many years and was
intrigued
to see his motorcycle shop.  Lovett's motorcycle dealership is set up
like
one of those mega sized car dealers with a dozen salesmen ready to
pounce on
you the moment you walk in.  The first time I went by I was just
looking
around.  On the second trip some weeks later, I was seriously looking
to
purchase a Daytona.  The salesman I talked to  knew less about
Triumph, and
particularly the Daytona, than some of my friends who ride Yamahas. 
He kept
pushing the Yamahas even though I told him I was only interested in
the
Daytona.  He made two negative comments about Triumphs in the twenty
minutes
that we talked about Daytonas.  After my experience, I would not have
purchased a Triumph from Lovett's dealership even if it was the last
Triumph
dealer in Houston (there are two other dealers that I know of).

> I inquired about Triumphs from one of the salesmen and got a really frosty
response.
> Seems they were a Triumph franchise for exactly 2 days.  Salesman
> claimed they got "stuffed", that is loaded up with accessories they
> didn't want, and at the same time couldn't get parts they needed to
> make-ready new bikes for sale, which were in awful shape as delivered
> from the factory.  They quit and shipped 30 bikes back to TOA.  Guy
> claimed that Triumph would be out of business in two years if they
> treat dealers like this.  Sent a shiver through me thinking of 1974
> and the great dealer rebellions.  Anybody else heard of this fiasco?
 . . .
> DaveL.

Dave, that salesman is full of it.  Unless I happened to visit
Lovett's
dealership on the "two days" they were carrying Triumph, I went there
twice
last year and came away unimpresed.  Lovett's sales force pushed
Yamaha's
and BMW's and seemed to have little interest in even showing me a new
Daytona.  I'm not surprised they didn't sell as many Triumphs. 
Again, those
who live in Houston will be able to fill in the facts, but my friends
riding
Triumphs in Houston were buying them from the two other Triumph
dealers
located in Houston.

Frankly, after dealing with the attitude of those in Lovett's shop, I
would
not have been back.

John Westcott
San Antonio, Texas

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