Whatever the issues were at Aces and Eights, and it is none of my business, I hate to see a dealership and it's committed employees fall on hard times.

My condolences to Larry's family and friends.

 

Mandapanhead13, I couldn't agree with you more.

 

well i havent made it there yet... looks like i need to take a trip down there early this season to grab a shirt... me and the boys are looking to make a shirt run at some point, but looks like we better go sooner than later. F&S doesnt negotiate on prices... atleast they havent for me and my buddies... 3 of my buddys all purchased bikes there and they were not willing to deal at all. but their inventory is next to none. although when my buddy bought a new bike, they take you on a in-store poker run and he drew two pair which was 25 percent off a parts purchase, that was nice. but i purchased from a dealer in indiana... no set up, docking, prep charges... and they wiggled a bit on price! got out of there under msrp...

p.s. good to see all the ohio folk here... sucks that its snowing and it actually sticking to the ground! when will this be over with?!?!?!?

 

They in deep problems. The owber died a couple weeks ago.
They ordered no 2009 bikes.
Rumors tell me they are going to fold up.

 

To heck with rumors. Try talking to an employee.

Stopped in there today while temporarily escaping the money pit that is Great Wolf Lodge. Stay away from the buffet!

Bought a part for my Sportster Sport (which was in stock) and bought a 'Road Rage Motorcycles' t-shirt. Had only about 6 men's tees in XL that had the dealer's logo on it.

Friendly guy at the parts counter said that the widow of the owner already decided to take over the ownership of the dealership and H-D corporate visited a couple of weeks ago to help get her going.

I hope that she has the business acumen of the old owner's of H-D of Cincinnati - Thelma and her husband.

 

Interesting. I'll have to ride down there sometime soon.

 

Not the first dealer to be in trouble and sure as hell won't be the last with the economy being bad. ROEDER H-D in Monroeville, OH shut down a month or so ago. And a few more will fall by the end of the year.

I'll put the blame on H-D headquarters for making these dealers feel like the have to build "GRAND" dealerships to sell bikes. Some of you mid-Ohio folks may have been to or heard of a shop called LUDY's in Painter Creek.

The absolute BEST shop I'd been in........EVER. H-D was trying to pressure them to move, they didn't want to budge from a town of "maybe" 300 people. The shop was in the middle of nowhere, BUT everyone knew how to get there.

Jim Gover Sr. ended up buying that shop and was pretty much forced to move to their current location in Piqua. Don't get me wrong, they have a nice place, but its just not the good old days of LUDY's H-D.

Bob & Ester were some GREAT folks.............

 

So Gover's actually came from painters creek then. Didn't know that

 

remember Ludys well and govers has tried to stay w/ small town dealer as best they can w/ moco down their back. i like govers better than f&s by a longshot.

 

I was there today. They are still open and there are rumors of another new owner. I have been a customer since they were getting started and had many great experiences. Unitl the current owners took over. As I have said before, don't take this wrong I hate that the guy died. I pray for the best for his wife and kids. But they needed to be in another buisness. I tried talking to that guy and he just didn't have a clue about motorcycles. I was told today that there was a new buyer. They wouldn't say who it was. I was hoping that the old owner Ray would come back and take over but they wouldn't say. If he's back then I'm back but if it's just another "here for the money yuppie" I'm gone AGAIN.

I don't understand Harley. They gave dealerships to a bunch of people who didn't know their products and then wonder why we don't want to do buisness with them.

Does anyone know the old owner or what happened to him? He's probably laughing his *** off.
xl