Shop one place, complain and return at another. Bet that earns you some extra points. If it was my dealership I would honor warranty issues but returns and complaints would go back to where you bought the part. I lack the temperament to tolerate BS most days.

 

I would never bring parts I purchased to be installed. Once I did it only as a last resort. I was installing heat shields on my pipes and hurt my back (nothing new). I had then brought my bike to the indy shop I deal with to get about a grand worth of work done and apologetically asked him to install them. He appreciated the fact that I was embarrassed and apologized and did it gladly. Other than that one time, I would never do it. As said, it is part of how they make their money and then there is the liability issues.

Being cheap will always bite you in the ***.

 

The Dealerships, while being Harley Davidson, are separate individually owned entities...Each Parts Mgr. is responsible for inventory and making money. Unless they wish to be "nice" and spend time with your part that they didn't make ANY money on,reimbursed from Harley, still no money for them. Short of possibly making a loyal customer out of you, a no win for them.Unfortunately business is business.

JMHO

Mark

 

Recently bought an SE 120R and some parts from one shop, also bought some parts online. Made a deal with another shop to install and tune the engine. Did buy some parts at the shop doing the install also. Did end up changing directions on my clutch mid build, ordered the parts I needed from the installing dealer and returned the unneeded, unused parts to the dealer I bought them from.

Shop doing the install and tune never once balked at taking on the job knowing I was bringing most of the parts. Of course this work was done during the winter, so it was a project that kept the shop working during slow months.

 

There is a difference between being cheap and being smart. I don't throw away money to make a technician happy about his job.

 

My local Harley dealer will not install tires you bought elsewhere...but my local Honda dealer will

 

I think it's a test of the times.

My dealer currently has my bike doing a 1200 conversion on her. I bought the kit from Zanotti for $400 cheaper than what my dealer would offer. I tried to work out a similar deal with them, but the Parts Manager would only take $100 off the MSRP.

The parts guy that was helping me out shook his head and without directly stating it let me know the better path to take. So prior to ordering from Zanotti I talked to the service technicians. They said in the past they would turn away anyone that purchased parts outside the dealer, but they allow it now to keep business and money coming in.

My opinion is that if it's a genuine MOCO part, I don't see any issues with having a different dealer install the parts. The shop might have missed on the sale of the part, but I'm sure they welcome the labor income that they charge.

 

I do a lot of work myself. For what I can't (or don't have time for), I found a great indy.

I like my indy shop. I don't order parts unless he can't get 'em. Even then, I give him the head's up that I've tried to buy from him and couldn't.

The McDonald's analogy is pretty close. My indy makes as much off parts as off labor (labor's not $80/hour where I"m at), and I like him being in business.

Here's what I've found: buying from him costs a little more until I factor in shipping. And my time trying to fix some supplier's mistake. And my time given that the guy who buys at the shop gets his stuff put on first.

At then end of the day, I wouldn't have saved much, if anything, ordering elsewhere and having the shop do the work.

That's just me, and as I've said, I've got a great indy shop with a guy I trust.

 

I am an optometrist. Sometimes I get patients who ask me to fit a certain contact lens because their friend has it, or they saw an ad or they have a coupon. Sometimes it's a good fit and GTG. Many times it isn't right for them and I have to educate them, sometimes they listen, sometimes they are stubborn and I fit them with a lens that isn't as good as if they would just trust me. So I won't bring a part in unless it's something they can't get. If I try to install it myself and screw it up I'll bring it in, but I try not to get in over my head.

 

My bad, I guess it would've been better for me to pay the Belgium HD dealer $350 to buy and change my tire again, instead of me buying one for $90 and having it put on for $25 at Triumph.

How does it go again, "A fool is easily parted with their money?"