Sounds like our typical Sth. Florida Stealers!!! Yep, another happy "family member" uh!

BTW...I have the service plan and to this day I've yet to receive ANY record of the work they've performed on my '08 Classic, everytime the same story "you'll get it in the mail" or "it's warranty service we don't process the svc tkt!!!"

Oh! It took them 25 minutes to do my 1K svc on a 2008 Classic, makes me wonder how throrough it really was, guess I'll find out when something falls off the bike that wasn't retorqued or checked (hopefully not the engine or forks),
>>abnormal noise from the front end ..response "it's normal",my kickstand sometimes sticks in the halfway position..response "it's normal" ...brakes (F&R) feel spongy and squeal ...response "it's normal" ...idles erratically 950~1300 ...Oh "it's normal" ...cruise control stopped working (found out on a 450 mile trip)...response..after 1.5 hours "WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS!!!!!!!!!!" ..my reply "it happened like I told you after you did the Stage1 download" ...response after 15 minutes "oh! we disabled it when we reflashed it , sorry" .....all this on a $20K 2008 motorcycle bought 3 months ago. Welcome to the family, sucka.

My God!!

 

My 1000 service was covered by the dealer.Also received a checklist on invoice of all items checked and or adjusted.I'll take over from this point on.Jrsess

 

I would have been pissed if I had to deal with dumb ****** like that trying to get my bike serviced.Sure am glad I started to do my own services after the 1K.
They only problem is that I have had to take my bike in a few times for warranty work and had to deal with the dumb ****** at the dealership.They always screw up somehow!

 

As others have said, buy the manual and do it yourself. For me it is fun, relaxing and before long you know a lot about your bike.

 

Sorry rocknrod, it *is* so! Motorcycles fall in the same pile with boats & motorhomes, only worse. Over 40+ years of riding I've found that all brands have similar problems with service. Very few have knowlegeable techs, or care about their customers. I try to find a good wrench where ever I live & make friends with them. I do nearly all my own service, but once in a while there's a job I don't have the tools or experience for, so I know I'm going to have to have some "professional" help. That seldom comes from a dealer. Warranty is always an "iffy" deal. If I had to depend on a warranty to keep a vehicle on the road, I'd be drivin' a Buick.

 

Dealerships today are more interested in selling bikes than servicing or fixing them. They want the big bucks, the more bikes they sell the better Harley likes them. They know you are going to have to come to them sooner or later for some parts or a new bike so they don't care. They also know for every customer that leaves two walk in the door to get the sales pitch about how great their "Service Department" is and that there are enough fools out there that can't or will not do their own service work to make up the difference.
This is typical of dealerships around the nation, there are some good ones, but they are few and far in between. Harley does not care either, they care about sales also, if not we would not hear the now famous word " that's typical or it's normal", everything is normal with them, ride into a dealership with your tail light dragging the ground and 9 out of 10 times "it's normal for your model".
I was in a dealership Friday for over an hour just looking around, the only time anyone came up to me was every time I stopped to look at a new bike, 5 times they ran over to see if they could help, when I was looking at parts or clothing, no one came over. It's all about sales.

 

I cringe everytime I have to take mine in. I only do it when warranty work is needed. Rode in to have a saddlebag latch spring replaced. Servicewriter asked if I had a few minutes he would have it replaced. Some and mypartnersat in the harley deco lounge right in front of the service counter. 1-1/2 hrs. later I walked up to the counter and asked how it was going. His reply, not finished yet and no he did not leave the counter to go check. A few minutes later my friend (owner of the dealership) came through and started talking to me. Told him I was having a latch spring replaced and the must be having problems with it. He walks back to the tech area and returns with the guy who points out the completed service ticket in its proper warranty place. Tech states it only took 15 minutes. Needless to say the service writer got hislazy azz chewed. The owner gave me and my ridding bud 2 t-shirts each for ruining our day.

 

Well I know this is the HD Forum but this sort of thing is not an HD only thing. Back a few years ago when I was riding a Gold Wing I took it in to have the rear tire replaced and have the alternator rebuilt. Got it all done for just under $400.00. They did provide a work print out detailing everything. About a week later the bike failed due to low charge on the battery. The same reason I was having the alternator rebuilt. Took the alternator off and found it full of carbon build up and brushes that were worn down to an unusable condition. Right on the billing it stated New brushes and cleaning of alternator. Talked to the head mechanic who took me to the guy that did the work and asked him if he had done the service and he said "he could not remember doing it but if the bill said he did then he must have.

"Well that was all they could do." That was the last time anyone ever serviced any of my bikes other than me. Now I know when something is done or not because I am the only one to touch my bikes.

Ride Safe,

Mike

 

Did you get a kiss?

 

I got a coupon for a free 1000 mi service as part of my deal when I bought my RKC. I have a couple of things I want them to address at the time, but am reluctant to have them even do the service since i don't trust them to not do some screw up somewhere. I'm capable of doing any work myself, but will probably let them do the service to test them on their professional abilities. Horror stories abound about crappy service departments in any dealership or shop.