Levers

[Rainbow7]

There are not too many dealerships out there that make much more than a subsistence living for the owners.

That is more a reflection of poor management by the manufacturers than it is of anything else. If they carefully conserved the number of dealers then there would be more sales per dealer. (Not counting 2nd-hand sales, obviously.)

I realise there is sometimes a fine balance between reasonable profit and simple price-gouging, but the fact is that the stealerships were charging $2500 for an exhaust system that can be bought from BGW for <$1500. (Or even less if you buy from O/S.)
Why is it that I see boots being priced at $600, when I can get them sent to me from the U.S. for $350? I mean, how much profit is enough?
If selling bikes/bike accessories is no longer viable under the traditional model, I would suggest that dealerships either need to change or they should get out of the industry.
I do think there are too many dealerships around, given the small population.

Also, I still think that many retailers would have better sales if they charged less. - The average guy who rides a sport bike is not particularly wealthy and simply cannot justify spending thousands of dollars on equipment/accessories. If they were more affordable, the high-end products would have better sales.
Hell, I can afford to buy anything I want but I absolutely refuse to pay $1500 for a jacket! - I've bought cars for less!