Dealership takes on first franchise, welcomes new GM

Onyx Moto of Lemon Grove, California, can now reach a new market with the addition of Moto Morini on its showroom floor. Until last fall, Onyx Moto was a pre-owned motorcycle dealership.

“That’s been a big step for us,” says Jay Le, general manager of the dealership. “It’s been about six to eight months now. We’re still learning all their products and diving into their rich heritage because they’ve been around for a long time. That’s the only line we carry at the moment.”

He says the addition of Moto Morini also brings a new set of challenges, like learning the needs of becoming a franchise dealership. But the Onyx Moto team is thrilled to see the possibilities the line will offer its customers.

Up to this point, the dealership has excelled at pre-owned unit sales and won the 2023 Powersports Business Best-In-Class: Pre-Owned Unit Sales Award. “I clearly can’t speak to how other dealerships are run, but listening to our customers, I think the thing that makes us stand out is how meticulous our reconditioning is,” Le says. “Anything that’s presented for sale has probably been touched by several members of our team, from our purchasers to our technicians to our sales staff. Everybody participates in our review to make sure the bikes meet our quality standards.”

Sales success is also a result of customer service. Le says employees treat customers the way they would want to be treated if they were the customer. “We’re really data driven here and optimistic,” he shares. “I’d say that’s a big part of our culture as well as leading by example… We’re pretty transparent about the performance of our sales and we keep metrics for every department.”

Employees attend weekly meetings to review performance from the previous week. “It gives us a chance to talk about our successes and strategies over our pain points and review our failures,” Le says. “The fact that everybody is on the same page as to what’s going on here, I think that really helps hold [employees] accountable.”

From garage to facility, purchaser to GM

“Kenny [Chen] opened up Onyx Moto about 10 years ago now,” Le says. “He started selling motorcycles from his garage and he made the transition to doing it full-time and bought his own spot.” Onyx Moto has expanded four times and is now in an 11,000 square foot facility.

“Kenny had rented a 700 to 800 square foot office unit by a one-car garage, and then an office for closing deals,” Le explains. “After a month, he negotiated a space that was twice the size in the same parking lot. That was the first move. I believe he was there for a couple of years before he moved to another space that was about twice the size, further north. That was most recently before this spot, and we were there for four years or so before Kenny bought this building and moved us here.”

Le joined the Onyx team about seven years ago, shortly after the dealership moved to its previous location. “I’ve always been fascinated with motorcycles, so when I got the job offer, it was a no-brainer. There’s a lot of freedom and pleasure from being out there by yourself with nothing but your thoughts for company. That’s always been a big appeal of motorcycles for me.”

He was the dealership’s purchaser until March and is now the general manager. “I think Kenny decided that the workload he had just wasn’t being taken care of by one person,” Le says. “He needed help with splitting off some of that so he could focus more on the strategies that would drive us into the future. Running the place was taking up too much of his time.”

Now, Chen can work in and outside of the dealership while Le manages 11 employees. Still, Chen attends all weekly meetings and Le says he’s very involved in the dealership’s operations.

“We run a really tight-knight group here. Everyone is in charge of a lot, so when somebody is not around, it’s quick to see just how much they have to do,” Le says. “When one of my guys is out sick, I’m the first one to jump in there and take over… My biggest concern when taking on this role was the people management part of it. It’s just something I didn’t have a whole lot of experience with up to this point. It is a whole new chapter for me and something I’m trying to develop the skills for as I go along.

“Kenny has done such a good job with the infrastructure here and the hiring,” he continues. “We’ve got a fantastic team. For me, this role has been about being the first backup for everybody and learning what job everybody has to keep this place running. That’s been my focus – just trying to be there for everyone and understand what they do… I’m incredibly proud of our team here and everybody does an incredible job. They take on every task so well. It’s so encouraging to have joined this group.”

Moto Morini Demo Day:

We recently had a fantastic Moto Morini demo day at ONYX MOTO. They brought out the entire lineup, including the X-Cape, STR, and SCR. The vibe was awesome – everyone loved getting behind the handlebars and experiencing the ride firsthand. Prep-wise, our team worked closely with the reps to ensure a smooth flow of test rides. We had a designated area set up for paperwork, motorcycle checks, swag, food, drinks, and our staff was on hand to answer questions and provide riding tips. One customer in particular, who previously found adventure bikes daunting due to their height, came back raving about the X-Cape’s nimble handling and comfortable ergonomics. This completely changed their outlook on owning this type of bike, and opened their eyes to the possibility of finally exploring some off-road adventures. It’s always rewarding to see people connect with the bikes on a personal level. Overall, the demo day was a big success. It’s a great way to introduce people to the Moto Morini brand and showcase what these motorcycles are capable of, while also giving us a chance to connect with our riders.

– Jay Le