Demo Problem

[motostrano]

Hi Joe,
Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed reply. Not wanting to get any of your staff in trouble - they were all perfectly polite but none of this was explained to me at the time. I guess I must have come off as a "tire kicker" or curious newbie. I'm now quite a bit more experienced on the concept and understand some of the very issues I initially questioned. Hopefully this comes over as helpful feedback.
RG.

Absolutely came over as helpful feedback, yes. Thanks!

We need to a/ explain ourselves better and b/ be a little less tyrannical about our demo rides, even for tire tickers, who - who knows - may one day come back as customers. We don't always get it right, but we try and need to, or otherwise we have the pleasure of reading about it on the Internet! and we need to have more demo days!

But, I still cringe when I recall pulling up to the store one day while watching 2 dudes taking 2 brand spanking new $5,000 Haibikes out on the freshly muddied 24Hour Fitness construction site behind our store for a joy ride, then quietly parking them back in our store after their "demo", with mud and dirt all over the tires and frame only to leave with a "thanks"....

There IS a "demo problem" and always will be and every bike shop deals with it, just like every bike shop deals with the grumpy mechanic vs the cheery sales guy/gal. Same with the auto industry and the online resources for research don't always make it easier on the consumer and definitely not on the store. I find that with so many resources available to us for "research" a large percentage of us get in this "research mode" where we don't distinguish between being at home and clicking on a 20 minute video and taking up the time of a salaried sales person or a hungry business owner looking to pay the rent.

Since, these bikes are high end and expensive, for instance, we'll try to actually schedule our meetings with customers by appointment. We may have to spend upwards of 2 or 3 hours with you, letting you try 5 or more bikes to do it right. You may have to come back 2 or 3 times also. You will then have to noodle, think and ponder and absorb for an hour, or a day or a week. Then there is the dialing of things in. All of that takes time and is hard to do at the spur of the moment.

And to think that so many people looking at e-bikes have no access to them at all except by mail order!!

Our programs are always changing and growing. Look out for some really cool things we hope to implement in the years ahead to get more riders on e-bikes in the US.

In the meantime, I've posted a schedule of demo days here: http://www.motostrano.com/Demo-Events-electric-bicycles-s/8221.htm

Get on our newsletter. Get on our Facebook, etc.

You can always come in and demo a range of bikes outside of those days, but on these days we tend to have more going on, have supplier partners on hand and we do the tours out to the "secret test zone" for off-roading

Joe

 

[motostrano]

I am curious where I fit in the demo, I am a pretty avid ebiker, rode about 7k miles last year all after work or weekends. I look forward to see/feel other ebikes. I have not found many to in my area but Stromner and Specialized. I look forward to visiting my uncle in Wisconsin every year. He lives near Madison (Lake Mills) i was hoping to go some Crazy shop and test ride a few. I am not going to buy when i go, i hope my Stromer still runs well enough . But I also have not ridden a a mid drive or any othe brands actually. Should i not go by the shop and ask to try a couple bikes? I may get some feel of my next bike by trying them but that is a way off. I tend to want a local shop since i have had my share of issues. On the other hand i get asked abouit ebikes a lot since I am out and about and enjoying chatting w/others about them.I think i sound like a tire kicker based on this thread and maybe I shouldn't bother them. then i can still say i dont know if i got a good feeling about their shop???

i am not trying to get a free rental but I would love to gain some 1st hand knowledge of other bikes ???

Opi- yes, come to either store. It's best, like I say above, to email or call and set up a time, so we know we can devote that time to you as much as possible and line up some bikes that we know you may want already [email protected]

Joe

 

[opimax]

I did buy a battery from you when you sold Stromers and all went well!

 

[motostrano]

Thanks!

 

[Ann M.]

@opimax Perfect! Just tell the folks at the local ebike shop what you said here. You ride an ebike, selection at home for new product is limited and you're here visiting family! There should be some level of networking between ebike dealers, even if unspoken. In my shop we're glad you want to support a local shop, support ebikes and you're here in our establishment--ok, that's wonderful! You walked through our door and we appreciate that, so don't worry about the rest, just come and let us help you. In the long run, it all balances out. Much better that you get the experience of the real bike with live people than just reading specs off the web.

 

[motostrano]

Also- we are receiving news every day about vendors lining up to display and demo their e-bikes at the Sea Otter Classic this year. Felt, Haibike, KTM will be there and I have learned that M1 Sporttechnik is planning on attending as well. If you can't make it to that event, or just don' t like crowds, we are hosting a demo the weekend following Sea Otter at our Redwood City store.