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INTERVIEW WITH FORMER BELLEVUE DUCATI GM KEVIN DAVIS

KingCast/Motorsports
https://christopher-king.blogspot.com/2019/10/kingcast-interview-with-bellevue-ducati.html

Q: What’s the number one rule in motorcycling?

A: Don’t look where you don’t want to go.

I have watched the incipient implosion of Howard Crow’s motorcycle empire for several
years now with a certain cringe-worthy feeling of impending doom. Now that I have
interviewed former Bellevue Ducati General Manager Kevin Davis I know that my
feelings were shared by scores of people much closer to the situation than I was.

Mr. Davis was national sales manager for Ducati Canada for over a decade prior to
accepting his position at Ducati Bellevue, a position he held exactly four (4) years
incident to Howard Crow/Noble Rush takeovers. Prior to that his experience included a
stint at Lynnwood Yamaha for a decade (1980-1990) and a period as a successful Suzuki
district sales manager.

First he gave me a history lesson on the motorcycle industry in Greater Seattle as I am a

Midwest/East Coast native where I sold motorcycles for Best Honda/Suzuki for a year a
decade ago. Prior to that I have been involved in motorcycling in some fashion or another
since 1973 as an 8 year-old when I knew I had a motorcycle problem.

I posed two primary questions to him:

1. Do you think it’s feasible for someone without substantial motorcycle industry
experience to manage what Howard was trying to manage?

2. There is a 2-ton elephant in the picture and that elephant is known as Internet
sales. What role do you see Internet sales affecting this picture vis a vis the
motorcycle market and the Business model?
 INTERVIEW WITH FORMER BELLEVUE DUCATI GM KEVIN DAVIS

One: Inexperience.

“No. The industry is so nuanced, and even the best intentions are likely to fail. This is
nothing new. It’s the curse of what we call the wealthy hobbiest. They are driven and
successful and ready to go… but it’s the seasonality of stores in North America that they
don’t recognize and what they struggle with.”

Years ago there was a young guy who moved a Suzuki store from Federal Way to Milton
and changed the name….. Corporate Suzuki told me “You better help him.”

I was given the task to visit him every two weeks. This was highly unusual but we all
wanted him to succeed. I sat down with him with legal pads and tried to go through it,
devising strategies…. Within a few more months he had enough and he was just, gone.”

“When Howard started in a bought Ride West I started counting down the days.”

“Then Ron (Orr) sold most of Hinshaw’s to Howard…. 7 brands. When I heard that, I
was like, ugghh, come on. Hinshaws was a well-oiled machine…..You cannot get enough
talented people to work at motorcycle stores 8 months a year. You end up running
through the winter with huge staff to keep people on but if you’re in the industry long
enough you figure a way. That’s why you end up with techs (mechanics) painting walls
and bathrooms in the off-season.”

[We sold quads in New Hampshire and also serviced those to get through winters].

“In my case at Ducati Bellevue in 2014 the owner says I just turned 70 I’m going to sell it
to Howard Crow. The day he took ownership he took me out and made it clear that I was
not needed as he had a GM. So I was not rehired.”

Approximately two years prior Mr. Crow had already bought Seattle Ducati from Dave
Roosevelt amidst what could pleasantly be described as a misunderstanding.
 INTERVIEW WITH FORMER BELLEVUE DUCATI GM KEVIN DAVIS

I was director of dealer development when Dave sold Ducati Seattle to Howard one day
and almost the next day he says “I just got fired”

“I says what happened I thought you were gonna’ be the GM?”

“I thought that too?”

For its part Noble Rush rested on Laurels that it did not have by and of itself.

“NobleRush is a group of Washington's most established and high end

Motorcycle and Powersports stores. Our first store was established way back in
1961. We represent the best brands in the industry in our three locations: Seattle,
Redmond and Auburn.”

It may be true that its first store was established in 1961 – even before I was born – but
when you replace your management you have a newborn baby on your hands folks. And
we all know about how well a newborn baby can take care of itself.

Two: The Internet.

“….It’s huge. Now in my 4th year as car dealer car dealers sell cars. But motorcycle
dealers doing it well sell boots, tires, suspension components, C.F., chrome, etc. as part of
the business model. Most people now buy that stuff online.

Also say you have a nice jacket in your showroom. People now come in, try that jacket
on, go home and go online and maybe they see that same jacket at the Superstore or at
another dealer clear across the Country who has old stock they are getting rid of. There
goes your sale.”

We talked a bit more about the Internet but suffice it to say in my opinion it is a huge
issue overall but it clearly cannot be determinative because all of these stores that Mr.
Crow bought in the past seven years were hardly on their death beds. There are relatively
slim margins in the motorcycle industry but folks were indeed making ends meet and
feeding their families and families of scores of employees even with the Internet threat.
 INTERVIEW WITH FORMER BELLEVUE DUCATI GM KEVIN DAVIS

3. My Summation.

KingCast encourages the wealthy hobbiest to provide financial backing for the Industry I
love the most, but with a caveat: Don’t overstate your case and unless you find elements
of corruption you are probably better off retaining the talent that helped to make the store
an attractive investment in the first place.

-Christopher King, J.D.

2006 Ducati Multistrada DS100S
1973 Yamaha DS-7/350