Guy you talked to has no idea what he is talking about or you misunderstood. Or I guess someone could've lied to him. Harley can't mandate labor rates that are charged to customers. They CAN (and do) mandate what they will pay a dealer for warranty work performed. I guarantee you it ain't nowhere near that. I might guess about $60 and hour as far as that is concerned.

 

$100 an hour is obscene. It would not surprise me. I came from a dealership, about six years there, and you would be surprised how much control the Motor Co has in telling what an independently owned dealership can and cannot do. Last year the dealership was fined about $6K because they had an advertisement on a bike stating that it was "priced to move". It supposedly violated a new "MAP" policy of HDMC which tells dealerships they cannot advertise bikes or parts below MSRP or state that they are offering a % discount on goods, (except for in store advertisement). The Motor Co also can harm a dealership by downgrading their status which effects things such as what/when/how many bikes they can get. They have status levels set up for dealerships such as bronze/silver etc...
Now that I am no longer with them I have had a couple dealerships tell me that they cannot sell to me per the Motor Co because I am an independent shop and am not in their selling district. Supposedly they are trying to crack down on discounts given to custom bike shops and make it harder for us to get HD parts by making us deal solely with the local HD dealer.

 

I just had a tire installed at mine... $35.00 ...and they matched the lowest price for the tire that I found on the web.

 

My guess is (if there is any truth to it)it is the maximum they can charge...but they don't have to...I took a job at a John Deere dealer 20+ years ago...they were charging $100 per hour back then... to work on lawn mowers...lol

 

If I remember correctly, it already is that much here locally.

 

factories are trying harder and harder to squash the independents, bike or car. Mercedes/bmw have come up with this trp program (theft related parts), that only they can sell and install on the car, include ignition switches, steering locks, trans control ecms, engine ecm, ect, (all the **** that goes bad all the time!!) and we, as independents are cut out from doing the work. there is a "right to repair" law in place that says a customer can get his vehicle fixed anywhere he wants,(except warr) and this policy violates it, sounds like the moco is trying to do the same thing , by not making them competitive with the dealer any more, by controlling what parts, and how much they will pay. Skip, I feel for ya, I'm in a similar boat, and I'm bailing as fast as I can!!

 

My understanding is that's not the case here Charlie. Pretty sure they are limiting you to local dealers. Plural. Like maybe dealers within 50 miles of you or something. Probably includes 3 or 4 dealers for many. It is to keep dealers from selling nationwide at prices so low many dealers can't stay in business. I think one of the things that helped fuel it was American dealers selling to Canada.

 

One of the worst performing ones around me, they also add a 5 % shop fee (for paper towels, which should be built into your base rate...) and a 2% liquid disposal fee EVEN IF YOUR SERVICE INVOLVES NO LIQUIDS...NO HD dealer sees 1 penny of my money, EVER, unless a last resort...which is almost never. I have 2 AWESOME idept. HD Mechanics who do FANTASTIC work, dont lie to me and work for a FAIR price...END OF DISCUSSION...EXTENDED WARRANTY...NOT! Oh, I forgot the above is on top of a $105.00 per hr rate in the SOCIALIST STATE of taxachusetts. Please remit 6.25% tax for our commie governor...

 

Another great sales opportunity for a real AMERICAN made bike...VICTORY.

 

$75 at Kent in Abilene and $90 at Gruene HD in New Braunfels...sounds like this guy at the dealer is blowing smoke up your...

Check with some of the other dealers in the Metroplex and I bet you find better rates...