Sale Time! - Parts & Apparel Swap!  

October 15^th 2011 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

Time to clear out the garage and get rid of all that motorcycle stuff you just don't need anymore (because you need new stuff!). For a modest consignment fee, we'll sell it for you at our semi-annual Parts and Apparel Swap Meet.   Those of you that are thrifty, you won't want to miss what we think will be the biggest swap meet ever (or at least as big as our 3rd and 4th showroom). Bring us Airhead parts, windscreens, mirrors, boots, books, gloves or what have you, as long as it looks like motorcycle stuff, bring it in (please, no old batteries).

Sellers - If you want to sell some stuff, check-in begins on Thursday, October 6th and continues through the following Friday, October 14th. Sorry, but we cannot check-in anything on the day of the event. We'll help you get everything tagged and priced during check-in, but If you have time and want to speed up your check in process, have your items tagged, with a detailed description, and priced with a hanging tag that we can write on the back of. If it sells, we charge you 20% of the total asking price. If not, we won't charge you anything.

Buyers - The doors open Saturday, October 15th at 9:00am, and most likely there will be a line so you may want to get here early for best selection. Remember, most items at the swap will be customer consignments, so the prices will be as marked. We'll have some other exclusive event sale items in the main showroom as well so be sure to check it out. As always, all Parts Swap items will be sold as is with no returns.  

RIGID LED Lighting Kits - These may be the end-all, be-all, and the future of auxiliary motorcycle lighting as we know it. We just received our first shipment of these well built, high output LED kits and have them up on our display (bring your sunglasses!).   As it turns out, LED's are super reliable, efficient, intense, and the perfect solution for today's Powersports vehicles.

Rigid has 3 main kits to choose from $200.00 on up, providing anywhere from 1300 to 2880 Lumens per light (a new LED Maglite is about 114, FYI). They include the Dually (4 x LED's in each), The Dually 2 (6 x LED's in each), and the ridiculously awesome dual 4" kit (8 x LED's per LED). All three kits put out more light than most traditional bulbs and are super efficient. For example, the super high output D2 uses only 28 watts per light, much less than even a set of PIAA 510's! All this translates into more usable power for your other accessories (like heated gear). All Rigid kits are offered in a spot driving pattern, fog pattern, or a combination of both. You can also get them in amber! Stop buy and check them out!

Jeff Conlin - Parts Manager - parts@ridewest.com  

Bill Niwa - Apparel & Accessories Manager - apparel@ridewest.com  

(206) 527-5511

Tech Tip Of The Month

 Service Schedule  

We all know the importance of swapping out our brake fluid regularly, but our brake system maintenance should not end there. Regular inspection of our brake master cylinders for signs of leakage, and brake hoses for any irregularities is very important as well. If there is a leak then there can be a possibility of pressure loss and failure. Most of the time the master cylinders can be rebuilt with new seals if the interior bores are smooth and free of any pitting. It is a common occurrence on the pre-2000 brake systems. It seems the newer master cylinders hold up better but some even have rebuilding intervals that should not be overlooked.  

The most common failures I'm seeing these days are the rubber brake lines failing, causing the brake to fail and in some cases stick on. I've found one source that reports rubber brake lines have a six year life span, and my own experience is seeing them fail at the ten year mark.  The steel braided lines that are common on newer bikes seem to last longer, but still should be inspected on a regular basis. So make a point to inspect your brake system and get an action plan together if you're riding a motorcycle that has a few years under it's belt (or tires as it may be). Be safe and keep those brake systems in shape.  

Mark Eddy

Service Manager

A Message From Our Owners

Big Plans for Ride West BMW 

Let the buyer beware.  We have all heard this adage over the ages and yet it applies today as fundamentally as it ever has.  We were reading the newspaper the other day and came across an article that struck home, since it had to do with vehicle sales.  The author was relating an experience that she had recently had when she sold an automobile individually (not through a dealer) to a buyer that replied to a Craigs List ad she had placed.  Money was transacted and the customary papers were signed, the buyer driving off with the car.  The problem, in this case, occurred after the fact in that the buyer never went to the Department of Licensing and registered the car in his name.  The title cleared, but not the registration.  A few weeks later the old owner, the seller, began receiving toll tickets and parking tickets that had not been paid.  The balance of the article dealt with her attempts to track down the buyer and to get that person to properly register, which of course the buyer was very reluctant to do because he knew exactly what he was doing.

We all have either our own horror stories or those of someone we know that have been stiffed by a buyer of something, possibly a vehicle; the check did not clear the bank and the buyer has already driven off; the credit card was stolen and now the seller has to deal with the consequences; the vehicle has been through a flood and was not divulged to the buyer; or there is hidden damage that is not discovered until well after the sale/purchase.  It's a nasty world out there and there are numerous people that would just love to take full advantage of you.  So let the buyer, and seller for that matter, beware.

You have probably already guessed that this article is leading somewhere.  We are a BMW motorcycle dealership that in July celebrated our 16th year in business.  Our reputation is important to us and we always play fair to protect that reputation.  We buy and sell motorcycles everyday and know how to do it without getting stiffed.  If you are selling a motorcycle then let us do it for you.  Yes, of course there is a charge to you (that's how we stay in business and how you can count on us being here for you tomorrow), but we take all of the risk from you when selling your motorcycle.  And it will be done right.  And in the state of Washington, if you use your vehicle as a trade in on a new bike, the trade in value is a credit against the sales tax levied.  If you are buying a motorcycle then purchase it from us.  We go over all used bikes with a thorough inspection and stand behind any bike we sell.  Plus, you can purchase a used motorcycle extended warranty which covers your bike as well as a new warranty.  And of course, new bike purchases are covered under BMW's three year/36,000 mile warranty.

Talk to us.  We want to help you sell your existing ride and purchase a new one.  And last but certainly not least, thank you for your business over these past sixteen years.  We have enjoyed every minute of it (OK, except for maybe that one time---or was it two times) and look forward with anticipation to the future.  Thanks again.

 If you have been reading these email missives for this past year (more accurately, the past few years) you know that the powersports industry has been a mess.  It has not only been a step ahead of the dismal economy, it has suffered a more severe downturn.  BMW dealerships have fared considerably better than most of the other brands, but even here there has been fallout.  BMW dealerships in Marin county and Santa Cruz county, California, and Chicago are no longer with us, to name just a few.  And many expect that this winter will be more difficult than last year, particularly for the "metric" brands, most notably the Japanese brands.  Last year many dealerships were able to survive by what we call "looking under the carpet for dimes", and they found them.  What this means is that they investigated every means possible to borrow money (credit cards?) and reduce expenses, most notable payroll.  But this year those revenue sources and drastic employee cuts have been made.  So now what?

We see this throughout the economy and it is so sad.  Daily the news media covers businesses large and small that have reached the end of their corporate rope.  Even the US Postal Service has about reached the end of their rope. (Ever consider every other day delivery, or two or three times a week?).  And with our political system tied up in partisan knots, a remedy to this situation seems distant.  And so, most businesses have decided to hunker down and hope for the best.  The problem is, hope is not a plan.

Now the good news.  BMW motorcycle riders in the Seattle area can expect to have sales, parts and service available well into the future.  This is because Ride West is very strong.  Overall revenue so far through this year is running 12% ahead of last year, and new bike sales are 35% ahead.  Profitability likewise is well ahead.  BMW continues to introduce new models each year and to upgrade the existing line-up, which certainly helps us stay a step ahead.  But more importantly, this dealership realized early in the downturn that we had to get aggressive to not only stay in business, but to increase our market share.  We did, and we have.  And our future looks bright.  We will continue to grow Team Ride West, to offer more activities and promotions than our competitors, and to build upon the initiatives that we have implemented over the past two years.  So in closing, it ain't all bleak!  We feel terrible, and sympathetic, for our brethren that have fallen, but intend to buck the trend and get stronger and stronger as time passes.  We have a wonderful, consistent customer base that supports us and for that we thank you.  Plan on us being here to serve you for a long time.  Thanks again.  

Ann and Keith Thye