I am interested in your HDparts counter story. Be it good or bad. Also the little shops owned by "POPS" with no inventory system just boxes of new or used or "borrowed." The one that you just walk around and pull parts out of boxes under the tables,behind the chair,etc. The make me an offer joints.

 

The parts counter is usually where I feel most comfortable in a dealership. Everything is tangible. No padded labor in the service department and no markups for things that don't really exist on the bikes on the floor and no hunting for things in my size that never seem to exist on the 1 little rack of motorclothes that are actually on sale for a price they should have been at to begin with. The parts counter is where you go to buy things that have a set price and you pay that price and can hold it in your hands. No setup fees, no doc fees for printing the receipt out for you, just the price plus state sales tax. That's usually where I can ask most of my questions and get a straight answer as well.

But, I will share 1 story from a visit to a HD parts counter at a local dealer but it wasn't my usual dealer. I went in to purchase the dyna frame adapter kit to use when putting my bike on a lift. The guy behind the counter had no idea such a thing existed. He'd never heard of it and almost tried to talk me into believing it. That is, until I took the P&A catalog out of his hands and turned to the exact page and showed it to him. The look on his face was priceless. Of course, they didn't have it in stock.

 

Parts counter at my dealer is the best part of the dealership. They have a guy Rich (not young) who is willing to help, put his 2 cents in, and isvery knowledegable (been around for a while) has never steered me wrong and always remembers your name. Goes out of his way to get you taken care of and when he says he will call you he does. Once part I ordered came in wrong he got me replacement overnight and the shipped it to me so I did not have to drive back2 days andI was done. Igo to him for anything and have sent many customers his way GOOD GUY.

 

Ok, I got a good one. Last Monday I was off work and my good friend had a counter guy call in sick so I volunteered to help him out. Now keep in mind I am in no way a TECH or and experienced counter guy. All I was good for is looking up parts numbers in the book and pulling parts from inventory. There is a lot to know, witch I don’t, and if any of you guys have a good counter guy appreciate it because they have to know a ton of stuff like change over years and how to deal with the custom bike, and they don’t get paid all that much for it.

 

Here's a recent one - Two HD Shops 25 miles away - one close to home, one next to work - convienient. I bought an HD Windshield from eBay and hardware kit (seperate items from two different folks) Had to "rig" the mount since my tach / speedo are on the risers. So I needed two more fork-tube Mounting Clamps - P/N 58351-96. Dealer one had it 21 bucks. He checked the computer and said the other dealer had one too. Went to the other dealer same 21 bucks - BUT, it was in a unsealed plastic baggie, no chrome flat washer and no chrome locking nut - which they were happy to sell me for three bucks more.
When I aksed why and showed him the other plastic HD Bag with the PN lable on it, he just shrugged his shoulders and said - oh well...
Could HD be pimping parts??

 

Expect that more often than not....you are dealing with someone who is a dumb$hit. The guys that really know their stuff won't work for what the dealer is willing to pay them. I always go look, and when I find a part I want, but is too expensive, I write the part number down, and then go home and shop online. I like to help out the local shops....but if their prices are not comparable, whose fault is that? (not mine!)

~Joe