TRF Forums

After seeing the new KTM 350 Freeride, I considered it might be something I would buy, maybe next year.

So I sent an email to 4 KTM dealers in the East of England, one in Essex, one in Cambs, one in Herts and one in Norfolk.

I expressed an interest in the bike and asked some questions.

Im not going to name names but here are the results of my enquiry:

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Dealer 1 = Emailed me back within a few hours with the info they had and offered to mail me again when they had more info. Top marks 10/10

Dealer 2 = Mailed me back within a day with the info they had and pointed to a video on their web site. Not bad 7/10

Dealer 3 = No reply, nothing at all... 0/10

Dealer 4 = Got an automated reply from their web site form but never got an actual reply........ 0/10

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Now while I may or may not buy a bike, if I do, I will now only consider dealer 1 or dealer 2.

So the next time a dealer moans about the lack of sales tell them to check their emails

All the best

It's amazing how much business people let slip though their fingers.

A few years back I considered swapping my KTM 950 for a Triumph Street Triple.

Did a demo ride, no prob there, and while I was out left my bike with them for evaluation as a part ex.

Got back and they said they would be in touch with me re a value for my bike...and I never heard from them again.

Since then they've launched the Tiger 800: you'd think they'd send a email and say have you still got the KTM, would you like to test the Tiger?

Not a word.


I used to be in the bike trade, and while I wasn't the pushiest salesman in the world I would at least make an effort to value a possible PX, and return to old contacts if a suitable new bike was launched. Now, with everything on computer, there is no excuse for not at least maintaining contact.

In contrast I've purchased some items from Gear4 (other side of the country to me) by mail order, and I regularly get emails from them about new and used bikes, demo bikes, special offers etc.

Gives the impression that they give a damn at least.

I went into a large dealers with full intention to buy a bike (zx6r) found the bike and hovered around it, no sign of movement from the salesmen who were busy with a tea break. Gave up and went and asked if they could pull it out for me and they said there wasn't space. So I went down the road to george whites, got a friendly welcome and walked out having brought an sv650.
The other day my friend (full of enthusiasm) went in to another dealers to ask advise about getting his first bike and sit on them etc. He was basically told to go away and get his licence first! This left my friend some what turned off to the world of bikers. If it was my dealers I would have spent some time finding out what bike he wanted, got him booked on a direct access, got a deposit and sold a bike!
Some dealers just don't want your money.

The annoying thing is that most dealers are supposed to have signed up to 'Get On', which is meant to guide newcomers through the path to a licence and then sell them a bike.

Obviously not that one.

The dealers might sign up but they need to make sure the sales men know it as well. I got my friend hooked anyway, I just lent him an old gs125 on long term loan, happy as larry bombing to work on it.

Well I can recomend Pure Triumph in Woburn, where I bought a Tiger 1050 and my wife a Street Triple based on the fact we were very impressed by the bikes (we both had BMWs before), the service was great, test rides readily offered and extras like...

They threw in a free set of machined alloy levers (Triumph badged but actually Pazzo's at £150) for my wife (small hands)! But then made the mistake of ordering them for my Tiger (different levers so they couldn't swap). When pointed out they simply gave us another free set for her bike and I kept the ones on mine.

When the top box that should have come with my bike was on back order and took two months to arrive, they gave me a free remap for my Arrow pipe (bought from eBay not from them) to compensate.

And they gave us very good trade in prices on our beemers, whereas our local BMW dealer where we both bought them didn't even want to know as they "had too many second hand bikes".

And although I don't have a KTM, i've been thinking about a 690 and have been very impressed with the KTM Centre in Hemel Hempstead (not sure if they were 1, 2, 3 or 4 ). Good information available, no trouble with test rides (although they don't have a 690 available at the moment ) and a good range of off road kit, recently they were offering £60 discount on a set of TCX Pro 2.1 'cross boots (so I bought some )

And both dealers are always ready to offer you a cuppa

......some years ago, I was seriously thinking about buying a Triumph Rocket III. I contacted my 2 nearest Triumph Dealers for a test ride and was told, by both of them, a test ride would cost £50; refundable if I bought the bike. Needless to say, I didn't buy a Rocket III.

Well you got away lightly then!

Wasn't the RIII the bike where the bearings were put in the gearbox the wrong way around and failed, but Triumph wouldn't repair them under warranty because it wasn't a fault?

.....not really, because I went out and bought a Harley Davidson Fatboy.

I hope Jim Aims was one of the good ones. I always receive a 5* service from them even though I don't spend a massive amount