If you pay to have the service done, tell them you want the technician's initials on every item on the list.

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I just did my 1k service a couple of weeks back. Think I had about $100 bucks in it and a couple of hours. Changing fluids, checking air pressures and torque values not to difficult.
Get out the service manual, make a copy of the checklist and document everything. Save your receipts and when complete save it for future reference if needed.

 

When you walk in to you local HD dealer, do you look around and see how "nice" it is? Next time think to yourself, "I wonder who pays for this?"


I buy my oil filters and once in a while a clearanced out shirt, that's it.

 

First two Harleys I bought were new. Never again. They will get you coming and going. Even if I went in for an inspection, min. $350 every time. I'm a do it myself guy. Most recent bike I bought used. Do all pretty standard maintenance myself. I since have found a couple friends that can do what I can't on my bike. For a service, Harley won't see my bike again.

 

the last time that the Dealer did the 5K service for me, they didn't torque the bolts and my bike spilled a lot of oil. So I still have an oil stain in my garage. The problem with a lot of dealerships, esp during the busy riding season is, they rush you in and out. As a result, mistakes happens and things are overlooked. If my memory is correct, the 5K service was a little south of $500.00.


As others have stated, get the service manual and make a copy of the checklist. In addition, there are really good video's on YouTube (I like Law Abiding Biker), which will walk you through doing your service. For basic stuff like that, it's not to difficult. (Now ripping apart your engine, let the dealer handle that).

 

It is stupied. That's why they're have the trainee do it.

 

Did you check all of the levers in the shift linkage to make sure they were tight on their respective shafts? Stripping the splines in the shift levers seems to be a recurrent problem and tightening the pinch bolts eliminates further headaches.

It appears that the OP is in high cost per hour labor market. Many large metropolitan areas exceed $100/hour shop charge now.

 

For $50 a pop, I'm gonna take it to them for the service intervals. I'll do the fluids myself and get receipts saying they did the rest. Should cover me if anything happens.

 

If they at least used Vaseline first it would be less painful....My bike only saw a dealer for recall work.....

 

This is what I do. I am taking mine in for the 30k service on Friday. Unfortunately, I do not have a garage to do my own work. I can change the fluids, anything more than that though, is tough, as I am in a condo and cant really get away with mechanical work.
I will bring mine in for service every 5k, just to document the work. That way, come resale time, its there. I am fortunate to have a fantastic dealer local to me too, so, thats a plus.