Sounds like Internet shopping makes the best solution for you! Not all dealers are created equal. My local dealer is in a city of 130,000, and there are probably 6-8 dealers in a fifty to sixty mile radius, so there's a heavy turnover of even the obscure parts, plus they stock many parts just for their very active service department. Their situation is such that it's to their advantage not to let customers divert to other dealers for any reason! Hell, someone might walk in for a Johnson rod and end up taking a fancy to the latest and greatest scooter and ride out on it!

​​​​​​​Now, if your dealer of choice is in BFE, that ain't as likely...plus their turnover and profit margin is different. Just the way it works...ya know? It's just a business strategy!

 

I'd just be thankful that they could still order the parts you needed....

 

If you're talking about that dealership on 1&9 in Rahway (B&H, or B&G, or D&G, or D&H; I forget) they have been there awhile & should have at least a muffler clamp. Bought my 1st new HD from them in '87.

 

dickey that dealership on 1&9 is long gone. So is Deals in Wheels and many of the other Harley Dealers. The big sales explosion for all things Harley petered out about ten years ago and many indies and dealerships have shut their doors.

 

On another note, those big bulky one use clamps are a waste. And by the way I love my 06 flhtci

 

Many businesses are taking advantage of the faster shipping of today and ordering on demand. If they order one, it is supposed to be looked at to determine if 5 should be ordered. That's the theory.

In practice, most dealerships would rather spend their money on the stuff that sells rather than having 300k or more in slow moving parts inventories.

My method is this: if it is in stock (they can hand it to me), I'll pay retail prices. If you tell me you have to order it, now you're in competition with the internet, and have to match those prices, and I'll pay now so your money isn't used. As you can imagine, I order online frequently. Sad thing, I've ordered from Harley online, and had it sent to the dealership with free shipping. Once, jus for giggles, I ordered through the dealership a $250 accessory (backrest), and sat in my truck in the parking lot and ordered the same parts. I did that because I called a buddy and already had it sold. Guess what part came first, and what part took 10 days longer to arrive?

 

Any business that sells "things" has a limited amount of storage room available, and cash to fund inventory, to sell those "things" so they will stock the items that they sell the most of......

YMMV

Lon

 

It is simple economics. Our state charges an inventory tax. My local dealer has the basics but not much more than that.

 

I had one of hose clamps break. My local Indy was the closest to me so I stopped there first. He had a dozen he had taken off of bikes that were Perfect shape. He gave me one free!

 

I'm so with you on this, in most cases. If I go into Cycle Gear, or whatever, and they don't stock the thing I want, they'll usually offer to order it. I tell them that hey...I can order it myself! And have it delivered! Thanks, but no, if they would have had it, they would have had a sale!


If I go into my local HD dealership and they don't have what I need...and normally, this would be on a weekend...it will be in by the following Thursday, and this is a dependable situation. I've never had anything take longer than that. I have no problems having them order something.