Stopped by my local HD dealer to pick up an item today. Mentioned to them about the strike and they spoke words that sort of shocked me. They said that if the workmanship were better, they might agree on the workers side of the strike. She stated that the last SIX bikes thet received, there were issues which should have kept the bike at the factory. She only elaborated to the specific problems such as serious scratches and dented tins. She's not pleased at all with their workmanship and QA. Now this is not coming from a rice-burner dealer, or a dealer that sells HD's AND another brand. But this is coming from a HD only dealer.

There's always a straw that breaks the camel's back and could this be it? Like other manufactors, jobs could always go south.way south, like Mexico or W A Y across the pond. Then these US workers can JUST learn spanish or chinese, sell their homes and move across the pond and apply to get their own jobs back. Oh, yea. At probably 20% of what their making now. Good deal? Time will tell.Unions can hurt just as easily as help.

 

Another side from the dealer's point of view. I was in my local dealer yesterday (one of the new huge facilities) and they weren't concerned about the strike at all. If anything, they thought a delay in production might be what they need right now. Like many other dealers across the country, their massive showroom is wall-to-wall with new '07s, a few leftover '06s, and even a couple of leftover '05s from their rental fleet. They also said they had at least 50% more new bikes in their warehouse still in the crates, and they were due for their February allocation (Harley is, apparently, really pushing new bikes out into the dealerships). The worst part of all this is that nothing is moving. Now, this is one of the worst itmes of the year for motorcycle sales and things will surely pick up over the next few months, but you have to wonder if the boom is really over? We'll know in a few months.

 

Keep in mind that there are very sharp indivduals working at MOCO in management. They may be playing out a strategy to keep a strike short by loading up the dealers at a slow time for sales. They will not loose as much as in a scenario of a strike in July at model year change-over with supplies dwindling. Workers will grow tired of a strike as their savings evaporate and they have to continue supporting the family. This is not a pleasant time for union workers or management. The quality control issues should be communicated from dealerships to very high management types to get resolution.

 

I have yet to see a labor union endorse poor craftsmanship . cosmetic damage could of happened at any point in transit and if it was the result of poor craftsmanship then the local official should get in somebodys butt like a bycyle with out a seat.

 

The lock out by HD will only help them in the end. If everyone remembers back in 2005 HD cut production by 10,000 bike because the demand wasnt there. Sure they could have built them and shoved them down the dealers throats but it would only have devalued them when there is a surplus. As for the union workers not accepting their new contract offer, maybe they should step back and look at themselves. In all honesty with HD upping production the quality has dropped quite a bit. My previous ride was an 01 FXSTS. I put almost 30,000 trouble free miles on it. In fact most pre 100th anniversary bikes were almost flawless. My current ride is an 05 Road Glide and in a little less then 2 years and 11,000 miles that I've had it, it has been fixed 7 times under warrenty. Almost all quality control issues. Lets look at the list of crap gone wrong. Wiring harness in handle bar control pinched causing stereo and headlight fuses to blow (assemble line error), stereo crapping out and being replaced (HD dont make um so I cant blame them on this one), Speedometer crapping out because speed sensor wire rubbed through on frame and shorted out (assemble error). Oil consumption from valve guide seals. Rear shock blew seal and leaked (not HD made but made for them. Oil leak (shifter seal not seated properly). Opps, more oil consumption problems, this time the rings in the front cylinder had to be replaced because the ring gaps we're lined up perfectly (can u say lots of blow by) put together by union workers. So sorry if I don't think the UNION workers are happy.

 

Many new owners have taken their complaints to high management and guess what? they have been told to live w/it or sell their bikes.Qa is a problem with some bikes this yr,it could very well cross over to the 08s.Im not sure how many here have been threw contract talks that has come to what the York plant has.Things start inside long before they hit the streets and continue sometimes long afterwards.

 

if i ran HD...i can gaurantee i'd bust the unions ***

 

Maybe it's time to buy older Harleys and restore/mod them. Better quality and beat the EPA too

 

Quiet KeithB, they'll catch on!

Just one more reason that I'll keep my carb'd 2004 for the forseeable future. Management can always wait out the workers on a strike, they did it in the NHL 2 years ago. The workers are under more pressure than the managers in a situation like this since they have no paycheck coming in. Managers can still show up for work, get paid and pay their bills in the meantime. There is no shortage of new bikes in any dealership that I've seen in the past month or two, although there may be a sporadic shortage of some parts, I think the Union will break before management.

 

Used to think this until buying an '07. Was going to keep my carbed WG and FLSTC a looooong time... despite some workmanship issues...including thin paint with each. I'm a convert after experiencing the new engine, the six speed, the EFI, the new exhaust note, etc. Zero issues. Not the only one believing H-D nailed it with the '07's (From a former skeptic)...

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniont...1dd16bold.html

As for the strike, few companies are as strategic and foresightful as H-D. They'll be fine through this. As noted above, February timing not so bad.