Triumphrat

Trophy4 · 03-12-2008

Stopped by Bogart's Triumph-BMW-Ducati-KTM last week to pick up a copy of the 2008 Triumph catalog and talk awhile w/some of the staff there. Boy, has that place changed in the last few months! They've had almost a 75% turnover in staff, and things are changing/moving forward (I hope). Since mid-December, Bogart's has added a (1) new General Manager; (2) new Service Manager (actually, they're on their second service manager since December 1); (3) new Service techwriter; (4) new Parts person; (5) 1 new Sales staffperson. And that's just what I can see without going into the back rooms. I don't know if the finance staff is the same, and I don't know if all the techs in back are the same (I know at least one tech left last week). Two of the sales staff remain from the old regime, and the parts counter person is still there.

Big changes! Let's hope it's all for the better. If they can regain the trust of their (former) customers, I'm all for it. I'd much rather work with a dealer only 10 miles from my house, rather than drive 150-200 miles for service. I've got this problem w/trailering a (running) bike for service -- I don't do it! And I hate making two long trips -- one to drop off the bike and one to pick it up when it's done. And if it's not finished when promised -- or not finished right -- then it's at least one more long trip!

(For what it's worth -- Bogart's did my 48k service on my '96 Trophy 1200 in November in an acceptable time frame -- to me at least -- and the bike now runs better than ever. They just did the 12k service on my '00 Legend, and it, too, runs great! I wasn't happy w/the time they took for the 12k service, but I got caught in the new Service Manager training/firing/etcetera, and some routine parts (which, IMO, should have been in stock) were not ordered in a timely manner. When I finally found out what happened, and let it be known that I didn't believe a 3-hr service should take 3 weeks to turn around, things changed in a hurry. Parts were ordered, and the bike was completed as it should have been.)

The new Service Manager -- let's hope he stays -- used to work out at Barber's Vintage Motorsports Museum as a restorer. Before that, he worked for a now-defunct MotoAce repair shop in Birmingham. Lots of experience in the industry. I wish him well.

YMMV

LoVel · 03-12-2008

I agree so far trophy. I have been in there twice and have had extensive conversations withy Kenny at the service desk. Things seem to be looking up. I'm not sure if Darwin has moved to BMW sales or not but he was covering them last weekend with a new guy at the parts counter. I did get them to fix the problem I was having with my bike and they actually fixed the long term problem I had been having with the low RPM lag as well. They even put all the pieces back on correctly. That was a first.

I would definetly say things are looking up at Bogart's. Let's hope it continues.

Trophy4 · 03-17-2008

Great! It's good to hear your bike is finally the way it should be. I learned Friday that Bogart's has (re)-hired the service tech -- Roger -- who was doing the service out at 29Dreams. I wish him well!

Birmingham/North Central Alabama needs a good Triumph shop. Let's hope we've finally got one!