• by Karl Greenberg , May 2, 2011

American and European motorcycle brands are very good at something the import brands are still struggling with: creating a strong brand affinity and satisfaction at the retail level.

For the second year in a row, Polaris' Victory Motorcycle brand is the top-ranking motorcycle maker in prospect satisfaction in the new Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI). Victory led the pack in areas such as providing a product walk-around demonstration, mentioning the availability of financing options, mentioning the availability of accessories, and pointing out features that are unique from the competition.

Second place went to Harley-Davidson, followed by Ducati and Triumph, which tied for third. In fourth place is BMW, followed by Yamaha.

Pied Piper says that since motorcycle sales took a huge hit in the recessions (as consumers held off making discretionary purchases), the dealership experience has become more important, since the experience of a motorcycle drives a sale far better than an ad. The firm says that from 2010 to 2011, as dealership profitability and employment dropped, many improvements in retail spaces and sales experience were lost.

Among the sales processes that suffered were the salesperson asking for the sale, providing compelling reasons to buy now, and offering a test ride. Sales processes that have improved include encouraging shoppers to sit on a motorcycle, salespeople introducing themselves to shoppers, and explaining service and maintenance programs.

Said Fran O'Hagan, president and CEO of Pied Piper Management Co., LLC, in a statement: "The days of 'order-taking' are over, and a helpful and effective salesperson can make the difference by turning a shopper into a buyer."

The study, which is in its fifth year, involves 1,967 hired anonymous "mystery shoppers" who go into motorcycle dealerships and gauge how effectively dealerships turn people into owners.

The firm says 11 different brands led at least one sales process category: Harley-Davidson salespeople were most likely to mention specific features and benefits tied to the shopper's wants and needs. Ducati salespeople were most likely to offer a test ride. Triumph salespeople were most likely to ask for the sale. BMW and Yamaha salespeople were most likely to make an effort to write up a transaction, per the study.

Brands that were below the industry average in the study were, in descending order, Suzuki, MV Agusta, Kawasaki, Honda, Aprilia, KTM, Husqvarna and Moto Guzzi.

The PSI study also shows that the brands that did best in the study also did not have to worry about salespeople cross-shopping them with competitive motorcycles. The firm says fewer than one in ten Harley-Davidson, Victory and BMW shoppers encountered salespeople trying to promote another brand instead.

In contrast, more than one in four Aprilia, Husqvarna, Kawasaki and Moto Guzzi shoppers experienced salespeople encouraging the shopper to consider another brand instead.