Motorsport Freaks – Daphne, AL – March 9, 2009
CONTACT
Motorsport Freaks
26032 Capital Drive Bldg. 1 CR 64
Daphne, Ala. 36526
251/625-3811
www.motorsportfreaks.com
OWNERS
Jim and Harmony Bodtke
BUSINESS PROFILE
What was meant to financially support a motorcycling hobby turned into an independent shop. Owner Jim Bodtke started selling parts out of his garage on eBay. âIâve been riding forever and needed money for my bike so I started selling used parts,â he said. âAs I grew, I moved into a warehouse doing service work and stuff like that.â Motorsport Freaks officially became incorporated in April 2004, and it moved into a storefront building in August 2007. Bodtke says the dealershipâs main focus is sport bikes, but they do sell some off-road vehicles. With only four employees, Bodtke says having a small dealership gives them a competitive advantage. âI think thatâs what helps us is weâre not so big we canât focus on the customer and provide them with exceptional service,â he said. âI think the larger dealers canât focus on the customer as much as theyâd like to. Thatâs probably what sets us apart.â
GREATEST CONCERN
âThe economy is a given. Everyone talks about the economy,â Bodtke said, noting thatâs not his only concern. âHonda and Kawasaki are pulling their race teams out of the AMA (American Motorcycle Association). This is what drives people to the sport. These guys are the ones building the bikes; they should be the last people pulling out if anything.â
WHATâS HOT
The 600cc sport bikes are Motorsport Freaksâ top sellers. In addition to the models, Bodtke said, âRight now consignments are really hot because everyone is needing cash. It works out good because thereâs no upfront cost to us. Weâre just advertising the bike for someone else. Itâs a win, win situation.â
CUSTOMER BUYING TRENDS
Since overall sales are down, Bodtke says they have to do a lot more price matching. âEveryone is shopping around on the Internet, eBay and stuff,â he said. âWeâve been ramping that (eBay) up a bit lately to make up for store sales.â
PARTS AND SERVICE
The service department is the key to Motorsport Freaksâ business, says Bodtke. âPeople are constantly calling, âHey, my friend said you guys do good work over there. Iâm going to start bringing my bike to you,ââ he said. âService-wise, we do a lot of customization that most customers canât get at a franchised dealer. Thatâs what mainly drives our business.â The dealershipâs two technicians take care of uncommon requests, including installing nitrous kits, chrome work, custom paint jobs and prepping bikes for road racing. âWeâre a specialty shop. This isnât something you can go to any dealer and say, âI want this race kit put on my bike,â and they would be knowledgeable about it.â Like the service department, Motorsport Freaks is on top of the latest requests from customers. âThatâs the cool thing about our store, even though we donât have the big budget for a lot of inventory, we try to carry the latest and greatest hot products,â Bodtke said. âWe have all the latest Joe Rocket and Icon stuff, the cool stuff the sport riders want. Thatâs what we focus on.â
PROMOTIONAL HOME RUNS
Motorsport Freaks hosts about six big events a year as well as smaller gatherings in between. âLast year we started a weekly bike night at Hooters and thatâs worked out really well for us,â Bodtke said. âWe used to have about 60 sport bikes that would show up and a handful of cruisers. We also do charity rides even though they donât really bring us new customers. Itâs a way to show the community these guys riding sport bikes arenât all bad. Besides the events, word of mouth is our biggest advertisement.â To spread the word faster, Bodtke says the dealership has social networking sites like Myspace, and it sends out an e-newsletter about twice a month announcing upcoming events.
WORDS OF ADVICE
âSupport the sport. Get out in the community and start riding. Get some wind in your face. Go to races. Do something for free once in awhile. Lend a hand to someone in need,â Bodtke advised. âIf theyâre not our friends already, they become our friends. Weâre not just selling a product. Weâre out there racing. Weâre out there hanging out with everyone. Everyone knows us by first name; they donât know us by Motorsport Freaks.â
â Karin Gelschus