dealerships or Boutiques?

This is a letter I wrote to HD a couple of weeks ago because I got tired of trying to buy parts for bikes that I own and fix (also fix for friends) and always getting the answer "we need to order this part"....


I have owned 8 Harley-Davidson motorcycles living in several countries and currently own another 3. Most of the time buying them used and fixing them myself.

When I finally got back to the USA my first thought was to go to a dealership and get a bike, but, thanks to poor customer service and an attitude problem at every dealer I've visited I’m becoming to understand that the good old Harley days where the mechanics, the shop owner and the bikers were friends are gone.

It’s not the fact that the bikes are bad, I actually think they are pretty good, although they haven’t always been very good, it’s the utterly awful sales experience I have encountered every time from people that think they are doing you a favor selling you a motorcycle and not realizing you are the customer.

Before some of you start to get your knives out and say I am nothing but a whiner let me make a few things clear. Every time I purchased a Harley-Davidson it’s been with cash. No special media rate. Just regular dollars from a member of the riding public paying full price as the dealers always refused to negotiate. (they say they will try to help you but never do)

This attitude it seems even extends to the parts department. I finally decided to stop buying anything ever again from a Harley-Davidson dealer when visited dealerships for parts and was swiftly told it was not something they had in stock and to be honest they only thing they carry are either accessories (to me bling) or clothes.

I can mention brake lines, filters, spark plugs as a long list of components that they always tell you they need to order.
What happened with carrying inventory of parts for the bikes?

Dealerships have turned into a Macys or Sacks fifth avenue where you buy overpriced clothes not motorcycles and their parts.

So now you have to do your own searches over the internet to get your parts and in most cases over pay for shipping to get the parts that should be available in a dealership.

I am a guy that rides a motorcycle to work every day no matter the weather conditions and not having parts is not acceptable (to me there is no such thing as bad weather, there is bad drivers).To make it worse HD Store (online) does not sell parts either only clothes, accessories and gadgets too.

What can I say about the service departments….. the same thing even though they make us believe that mechanics are certified, the times I have taken my bikes there I have seen them cut corners and I have ended rechecking the work to a point where I am fixing my motorcycles now, the good thing is I’m an engineer.

I understand most people these days don’t want to get dirty and want someone to do the work for them but believe me having a certificate on the wall of the dealership saying their mechanics are certified doesn’t mean anything, because some dealerships haven’t even removed the ones of the employees not working there. Why… because no one asks.

Now I admit this may not be representative of the Harley-Davidson dealer network but I can say this is all over Texas. The question I would raise to the HD corporate office is who checks these dealerships? If you are making them a franchise shouldn’t they follow a standard?

It just seems to me that HD is no longer interested in selling motorcycles and has moved on to maintain a brand and an image through selling clothes and gadgets.

I make no apologies for liking Harley-Davidson as, despite everything it has encountered over 110 years, while others have fallen by the way, it is still here and still manufacturing and selling motorcycles. Whether they are the right bikes in terms of technology and design as the world has moved on, I couldn’t possibly comment.

And I am not going to question the ‘Made in the USA’ claims as the debate has range for years over where exactly H-D sources parts because HD needs to make money. I applaud the fact the bikes are built here in America by an American work force creating jobs and contributing to the U.S. economy.

So if anyone at the powers at be in HD corporate would take the time to read this, I wish we could go back to the motorcycle shops or dealerships that specialize in bikes and to making them sell the parts we need without saying I need to order it for you. If the model you want to follow is a boutique fine but at least give us a stock of parts.

Depends on the Stealer...I have never had to order any part...There are horror stories with any product...

I agree with almost everything you had to say in regards to dealers and their lack of parts inventory, however I don't get that bent about it about as much as I used to. Ever since Harley began to be more "mainstream" or flooding the market with bikes, dealers had really no choice but to move old inventory out to make room for the new stuff. Common business practice. I run into this all the time with both of my bikes, I just prepare for it. There are so many more options available to the consumer now and at much better prices than those of dealerships. However not all options in the aftermarket are the best options. Harley has conceded a lot to the aftermarket as that allows HD to run lean, which translates to less overhead, and in turn, more money. Why would dealships be any different? As far as the boutique angle goes, So What? Those dealerships are geared to push the HD legacy. A lot of people with a lot of money helps perpetuat that legacy. How does a company survive?

As far as the mechanics are concerned, absolutely on point!

I wanted to wait and digest everything you wrote. It was a lot. I agree with some and disagree with some.

The dealerships of yesteryear,say 30+ years ago were more user friendly, grease stained floors, HD knickknacks placed in nooks and crannies and the smell of burnt oil/gas,it was great. Quatros of Pawtucket,RI/Arnold's of providence,RI and Brunswicks of Troy, NY come to mind prior to the foo fo take over. All were screwed over when the foo foo era took over. What a shame too. Arnold's and quatros chose to close the doors rather then conform. The new dealership seems more pseudo boutique/department store. And the fake over bearing friendliness annoying as f*ck. the foo chrome and lavender started in the early 1980's.

I too stopped going to dealerships from 1985 till 2008 for your afore mentioned reasons. Dealing with independents became another tricky proposition.

Upon returning to dealerships in 2008 I was for the most part pleasantly surprised. I found it as another poster mentioned, varied from dealer to dealer. And it also would get better or worse with incoming and outgoing managers. Forever one dealer about 60 miles away was great as long as Steve was the service manager. He was an old grey beard and who privately suffered the yuppy aholes too. He would take you in back where your bike was being worked on,explain things, share options and possible outcomes or maybe he liked me? Steve embraced your concerns with enthusiastic gusto. He was the manager for years and years until a couple years ago he'd retired. The new guy was an ash*le. Treats you like you were a pain in his arse. I rocked his world in a civil but firm manner making sure to state facts and not my temper,although I was fit to be tied. It took that dealer to long to figure that out. They eventually did. many stopped going there. I expressed my negative experience with the owner before I stopped going but if more just left without sharing there negative experience I was just chocked up as cranky.

I bought my recent bike from a dealer 100 miles away. They totally hooked a brother up in both honoring MSRP for the new bike and ridiculously outstanding in my favor trade in on my bike. Did I mention they also gave me 3.25% HD financing? This after talking to 5 other dealers. I have probably 8 dealers in a 100 mile radius. I have a dealer 10 miles from the house. A 100 mile road trip is a small price to pay to be treated right.

As well having been on the road off and on since 2008, the on the road dealership response to my needs has as well been outstanding. And I am one critical b*tch. I don't suffer fools,although I do here to get along........lol...teasing.

The dealer here was a good place to go and even hang out. Not so much so now. A few years back They brought in The Fixer from Texas, not that there was anything wrong but this guy said he was going to fix the dealership. Oh and he did, no more HOG member parts discount, no more LOH making burritos and selling them at HOG meetings, got rid of all the sales people and parts people, brought in car salesmen and inexperienced parts people. HOG is almost dead. I live about a mile from dealer, I now go to another dealer that is 50 miles away for whatever I need or I order on line from a couple of online dealers. Just sayen

I've likely spent more on accessories and parts at my dealer than I paid for my bike (bought used at the same dealer), and it is usually a hub of activity on weekends, with rides, demos, info courses and suprise sales almost every week in the summer.

No bands up here at the dealer, but that would really add to the experience. We aren't set up quite as fancy as some of your larger U.S. dealers.