30 years ago I worked at an independent shop and then we turned into a Kawasaki franchise. Labor was 1 hr minimum. Of course it was a lot less then. I'd say switch housings would be 1/2 hour job max. The switch caps add another 1/2 hr to 1 hr. So say they charge min 1 hr and $75/hr then max charge should be $150. Its an easy job but be careful lots of places to pinch wires and cause shorts.

 

I can get started very easily, recently I started having hot start issues with my BB build.
Called several stealers to get a price on installing MCR's. I was going to walk in the door of the service dept with two cyl heads in my hands. They wanted two hours labor to drill and tap two holes. This was last month when they shoulda been looking for any work they could get. I offered 75 and service mgr refused.
Took them to a indy performance shop. Watched them do it with the Screamin Eagle Mounting Fixture and a drill & tap. took 15 minutes. They wanted 25 bucks and I gave them a fifty and told em to keep the change!!!!

 

For some, bashing any dealer or the MOCO is a pleasurable passtime and they can't seem to contain themselves. You're right that only an idiot would do it for $25, but there are a lot of people that would call that good business, or whatever. Some have the belief that actually making a buck or two on any job is outrageous and all dealers should do any job for whatever is as close to free as possible. They will rave about the indy that did the 10K for peanuts, yet fail to say that all they really got was a fluid change. They will want to supervise any service performed by the dealership to insure they get their moneys worth, but will leave their bike with some guy working out of his shed without batting an eye, because he was cheap. They also may do all the work themselves, then moan about the MOCO and what a crappy product they have when their self taught skills don't put the bike back together properly and it fails. My niece is a trained tech, and all I hear from her is stories about this guy left out a spacer, didn't use lock tite, mounted this backwards, didn't torque that, forgot to adjust this, and used this instead of the proper that. Her biggest source of repairs is from people trying to do it themselves and failing to do it properly. Oh, and she actually charges customers money to do it right. People on here will almost always defend whatever an OP puts out there and bash the dealer or MOCO for screwing the guy without questioning the OP at all. Look at the title. "Shame on Harley Davidson", like they had anything to do with it.

 

your Correct, this has nothing to do with the ****** Company!!!!
Its the StealerShip!!

 

There is no question that the business model for both the MOCO and the dealerships needs to change. They are operating like this is still 2005. One of the problems in changing a business model is that most of the dealerships that sell Harleys are locked into mortgages that were based upon net profit and sales at the time the new buildings were erected. Unless their banker has a Jesus streak in him, he is not going to make amends to an existing mortgage. Nobody wants to work for less and everybody can somehow justify their compensation as being fair. The question then arises: Fair for whom, them or their customers? Ultimately the smart operators will somehow change their business models to accomidate customers because at the end of the day they need us more than we need them. Tough decisions all around for everyone! The MOCO has been making changes to their business model since they went into reorganization mode. Many of the old hands that were operating the old company have left and new management is now in place. The jury is still out on just what changes in their business model they will be making. As far as the dealers go, I have seen none of them adopting a new business model or even attempting to do so. Most of them are still of the opinion that sales and profits are going to get back to the point they were in 2007, which for most was the high point. I don't think they will return to that point because most are too reluctant and greedy to change. I do think that if a dealer is going to charge $85.00 per hour for labor, there had damn sure better be a happy ending for the customer. Whenever a customer leaves a place of business and feels like they just got the pickle, they are forever reluctant to grace that business with their repeat business. Business tends to go where it is appreciated the most. The current Harley dealers business model does little to give me the warm and fuzzies. Alright muchachos, opinions differ. Pile on!

 

I am pretty sure that most of us here like to do these small installations ourselves for that very reason to not pay for those outrageously high prices. So, if you want the work done by someone else, then you have to pay the price or you can buy the manual for less and do the job yourself. You could have fun doing it yourself, I am pretty sure that you would probably do a better job on it then they will. Good luck!

 

I agree totally with Retrop, and might add that they have those big large exclusive buildings to for us and they counted on business to grow and the economy to prosper when it didn't. What I don't understand is them turning down any dollar offered when they need all they can get of em! I used to work for a company like just that. Seemed the Management never understood that any dollar turned down was a dollar lost.
It was gouge everyone that comes in the door or just stand their, take in no money, then lay off employees.

 

No kidding ;-) Well I can't go back and read every first post.