Sad Day For Indian of Salt Lake City Utah

[Indn]

Yes, it a sad day that Harley Davidson Owner Joe Timmons, has resigned the Indian franchise with Polaris.  See attached email.....Indn...

[spider]

Can't sell Indians and Harley's under the same roof, one will suffer.

[Roadie]

Exactly,  Harley made Barnett HD of El Paso put their Indian Dealership a block away at least and told them they couldn't call it Barnett Indian, so they named it Indian of El Paso.

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Live Free - Ride Hard - Die Well

[ndncowboy]

Fort Worth Indian is owned by the same folks that own Fort Worth Harley but they are completely different buildings. Right behind each other nearly though but separate. I couldn't work at all with them because of the Harley take it or leave mentality. That may have changed by now but I doubt it.

[Indn]

Joe Timmons is the owner of all local Harley dealerships and bought the franchise for Indian and put them in the building next door.  There was clear separation and sales personnel, they wore the Indian attire.  They were still Harley folk.  The shop was in the Harley building where they serviced all bikes.  They were a pleasure to deal with.  I have known them for years.  I hope that the franchise stays local.  Tri City Polaris is about 20 miles away, likely candidate.  When I purchased my bike it was from A Team in Las Vegas, and shortly after it become Indian of Las Vegas.  Indian of Salt Lake was opened 1 year after I purchase my Chieftain.  It was just nice to have an Indian dealership local.  I think it brought the Indian/Harley folks together.  Indn...

[Dawg]

Joe Timmons is the owner of all local Harley dealerships and bought the franchise for Indian and put them in the building next door.  There was clear separation and sales personnel, they wore the Indian attire.  They were still Harley folk.  The shop was in the Harley building where they serviced all bikes.  They were a pleasure to deal with.  I have known them for years.  I hope that the franchise stays local.  Tri City Polaris is about 20 miles away, likely candidate.  When I purchased my bike it was from A Team in Las Vegas, and shortly after it become Indian of Las Vegas.  Indian of Salt Lake was opened 1 year after I purchase my Chieftain.  It was just nice to have an Indian dealership local.  I think it brought the Indian/Harley folks together.  Indn...

I know the feeling when you have a nearby dealer that closes the doors. It sure leaves you in a void. Next nearest Indian dealer is over 50 miles away. Were it just the distance, I'd probably stay committed. But, unfortunately this dealer is over 50 miles away through some of the most congested urban insanity imaginable. I'm not about to try to arrange transportation to and from them when service or repairs are needed. I plan on putting my Chieftain up for sale later this month and am not looking forward to it.

[LabRat]

Joe Timmons is the owner of all local Harley dealerships and bought the franchise for Indian and put them in the building next door.  There was clear separation and sales personnel, they wore the Indian attire.  They were still Harley folk.  The shop was in the Harley building where they serviced all bikes.  They were a pleasure to deal with.  I have known them for years.  I hope that the franchise stays local.  Tri City Polaris is about 20 miles away, likely candidate.  When I purchased my bike it was from A Team in Las Vegas, and shortly after it become Indian of Las Vegas.  Indian of Salt Lake was opened 1 year after I purchase my Chieftain.  It was just nice to have an Indian dealership local.  I think it brought the Indian/Harley folks together.  Indn...

I know the feeling when you have a nearby dealer that closes the doors. It sure leaves you in a void. Next nearest Indian dealer is over 50 miles away. Were it just the distance, I'd probably stay committed. But, unfortunately this dealer is over 50 miles away through some of the most congested urban insanity imaginable. I'm not about to try to arrange transportation to and from them when service or repairs are needed. I plan on putting my Chieftain up for sale later this month and am not looking forward to it.

It's not like going to your local HD dealership for some cookies and coffee on the weekends....How often do you actually have to go to the dealership? 1 or 2 times a year? Maybe 3?

[Mike]

Joe Timmons is the owner of all local Harley dealerships and bought the franchise for Indian and put them in the building next door.  There was clear separation and sales personnel, they wore the Indian attire.  They were still Harley folk.  The shop was in the Harley building where they serviced all bikes.  They were a pleasure to deal with.  I have known them for years.  I hope that the franchise stays local.  Tri City Polaris is about 20 miles away, likely candidate.  When I purchased my bike it was from A Team in Las Vegas, and shortly after it become Indian of Las Vegas.  Indian of Salt Lake was opened 1 year after I purchase my Chieftain.  It was just nice to have an Indian dealership local.  I think it brought the Indian/Harley folks together.  Indn...

My dealer of choice is 117 miles away even though there's one less than 10 miles away (3 miles from work)

I know the feeling when you have a nearby dealer that closes the doors. It sure leaves you in a void. Next nearest Indian dealer is over 50 miles away. Were it just the distance, I'd probably stay committed. But, unfortunately this dealer is over 50 miles away through some of the most congested urban insanity imaginable. I'm not about to try to arrange transportation to and from them when service or repairs are needed. I plan on putting my Chieftain up for sale later this month and am not looking forward to it.

[Roadie]

Over 2 hours to ride to my Indian Dealer of choice and some of that is insane city traffic miles,  but I bought my 2015 Chieftain to ride,  not bar hop or sit around looking at it.

I got about 38,000 miles on it in 25 months, so someone is going to sell their Chieftain because their dealer is only 50 miles away,  they aren't a biker, bikers ride.


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Live Free - Ride Hard - Die Well

[bwana6]

There certainly is much more to this story than the letter states. The letter actually states nothing or why Indian/Polaris is being dumped. I would like to know if this is Polaris's dealings or Harleys?
If you go thru Beaumont TX, right off of I - 10, you will see Cowboy HD and their Indian store right next to each other with a parking lot separating the stores. The HD store is one busy place and the Indian store is a morgue. Fair inventory in both places and this is the kicker. In the HD store, above the managers office and another is a platform with a vintage bike on it about 10 to 12 feet off of the floor. BOTH are vintage Indians. I think one is a 46 and the other a 48 Chief. IN THE HD store. I brought this up and everyone just shrugs it off saying that 'Indian was Indian back in the day' and 'the owner likes them both'. So how does HD corporate allow this? Thats like putting Lincolns up on a pedestal in a Cadillac showroom. Either this dealer sells a LOT of bikes for HD and can get away with murder with them ( like Barnett does ) or he just a loose cannon. So I walk over to the Indian store which has yet to have t-shirts after 2 years with company logo's on them ( the HD side has about one dozen different patterns with Cowboy logos ) and ask why the old Indians are in the HD showroom. 'The owner wants it that way'...............so OK then...............simple as that.

HD recalls are a lot like politics it seems. People say that HD really cares about their product and will do recalls upon a request.............whereas Indian will kill you first with kick stand failures and other issues. You can't change the mindset. Just like last leader of our country 'never had a chance' type deal. You can't win nor make sense out of it. HD loyalty for the most part is really something that should be taught in corporate classes on gaining lifetime customers. Hopefully Indian will stay the course and get dealer issues straightened out. Like the Salt Lake City issue. Have another dealer ready to take over. Ford and GM does it. I'm sure there are plenty of clauses and plenty of legal quirks that can allow this. This will ensure a steady flow of customers and goodwill. Indian cannot afford dealer closings with such a new product................it do not look so goodly in many eyes. Get it together in MN. Save these stores from at least a bad reputation or don't hand out franchises to anyone who can belly up to bar and plunk down cash for one. Like the refugee crisis...........vett these new dealer applicants

[Drifter]

Salt Lake HD never embraced Indian. I called their store several times with Indian questions and never was able to find someone who knew the product line.
A Harley guy is not going to tell a customer the advantages of an Indian.
Polaris made a big mistake giving HD store owners Indian franchises.

[Roadie]

The general manager at Indian of El Paso told me that they gave Barnett Harley Davidson that they had a choice, be down the street and not use the name Barnett Indian or they would pull their Harley franchise.

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Live Free - Ride Hard - Die Well

[bwana6]

Well..................if you ever get to read a franchise contract/rules, it is quite intense. I don't blame HD for pulling rank here. Indian would do it too if it were the other way around. What I do blame is the dealer himself. One has a real hot product with Indian and also a very steady base with Harley. One could turn an Indian store into repeat Heaven for customers and why this guy did not realize this, is beyond me. I would love to have both. Who would not?

Other factor is that Salt Lake City is growing and has a huge huge younger base or demographics that are going to be 21 pretty soon. Might be the Mormon influence but regardless, the area is growing fast and why not put the Indian store at the other end of town? I would think a couple of smart sales people could earn the same or more than a dozen fighting for customers at a Harley store. Add a bike like Triumph and then you really have something for everyone. Just about.

This guy may rue the day he gave up a franchise with an up and coming product. Its not every motorcycle made that gets the looks and attention that the Indian brand name gets. I wish we knew all the nuts and bolts here.......................but I would guess someone will jump on this opportunity. SLC is not a bad place to live. Delta hub, skiing, beautiful summer weather, lots of college football, and clean air.

[Mike Jeffery]

I'm in Wyoming and in the market for a Road Master or Chieftain.The SLC dealer was the closest to me @ 180 miles.
  I never could understand why Polaris sold a franchise to them to begin with.I was on a Victory at the time when the Indians were rolled out and knew Tri City Performance wanted the dealership.Anyway I called and scheduled a test ride (fall of 2015) on a Road Master and Chieftain.There really was no effort to sell me a bike and when I brought up trade in numbers (2013 Gold Wing with 38k mi) they pretty much laughed me out of the shop lol.
  I drove by there last fall and noticed some dirt work and construction going on. The Indian side was under new management ,the new guy seemed all fired up to sell me a bike ,they were expanding their show room and "sure they'd take a trade in".
  I don't expect the franchise to be vacant for very long.Hopefully someone who stands behind their brand will pick it up.
   I'm still in the market, Sturgis, Fort Collins and Las Vegas stores all seem to want my business.I don't need a dealer next door, Sturgis is 450 mi. and Ft. Collins is 300. 
 

 

[802Flier]

My original Canadian dealer was a split HD/Indian dealership dating back to the KM bikes (and 800 miles/14 hours away).  I was told that they were told by HD that they had to lose the Indian dealership.  They sold to a Polaris motorsport dealer, who has since had to create an Indian only section of their building, which is regularly audited by Polaris to ensure its conformity. Just recently, a Polaris dealership near Vancouver added Indian and they're only about 4 1/2 hours from me, which seems quite close by comparison.
Prior to this, the nearest dealership was in Lynnwood, WA, about 6 1/2 hours away, not including the inevitable delay at Customs.  50 miles seems like a dream, but to be honest, every time I drop in to the  dealership it seems to cost more than $700 (sort of like going to Costco), so it's probably easier on the pocketbook to keep those visits to a minimum.