Not sure that it really makes any difference, unless the individual salesman's name and phone number is what you want. Almost all dealers I've dealt with, no matter what manufacturer, have both great and terrible individuals working in sales and service.
BMW has smaller margins than asian brands in the US. The standard 'biz model' gives dealers who charge ALL the extra fees as much as 12% gross margin to work with. The dealers I know well average 9.75% on new units. Commissions are usually a % of the net margin (after some admin costs come out, about $200), 10-20% depending on base pay structure. Average commission for a $20K sale is about $350 for full commission only structures, or about half that for those making a base of approximately minimum wage. If you discount that $20K bike $1K, after admin costs it cuts the full commission down to $150. If you were selling BMW's for a living, how interested would you be in price dickering? Used is a different gig, there is usually about double the gross margin to work with - if you have to get 'a deal' to make the experience work for you, this is the place to start.
Similar experience today, went shop bouncing looking for an adhesive Scala Q2 mount for my kids new helmet (these wild little creatures just don't stop growing!), they had one yet they weren't sure what to charge. I replied that I had no idea as all my Scala gear was professionally comped for training development from the regional sales guy, so they just gave it to me! I'm not an owner, and the parts guy had never seen me in the shop before... little things can go a long way. Killed another 30 minutes talking to a sales guy, the sales manager, and the owner - no pressure, just riders talking riding. Given that they are by far the closest dealer (10 minutes vs. an hour+ for Triumph and Guzzi), they will be the first place I look to scratch my next itch.
You just made me realize something:
Yes I will bash the manufacturer and the local dealer , this is what happened to me with BMW : I bought a brand new '08 BMW R1200RT , I had test ridden 4 others before I accepted this one , because of the color. As soon as I got it home , it had this knocking noise & really uneven , snatchy sounding idle. I had it into dealer 4 times over 2 years and they wouldn't fix it under warranty or acknowledge it had a predetonation problem -that I had to find out by the BMWMOA forum . The computer's software would not read the anti-knock sensors and was letting it be way too timing advanced - by only 6K miles it had developed a piston slap , it was destroying itself ! It also had a fuel pump controller quit and stranded me at 4K miles. The Top box had 4 different pieces of plastic structure between it and the steel frame that wore & got loose in about 1000 miles on the first trip to a rally - my wife was afraid she and the box were going to fall off the bike - she was never on the BMW again ! The rear end was getting louder by the 6K miles when I stopped riding it . The exhaust pipes turned ugly within first 500 miles because of lack of being double walled like Honda's exposed appearance pipes are . The electronic ring around the key lock went bad . The BMW R series had no fans to turn on in stopped traffic / no air flow situations . Police versions have fans to blow on the oil coolers to prevent THEM from overheating ! The BMW warranty was useless when BMW & the dealer's arrogant attitude was " there can't be anything wrong with a BMW" I never had one ride on that bike that I felt like I had a good reliable motorcycle under me ! Outcome: after 2 years of trying to get BMW to make it right, my patience was gone, I was totally P.O.'d . I took them to court with the Magnuson-Moss federal lemon law to back me up . Since I had it back 4 times for the predetonation issue alone, I got the cost of a new engine & computer back. But I still had no local BMW dealer that could be trusted to change an engine or do anything else right for that matter ( in 2 shop sessions : they had also tossed 2 appearance painted fairing plastics and engine head /valve cover on the cement , scratching the heck out of them , on a brand new bike !, cost me $165 for a body shop to re-paint the plastic the 1st episode) I hated the BMW so much after 2 1/2 years of going thru He!!, I stripped off all the accessories I bought for it , then I sold it as-is on ebay just so I would never see it again. THEN On the other hand , I bought my 8032 mile '07 ST1300 for less than half of what I paid for the miserable new BMW . IT has all the smooth , quiet , refined, reliableness that the R1200RT never had , WITH NO TROUBLE YET! The ST1300 got the BMW's accessories that I could re-bracket to fit the ST. The only thing was the RT had cruise control; I put on a Dakota Digital Cruise Control on the ST. Stick with the Honda ST1300 !!! p.s. : Peruse the BMWMOA forums on the Hex-Head R series & the other series' bike's electrical & mechanical troubles compared to how little there really is concerning problems on the ST1300.
TourNut, did you try the BMW dealer in Canton, MI? John Horner, the owner, and his crew seem to be good people. He belongs to the Michigan chapter of the Motorcycle Sport Touring Association (MSTA), as do I, and a lot of the members seem to be riding bikes they bought from him. I've heard no complaints about service.
Come on bash the group for accepting him! Bunch of no-good %^&*'s for letting him in.
