Local dealerships - How good is yours

I got my bike from Wollaston BMW, Northampton and the bike sales bit was fine, nice and friendly with lots of offers of test rides and model advice and the service dept is most efficient but that's about it. No accessories on view for you to see and just one rail of clothing so it's not a place to go and visit unless your planning on buying a bike or getting yours serviced. I just wondered if all BMW dealers are the same or is it just the one that I use that's a bit bland because it all seems a bit too clinical to me, more like a car showroom than a bike shop.
Aubo

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I've been a customer at Pidcocks in Long Eaton for over 15yrs... they know I'm a all-year biker & go the extra mile to keep me on the road when I have had problems. A fair clothing & accessory range on show. Extremely competent mechanics in my experience.

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I found North Oxford BMW quite good, my local dealer is Clarkes BMW, so far they seem to be good. North Oxford has an impressive show room.

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I've not been to either Pidcocks or North Oxford BMW so it looks like I'd better pay them a visit and take a look for myself. Don't get me wrong, Wollaston BMW is very efficient but the atmosphere is a bit cold and not what I'm use to with bike shops but I have spent the last god knows how many years mostly on Kawasaki and Ducati bikes and most of their dealers live and breath nothing but bikes, running race teams, track days ride outs and the like so perhaps I've been spoilt in the past.

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Hello F800 Friends. I have found Wollaston BMW OK. They are certainly very helpful on accessing parts and post them out efficiently to save a journey. The comment about "being a bit cold" I think comes from them being a shared car/motorcycle dealership all within the same building. Without doubt, the cars seem to take priority. And the bike parking is a bit tight if there are a lot of people there. I would give them 7 out of 10. Rob.

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I bought one from Wollaston BMW in 08, they were into all sorts of biking and still are as far as I know. They carry out my MOT as I have HID main/dipped lighting which they fitted. Apparently it seems now on MOT tests HID may well be a fail, but because it was fitted by them they do not seem to have an issue.

As far as clothing is concerned, they are more bike oriented, hence clothing is basic. There places like JRS in Finedon and around the country who deal only in clothing. I have KLIM Badlands jacket and trousers. fully armoured sides back chest in the jacket, and the legs are also well kitted out. The jacket weights a ton but on it seems nothing. The jacket can be fully aerated with though air whilst riding in those hot sunny summers, perhaps not this year though. But fully waterproof for those real bad down pours we have at times.

Wollaston 9/10 for overall performance with clothing.
KLIM 10/10 despite being heavy. Also expensive, but what is your safety worth.
F800ST 10/10 what is not to like, with HID lamps you can see where the road goes at night, cannot beat that.

Flook

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