Riders of Kawasaki - Time for input

[jandreu]

Well not that my input matters much living on an island but I belong to AMA for the legislation work as well as Street Bikers United, again for the legislation work locally. I don't do rally's or group rides for that matter so individual clubs are of no interest to me.

To the question there's nothing ROK could do to entice me to join, sorry.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Sarcasm , correct ?

Actually I was being sincere. Something that seems somewhat limited, such an annual pin would be a great idea. Go to a VROC event and see how many people have a dozen or so of their annual pins.

[Jared]

Originally Posted by waterman

Ok, I have kept out of this but I'll give a couple of ideas that I talked with Brian about.

1) A list of motorcycle friendly hotels. As you plan regional rallies, you try to go some place new but another group may have been there. That would help with finding places that are happy to have groups such as ours. It can also be utilized by people traveling. Sometimes you find places that don't really appreciate motorcycles.

2) Another one is a travel planning site for motorcycles. As we drive roads we find new gems that many people don't know about. If we had something similar to a website http://www.motorcycleroads.com/ where we could input local rides that are great ones to hit.

I think ROK is going to have a hard time having success with a site, or anything for that matter, when you say a site similar to this website.

The website you're referring to has more r&d and their site is most likely going to be used and going to be the one people use.

[glwilson]

For what it is worth...

The Harley's Owners Group (HOG) provides the following list of "benefits" for its members in exchange for their annual dues.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/conte...wners/hog.html

Many of these features and benefits can be done by ROK if they care to put the resources together to do it. Kawasaki, being a large organization, should be able to afford the resources -- especially given there would be dues collected to help offset the cost.

• HOG MAGAZINE: It is mailed several times a year.
• U.S. MAP BOOK: Arrives annually. Highlights dealer locations. ROK could one-up HOG by putting routes suggested by "qualified" members in each state, so that if anyone is traveling through the area they can be sure to ride the routes the locals prefer.
• DISCOUNTS: Membership provides discounts to various companies' services; including some at their dealers
• LOCAL CHAPTERS: HOG has local chapters that sponsor many things throughout the year. While this may be more difficult for Kawa to pull-off; they could at least try (maybe through the VBA as a start).
• REGIONAL RALLIES: HOG puts on these rallies all over at different locations each year.
• ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE: Which includes hotel, towing, and in some cases a loaner bike.
• ANNUAL ROCKER PATCH AND PIN: It is different and specific for each year; making them collectible for some.
• AND MORE...

ROK could also put together a support-group of members who can be reached if another member has a question about a route, dealers in the area, and other questions specific to a region. (i.e., a special email address they can access via their smart phone or computer) Better yet... develop a Kawasakit ROK app that gives instant access to all the features. (They need to hire my son to get this together -- seriously.)

Since Kawasaki's largest sales are their sport and dirt bikes; they should include them in the ROK as well.

They could put rallies together where they invite all types of their bike customers. One idea I would do would be to sponsor a rally at one of the many TT races held all over the U.S. Kawasaki could put together a hospitality tent and offer ticket and hotel discounts for those coming to those races. They could offer a t-shirt specific to the race for those who buy their ticket through Kawasaki. A rally based on dirt-racing is basically how "Sturgis" started. http://www.peoriamotorcycleclub.net/...ampionship-tt/

To me... for ROK to be successful, they are going to have to step-it-up several notches to be creative; and put-out the money to get it going and support it. I would think their marketing department would be "biting at the bit" to get something going on this. If they are not, then they need to question what they are doing.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by Jared

Actually I was being sincere. Something that seems somewhat limited, such a an annual pin would be a great idea. Go to a VROC even and see how many people of a dozen or so of their annual pins.

Oh, sorry, have you ever seen my hat,it is in the picture I sent to be included on the page for Region and Assistant leader on the new website.
Oh yeah, that is still under construction
I have all the annual pins from the AMA and a pin from most of the places Cindy and I ride to.

[Yellow Jacket]

Originally Posted by Top Cat

Oh, sorry, have you ever seen my hat,it is in the picture I sent to be included on the page for Region and Assistant leader on the new website.
Oh yeah, that is still under construction
I have all the annual pins from the AMA and a pin from most of the places Cindy and I ride to.

Tim, I thought that picture was of you trying to bury something under a big pile of dirt.

[Silent Sam]

..I have a pin...showing I attended the 1987 Cow Boy Poetry Gathering, at Elko Nevada.

[Top Cat]

Originally Posted by Yellow Jacket

Tim, I thought that picture was of you trying to bury something under a big pile of dirt.

No Bob that is Jared trying to find the rest of the guys pics.
He doesn't realize they haven't sent them in yet.
It has only been 3 months since he asked for them.
The other guys must have a life outside this forum

[Dave]

Originally Posted by glwilson

To me... for ROK to be successful, they are going to have to step-it-up several notches to be creative; and put-out the money t

Everyone mentions how the Nomad is priced so much lower than a Road King. Would Kawasaki have to increase their margins to offer all the benefits and perks that Harley does?

Also the dealer "brand loyalty" appear so far apart to me. Walk into a Harley and that's all they sell. Walk into a Kawasaki dealer and they sell other brands, also.

In a previous post a member compared emergency road service between the two. Maybe the Kawasaki dealer in Bug Tussle, USA sells more Yamaha or quad runners than Kawasaki products and is more loyal to that side of his business.

I think a lot of it boils down to, "You get what you pay for."

Kawasaki produces some of the best motorcycles for a very reasonable price but the "side" perks are just not there.

[redjay]

The Harley perks and benefits are there, at a price.

[glwilson]

Originally Posted by Dave

Everyone mentions how the Nomad is priced so much lower than a Road King. Would Kawasaki have to increase their margins to offer all the benefits and perks that Harley does?

Also the dealer "brand loyalty" appear so far apart to me. Walk into a Harley and that's all they sell. Walk into a Kawasaki dealer and they sell other brands, also. In a previous post a member compared emergency road service between the two. Maybe the Kawasaki dealer in Bug Tussle, USA sells more Yamaha or quad runners than Kawasaki products and is more loyal to that side of his business.

I think a lot of it boils down to, "You get what you pay for." Kawasaki produces some of the best motorcycles for a very reasonable price but the "side" perks are just not there.

You hit it on the head. You cannot get something for nothing. It all costs one way or another.

[Silent Sam]

The local Harley Dealer Refused to mount a tire for my 02 Nomad....(and I had the wheel already removed from the bike)

...I went in and checked out a new Harley...then refused to buy it ! ... For some perverse reason..that made me feel good !

[napom]

Originally Posted by Silent Sam

The local Harley Dealer Refused to mount a tire for my 02 Nomad....(and I had the wheel already removed from the bike)

...I went in and checked out a new Harley...then refused to buy it ! ... For some perverse reason..that made me feel good !

Good on you! That's the side of ridiculous I hate - I bet that dealer had metrics on the floor that had been traded in that he did some work on . . . I had an independent dealer refuse to extract a bolt from my Sabre when I was on a trip, because he "didn't have metric tools" I didn't realize bolt extractors were that specific . . .

[Jared]

Originally Posted by Dave

Everyone mentions how the Nomad is priced so much lower than a Road King. Would Kawasaki have to increase their margins to offer all the benefits and perks that Harley does?

Also the dealer "brand loyalty" appear so far apart to me. Walk into a Harley and that's all they sell. Walk into a Kawasaki dealer and they sell other brands, also.

In a previous post a member compared emergency road service between the two. Maybe the Kawasaki dealer in Bug Tussle, USA sells more Yamaha or quad runners than Kawasaki products and is more loyal to that side of his business.

I think a lot of it boils down to, "You get what you pay for."

Kawasaki produces some of the best motorcycles for a very reasonable price but the "side" perks are just not there.

I don't know if they'd have to increase their profit margins to offer such benefits. I think of it more as a marketing tactic. Just like any brand, you want to create life long owners. Those who will continue to come back to Kawasaki year after year. That obviously has to do with the product be consistent, both in quality, and price, but also has to do with the camaraderie that people have with other owners of the same brand and that camaraderie has to be cultivated and developed over time.

[napom]

So . . . I'm curious . . . What's the end result of this? What will be sent/told to ROK, and if anything is . . . Will we get a response from them??