Doug and the entire Creative Cycles family would like all of you to go out and visit a really nice facebook page named GearJammers Magazine. Travis, the man behind the site, requested permission to post images and videos of Doug Keim / Creative Cycles motorcycles on his page, and it turned out really nice. The page features motorcycles and cars from many top name builders, along with plenty of other unique features to keep you interested and coming back daily. We want to say THANKS to Travis and GearJammers for their work and dedication to our industry.

 Have you checked out the Doug Keim and the Creative Cycles facebook pages lately? What, you didn’t know we each had facebook pages! Well get your bad self on over to facebook and check these two pages out. Each has unique features…. Doug’s page has pictures from life outside the bike business, as well as some bike related stuff. Come on, it is Doug’s page afterall, of course there had to be some bike stuff.

 The Creative Cycles page has some behind the scenes stuff on our builds, pictures from events AND the most up to date pictures and news from inside the shop. There are even images of some of our new projects to be found on the page.

 So get your tail on over there and check ‘em out. Please feel free to FRIEND request Doug, AND please LIKE the Creative Cycles page when there.

 See ya’ on facebook!

 Doug Keim, the Keim family and the entire “Creative Cycles” crew would like to say a big “THANK YOU” to all of you that placed a ballot for us as part of the Gannett News / Asbury Park Press Readers Choice Awards for 2011. ”Creative Cycles“ was awarded with the “Best of the Best” Motorcycle Shop Award… this is the 11th time we have been given this award. Again… “THANK YOU” to all that took the time to vote for us. We greatly appreciate it.

 Harley-Davidson has announced a recall which will effect over 300,000 vehicles. PLEASE read this information. If you find you have a vehicle that may be included within this recall, or even if you are just not sure… PLEASE contact your nearest Harley-Davidson dealer for further information. Rememeber… this could be a serious concern if not corrected.

 http://www.motorcyclepowersportsnews.com/Item/93180/harley_to_recall_308000_bikes_trikes_to_fix_brake_problem.aspx

 Doug Keim Creative Cycles has announced that it will be updating the ”PARTS” section of their website to include an “INSTANT REBATE PROGRAM”. This program is designed to get more Creative Cycles Billet Products out into the riding public by offering huge price reductions… and we are talking reductions so great that the new retail price of the item included in this program will be offered well below actual cost. The program will include just about every billet product produced by Creative Cycles and will be limited to a specified number of each part number… so quanties will be limited. So what are you waiting for… do not hesitate to place your order now, before they are all gone. To contact Creative Cycles call 732-751-1403.

 We here at Creative Cycles want to again say “THANK YOU” to all of our clients and those individuals that attended our last OPEN HOUSE. With this being said; we had such a fantastic time we have decided to do it once more this year before the weather gets too cold.

 So… mark your calendar for October 1st, 2011 from 11 am to 3 pm… then get on the phone and start calling all your ridding buddies because they too are invited (rain date October 8th, 2011). We will once again have plenty of FREE FOOD and DRINKS on hand as well as offering SPECIALS on parts and accessories, DISCOUNTS off labor on select services and engine performance upgrades, DISCOUNTS on 6 and 7 speed transmission installations and so much more. We’re even going to be offering very low key informational conversations on engine performance, engine temperature, engine & driveline lubricants, suspension tuning, tires, etc… and you are even going to get to ask the questions and control the topics we discuss… and all for FREE.

 So be sure to come on over and join us. Have some FREE FOOD and hang out with us for a while.

 We’re looking forward to seeing you! Remember… October 1st, 2011… be there!

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Good service experiences carry more weight than bad ones when Americans make future spending decisions, according to the survey. Consumers are likely to give a company repeat business after a good service experience (81 percent of respondents) than they are to sever ties with a company after having a poor experience (52 percent of respondents).

Alas, only about a third of Americans believe that companies have increased their efforts to provide quality customer service; 27 percent feel businesses have not changed their attitude toward customer service, and 28 percent say companies are actually paying less attention to good service than they were before.

“Many consumers say companies haven’t done enough to improve their approach to service in this economy, and yet it’s clear they’re willing to spend more with those that deliver excellent service,” says Jim Bush, executive vice president, World Service. This suggests “substantial growth opportunities” for businesses that get customer service right, he notes.

The findings were released today in the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer, a survey conducted in the United States and 11 other countries exploring attitudes and preferences toward customer service.

Even though nine in 10 Americans consider customer service important when deciding to do business with a company, not many of them trust businesses to acknowledge it. More than 75 percent of consumers don’t believe companies value their business enough to go the proverbial extra mile for it, according to the survey.

That’s too bad, because according to the study, customers are now more inclined to talk about a positive experience than complain about a negative one. That goes against popular thought that bad reviews travel faster than good ones. Three-quarters of the survey respondents said they are “very likely” to speak positively about a company after a good service experience,  while 59 percent said they would probably speak negatively about a company after experiencing poor service.

Consumers indicated that they’re more forgiving of a bad experience if a company has earned their trust over time.  Eighty-six percent said they’re willing to give a company a second chance if they’ve historically experienced great customer service with that business.

But companies who get it wrong will pay: Consumers expect something in return after a poor customer service experience beyond merely resolving the problem, according to the survey. Seventy percent of respondents say they want an apology or some form of reimbursement.

Information courtesy American Express and BusinessWire. Posted by Mary Slepicka

It is no secret that throughout the downturn the European market has been becoming increasingly important for American businesses in the custom motorcycle industry.

While there has been decline in the European motorcycle market, most markets in Europe haven’t suffered as badly as has been the case in the United States.

In the case of Harley-Davidson, while the company has been able to buck the trend in domestic US market share terms, performing ahead of market decline, in Europe the company has now been able to confirm that the third quarter of 2010 marks a fourth straight quarter of sales as well as market share growth.

Speaking at the European unveiling of the 2011 model line-up at the Intermot Expo, Cologne, Germany, Harley-Davidson Europe Managing Director Rob Lindley said that “in the 651cc plus market, where we measure our performance, Harley-Davidson has been one of the few manufacturers to see sales grow in Europe during the past twelve months, and with conclusion of our third quarter of this year we can confirm a full year of sales growth across our European markets. In fact, we have grown sales in each of the last four Quarters.”

In market share terms, Harley is now the number one manufacturer in countries such as Switzerland, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic and Norway, and second in markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.

Asked what he put this down to Lindley cited several factors, “clearly the strength of the Yen has hit Japanese manufacturers hard in the past couple of years, and with traffic and legislative issues stimulating a general trend towards the custom and cruiser sectors and away from sports bikes. We have also introduced a number of strong and relevant new bikes for Europe, I think Harley is in a ‘good place’ at this time in Europe.

“However, I think one of the most interesting trends that everybody is now beginning to see is that there is a general trend among the riding public to look for premium brands and a more fully formed riding experience.

“As such it is clear that Harley-Davidson’s brand values speak to increasing numbers of motorcycle buyers as their own riding experience demands develop. Not only are we seeing sales and market share in Europe grow, but the ‘Dreamer Pool’, as we call it, of those considering the Harley-Davidson brand is also increasing.

“As our CEO Keith Wandell has said many times, focusing on core brand values will return the company as a whole to growth once economic conditions permit, and as one of the most personal and emotionally connected of motorcycle brands we are certain that the European experience can be replicated elsewhere.”

Lindley went on to say that new initiatives this quarter will see Harley establish new sales offices and add to its dealer network in markets such as Greece, the Middle East, Russia and Africa.

In demographic terms, he reported that while the average age of Harley buyers remains pretty typical of where the bulk of heavyweight motorcycle buyers to be found, at around 44 years of age (and slightly younger in Europe than is the case in the United States), any suggestion that the excitement that the Harley ownership experience offers has peaked is conclusively answered by the “extraordinarily high and growing percentage of our customers who are still coming to the brand for the first time.” In the case of Harley-Davidson, while the company has been able to buck the trend in domestic US market share terms, performing ahead of market decline, in Europe the company has now been able to confirm that the third quarter of 2010 marks a fourth straight quarter of sales as well as market share growth.

Speaking at the European unveiling of the 2011 model line-up at the Intermot Expo, Cologne, Germany, Harley-Davidson Europe Managing Director Rob Lindley said that “in the 651cc plus market, where we measure our performance, Harley-Davidson has been one of the few manufacturers to see sales grow in Europe during the past twelve months, and with conclusion of our third quarter of this year we can confirm a full year of sales growth across our European markets. In fact, we have grown sales in each of the last four Quarters.”

In market share terms, Harley is now the number one manufacturer in countries such as Switzerland, Luxembourg, Poland, the Czech Republic and Norway, and second in markets such as Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.

Asked what he put this down to Lindley cited several factors, “clearly the strength of the Yen has hit Japanese manufacturers hard in the past couple of years, and with traffic and legislative issues stimulating a general trend towards the custom and cruiser sectors and away from sports bikes. We have also introduced a number of strong and relevant new bikes for Europe, I think Harley is in a ‘good place’ at this time in Europe.

“However, I think one of the most interesting trends that everybody is now beginning to see is that there is a general trend among the riding public to look for premium brands and a more fully formed riding experience.

“As such it is clear that Harley-Davidson’s brand values speak to increasing numbers of motorcycle buyers as their own riding experience demands develop. Not only are we seeing sales and market share in Europe grow, but the ‘Dreamer Pool’, as we call it, of those considering the Harley-Davidson brand is also increasing.

“As our CEO Keith Wandell has said many times, focusing on core brand values will return the company as a whole to growth once economic conditions permit, and as one of the most personal and emotionally connected of motorcycle brands we are certain that the European experience can be replicated elsewhere.”

Lindley went on to say that new initiatives this quarter will see Harley establish new sales offices and add to its dealer network in markets such as Greece, the Middle East, Russia and Africa.
In demographic terms, he reported that while the average age of Harley buyers remains pretty typical of where the bulk of heavyweight motorcycle buyers to be found, at around 44 years of age (and slightly younger in Europe than is the case in the United States), any suggestion that the excitement that the Harley ownership experience offers has peaked is conclusively answered by the “extraordinarily high and growing percentage of our customers who are still coming to the brand for the first time.”

 Read More Here: http://www.dealer-world.com/page.php?p=amd

New photos and comments from MSgt Peter Cyrus in the Customer Gallery.