[tbaz]

After reading through many of the threads and the issues with dealer service, the question I have, and am truly asking) is why do you go the dealers for basic service. I understand warranty work but I do not use the dealers for anything else.

I started going to Indys many years ago. I find a shop I trust, most important the tech and develop a relationship with the shop. I have very few complaints and if something goes wrong they back it up. The prices are cheaper, the service is better and I feel appreciated.

I could do much of the work myself but getting the bike work done at my Indy is a good way to get out of the house and the shop I use gets the bike in and out while I wait for things llike tires, oil chages etc.

When I do go to the HD dealer (or any dealer for that matter) I see bikes lined up, usually hear pissed off customers and talk to people that have waited days or weeks to get their bike back. A month later I will see the same people back in line. I really do not get it.

The Magnuson Moss Act (federal law) states a manufactureer can not mandate service to be performed at one of their locations to maintain a warranty unless the service is provided for free. My HD dealer does nothing for free. It also states the same about parts, oils etc. So the excuse "I have to go to the dealer or my warranty is void" is a hoax the dealer promote.

Just asking and trying to understand, maybe I missing something.

TBAZ

[ironhorse]

the only reason I go to the dealer weather it be HD, dodge, gm, ford etc. is for warranty work I don't by extended service plans and when they are out of warranty the work is on me. and it is a lot cheaper that way. indys work for some stuff just as dealers do but you should shop around and get the best bang for the buck. just like the other day I changed out the pump on my dodge the dealer was 2900, the indy was 2200, and I did it myself for 1200, now I am getting the tire changed on the scoot and it's 125+25 m+b, its worth the 25 to have the dealer do it but I have to buy the tire there also, they won't mount a tire they don't sell neither will the indys around here

[hotroadking]

Depends on the work needed jmo, and Indy shops in many cases are not any better than a full dealer, again depending on the shop.

I can name two local shops I wouldn't take my bike to for air in the tires they have done so much poor work, much of it I've fixed on others bikes.

Local Dealer here has a good certified lead tech and some good higher level techs.

Depends on if you have a relationship or not.

[SPORSTERBOY]

Because I'm A Dummy And Got Scamed Into A Pcmp That I Wasn't Able To Keep Up The Milage, Due To Moveing Where I Now Have Winters And Couldn't Ride Up The Miles Before The 36 Month Service Expires For A Non Refundable Re-embursment For 8 Sevices I Did Not Recieve But Pre-paid For. Thanks Once Agian Ean At Hd Of Tucson,az. For Giving Me A Good Phucking. Please Use Some Lube Next Time. The One Time I Tried To Use A Extended Warrenty It Was Cheaper To Buy The Parts And Do It Myself, Than Pay A Deductable. Also Want To Thank Ean For Lieing To Me The Next Day When I Wanted To Remove The Ext. War. And Pcmp And Was Told I'm Stuck With It. Then Years Down The Road, I Find Out That All Of That Could Have Been Givin Back. So This Is One Jacked Up Stealership, I Recomend You Take Your Business Else Where.

[chucktx]

i dont use the dealers...i love tinkering on em myself........

[cowboy]

it depends on what parts I need on where I go , I do let a shop change my tires , but most of the time I just take the the wheels

[rickster]

I bought my bike used from a private seller, & have'nt needed any service work done yet. When I do thaw the bike out, it will need the 10,000 mile service almost immediately before my normal warrenty runs out in May. I've bought alot of chrome goodies & apparel from my local dealership & i'm a member of their local H.O.G. I really like the dealership & the events they put on, & I heard they are trying to improve their reputation since they changed hands last year. I haven't heard anything bad about them, but I will probably take my bike to a certified Indy that worked for a out of town dealer when I bought my first HD 20 years ago.

[fujimo]

i also go to indy shop,,, guy is a 17 year dealer mech,,, than opened his own,,, i like the older ones as they are not stuck to the book,,, he can rebuild pans ,shovels or whatever,,, rides a 69 himself,,,and is only one i have ever seen that will start on first kick,,, unless you are b.s. ing him and he forgets to turn gas on,,,and other good part is i can help him and he will do tech things for me for nothing,,, this last winter helped him put a softail frame under a hardtail b.m.c. chopper a lawyer had bought,,and found out how hard it is to ride couple hundred miles a day,,,so we changed,,,, cut things off ,,weld crap on,,, even a laser to line up,,,fun deal,,,only on road ,,,will i go to a dealer,,,,pops

[alexb]

I to use Indy shop, guy has been working on Harleys for 30+ years and can build anythng from a Knuckle to a Twin Cam, rides a 69, been doing bussiness with him for 10+ years and have never had any problem what so ever, service , parts,etc, always 1st class,I have to say I never go to the dealer for anything but some free food and maybe a T-shirt, they just dont have the personal thing going on, its alway just about the money, at least in my area, not saying that the people are bad just strictly bussiness and no play, and like one other said, some try to scew u every chance the get, so I stay away.Indys for me always.

[HAMSHOG]

I use my Indy for tires. Do my own regular maintanence. Won't use dealers unless their needed for warranty repair on the road. In '05 I went to Sturgis then over to Texas. My cruise control and rear brake light went out near Casper. Went to the dealer in Casper, Gillette, and Garland, Tx. They all looked for a problem. Garland had the bike 2 days while I visited my brother. Non of the dealers could fix it. Bike was 7 months old!!! When I got home to So. Cal. my Indy had it fixed in 10 minutes. No charge!! I love the "high tech" dealer wrenches!! Not!!!!!!! Being it was my first bike in 20 years, I thought the dealer would know where to look. It was a fri**in' fuse!!!!

[cardboard]

Hmmm they got free food on certain weekends, I need brake shoes and nobody else has them. To git the old lady to buy me a T-Shirt. I git 10% off on what I buy, To look at new bikes , and somewhere to ride to when I git off the beaten path. Warra ty service too.

YouTube - Jennifer Love Hewitt

[voodoochild]

I ONLY go to the dealer for my pre-paid maintenance, (which is a crock of sh*t) and even that will be a stretch. I only have my 10K service left and I will probably say f*ck them and do it myself. I don't trust them at all, especially since they couldn't fix my bike when it would pull to the right. I found/fixed the problem myself.....and I bang nails for a freakin living! Go figure.... They are only your friend if you're gonna buy a new bike or some overpriced parts....

[SPORSTERBOY]

voodoochild, sure you didn't go to hd,of tucson

[Hot01]

I have mixed feelings. 25 years ago I owned a small shop with my first husband. There weren't a bunch of dealerships around then and most Harley riders went to independent shops or worked on their own. Most of the bikes we worked on were old and there were a lot of interchangeable parts and nothing was computerized. It's different now. Not that independents can't do it, but it's just not the same.

When I first bought my bike new I had planned on doing simple maintenance myself and independent for the tougher stuff. The guy was such an arrogant SOB. It was hard to do business with him because he was such a jerk. I ended up working at the dealership but was still doing my own maintenance. I didn't make enough money to pay them to work on my bike. Plus I was living with my ex-fiance at that point and he could do a lot of the work.

Right now I have no place to do maintenance. My bike just squeezes into its storage unit. Besides, when I came out here to interview for my job, I found a dealer that was having some good parts and service specials. We had talked here about me changing out my own cams, but it wasn't realistic living in a third floor apartment in the middle of the Rockies. I went to the dealership and talked to the guys and they really listened to me. I dropped a lot of money, but I had a lot done. I never would have got all that done on my own without a garage and a ton of tools. In this case, I was paying for convenience. They've been great to me and have treated me like a valued customer. I feel as though they treated my bike like it was their own. Not all dealerships are like that, but I'm happy with this one.

Someday hopefully I'll have a garage and I can go back to working on my own.

[HellBoy]

I re-printed his from another thread of mine, I have a 2003 Sportster that came with drag pipes. They were ridiculously loud and caused many performance issues. This was re-printed from another thread of mine, with a few changes added:

Well, my first experience at a Harley dealership is over and it was enlightening. The Stage One kit's installed, carb rejetted, new air filter, etc. The baffles have been put in my drag pipes (Vance & Hines, I believe) for back pressure and to dial down the volume a bit for city riding. And the results... drum roll please... EXCELLENT! Not absolutely amazing, but yes, excellent.

It's a bit daunting for a beginner to navigate the intricacies of what's involved in getting started driving a Harley. It's definitely expensive, but strangely enough, the biggest expense I have is paying for my parking garage! It cost around $2500 a year just to park it. In NYC, a Harley on the street overnight is an invitation for trouble, so I have to garage it.

The service guys were very polite and helpful. They didn't try selling me what I didn't need. I've got around 2600 miles on my Sporty and they said come back at 5000 for a checkup, 10,000 for a real overhaul, if it needs it.

And the most important thing I've been concerned about, how will it ride? In a word, GREAT! At first I missed the torque and guts when I'm doing 60 and want the grip to pick up speed quickly to pass, I thought that i'd lose a little in that area when baffling my drag pipes. Oh, but what I gained, absolutely zero hesitation, no burps, no hiccups in any gear at any speed, lightning fast response from zero to 50 and super smooth gear shifts. Now, I was getting used to the roar of the drag pipes, but the baffles didn't kill the character of the bike, in fact the sound is more in keeping with the size and style of the Sportster. It used to sound like a Lion, now it sounds like a tiger, and idles all day with no issues at all. Over all, I now feel confident my bike is good to go and I can thank The LIC, NY Harley Dealership for it. The baffles are breaking in and much of my 5th gear performance is back.

Ok, so what did this little slice of heaven cost? Around $525, including NYC sales tax (8.9 %, yikes!) They didn't try to sell me tires or a 1200 upgrade or anything extra at all. They gave me nothing but fair advice and the confidence of knowing that if something wasn't right they would let me know and if they say nothing, it's because they've thoroughly checked it out and are satisfied with it's condition. I asked detailed questions about lot's of things and they patiently addressed every question. Could I have done it myself for less money I doubt it, but even if I could, I think it was worth every penny for the peace of mind and the time I saved not doing the work myself. I'd prefer to spend time making money at something I'm good at and paying professionals to do their thing.

I've recently met a very experienced harley owner who has given me some great pointers and recommendations. Now there are some things I'll do at a custom shop, some at the Harley Dealership and a few things myself.

[voodoochild]

Originally Posted by SPORSTERBOY

voodoochild, sure you didn't go to hd,of tucson

No...Williams HD in Lebanon, NJ. Maybe they're related!?

[Red Rider]

Reno H-D ( Nevada Motorcycle Dealer - Reno Harley-Davidson / Buell ) is really a good outfit. So every now and then I'll take my bike to them, just to have a second set of eyes on the bike. For performance work, I've already used the indy shop Chaz O'Neill's Performance Engineering - Home. Both these outfits have been fine. When a Reno HD wrench made a mistake they owned up to it right away, pushed my bike to the head of the service line, bought me lunch, fixed their mistake and then gave me over $250 in future service credit. Chaz did my gear drive & 2-1 pipes install with dyno tune when I was laid up post-op, and has been solid about answering any of my questions ever since. He also diagnosed my bad plug wire when I dropped by his shop wondering why the performance had dropped off a few months later and even lent me the tools to change them & the plugs out myself right in his own shop's driveway - and all for free. Did sell me the plug wires though, but for $3 below MSRP.

I almost feel guilty doing the routine stuff now, but know that if I need major work they'll get some big bucks from me.

[mwelych]

I go to a dealer to buy parts and lubricants... and sometimes to gawk at the bikes that I cannot afford. Other than that, the dealerships can KMFWHA (kiss my fat white hairy A$$)...

[SPORSTERBOY]

Mine Too!