Williams BMW (M'cr)

[Sid]

Great place - full of lovely toys and nice peeps! When I once bought one of those Honda things I was handed a set of keys and told there was a petrol station next door which I would need to visit before trying to go anywhere (nice!!).
Buying my 650GS was a whole lot nicer experience.
Had an issue over the fitting of a Remus with the standard BM panniers but advice from a few others and they happily gave it a go and I've got a crackin' bike now!

Going for a ride-out in a couple of weeks so we'll check out their organisational skills!

 

[John Armstrong]

Williams Rideout?

That'll be the green lane foray on the 12th October organised by the big trail bike guys?

Everything being equal I'll be having the GPS on to get the track log, as last years one went on some excellent unclassified roads.

John

 

[grandtrousers]

Got to agree they are VERY GOOD. I work in the motor industry myself and from walking through the door on a very hot day I was supplied with unlimited drinks (both hot and cold) they have excellent toilets and changing facilities and extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff. Janet in aftersales and Lee one of their technicians deserve a special mention. What a pity they do not get a mention in any of the rider surveys or are the people who use this dealership so matter of fact about excellent service that they just can`t be bothered to comment

 

[Swooper]

Re: Williams Rideout?

That'll be the green lane foray on the 12th October organised by the big trail bike guys?

Everything being equal I'll be having the GPS on to get the track log, as last years one went on some excellent unclassified roads.

John

Hey, I am fancy a day out with Williams on green lanes etc. If you have been before is it a good day? What sort of terrain etc

Swoops

 

[Sid]

Yes John - any clues on the nature of the ride out on the 12th?
And.... are these "big guys" on trail bikes or guys on "big trail" bikes??!

Presumably, if there's a high degree of green laning then carrying a pillion might not be too sensible - what do you think?

 

[John Armstrong]

One of the guys last year was BIG! And he had an airhead GS. Last years route was I think all on legal roads and all tarmaced. However some had grass growing in the middle or covered by mud.

Williams don't recommed pillions unless "experienced".

The route was around the Lakes after a quick blast up the M6. The route included the Hardknott and Wrynose passes, where the BMW engine bars didn't prevent damage to the rocker cover of an 1150 that had a very slow speed tumble on one of the "sharper" hairpins!

Everyone I think had a good day out especially watching Mitch "attack" a ford, it's been written up before. It didn't drown the bike (or him) and was not on the normal route.

John

 

[Deleted Member]

agree

bought my bike from williams although I am down in brum.
Clarks did a search of all the dealers and could not come up with the exact spec I wanted. I was told I would have to wait till september (in april)
I happened to spot williams website on the net, sent them a e-mail and thirty six hours later was on my new bike.

Nice people, good service.

 

[nevin]

They have been good to me

whenever I have gone in, but so have Southport Superbikes ...

 

[Flyer]

Williams Manchester wanted me to agree to a thousand pounds excess on their insurance for a GS test ride. What are they on??

So I went to Sothport Superbikes where not only was there no excess, but the salesman came with me on an Adventure, so halfway round we could swap bikes and I could see which I preferred.

SSB any day for me, even though Williams Manch and Blue Bell Crewe are both much closer to me.

Flyer

 

[grandtrousers]

Does the excess really make a difference? These people are in business and they let you go out on your own on a test ride. The thought of a POSSIBLE thousand pound excess would hopefully deter the few tosspots who may want to take a bike out just to trash it. The point of any test ride is surely to acclimatize yourself to what may be an unfamilar machine and once you have got used to it then have a little fun on familar roads etc. Working in a similar industry I sometimes have to lend vehicles to people and wish we could impose a much higher excess as some come back in a real state costing a fortune in refurbishment before being sold. I am sure if you were buying an ex demonstrator you would sooner have one that hasn`t been rebuilt or thrashed within an inch of its life. (Rant over).

 

[Flyer]

Does the excess really make a difference? T

You bet!

If some tosser knocks me off while I'm out on the test, I get a 1000 pound bill. If I drop the bike, perhaps through unfamiliarity, I pay the damage up 1000 pounds.

Why would I want to take that risk at dealer 'A', when I don't have to at dealer 'B'? Heck, I don't have anything like that excess on my own bike.

If the dealer wants to sell bikes, the demonstrator should be covered entirely by their own insurance, including any excess (as it is at SSB) - it's part of the cost of running the business just like insuraing against theft of bikes from the forecourt and shouldn't be passed on to the potential customer any more than they should charge you for the cup of coffee, use of the loo, or part of the accomodation and heating costs while you are on their premises.

The dealer that doesn't view a potential customer primarily in terms of transferring onto them some of the cost of sale is the one that will (and has!) got my business.

Flyer

 

[MikeO]

A bloke I IAM tested last year was going on afterwards to test ride a Ducati 999 at the local Duc dealer.
'How much is the excess on the demo?' I asked
'Oh, £10k' he replied, 'If you drop it, you buy it'.
The dealer in question is now out of business.....

Mike

 

[BBB61]

Not Chris Clarkes by any chance Mike?

Bob

 

[MikeO]

Not Chris Clarkes by any chance Mike?

Bob

That's the chap. Someone else has now set up as a Ducati dealer near Norwich, but Chris Clarke's is history.......


Mike

 

[enabb]

dealer in teeside wanted 1000 pound excess for wife to test ride a hornet 600, said we could av it for 20-30 minutes, Told us about a bloke came in to test a new pan european, 20 years accident free riding, took the bike out and fellover at lights, 2000 quids of damage ???? , and yep they sent him a bill for a grand ?