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Had lunch today with the Piaggio HQ staff

LaGrasta

LaGrasta

Cruisin' Guzzisti
Joined
Jul 12, 2012
Messages
109
Location
Mission Viejo, CA
A good friend of mine shoots video for Piaggio (I've helped on a few shoots) and we went over to pick up a 2013 Griso he just shot.

http://keyonestudios.com

We all went to lunch together and I have to tell you, can't meet a better bunch of guys. They know their stuff, bleed bikes and are genuinely sharing of knowledge. I'm not sure if they are on this board or not. I was pleased to tell them how satisfied I am with my V7. I also complained of the dealer network, or lack there of. They are well aware and working on it. How's a guy supposed to get a sticker?

One piece of great news I picked up is Guzzi can't build the V7 fast enough. Keep 'em comin' boys!
 
Very nice, congrats. This Piaggio NY or the Tech Svcs guys in Costa Mesa?

It's unfortunate that they are not here in Long Beach with the entire rest of the SoCal Motorcycle Community at the IMS Show.

Look forward to this work.
 
We had the European launch of the 1400 last Saturday (1st). Sadly only 3 dealers in the UK actually had one to show off, and there was little or no publicity apart from a newsletter from the Moto Guzzi World Club, and on individual dealer websites, plus on our UK club website.
Come on Piaggio, think about it.
 
This was the Costa Mesa site (SoCal). I'd love to own a Guzzi dealership, how cool would that be? I need to mortgage my house…
 
You know how to make a million selling Guzzi? Start with two million.
 
The Progressive Motorcycle Show just rolled out of NYC. I knew Piaggio would not be there, still, seems like such a missed opportunity. I've been thinking how foolish it is not to showcase product to people hungry enough to pay admissions costs for attendance at these shows, the very people who are likely purchasers and enthusiasts. I've come to the conclusion Piaggio cannot satisfy demand without building a more dedicated dealer network. If there are few dealers knowledgeable in the brand it obviously becomes an impossible roadblock to selling and servicing their product. I think it's a smart move to not floor plan bikes only to have them sit until they have whiskers and a Guzzi enthusiast is likely to order a bike he wants regardless of the fact it is not yet in the country. I still wonder if they want or need to grow the brand?

Guzzi has something special to offer and currently some very good motorcycles. Without a broader network of dealers new potential buyers will continue to be weary of the brand. More dealers could be an answer but that makes problems as bad dealers give the marquee a black eye. Bad dealers are bad because they can't set the bikes up properly nor service them. Piaggio needs to deliver motorcycles that leave the factory needing no additional tweaking and until that can happen I can't see new dealers doing much good because set up is so important to owner satisfaction.

I think I read Guzzi sales are up 20%... European bike sales in general have increased and while I would love to have seen Aprilia and Moto Guzzi in New York City I can see why they might be absent?. Still, it would be nice to have people talking about Moto Guzzi and sitting on the bikes like at the Ducati fashon show where all the long legged girls wear red dresses... I'm wondering what the Guzzi girls would look like? Have thoughts of round Italian girls with big bowls of pasta telling you to "eat, eat" , much less a fashion show, more about something good for the soul.

Vivo
 
I, too, was at the NYC show, having also attended the DC show.

Man, was that a crowded Saturday event! So crowded they had to let folks in in groups. I'd never seen that.

I also knew Piaggio wouldn't be there, and I agree it's a damn shame. Friday night they had a hipster event at the Ace Hotel. Forbes magazine wrote about the exclusive event: http://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahellio ... age-racer/

A blogger has pictures:
http://theselvedgeyard.wordpress.com/20 ... arty-pics/

Here's a blog post I read on Saturday evening: http://blogs.motorcyclistonline.com/mot ... z2IcgBinbu

From that post:

“Moto Guzzi isn’t about getting there the fastest,” explains Melissa MacCaull, Vice President of Piaggio Group Americas, the U.S. distributor of Moto Guzzi motorcycles. “It’s about enjoying the ride, and getting back to what true motorcycling is really about. Moto Guzzi is approachable, it’s stylish, and it’s accessible to anyone. That’s the reason we partnered with James for this collaboration. His custom bikes really capture the essence of that experience.”

Wow. They have a VP of the group. Also, apparently MG isn't approachable nor accessible to everyone, hence the absence from a show where tens of thousands could have approached and accessed Moto Guzzis. Sheesh--Indian Motorcycles (its latest incarnation) was there, for frack's sake.

So, in other words, Piaggio is happy with letting only a few, select, insider folks in to their PR "machine." Fack the rest of the public. God forbid they should actually sell enough to justify dealers' profit needs to stay in business; Thank god they can showcase them to their own NYC hipster bubble.
 
I take it, (I haven't bothered opening the link.) that this is a reference to the dreadful 'Hammerhead' thingies talked about elsewhere. Just looking at the website made me cringe. Anytime you open a link and are confronted by a picture of a fey and androgynous creature with bad hair wearing goggles and holding a gas-axe you know you're going to be disappointed and on a hiding to nothing. While I was reading the pretentious blurb and being mind-boggled by the absurd price of his ugly little toys Jude happened to wander past and glance at the screen. Her only comment was "Who's that shirt-lifter?" Which I think probably sums it up pretty well.........

Pete
 
vivo said:
I think I read Guzzi sales are up 20%...
Click to expand...
Can't speak for where you are, but here in the UK my local dealer has had the best bike sales year ever. He only sells Guzzi. More than 50% were the V7 range. But he's sold 2 of the 1400 Calis so far too.
 
pete roper said:
I take it, (I haven't bothered opening the link.) that this is a reference to the dreadful 'Hammerhead' thingies talked about elsewhere. Just looking at the website made me cringe. Anytime you open a link and are confronted by a picture of a fey and androgynous creature with bad hair wearing goggles and holding a gas-axe you know you're going to be disappointed and on a hiding to nothing. While I was reading the pretentious blurb and being mind-boggled by the absurd price of his ugly little toys Jude happened to wander past and glance at the screen. Her only comment was "Who's that shirt-lifter?" Which I think probably sums it up pretty well.........

Pete
Click to expand...
I'm afraid you're right Pete. As they say "you cant polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter" (and sell it by the truck load in the states by all accounts)
Ciao
 
:sick:
With so many people with enough money to buy in one single market, whatever low production niche someone comes up with there will always be someone to buy enough pieces to make profit...
 
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