Mission Motorsports Closing?

MVmoto
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MVmoto
Edited Date/Time 3/9/2020 7:47am
I just got an email from Mission Motorsports in Irvine, Ca. It says the store is closing March 14, 2020, after 37 years of loyalty. Anybody know why? I used to work there, it was a great shop to work at.


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Csb146
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Csb146 2/28/2020 7:40am
2/28/2020 7:40am
if i had to take a shot in the dark it would be because CA is a terrible place to try and own/run a business....
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MOTO1313
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MOTO1313 2/28/2020 7:49am
2/28/2020 7:49am
Maybe the 2 stroke ban and the fact that they are a Yamaha dealer??? I could see KTM dealers bailing on the crap hole known as Cali too.
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JustMX
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JustMX 2/28/2020 8:01am
2/28/2020 8:01am
Probably a combination of things.

They didn't have a blue aftermarket clutch cable in stock for a 2011 yz450 and won't beat online prices.

Seriously though.

Oems aren't making it easy for dealers with minimum unit orders and making unreasonable demands if a dealer looks to sell their business.

I know a lot of dealers that have just closed up because of stuff like that.

AL lane near Charlotte let most of his motorcycle business go because the majority of his business is Kubota tractors and other lawn care lines.

Neeley racing in spartanburg, SC couldn't sell his KTM dealership so he closed it.

Same deal with atlas cycles, a full line dealership in Bristol, virginia. For sale for several years, no buyers, so shut down.

Between cycle gear and online competition there isn't money in bikes and parts. Service carries most of them.

The disappearance of enthusiast mom and pop dealers is a true loss.

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Sparkey
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Sparkey 2/28/2020 8:05am
2/28/2020 8:05am
Great shop when it was down by Crown Valley and had a ma & pa feel to it. When they transitioned to Irvine, I had a few bad experiences in there and swore to never set foot in there again. Sad to see it go but there are other dealers in the area. Just need to go the extra 20 miles.

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langhammx
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langhammx 2/28/2020 8:07am
2/28/2020 8:07am Edited Date/Time 2/28/2020 8:08am
Here come the California shit talkers ! Lol

If you’ve been to Mission Motorsports or just take a look at the pic posted, you can imagine the overhead there... 2-strokes have nothing to do with this shop closing its doors. It’s more about the small profit of selling bikes / toys and the fact that most people ((including myself), that buy Parts online to get a deal.
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sumdood
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sumdood 2/28/2020 9:28am
2/28/2020 9:28am
Sparkey wrote:
Great shop when it was down by Crown Valley and had a ma & pa feel to it. When they transitioned to Irvine, I had a...
Great shop when it was down by Crown Valley and had a ma & pa feel to it. When they transitioned to Irvine, I had a few bad experiences in there and swore to never set foot in there again. Sad to see it go but there are other dealers in the area. Just need to go the extra 20 miles.
Yep Casey and John Matherson (rip) were great to work with, I bought 3 bikes from them when they were of CV parkway. Since they moved and got huge, I had 2 friends go to work there selling bikes, both got pissed and quit after they said what they were told they would get for commission, and what they actually got for commission were pretty far apart. When I wanted a dual sport last year (KTM500exc) I started there first. Wound up driving an hour an 15 minutes further away (south) and saved over a grand. Blink I like to support local shops but I'd have driven a day each way to save a grand.... The overhead has to be huge there, wonder what Chapparel pays for their building in Riverside county (or is it San Bernadino ?) versus what they pay in Orange County ? A for effort Sad
Stuntman949
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Stuntman949 2/28/2020 9:29am
2/28/2020 9:29am
The building was so expensive that they've basically been making enough to keep the lights on. All good things must come to an end.

Also, there were rumors of 3 Brothers moving down that way and picking up the Yamaha rights but apparently that fell through
sumdood
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sumdood 2/28/2020 9:40am
2/28/2020 9:40am
Too bad San Clemente won't give San Clemente Motorcycle Co. (formerly SCRS) a dealer license to sell bikes. They sell used cars across the street, but that side is zoned different if that makes any sense.
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zippytech
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zippytech 2/28/2020 9:54am
2/28/2020 9:54am Edited Date/Time 2/28/2020 12:08pm
I almost every time I go in a dealer or even a mall store that sells anything. If you ask for something they don't have they say. Did you check online? It be 2 weeks or so before we can get it.
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Luke_Richards 2/28/2020 10:41am
2/28/2020 10:41am
zippytech wrote:
I almost every time I go in a dealer or even a mall store that sells anything. If you ask for something they don't have they...
I almost every time I go in a dealer or even a mall store that sells anything. If you ask for something they don't have they say. Did you check online? It be 2 weeks or so before we can get it.
My dealer can have what I want next day if they don’t have it
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dean122
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dean122 2/28/2020 11:15am
2/28/2020 11:15am
Of all the shops I've been to in the Southern Ca area, Burts Mega Mall has by far the most overhead I've ever seen. You'd think you're walking into the Polaris and Can-Am factory wrapped up in one. Hopefully they weather the shit show we're dealing with in California and continue to stay open. Same with Chap.
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zippytech
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zippytech 2/28/2020 11:19am
2/28/2020 11:19am
zippytech wrote:
I almost every time I go in a dealer or even a mall store that sells anything. If you ask for something they don't have they...
I almost every time I go in a dealer or even a mall store that sells anything. If you ask for something they don't have they say. Did you check online? It be 2 weeks or so before we can get it.
Luke_Richards wrote:
My dealer can have what I want next day if they don’t have it
I correct myself the 2 to 2 weeks. Was just told this the other day.
RichieW13
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RichieW13 2/28/2020 11:48am
2/28/2020 11:48am
Csb146 wrote:
if i had to take a shot in the dark it would be because CA is a terrible place to try and own/run a business....
In what ways?
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MMCDan
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MMCDan 2/28/2020 12:47pm
2/28/2020 12:47pm
RichieW13 wrote:
In what ways?
Some of the highest taxes (e.g., business, individual, sales & use, etc.) in the country. High cost of living with a tight labor market. Tough, uncertain regulatory environment with lots of rules that favor the employee (e.g., family leave, overtime pay, etc.).
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RichieW13
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RichieW13 2/28/2020 12:57pm
2/28/2020 12:57pm
RichieW13 wrote:
In what ways?
MMCDan wrote:
Some of the highest taxes (e.g., business, individual, sales & use, etc.) in the country. High cost of living with a tight labor market. Tough, uncertain...
Some of the highest taxes (e.g., business, individual, sales & use, etc.) in the country. High cost of living with a tight labor market. Tough, uncertain regulatory environment with lots of rules that favor the employee (e.g., family leave, overtime pay, etc.).
But doesn't all of their competition have the same issues?
MMCDan
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MMCDan 2/28/2020 1:13pm
2/28/2020 1:13pm
RichieW13 wrote:
But doesn't all of their competition have the same issues?
Yes and all of those costs are passed through to us (the consumer). If your sales cover the higher costs no problem.
If not, you close and/or move to another state.
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RichieW13
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RichieW13 2/28/2020 1:16pm
2/28/2020 1:16pm
RichieW13 wrote:
But doesn't all of their competition have the same issues?
MMCDan wrote:
Yes and all of those costs are passed through to us (the consumer). If your sales cover the higher costs no problem. If not, you close...
Yes and all of those costs are passed through to us (the consumer). If your sales cover the higher costs no problem.
If not, you close and/or move to another state.
Yeah, so if Mission Motorsports is closing, it doesn't have much to do with California being a "terrible place to run a business", because a motorcycle dealership is a local business, and competitors are remaining open.

I'm sure the much bigger problem is the competition from online retailers.
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philG
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philG 2/28/2020 1:17pm
2/28/2020 1:17pm
Looking at that picture. Overheads.. there isnt a motorcycle dealer in the whole of Europe with that much dead space.
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RichieW13
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RichieW13 2/28/2020 1:23pm
2/28/2020 1:23pm
philG wrote:
Looking at that picture. Overheads.. there isnt a motorcycle dealer in the whole of Europe with that much dead space.
Apparently it isn't even in a retail location. It is in a business park. So they aren't going to get much foot/drive-by customers.
bvm111
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bvm111 2/28/2020 2:04pm
2/28/2020 2:04pm
Wonder if they will be doing a going out of business sale... everything must go type of thing, I’ll come on down and grab a KX450 this weekend!
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Dtat720
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Dtat720 2/28/2020 2:15pm
2/28/2020 2:15pm
philG wrote:
Looking at that picture. Overheads.. there isnt a motorcycle dealer in the whole of Europe with that much dead space.
RichieW13 wrote:
Apparently it isn't even in a retail location. It is in a business park. So they aren't going to get much foot/drive-by customers.
Part of the reason.. business park property taxes are much lower than retail zoning. The overhead that place carries increases every year with new regulations, tax adjustments, etc.
The comment was made that other dealers have the same expenses, yes and no. Zoning can be a burden or a crushing burden for taxes. City taxes on top of county taxes on top of state taxes on top of environmental taxes, all depending on where your store is. Paid for building? Renting? Mortgaged? I can easily see them shutting the doors as a result of the cost of doing business in CA. I dont ship parts to California from my machine shop. They expect me to pay a tax for producing out of state. It is ridiculous. Cost of running a business is the number one reason given by companies leaving CA. It isnt hard to figure out why
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CG118
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CG118 2/28/2020 2:27pm
2/28/2020 2:27pm
philG wrote:
Looking at that picture. Overheads.. there isnt a motorcycle dealer in the whole of Europe with that much dead space.
RichieW13 wrote:
Apparently it isn't even in a retail location. It is in a business park. So they aren't going to get much foot/drive-by customers.
Dtat720 wrote:
Part of the reason.. business park property taxes are much lower than retail zoning. The overhead that place carries increases every year with new regulations, tax...
Part of the reason.. business park property taxes are much lower than retail zoning. The overhead that place carries increases every year with new regulations, tax adjustments, etc.
The comment was made that other dealers have the same expenses, yes and no. Zoning can be a burden or a crushing burden for taxes. City taxes on top of county taxes on top of state taxes on top of environmental taxes, all depending on where your store is. Paid for building? Renting? Mortgaged? I can easily see them shutting the doors as a result of the cost of doing business in CA. I dont ship parts to California from my machine shop. They expect me to pay a tax for producing out of state. It is ridiculous. Cost of running a business is the number one reason given by companies leaving CA. It isnt hard to figure out why
What kind of products do you guys machine/produce?
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Falcon 2/28/2020 2:34pm
2/28/2020 2:34pm
bvm111 wrote:
Wonder if they will be doing a going out of business sale... everything must go type of thing, I’ll come on down and grab a KX450...
Wonder if they will be doing a going out of business sale... everything must go type of thing, I’ll come on down and grab a KX450 this weekend!
That is not a bad idea, to be honest. Make an offer and see what they say.
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Xeno
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Xeno 2/28/2020 3:10pm
2/28/2020 3:10pm
It's sad to see this. As a kid, I loved going to their original shop on Avery Parkway next to Saddleback College.
The founder, John Matherson, was a real good dude.
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crf250pilot
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crf250pilot 2/28/2020 3:22pm
2/28/2020 3:22pm
MVmoto wrote:
I just got an email from Mission Motorsports in Irvine, Ca. It says the store is closing March 14, 2020, after 37 years of loyalty. Anybody...
I just got an email from Mission Motorsports in Irvine, Ca. It says the store is closing March 14, 2020, after 37 years of loyalty. Anybody know why? I used to work there, it was a great shop to work at.


I don’t see any UTVs in that pic. Side by sides are carrying dealerships now.
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quadzrulebro 2/28/2020 3:29pm
2/28/2020 3:29pm
Their biggest problem was moving into a Taj Mahal just before the economy took a dump. Pre 2008, the motorcycle business in SoCal could have supported places like that.
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early
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early 2/28/2020 3:45pm
2/28/2020 3:45pm
quadzrulebro wrote:
Their biggest problem was moving into a Taj Mahal just before the economy took a dump. Pre 2008, the motorcycle business in SoCal could have supported...
Their biggest problem was moving into a Taj Mahal just before the economy took a dump. Pre 2008, the motorcycle business in SoCal could have supported places like that.
Somebody told me a couple days ago this is the greatest economy ever...
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RichieW13
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RichieW13 2/28/2020 3:50pm
2/28/2020 3:50pm
philG wrote:
Looking at that picture. Overheads.. there isnt a motorcycle dealer in the whole of Europe with that much dead space.
RichieW13 wrote:
Apparently it isn't even in a retail location. It is in a business park. So they aren't going to get much foot/drive-by customers.
Dtat720 wrote:
Part of the reason.. business park property taxes are much lower than retail zoning. The overhead that place carries increases every year with new regulations, tax...
Part of the reason.. business park property taxes are much lower than retail zoning. The overhead that place carries increases every year with new regulations, tax adjustments, etc.
The comment was made that other dealers have the same expenses, yes and no. Zoning can be a burden or a crushing burden for taxes. City taxes on top of county taxes on top of state taxes on top of environmental taxes, all depending on where your store is. Paid for building? Renting? Mortgaged? I can easily see them shutting the doors as a result of the cost of doing business in CA. I dont ship parts to California from my machine shop. They expect me to pay a tax for producing out of state. It is ridiculous. Cost of running a business is the number one reason given by companies leaving CA. It isnt hard to figure out why
I'm questioning the assumption that Mission Motorsports is closing because of California. Those things you mention are city/county issues. Except the sales tax portion, which all of their competition has to deal with as well.

(Of course, the Honda dealership that used to be in my town solved that problem by just not sending their payroll taxes to the state. But I don't think that went well for the owner in the long run. Smile )
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Brent
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Brent 2/28/2020 5:24pm
2/28/2020 5:24pm Edited Date/Time 2/28/2020 5:45pm
MOTO1313 wrote:
Maybe the 2 stroke ban and the fact that they are a Yamaha dealer??? I could see KTM dealers bailing on the crap hole known as...
Maybe the 2 stroke ban and the fact that they are a Yamaha dealer??? I could see KTM dealers bailing on the crap hole known as Cali too.
Anything or anyone important in moto is in California.
Even your Wisconsin god,Aaron Rodgers, is from California.

So much hate from so many peasants that can’t begin to afford to live here...

Oh btw 80 degrees and beautiful here today, sorry for all that fucking dirty snow in your yard...
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