What were HD dealerships like in the past?
#91
Bikes were expensive? Check!
High & mighty attitude? Pretty much, but at least they had some credibility when talking about motorcycles.
Over price accessories? Sure, I guess so.
Bad repairs? Nope, not a chance.
Ripoffs? Only to those that gave the boss 'tude.
Above all, the boss knew how to ride a motorcycle, and did so, on a regular basis. The boss was also the mechanic, service writer, rental fleet operator, new sales mgr, used sales mgr.
#92
Babe Cerini hated choppers; he would not work on them. In the 1970's if you took a mag wheel in to get a new tire or fix a flat, Babe would tell you to "get that out of here. I don't work on choppers." He hated Supeglides because they were a factory chopper. He would work on them though. He was a great mechanic. I miss that place / time.
#93
Lucky you, I've had a similar experience with everything he stated and not just at one place. Just the crap I dealt with when I decided to buy the RK was near enough to put me on another brand, 4 dealers and all but one either tried selling me something I didn't want or acted like it was an imposition to be talking to me. We won't get into the rube treatment attempted for a couple warranty issues, talking to someone like they just fell off the hay truck isn't how you inspire confidence in a perspective future customer for other work. I'll do my own cam now just use factory parts. Fug um....
Then I went to buy a new King. What a cluster ****! The new dealer model and operation was insane. Several times over the years I would wake up and tell the wife. " I'm going to go buy a new Harley today,,, want to come with? " She always replied with a strange look followed by " call me if you need me to drive the car/truck home or arrange for the bike to be picked up. " And I came home without for one reason or another. But in late 2016 I wanted a King. Thought maybe HD got the M8 right. Of the four dealers in the area I shopped it became they were all idiots. And the two Tulsa dealers were the worse. A basic question escaped there retarded ***'s. Pick a bike on the floor, in my case a black and chrome King. How much OTD,,, no extended warranties or service plans. No Stage Kits, no adders. How much OTD for that bike? You would have thought you poured pcp right down there throats. They lost the ability to speak. They run off like giddy school girls just to return with a boss salesman or finance manager. I could not get a answer,,, how much OTD for that bike?
Wife did not believe me. So we jump in this truck and go to Tulsa as shes asking they don't want our money?
Thought maybe if we were in a HD F-150 they would take me serious. Before I had been driving my Civic Hybrid. Had to try. Parked front and center I could not get a OTD price on a new M8. Wife was blown away. She looked at the dealer idiots and told them,, cash, wire transfer how much,,,, no answer. Both of those Tulsa dealers look like mall food courts with Harleys.
We have bought our last new Harley. The bikes are not worth the money and the dealers over all are not worth a beer. BUT the owners,,, the community less the HOG Chapters is fantastic! It's a amazing cast of characters. From the 1%ers to the right wing christians, cops to doctors, engineers to pipeliners,,,, all these great people. All it takes is a Harley. Wish the bikes, dealers and HQ was half as good as the owners.
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GBHH (12-28-2018)
#94
Pretty much the same idiocy I dealt with, after the second dealer I skipped the floor gomers and literally had to corner the sales managers even then they acted very put out I was trying to get a straight answer and kept trying to steer me back to some clueless 20 something chirpy. One place I called because I wasn't doing the drive up that side of the bay was up front about price and no availability, same one who gave me a return call when the bike I wanted showed up a few months later, was also the only one to do any follow up calls. Too bad they sold out a year later to conglomerate who owns 3 other dealerships.
I have no issues with the bike possible future problems or not, it will be only new one I'll ever buy.
I have no issues with the bike possible future problems or not, it will be only new one I'll ever buy.
Last edited by TwiZted Biker; 12-24-2018 at 12:31 AM.
#95
Ooo yeah, that's why I included it there. So even some of the folks from up the great white north there would know what the heck I was talkin' aboot, eh.
#96
#98
@psyshack: I had a similar experience when looking at a metric bike years ago. I asked for a price. The salesman stated a price but didn't say if it was OTD. I mentioned there's prep, tax, etc. His response was to state a number. He wouldn't tell me if it was OTD.
When eying new Sportsters, I asked what the freight/prep charges were for two 883s I looked at. Salesman wouldn't say other than they vary.
When eying new Sportsters, I asked what the freight/prep charges were for two 883s I looked at. Salesman wouldn't say other than they vary.
#99
The following 5 users liked this post by Rocker NH:
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