Kat owners needed

[fossie]

Typically corporate and sums up this whole launch!
Firstly waiting with baited breath for the all new........which it wasn't ! At shows they borrow people's proper Kats....which are in varying standards.

They ask for volunteer Katanas but with no idea of the dates .

Then they choose a pr company who send out email invites in bulk so they end up in spam folders.....on top of that it is for the middle of a week , coupled with no notice and surprise suprise not far from London, which I know is the HQ , but really limits attendees ..espiecally as you are requesting examples of a machine that although not as rare as some believe are in limited numbers.

Yep a Saturday we'ed have had good numbers there....Wednesday only locals or those with fartooooooooomuch time!

[Uncle Bob]

Yep a Saturday we'ed have had good numbers there....Wednesday only locals or those with fartooooooooomuch time!

John in his FB post has said some of the timing was his fault as he already had a 2 week USA holiday booked and Suzuki did want him there as a thank you (for load of his bike and other time he had put in). They wanted the event a week or 2 ago. There's no point doing it in 2 weeks time as there will be the new one in showrooms by then. I don't blame them really. They are looking at an event in August so they said, but not sure what that is at present.

As for on a Saturday there would be good numbers, - for the Suzuki day at Cadwell (quite central, certainly better for north) which is on a Saturday; visit and go or stay with free camping, free attendance (for club entries) and free entertainment on the Saturday night, lots of bikes to look at etc there are so far I think me and 2 others interested (one of those is ACS!). Alexandre for their similar event at Paul Richard with 3 members in his club and the larger distances with France, managed 15!

Just saying...

[Kryten]

As far as the Suzuki day at Cadwell goes Mrs K and I are just back from holiday on the Friday. Same with the Scottish camping weekend,it was looking good as a couple of clashes that weekend were coming up as non-runners (Whoo Hoooo!) then I was re-located offshore on a different shift.

So now I am due back onshore (fog and triggered lightning permitting) on the Thursday before.
I don't think I'd get away with being away from home for 2 weeks then disappear for the weekend as soon as I'm back...

[fossie]

UB you say it was partly FBJ 's fault because he had to sit on the invite for 2 weeks...... This is absolutely untrue even FBJ thinks it's his fault.......No if I am at SUZUKI HQ and I think I may need 15 -20 Katanas , I would contact the owners club......if I needed a Trabant for a photo shoot I would search Trabbie owners club! ( I haven't even checked but I bet there is one....which is my point.)
Again this is nothing short of handing the job to a 3rd party who takes the easiest option ....we've got his number on file we'll use him.

[Uncle Bob]

No if I am at SUZUKI HQ and I think I may need 15 -20 Katanas , I would contact the owners club.

I kind of agree with what you are saying to a point, but John is very good with his social media and contacts and keeping it all current. He does the shows where Suzuki (Or Team Classic Suzuki who might have Suzuki staff with them) will see the ACS - Stafford (especially), Donnington, Winter Classic. The only Katana Owners article I can remember in a magazine was John's write up of the trip to the Zurich EuroKat. CM&M are doing a club feature on the ACS soon. I would think Suzuki contacted him as a) he has Katana's and b) they saw him and know from the above shows (probably Stafford). Basically he works hard at it and even while away on his USA trip he was posting comments etc.!
If Suzuki UK had looked at our Facebook page before April it was pretty dire, with nothing current in it. I am trying to keep it current now with at least a couple of posts a week. We are picking up more Likes there, even if it isn't necessarily equating to members in the club (yet!).
Like most of the people on here, I do prefer the forum to FB as it's just easier to find stuff and have multiple threads about different things, FB for me is too transient, answers lost down the timeline. ACS forum does look very quiet - really it seems they are a FB group, of which many of us on here are also members.

I think your "Concerned!" post earlier in the year did really sum it up and was a kick up the backside! and we are trying to get things moved on with the changes so far. I do have to get more info (PDFs and lists of tools etc to borrow) in the Members Area, it just takes a little time and will better show the benefits of the club.

All a bit off topic(ish) but really I don't blame Suzuki, Ok initially it was all a bit of a mystery but by the time they wanted you to fill in the web form, it was published where and when it was all going to happen, so it shouldn't have been a surprise!

Right, better get Pookie's 250 on FB now

UB

[pookie]

Rob, make sure you put up a parental guidance warning before putting pics of my bike on freakbook, don't want any disgruntled mums and dads saying things like 'my little Johnny used to be so sweet, now he disappears into his room with a box of tissues every night' by the way i'm not on freakbook

[fossie]

Bit late on topic reply here, in reference to the only articles in various magazines about Katanas , club etc....
Just throw my tuppeneth in.
I wrote many articles for CM&M , ,Eurokat 2.' Lands end to John O groats .. We attended the Stafford show for a good 10 years , we were always treated very much like a second class outfit even though we built stands and even built a 250 on the stand ....twice!
When Practical sportsburks came along they would phone me for information about bikes et al and then edit it. It always came with a sales pitch to advertise the club for £100's for a full colour page
I did submit articles but nothing came of it,, both Eurokat and a club overview. See above .
Though they did do a feature on myself as a courier on Kats in Jan 2012.
All this changed when Rod Gibson passed away, from then on all articles mirrored both titles .
John not only has lovely machines that are a credit to him and he as you say is a social media whore
He puts in the time and miles to do these shows , we on the other hand are show fatigued.
He is in Peterborough , just minutes from the offices of these people , it's easier for everyone ....the down side is its always the same bikes ......but then an original Katana will look like any other and the reader will only spend minutes looking at it in all its glossy pose.