Dealership not stocking the S10

[RCinNC]

Most lump the GS and GSA together when you talk about GS sales. For awhile, the combined GS/GSA line has been BMW's best-selling bike, both in the US and worldwide. BMW moves about 4K a year in the US and many many more overseas. While 4K is not huge compared to Harley, cruiser and playbike sales, it is one of the better-selling large-displacement traveling motorcycles. Yamaha doesn't publish ST sales, but I doubt they're selling over 500 or so bikes/year at this point in the product cycle. It's just not a very popular bike.

Why doesn't the S10 sell better? Interesting question. Having dealers floor more examples to gather dust and be sold at huge discounts isn't going to help and may actually hurt sales. The demand just isn't there so you really can't blame the dealers. Certainly better marketing would drive some demand, but Yamaha may have run the numbers and decided it doesn't pay off. I do think Yamaha aimed too low from the get-go with the S10. It took on the GS juggernaut head-on but even at introduction it was, at best, just competitive and not markedly superior. And since the S10 was introduced BMW has evolved the GS twice with major improvements. The S10 is a good bike but its caught in a no-man's land; it can't compete on being technically superior or "cooler", and it isn't that much cheaper to compete solely on price. And Suzuki now undercuts the S10 on price with the new V-Strom (another slow-seller).

One thing the Japanese need to get into their heads is that big investments in chassis, engines, etc. need to be amortized over a larger number of bike models. Designing and tooling up to build an engine like the S10's and have it languish in a single, slow-selling adventure bike is ridiculous. BMW puts their 1200cc boxer twin in the GS, GSA, RS, RT, and R. They put their 1000cc inline-four in the RR, R, and XR. This creates a lot of variety at very little increased engineering cost. I think Yamaha is moving in this direction with the 700cc twin and 900cc triple. I don't have high hopes of continued development of the S10 although you never know.

- Mark

Yes, the sales figures I looked at for BMW USA break sales down by model, so it's true that they sell more than 2000 adventure style bikes a year (more, of you lump the GS 650 and GS 800 into the mix). Since Japanese companies don't release sales figures on individual models, it's really difficult to make any sort of informed comparison on how BMW adventure bike sales compare to the other manufacturers. They very well may outsell Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, Triumph, KTM, etc, but that isn't really the issue at hand. It isn't that they sell or don't sell more adventure bikes, it's more about how many adventure bikes are being bought by customers compared to how many of another type of bike is being bought. This is still a tough comparison because again, companies don't release individual model sales, so I use HD as a comparison because they sell almost exclusively big twin cruisers. If BMW is the sales leader in the US, and they sell, say, 5000 total adventure bikes a year (the entire GS line combined), HD sold 271,000 cruiser type bikes worldwide. Even if only half that number were sold here (which I doubt, I'd guess more than half), that's still 135,000 cruiser style bikes sold, compared to 5000 adventure style bikes. Even if you lump all the adventure bike manufacturers' sales figures together, how many could it be? Do you think 15000 sold in a single year is accurate (I don't really know, but I don't think it could be more, and it's probably less). Even at that number, it's obvious that consumer desire in the US is wildly slanted towards the big twin cruiser made by HD. The numbers probably skew even further in that direction if you were able to add in all the cruisers made by the other companies. I don't think any of these figures relate to quality of one bike over another; it's all about consumer taste and desire.

Adventure bikes are a niche market. They attract a certain specific type of buyer (us!). The very things that attracts us to the bike (the practicality, the reliability, the swiss army knife adaptability) are probably the exact things that turns off a guy who goes into a bike shop looking for a bike that is sexy and scary fast, or will totally make him look like a badass while he rides it. We think it's awesome that the bike we are riding can take us to Patagonia, but I really don't think that's what most people are looking for when they go in a bike shop. You could drape naked women all over these bikes in an advertisement, and it still won't compete with the image that a middle aged accountant has of himself riding down the road on his Hog with an endless loop of Roger Corman biker movies playing in his head. It's sad to me, and I wish these bikes did sell better, because better sales would spur continued development and more choices. But really, we are well served with choices now; Yamaha, Suzuki, Honda, KTM, Triumph, BMW, all make an adventure bike. I'm glad sales are good enough that we have that many options.

 

[RCinNC]

Sorry, can't relate. My dealer is Romney. They sell bunches and bunches of S10s.

A big Plus 1 for Romney Cycles. Great dealership, and worth the ride from North Carolina. I'm sure when it's time for another bike, they will be my first stop.

 

[Dogdaze]

I get the financial implication of not wanting a lump like the S10 sitting on the showroom floor, who knows when it might sell? when you could sell a faster moving product four times over in the same period.
I also get what Mark said, but, BMW only make the boxer and the inline 4 engine, it outsourced the F series engine from Rotax, and even had the 650's made by a Chinese company (may have been Kymco?) the other Japanese do use most of their engines in more than one model (except the Ténéré for Yamaha). Having said that, BMW, Ducati and the other big ticket brands tend to be a 'luxury market' item so sell predominantly in the west, not the east where high import duties, bad roads and possibly parts accessibility issues. Again, the S10 is an ugly bike with a few friends on farcebook, so why clog your dealership with a maybe?

 

[okiesaki]

My local dealer has a couple used ones on the floor but no new ones yet 45 miles away the yamaha dealer there bought over 40 left over 13's a couple of months back and has sold all but 3. Of course, $8995 out the door was a great price. I bought one. They keep all accessories in stock, give 15% off accessories if you buy a bike and display those accessories on there floor model. I have since invested and additional $2k in add ons but I now have a fully loaded Tenere for half the cost of a bare bone Beemer.

 

[MCGMB]

And what dealershop is that okiesaki?

Maybe they'll buy up and do the same with 15/16s? ::008::

 

[okiesaki]

And what dealershop is that okiesaki?

Maybe they'll buy up and do the same with 15/16s? ::008::

Sehorn Yamaha in Shawnee,Ok.

 

[dietDrThunder]

My local dealer has a couple used ones on the floor but no new ones yet 45 miles away the Yamaha dealer there bought over 40 left over 13's a couple of months back and has sold all but 3. Of course, $8995 out the door was a great price. I bought one. They keep all accessories in stock, give 15% off accessories if you buy a bike and display those accessories on there floor model. I have since invested and additional $2k in add ons but I now have a fully loaded Tenere for half the cost of a bare bone Beemer.

For the first week or two, they were $8499 out the door.

It's not a big surprise they don't get stocked, because it costs a dealer flooring fees every month that a bike sits unsold. Since it's 2016 now, and Yamaha had over 100 left-over 2013's in the warehouse to unload, it's not like they fly out the door. My local dealer sold the first one they got right away, the second shortly after, and then the third one sat for over 6 months (maybe a lot over, I don't remember when it eventually sold). They have a demo Capo Nord there that's been available to ride and buy at a (not great, admiteddly) discount for like 2 years, and it's still there. Just not a hugely popular genre yet.

I also wonder how magazine reviews impact sales. When the S10 first hit, it won a Cycle World BotY award of some sort, but apart from that, we all read about how it's too heavy, and too slow. I will readily admit that even though I'm not a stat sheet lover, I was under the impression that the bike was kinda stodgy and, well, maybe a little boring. Luckily for me, I decided to buy one anyway, and once I solve the mystery of the never ending wind noise, it will become by far the best bike I've ever owned; I absolutely love it, personally feel like the motor has plenty of power (and I'm coming from multiple much faster bikes), and I even think it has plenty of character. I just can't say enough about it. Would it be even better if it weighed less and made more power (assuming it didn't lose other attributed in the process)? Of course. But you can say that about all sorts of bikes.

Anyway, that's my take...

 

[rider33]

In 2001 Kawasaki brought the W650 into the US market. The next year, the new Triumph Bonneville entered. The W out of the block was better finished, better looking, better equipped, and better priced but after 2 years Kawasaki pulled it from the US market while the Bonnie has gone on to be something like half of Triumph's US sales. Why? Kawasaki bumbled the launch, for sure but but I think it's more than that. The W was a Bonnie imitator, sort of like the Drifter was to Indian. The Bonneville, however, was a Triumph, the icon of that form, the originator. That's what the GS is to BMW, there largest and likely most profitable line. BMW doesn't make ATV's or UTV's, they are focused on a handful of models, Yamaha is selling everything form kid bikes to FJR's. S10's don't sell because there is nothing really to distinguish them. KTM's own performance, BMW the archetype, and then there is everybody else. My guess would be they looked at the growth in the segment and decided they needed an entry not expecting it to be a huge seller. Basically it fills out their offerings but is not the center of the plate. This is how you get a very well built, highly reliable bike at a bargain price. I'm good with that, even if my Kleenex is actually a Puff.

 

[bigboy61]

None of the Northern VA dealers here had any S10s in stock. Their response was that they sell more ATV's that the adventure bike. However, when I had the cash for an ES they found one from one of their sisters stores in West VA.

So, my 2016 ES S10 has been just an awesome bike to ride and to work on. No Yami dealer would let me take the S10 out for a spin, any of the BMW dealers are throwing keys at me to test 20 and 30 thousand dollar bikes and have a ball!

 

[Dirt_Dad]

None of the Northern VA dealers here had any S10s in stock. Their response was that they sell more ATV's that the adventure bike. However, when I had the cash for an ES they found one from one of their sisters stores in West VA.

Just one of the many, many reasons to ditch the Northern Virginia dealers (and MD too) and take a ride a little west to Romney. Always find S10s on the floor there. Rarely if ever the same one you saw that last time you were there.

 

[Jalamajohn]

My local dealer did not and does not stock STs and said "Why would anyone buy the Super Tenere when they can buy a KTM 1190 for just a little more money?" They are actually a lot more money. I started out looking for an upgrade from my KLR and was sorta interested in their V-STROMs until I started reading about the Yamaha S10. Had to have one of those! Spent the day driving from dealer to dealer until I found the bike and the deal I wanted. With the money I saved I was able to keep the KLR. Not real confident about taking the S10 in the to local dealer for service though.
By the way, my friend bought an KTM 1190 and has a couple of serious failures already.

 

[decooney]

...
By the way, my friend bought an KTM 1190 and has a couple of serious failures already.

a few years ago I was riding a KTM 690 Enduro, trying to decide to go back to a 500 and was sure I would likely jump to the KTM 1190, came real close to buying one. After a ton of research, multi-day rental test rides, and already owning other Euro bikes to work on - I settled on the Yamaha Super Tenere ES and never looked back.

As for sales, I tend to believe flat land areas don't sell as many ADV bikes. And, where there are twisty mountain roads and coastal highways, there are ADV bikes all over the place. Whenever I ride California coastal highway, in groups we count off different type bikes coming the opposite direction. Years ago, coastal CA1 was dominated by big cruisers and some sport bikes. The past three years, it's been 70% ADV bikes now all up and down the coast and many people who ride these areas really like the multi-purpose ADV motorcycles for their function and they are out riding them.

 

[Ramseybella]

I know of three Yamaha dealers in my neck of the woods the nearest in Santa Fe is an Ass I wouldn't buy a spark plug from them.
Never the less they had an S10 for years on the show room floor couldn't give it away.
I keep asking if another will show up they just shrug shoulders.
The S10 did sell to a guy that saw mine when I had my recall headlight harness replaced, I just was honest with him it is the best bike I have ever owned.
The salesman two weeks later thanked me for selling the Tenere, I told him if you guys would let people test ride stuff you will sell them.
My old Triumph Ducati dealer PJ's would let you take any test bike out for the afternoon that's how I was sold on my Tiger 1050.

 

[Freebooter]

I live about 20 miles from the Yamaha dealership in Montgomery, Al. I was a cruiser guy but riding with my buddie with his BMW GS all the time sort of grew on me so I wanted something similar. One shock cost him $1500 bucks so I said to hell with BMW and chose Yamaha, reliable, cheaper, parts cheaper, and in May of last year got me a FJ-09. While at Big #1 Motorsports in Homewood, Al (B'ham) at an Open House they had and I fell in love with the SupTen they had. I asked the guy at my local Yamaha shop in Montgomery why he had no Super Teneres and he said because they don't sell. This is cruiser country around here. Every one and their brother has a bike but they are all cruisers of various types. I have seen a couple of BMWs. Never seen another FJ-09 or a SupTen on the road since I bought mine in December. He said he could get me a new 2013 or 14 model that had not sold. I waited and bugged him for two or three months so finally I rode up to the one in B'ham and traded in on a 2015 Sup Ten. Best move I ever made. I do miss the lighter weight and better handling of the FJ-09 but I love the more comfortable seating and position of the S10, and the drive shaft. Got sick of messing and worrying about chains too.
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