I’d rather stick pins in my eyes than ever go to my closest dealer (Barnes Victoria).
Local indy’s have dealt me hard blows also, many times.
I’ve gravitated to a dealer 12 hours away in Oregon that haven’t steered me wrong yet. Yes, a lot more money.
It’s all about customer service, after sales and after work backup.
Local guy did crap engine work, ran rich and batwing scuffed, tank dented, head fins broken and scratched, and weeds growing out of it, and he mistakeningly texted me thinking it was his buddy calling me down saying I’m a whiner when the bike didn’t have the power to pass a gas station.
Went to Oregon and picked up a boot load of power and could pass a gas stop.
Some dealers aren’t all that bad.

 

With a local shop rate of 150 an hour I do my own work. Local has some good techs but I've been stung a few times at other places. Plus since my bike is over 10 years old they rarely have parts anyway. They really aren't that complicated a machine if you have some mechanical ability and a Service Manual.

 

I have done most everything in the automoitive, truck, heavy equipment world and did all my own work on all my vehicles when I was poor/cheap. Yeah it used to be fun too... When I was working lots of hours using stuff was much more satisfying than working on it and farmed a lot of stuff out. Now in my sick old age I do almost nothing on anyone’s stuff. What little extra energy I have goes to riding the bike (less and less) and driving the Model A. I pay good folks to work on them. They don’t work for a dealer or even a normal shop. Beating flat rate is not how excellent work is accomplished...

 

To the OP: All the above. I guess I like doing things myself as I built my own house and make lots of money when I was younger doing home improvements, even though I never done them before. I save money, save the hassle of dropping the bike off and do it on my time.... Plus. Yes, it is done right and I feel a sense of accomplishment knowing it's a job done well.