Dues ex Machina....feel like you've been sold?

[Swagger]

So I know some dig the bikes, personally I'm not among the fans. I always felt like I was being spoon fed someone's idea of cool, kinda like the 80's surf thing that happened. EVERYONE was a surfer at my highschool it seemed.......in Portland Oregon. Yeah....that...lemming followers following lemmings, right off the cliff. Same with these guys in my opinion: you're being spoon fed pablum meant for pointless scene-sters.

Maybe this is old news to all of you, but I just read it today:
http://brentrice.blogspot.com/2009/05/daring-to-be-deus-ex-machina.html

You're all worshiping a marketing plan.

 

[Sonreir]

I'm with you, Swagger. I see a few bikes on there and Bike EXIF and I can tell they're art and not functional machines. Unfortunately, it seems too many people riding them can't tell the difference.

 

[scm]

You're all worshiping a marketing plan.

Nope. But I've always found it interesting to see what nice looks can be achived with little skills.

Best regards
Sven

 

[Rusnak_322]

How is it different then any of the ads that are on the left of my screen right now?

It isn't like Deus Ex Machina is in business to sell $18k USD small bore motorcycles. They make the motorcycles to get the exposure that allows them to sell $42 tee shirts.

Iron & Resin Garage are the same thing. creating a cool vibe to sell clothing that may or may not have a motorcycle theme to it.

Dime City makes bikes (in magazines and on TV) not to make money to pay the bills, but to promote their business of selling parts.

Icon makes all sorts of cool looking but probably not very functional motorcycles to promote their brand of riding gear.

Looks like Wrench Monkeys is turning into the same. They show 50 bikes built on their web site but also sell $50 tees.

 

[Fix]

Lemmings don't actually follow each other off cliffs. Disney straight made that shit up.

 

[Steve F]

The Cafe at the shop is always busy, even has mothers group meetings there (at least it feels like it). The Deus brand is going the way of Mambo (read the article if you dont know who Mambo are). You see Deus shirts on all types and half of those dont even know its a bike brand just a cool tee. I'd say they've done a great job in grabing a market and making some money as well as raising the interest in the cafe scene in Australia. A lot of people will check out Deus and then build a bike cheaper and really get into the cafe scene.

Cheers
Steve

 

[mysta2]

How is it different then any of the ads that are on the left of my screen right now?...

There's a little tiny box with an "X" on it in the upper right hand corner of the page. Click that and they'll go away

 

[Swagger]

All those kats on the side of your screen aren't marketing some mythical lifestyle as far as I can see......

 

[BCBarker]

feels like a familiar trend.

ie: Orange County Choppers
Gas Monkey Garage
Classified Moto

The list goes on and on.

But a good marketing plan if the cornerstone of any business. Can't fault the guys for success, but it's amusing to see the masses buy into a good marketing rather than a good product. (in some instances)

 

[kioskguy]

You are just jealous that you can't figure out how to make a living and a business out of the industry we all love. Someone has to be there to provide this stuff, or at least... there always will be someone because consumers have a thirst for it.

That said, yes, I don't think Deus is that great of builders at all. But I understand the business model. I chatted with them at Barber and they were very cool, nice, etc. But I did not buy the t-shirt.

A buddy just moved in across the street from them (from the midwest) and walked in to chat with them as if they were cool builders (like back in the mid-west). But they totally blew him off and here was his experience:
"Just got back from the store. Popped my head in the shop door to say hello and ask if thy can true my wheels and immediately got a " I don't have insurance blah blah blah". I cut him off an said "I get it, just wanted to know if you can true my wheels. " I understand the 'no one in the shop' attitude , I worked at a dealership and all that. But it left me with a bad taste. The swag is nice and super fancy. The store and concept are very cool and I want everything in there but i would rather hang out with guys who have grime under their nails."

Well said... i'd rather hang out with the DTT guys any day.

 

[IndieSol]

Have I ever bought anything Deus? Nope. Would I love to somehow monetize my love for motorcycles? Absolutely.

I won't hold their methods against them. I'd rather be sitting somewhere warm creating a perception of a lifestyle than in my office right now, that's for sure.

 

[hurley209]

i am pretty sure any of us would be stoked to own such a shop and be successful. and i am a firm believer in live and let live. and i also have a huge respect for peoples opinions here. that being said. i come in peace. and mean no offense by my comment. man hugs all around.

 

[Tim]

Some of the biggest brands in business are run by the most passionate enthusiasts around. The brands reflect that passion and they tend to attract a following which feeds the machine.

Think about Branson at Virgin. Total showman but an incredible enthusiast and adventurist.

James Cameron. Makes super sappy movies about the Titanic but also goes and dives the thing and drives incredible tech innovation in deep sea exploration.

Barber. I mean crap, his enthusiasm and success in one business built the Motorsports Park with the museum and it now prints money by the millions that feeds the passion and prints even more money.

Mark Whilsmore at Ace effectively is the brand but I can tell you he's as big and passionate an enthusiast as any of us.

The folks at Iron and Air have built a brand and following incredibly quickly and are the cream of the crop nice people.

You don't build a successful company without passion for the thing at its heart.

 

[hurley209]

what tim said.

 

[Sonreir]

I don't think the argument is whether or not these businesses have passion, I think it's more of a question about what they're selling...

How many are selling products and how many are selling lifestyles?

I have no problem with the former, but the latter kinda rubs me the wrong way.

 

[ronnie]

Well you can't knock these businesses for selling and making things. They can't filter who buys their merchandise or products. Every one is going to have their own opinion on what a "good built bike" is and frankly to me if it runs and doesn't go right when I want to go left at speed I would say it's a good built bike. But that's me. I am a practical guy so if it works its good for me. But just because there becomes a market where group of "lifestyle" people buy your product and bring down its genuine-ity doesn't mean the business is at fault.

You just can't stop hipsters.

Lastly, I'm not entirely sure if I hit marks on this so if I'm out of line, let me know. If not, it's still my opinion in the end.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[66replica]

Their graphic design is fantastic, their marketing is fantastic, the bikes look good. Would I buy a bike? No. Would I buy a shirt? Sure, if I like the shirt. (And I have)

They're just dudes trying to make some coin. Good on 'em for getting it done. I'll keep wrenching in my garage.

 

[DrJ]

Beats scrubbing toilets for a living.

 

[hurley209]

As a Cali guy, born and raised, if I had the means to open a Moto/surf shop boutique, yeah I'd do it in a heart beat, and proudly share the lifestyle i dig with anybody who would be interested, why not, if it would make me happy and i thought others would enjoy it, id want you to be stoked oN it too. Its what I like, it's what they like, so they do it, carpy does his thing, Roland sands does his thing as well, it's like knocking on a rock band for going pro. Doesn't change anything just because they are good, on big stages and selling fan merchandise. They do their thing, they're good at doing their thing and they make a living out of it.
And personally I have never seen hipsters rockin deus stuff. Just sayin. Just because maybe some of their bikes are not built for the track doesn't mean they're not cool bikes, look at old school bikers in like the 70's, they did most for looks. Nothing wrong with that. I don't think deus, carpy, iron and resin, or rsd sell a lifestyle, I think their own lifestyle transmits through their product and they happily share that lifestyle they have come to love with others.

*i mean no offense to anyone, just adding a few meaningless words. Again, man hugs all around, no homo.

 

[4eyes]

At Barber we had a great visit with the guys from DEUS, shared some memories of Bali, and they are definitely passionate bike guys. ;D
Would I pay $50 for T-shirt.....probably not.
But more power to them, if they can sell to people who do.