Main Line BMW Motorcycles, Devon PA = CLOSED DOWN!

[budH]

Just read that Main Line BMW in Devon, PA has closed their doors for good! I bought my Roadster there nearly five years ago. What a shame! Yet another dealership bites the dust...

I've tried to support Main Line as best I could over the years but that didn't amount to much money. Main Line never really had much to sell in the way of accessories. Plus, I do my own minor maintenance - valve adjustments, throttle sync, fluids, etc. Just couldn't see trailering 80 miles or waiting 3 hours for a cool down...

Many years ago, I owned an Amiga 2000 computer. Awesome machine! Capable of some things that today's computers are just now achieving. Anyway, Amiga was owned by a company in West Chester, PA named Commodore International (same folks who sold the Commodore 64). Well, to the consternation of Amiga fans everywhere, it always seemed like Commodore International was constantly working as hard as was humanly possible - to totally kill the Amiga. They eventually succeeded in killing their entire business - declaring bankruptcy in 1994. Sometimes I honestly wonder if maybe a few of those Commodore executives perhaps migrated up the Delaware River to BMW North America's HQ in New Jersey...

[challey]

It is a shame that MLBMW closed, but they really have to take much of the blame themselves. Though I didn't buy my R from them, I did bring it there for work and I tried to buy parts from them as often as possible. They didn't make either of these things easy though.

The service manager was a good guy and very knowlegeable but the same could not be said for many of the techs. The shop was very expensive for routine work and worse, often seemed to pay little attention to detail or be concerned for the customer. When I had my fuel tank replaced there after a minor accident, I asked them to replace the fuel filter, since they would have everything apart. Needless to say, they didn't. When I questioned them, they acknowleged that they forgot, but told me the filter was not that expensive to replace and they would do the job for "about $125" when I brought the bike in next time. You wouldn't think this is the way to treat any customer, must less one who just gave you over $2,500 worth of business. When it came to parts, they seemed to not have much stock and always required 100% payment in advance to order something.

I know that my experience with MLBMW was not unique. Most of the other BMW riders in my area of SE PA long ago switched to Hermy's in Port Clinton, despite the 80+ mile ride. MLBMW should have had it much easier than most dealers since the demographics of the Main Line suburbs are close to ideal for BMW: Older riders with a lot of money (though in my case, I only share one of those characteristics). That they had to close is regrettable, even lamentable, but shouldn't be a complete surprise.

[ProductUser]

I ride 125 miles to have my BMW serviced. I use that as an excuse to ride.

ProductUser