Network of storage shops

[Ballerman]

This sort of thing might already exist, and if so, point me in the right direction. But I haven't found it, and I would sure like to know if anybody else would be interested.

 

The idea is a network of bike shops/dealers that are located in great riding places. Ideally, they'd be within a $25 cab ride of an airport. Rider/members would pay something like $50-$75 per month to belong to the network, and membership would entitle them to store their bikes in any of the network's shops. The shops would get the lion's share of the membership fees, with the balance going to administer the program. The shops would also get service work, and might sell a few bikes as well. Members could ride from one shop to another, flying in and out of different airports, and always know they'd have a safe place to store their bike where they could also get it serviced.

 

Sound interesting? Doable?

 

 

[hopz]

Just a personal comment... I was shopping for a certain BMW a few years ago and turned up several good candidates. These bikes were generally on my path of travel for some upcoming non-bike travel. The deal was I could buy the bike but needed a storage place for a few days or weeks.

 

I discovered two things... Members of this forum were eager to offer parking space in virtually any city I mentioned, and two, dealers were happy to let me store a bike at their facility on a space available basis at either no or very low cost.

 

FWIW the price you mention seems way high to me.

[AviP]

Members could ride from one shop to another, flying in and out of different airports, and always know they'd have a safe place to store their bike where they could also get it serviced.

I'm not sure why I would want to ride from one shop to another! And BMW bikes have some of the lowest insurance rates because nobody seems to wanna steal them (or are they just too heavy to load into that truck? )

 

I don't understand your model.

[Sailorlite]

I like this idea. Of course it's a little extravagant to be flying all over and having a separate remotely stored bike, but it might be worth it to a CA rider who wants to tour New England for example. The "network" concept could start out simply with just one or two well located and administered storage points.

[Rocer]

Of course it's a little extravagant to be flying all over and having a separate remotely stored bike,

 

Not necessairily. There are a number of riders from the great white north who either store their first bike or perhaps a second bike in southern climes and fly to them for "winter" riding. We have friends who have done this for perhaps ten years now. At first they stored at dealers (not always the same make) but now leave their steed with friends they've met in the course of their storage experience. The advantage of leaving the machine with a dealer is the opportunity of having the bike serviced before picking it up.

 

 

[Ballerman]

Exactly. A guy with one or two bikes who lives in Michigan or Minnesota might want to keep one bike away from home. Start in, say, Albany, NY. Ride around New England. Drop the bike in Boston. Next time, fly to Boston, pick up bike, ride Eastern Seaboard. Drop bike, and fly out of, say, Baltimore. Next time, fly to Baltimore, pick up bike, ride to Carolinas...

 

Whatever.

 

[tcshooter]

Or in my case I would love to have a bike in CA, so when I come out for work which is about every 2 months I would have something to explore on besides a rental car or having to rent a bike. For what its cost me to rent a bike for the weekend I could have made 2 months worth of payments.

[markgoodrich]

I volunteer my garage for FREE storage of just about any bike but an RT. I'll uh, need the keys, in case I need to move it. Like every weekend, for several hundred miles.

 

Discounts available for K12/1300s, Ducs, Aprilias, Blackbirds, track bikes, etc.

 

EDIT: Two stoplights, one stop sign, between my garage and the beginning of the Texas hill country roads.