Southern California Motorcycles once again claims Triumph title

California dealership named brand’s top dealer for 8th year in a row

It’s a good day when you’re trying to make enough room to fit all of your awards. For the eighth year in a row, Southern California Motorcycles in Brea has won Triumph’s Dealer of the Year Award, causing quite the crowd to form in its trophy cabinet. The newest edition is a spec sheet and original artwork of a Triumph Thunderbird Sport, gifted by Triumph Motorcycles Ltd. CEO Nick Bloor during a recent visit to the dealership.

“We’ve been announced as the best-selling Triumph dealer in the history of Triumph Motorcycles in North America,” Tom Hicks, owner of Southern California Motorcycles, told Powersports Business. “It gets harder every year, and that just means that we need to dig our heels in harder and provide more.”

Hicks has been linked to Triumph for years. When Triumph disappeared from the market in 1983, many Americans believed that the motorcycle company was gone for good. In reality, Triumph had simply stopped exporting from the U.K. and went under different ownership of British industrialist John Bloor. “Bloor did the impossible,” Hicks added. “He’s the only person to my knowledge that ever recreated a motorcycle brand.”

The reborn Triumph motorcycles came out in 1991 under Bloor’s ownership, and the OEM made its way back to the U.S. in 1994. Hicks was among the first people in the U.S. tasked with helping the brand gain popularity after a 10-year hiatus: “I was the first carrier manager in the western United States for Triumph Motorcycles in 1994, setting up dealers for the re-entry of Triumph into the market,” he said.

Hicks originally opened Southern California Triumph in 2000, which grew into Southern California Motorcycles in 2003 with the addition of Ducati. Hicks has firsthand experience
with how dealerships need to adapt to the changing market.

“The industry has just turned upside down. We just don’t do business the same way we did 15 years ago. The Internet, for one, has become an absolute major force,” he said. “If you’re a dealer and you don’t have a good grasp of marketing on the Internet, you’re done.”

Not only does Southern California Motorcycles have an impressive hold on Internet marketing and an active social media following, it continues to promote in-person contact with customers as well.

“You’ve got to reach out and touch people,” Hicks advised. “We do more inside and outside events than any dealer I’ve ever known. That’s because if you just sit in your dealership and expect people to come in, it isn’t going to happen.”

Southern California Motorcycles still gets the majority of its customers from face-to-face interactions at events, something Hicks plans to continue in the future to get them interested in his current lineup that also includes Ducati, Suzuki, Victory, Slingshot and Royal Enfield.

When not in the dealership, Hicks is still very involved in the motorcycle industry. He is the host of the popular Ridin’SoCal (www.ridinsocal.podbean.com), a weekly podcast that’s been reaching audiences for the past two years. “I have tons of guests and vendors. I have had a dozen of the people that have been inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame on my show,” Hicks added.

While the show isn’t about Southern California Motorcycles, the dealership does get airtime with commercial breaks and a few “shameless plugs” here and there, Hicks said.

The customer response to Triumph has been overwhelming, making them the most popular bikes at Southern California Motorcycles hands down. “They are the most high quality motorcycles money can buy,” Hicks said. “In fact, they have the lowest warranty return rate for the past three years, which means that the Triumph motorcycle breaks less than any other brand.”

Most often, the Bonneville and the Thruxton models are the first chosen, with the Scrambler taking third.

Besides low warranty rates, Triumph still gets picked for its character and past. “It’s history; it’s different, and it’s got a name that people know. Triumph motorcycles are even older than Harley-Davidson. They’ve been such a vital motorcycle brand.”

Hicks has an easy philosophy when it comes to customer service: “Sales beget sales. If you treat the person well, they go out and tell everyone about it. Of course, when they’re up for a new motorcycle, they’re only going to go to the place that they know.”

For dealers, success can also be measured by the quality of staff, not just sales. Hicks attributes his achievements to his staff: “I’ve got the best staff. You’ve got to surround yourself with enthusiasts. Everyone at my dealership rides.”

Every year, Hicks pays to send his family of 30 employees to an off-road school. “You’ve got to take care of your people. You want knowledgeable staff that really care about being there, so it’s not a job,” Hicks explained.

Although the No.1 retailer for Triumph, Southern California Motorcycles has had success with its other OEMs, including Ducati and Royal Enfield. In 2007, it was the No. 1 Ducati dealer in North America. The dealership is also currently ranked as the No. 4 dealer in the nation for Royal Enfield sales.

Instead of housing all his products in one building, Hicks decided to divide his dealership; all of his brands are separated by either walls or buildings. Hicks’ dealership is made up of two buildings, one of which is dedicated solely to Triumph.

“When someone comes into my Triumph dealership, they want the whole experience, the Triumph experience, and we give it better than anybody,” he added. “We have the largest selection of Triumph apparel and accessories than you’ll find anywhere else in the country.

“You walk in, and if you’re a Triumph enthusiast, your knees will get weak; you’ll look around and say, ‘I never need to go anywhere else ever again,’” Hicks said. “That’s the theme that I carry throughout each one of my dealerships.”