Can the price you pay for getting a bike serviced vary from dealership to dealership or are they all pretty much the same...?
New owner of a 03 Road King Classic....
Thanks for any responses!!!

 

They are independently owned. Prices are not fixed, and will vary.

 

Thanks....!!!

 

The only way you'll ever get the same labor rate is if you do it yourself. I think you'll find you're much cheaper.

 

Different from dealer to dealer. My guess is because the labor rates vary shop to shop.

 

i just paid 220 for a 1st service, i will be doing it my self after this one

 

You'll likely find that all the dealers in a given area charge about the same -- they're not interested in undercutting each other. The shop rate will vary from one city or region to another. Here in the L.A. area most of them are bumping up against the $100/hour mark, believe it or not. They're not selling many bikes, so they're trying to make it up in service.

Best bet, if you're not interested in doing the work yourself, is to ask around for a good independent shop and take your business to them. They will generally be around 30% cheaper than a dealer, and their work might be more dependable as well, depending on who at the dealer works on your bike. The only thing I've ever taken my bike to a dealer for is warranty work, and your '03 is likely out of even an extended warranty.

Enjoy the bike!

 

Another thing I have noticed is that when a dealership closes...the other one in the same area raise prices.

 

Don't know about now but when I was working in Dealerships 20 years ago the parts and service depts are what kept the store going. About the only thing selling bikes did was to provide a source of business for the service and parts depts.

 

Sounds right to me. I'm sure it's the same now. My bike just came up for its 30K service, and just for fun I asked the dealer where I bought it how much the service would cost if I supplied the fluids. Answer: Over $500. Needless to say I'm using an indy, who charges $280 for the same service (which on my bike involves dismantling enough of the front end to visually inspect the steering head bearings -- a 2-hour job).