What happened w/ BMW of Buffalo?

Lee said:

This was one of my favorite BMW shops before he gave up the franchise.
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Another interesting shop was the Fairbanks Alaska shop.
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Was that the one up in Minnesota on the edge of prairie? A farm house and ramshackle barn-like structure that housed a BMW and Guzzi dealership? It was 1998 and my buddy's R100RT was having valve seat problems and needed a valve adjustment bad for the return trip to PA. They took us in, did the valve adjustment and told my buddy to get the valve seats replaced ASAP.

36654 said:

Was that the one up in Minnesota on the edge of prairie? A farm house and ramshackle barn-like structure that housed a BMW and Guzzi dealership? It was 1998 and my buddy's R100RT was having valve seat problems and needed a valve adjustment bad for the return trip to PA. They took us in, did the valve adjustment and told my buddy to get the valve seats replaced ASAP.

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Riverside Iowa, south of Iowa City.
Ned's Auto and Cycle.

Lee said:

This was one of my favorite BMW shops before he gave up the franchise.
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Neds was a great shop and continued to be a go-to repair shop long after giving up the BMW franchise.

PGlaves said:

Neds was a great shop and continued to be a go-to repair shop long after giving up the BMW franchise.

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Do you remember the auto part of the name.
They were only bikes when we found the shop in 1984.
Maybe Jim's dad, Ned sold used cars in the early years??
I remember they had a rock hauling side business.

Lee said:

Do you remember the auto part of the name.
They were only bikes when we found the shop in 1984.
Maybe Jim's dad, Ned sold used cars in the early years??
I remember they had a rock hauling side business.

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We moved to Lone Tree in 1974 and bought our 1st BMW in 1977. Ned sold and serviced BMWs and Moto Guzzis. He dabbled in used cars. I never noticed the rock hauling but trucking stuff would not have surprised me. Typical small town rural America, making due with whatever resources and talent a person had. It is still that way in much of small town rural America.

36654 said:

Was that the one up in Minnesota on the edge of prairie? A farm house and ramshackle barn-like structure that housed a BMW and Guzzi dealership? It was 1998 and my buddy's R100RT was having valve seat problems and needed a valve adjustment bad for the return trip to PA. They took us in, did the valve adjustment and told my buddy to get the valve seats replaced ASAP.

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That was Judson Cycle west of Mankato, MN. My dealer of choice in my early BMW riding days. Went by the wayside post Butler Smith era.

There's no BMW motorcycle dealership in WV and there hasn't been one for years. Living in northern WV there's Pittsburgh just 80 miles north but last I heard that one closed.

I sense two things BMW doesn't quite grasp, or they simply don't care. 1) BMW thinks of the US market like they do Germany which is maybe the size of PA and NJ combined, and 2) the BMW motorcycle buyer here is similar to a BMW car buyer, and I believe both are not the case. In the US they really should have different dealership requirements for different areas, BMW of Po Dunk WV should not be required to expend the money on an expensive Interstate exit building with polished porcelain tile, carpet squares, stainless steel shelving, fancy lighting, etc., that say BMW of Los Angelos does, because the markets are very different. What's most important to "us" owners of BMW motorcycles is to have access for support reasonably close. A small mom and pop dealership with 6 or 7 BMW motorcycles (the ones that sell in that area) along with 10 Yamaha bikes and a dozen side-by-sides on the floor, with the "pop" being the certified mechanic is all that's needed in many areas. And all that can financially function in that market. And the BMW rider traveling through from California would appreciate knowing there are dealerships like this rather than none at all.

It's obvious that we are sailing into into uncharted economic seas. To stay on their feet business owners are going to have to be flexible and open there parameters to keep the doors open. I own a small residential/commercial construction business and I am opening my business up to doing work we would have turned down just 2 weeks ago.
Maybe corporate BMW Motorad will adjust quickly and try to keep the dealership pipeline operating, by being more flexible and removing alot a preexisting dealership requirements.
Gonna have to move fast in IMHO
Everyone I know have cancelled all non vital expenses for the foreseeable future.