G'Day,
Anyone heading out to Suzhou for the HD grand opening?
http://i42.tinypic.com/2uy2cg5.jpg
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G'Day,
Anyone heading out to Suzhou for the HD grand opening?
http://i42.tinypic.com/2uy2cg5.jpg
Mate and I will ride Ningbo to Suzhou on Saturday morning... likely we'll end up riding the Jetmax's though if by some magic intervention the sun makes an appearance for Saturday and Sunday we'll ride the Dragstars instead. Anyone else?Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
G'Day,
Won't get my full Shanghai bike registration for the new Ducati before next week and busy with overseas visitors therefor have to cancel the Suzhou ride out.
Now, just today, got another email about a Shanghai bike event........
H-D Sportster Party 26/11
12:00hrs. BBQ buffet lunch, 150 RMB per person incl. one drink
Bubba's Expo Village
Suite 101, 1101 Xue Ye Rd
Yukino Road, Room 101, 1101 (Expo Village, Room B5-101)
Phone: 021-22060338
http://i44.tinypic.com/n69nh2.jpg
Check with H-D dealership Shanghai: http://www.harley-davidsonshanghai.cn
New Ducati? which one?
another mate (not the one I'm riding with to Suzhou for the HD opening) has a HD Sportster is quite keen on a Multistrada as he rode one back over in Europe and he luv'd it, but the price is way ridiculous for one here so he and I were talking about buying 2 and importing them. I decided it's not exactly what I want so I'm importing a Yamaha Super Tenere XT1200Z, already bought it... just sorting out the legalities of getting it in the country right at the moment. But then I see the new Triumph Explorer 1200 and... hyper salivate all over again.
Bubba's? No way ... seriously?Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
Almost worth the trip to SH to see the Chinese version of "kissin' cousins" in pickup trucks, chowin' down on some BBQ possum.
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by Lao Jia Hou
http://www.bubbasasia.com
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerdoc
Ducati Multistrada 1200S Pikes Peak Limited Edition
This looks like a ride waiting to happen... Ningbo-SHQuote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
gidday back at ya... oh that sounds delicious... my German mate will be super jealous, so post some pics and link to here when you got a chance, just so, well you know... rub it in a little. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerdoc
Here you go: http://www.mychinamoto.com/forums/sh...Z-Custom-Bikes
G'Day,
Did anyone go?
yes. Mate and I rode there left Saturday, stayed overnight, and rode back Sunday. Since Friday was wet, and so was Saturday the numbers that rode were not as expected, though still quite a number were there. Photos to come...
G'Day,Quote:
Originally Posted by bikerdoc
Pictures would be great, HOG Shanghai website shows no pics yet?!
Anyone going to the "HD Sportster Party" over at Bubba's PD this Saturday?
G'Day,
Some HD Suzhou party pics are up: http://www.hogchina.cn
G'Day,
Took the bike for a ride, had a lunch meeting in Suzhou SIP today and visited the HD Suzhou dealership, neat set-up in a free standing building and a lot of inventory (bikes) on the floor. Much better stocked compared to the Shanghai HD -Tongpu Lu- store. Anyone visited the new HD Pudong store yet? They opened 10 days ago, seen pics but had no chance to visit the new shop yet.
I also was impressed with the HD Suzhou operation, lots of bikes on the show room floor, plenty of accessories and I'm not just referring to clothing. Better than that, they have a two bay motorcycle workshop out back that's neat and tidy, a sales consultation lounge and a nice HOG bar/lounge up the second/first floor above the showroom. Jimmy (an American Tawainese) who bought the HD franchise speaks very good English and seemed very approachable. He is currently having a customising workshop space that can take around a dozen motorcycles at a time, for more detailed modification and customising work. Showed me the plans and artist renderings of the site, though since I don't know Suzhou I couldn't tell you where it is. The other bonus with Jimmy's setup is that he is getting his staff to learn English and all of them must learn how to ride a motorcycle. He has a 125 or 150cc Japanese motorcycle that the staff can practice on, which I observed a couple of the staff members practicing on the Sunday after opening.Quote:
Originally Posted by TB-Racing
As stated above I have some photos, and have been editing them over the last several days and once completed will upload them to MCM.
Can't comment on the HD Pudong outlet.
Photos of outside the HD Suzhou dealership...
Attachment 5869
Outside the dealership on Li Gong Di
Attachment 5870
Two traffic police HD883 (more on these later)
Attachment 5896
Sales lounge on the left hand side of the sales show room when entering from the front door
Attachment 5897
Left side of ground floor showroom
Attachment 5895
Standing in left hand corner looking towards right side of ground floor showroom and front door
Attachment 5899
Suzhou traffic police bought 8 HD883 Sporters from HD Shanghai and these two examples were loaned to HD Suzhou for their grand opening. The license plates were removed for the opening, so that they couldn't/shouldn't be ridden around by just anyone attending. I cannot recall if the ignitions keys had been kept by the traffic police as well or not.
Attachment 5900
Suzhou traffic police uses these and the other six 883 Sportsters for ceremonial purposes only and for events such as parades. They are not used for general traffic policing duties. All eight of the Sportsters are ridden by female officers.
Attachment 5901
This was a bike belonging to one of the riders attending the HD opening
Attachment 5898
This was a bike belonging to one of the riders attending the HD opening. Note the long wheel base Ford transit van in background complete with trailer. The van can hold 3 bikes, and the trailer which is hydraulic can carry two. The owner said they are more than happy to drive to collect an owners HD bike if needed, and they have a fully equipped shop with repair facilities. A new large 8 bay customisation facility is under construction where HD Suzhou will specialise in custom work on Harley's.
Attachment 5903
HD Fat Bob
Early in the evening around 6pm there was a display of various HD models complete with several female models of which a couple were foreign models. One could have one's photo taken with this motorcycle accompanied by one or more of the female models.
Attachment 5902
HD Softail with white wall tyres
Attachment 5904
A customised HD
Attachment 5905
HD Road King
Attachment 5906
HD Road King
Attachment 5908
Party was held at Harry's Bar Suzhou Industrial Park on Li Going Di, which is the third of its kind to open in Suzhou. It is just around the corner from HD Suzhou well within walking distance. There was a great attendance with plenty of happy attendees. Food was a plenty and there was so much variety and lots of beverage on tap which was included for all those that made it. Excellent time had by all from my observations.
Attachment 5909
The first band was a six piece band (as far as I could tell all foreigners) from Shanghai that had been hired for the nights party and they were brilliant, playing a real mix of modern, contemporary, rock. The dance floor was moving.
Attachment 5910
In between sets for the band, there was a Chinese B-Boxer who was absolutely outstanding. Bloody brilliant at his craft and he really wowed the audience for sure.
Attachment 5911
B-boxer performed several times between the bands sets. Did I say how brilliant he was? He was!
Attachment 5907
The bald headed guy is actually a P L A soldier who rode a Yammie 750 twin, kind of a custom, complete with military white plates. I had seen it in the latter part of the afternoon, and can remember thinking momentarily at the time that the plates were most likely the typical fakes. What was different was that the bike in question had both a rear plate and a front plate which had been attached not on the front forks as is the usual placement, but on the front screen. This solider was actually quite a hard-case and was having a great time. He ended up at 'our' table and he bought us a 3.5L mini-dispenser of beer. Sorry as a non-alcohol drinker I have no idea of the correct name, but here's the picture below...
Attachment 5912
The beers available were a number of international beers and all nice and cold by all accounts. Juices were also available as were a few other beverages. All provided by our host Jimmie (owner of HD Suzhou franchise).
Attachment 5914
One of the attendees rides maybe a three wheeled Street Glide?
Attachment 5913
Underground carpark of Suisse Place Hotel with attendees ride.
Attachment 5916 Attachment 5915
Front of the Suisse Place hotel as rider checks in
Attachment 5917
Underground carpark of Suisse Place Hotel with small collection of attendees ride. Yes, it was too wet for me and my mate to ride our Dragstars from Ningbo-Suzhou so we took our maxi-scoots. Naturally Sunday ride back was sunny and warm.
Attachment 5918 Attachment 5919 Attachment 5920
Riders came from all over including Shanghai and Zhejiang province. We'd ridden from Ningbo, though the weather was the determining factor on what my mate and I rode. Many of those expected from Shanghai didn't attend due to the rain. I was told around 20 of the expected 60 HD riders or thereabouts had turned up for the event. Many of the HD riders attending are members of the Chinese HOG. The HD Suzhou has a nice lounge on the first (Chinese 2nd) floor/level. Unfortunately I forgot to take photos while I was up there. Nice models up there though ;)
The HD store is full of every available HD motorcycle model available for sale in mainland China. For most there were more than one or two examples on the shop floor and the 883 Sportster there were half a dozen in different variants.
Jimmy laid on a great opening, and was very approachable and being a foreigner himself, speaks bloody good English and has a grasp of what most of us serious riders want out of motorcycle and everything attached to it.
If anyone is considering a Harley then one couldn't go too far wrong than to look at HD Suzhou, nice facility, nice location, nice staff all of whom have to ride or are required to learn to ride (see my post earlier about the shops motorcycle for learning on) so that they can better relate and understand a riders/owners wants and needs. This is a real departure in attitude from the standard modus operandi in China. The owner Jimmy, is a foreigner, speaks great English and is very approachable.
Thanks Jimmy for the invite and a time well had!
Wonder if anyone from Jialing was there? Diligently studying what it means to have great marketing and customer support?
Not.