Owning a Harley ain't cheap!

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#51

04-21-2012, 11:20 AM

SteveO-ll

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Phadreus

I have a perspective on the cost of owning my bike that is similar to how I look at the cost of my ongoing pursuit of my advanced educational degree: When I say “what does a degree cost?” I then follow that question up with “what does not having a degree cost?” and I always seem to justify the expense as there is a return on the investment. When I apply this logic to owning and maintaining my bike, I certainly understand there isn’t a financial return (profit) on my investment, but rather a “quality of life” return on my bike expense.

Now, this may seem corny and even cliché’, but I can tell you when I’m riding out some nice country road on a beautiful day on the bike with my wife sitting behind me, I remind myself “this is as good as life gets”, and I truly believe it. I love it…and that is the return I get back from the expense. How much is one willing to pay to experience one of the best experiences in life? Sure, it is arguable whether riding is “one of the best experiences in life”, but for me it is and I feel like every penny I spend on my bike is returned to me in quality of life.

Probably a little too philosophical, but that’s my thoughts on the matter…

Very well stated, empirically speaking of the stated hypothesis.

#52

04-21-2012, 12:08 PM

lo-rider

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Quote:

Originally Posted by jakenok

...HD dealers rape you on service work. Just b/c shop labor is X $ for mechanical work doesn't mean that they couldn't do routine stuff less expensively as a draw to use their shop (auto dealers do it all the time). It would be a good business practice...
HD riders now days are so used to getting *** raped on prices...

Your fixations aside, you obviously are not a businessman. Shop labor rates must be sufficient to cover the cost of labor and overhead plus some profit, if they plan on remaining in business long. Doing "routine stuff" at a loss wouldn't be very smart.

OP--There will always be a large group of riders who support the dealer service network because they cannot or will not to do their own maintenance.

Last edited by lo-rider; 04-21-2012 at 12:10 PM.