So today I went down to the big Harley dealer on the island and the one closest to my house to pick up the oil and kit I needed to knock out my 1000 mile service. I have been a generator mechanic for ten years in the Air Force and I was raised around Harley's so I am very comfortable doing my own maintenance. I feel that the owner is the one who cares the most about the bike so I do all my own maintenance because to many dealers, a bike is a bike is a bike and they could really careless sometimes. Anyways...I get all my oil and gaskets and head down to the device department to see if they had a checklist for the 2014 SG yet or a service manual I can take a look at. I know there is a good list in the owners manual but I wanted to verify a few things first. He tells me they have a generic checklist that they use for all bikes. So I ask him to look at the service manual, they don't have one. So I ask him what he will use when they do customers bikes. He says they will just follow the generic checklist. Well sorry but not all bikes are the same. Most of the items are the same, yes, but he just showed an overall lack of caring when it comes to properly doing a service. On my way out I placed an order for a 2014 SG service manual so I can make sure I did everything I needed to. So I went home, followed the checklist in the owners manual and then checked every nut and bolt I could check for security and tightness with a torque wrench, replaced all the fluids, inspect everything and took it for a ride. So the point me my rant is to be very careful who does your maintenance because they are not only holding your vehicles reliability in their hands but also your life when you're cruising down the highway at 70.

 

First, you should have ordered a service manual the day you picked up your bike. Second, you don't ask a service department that you are depriving of service to borrow their tools so you can do it yourself. The tool in this case is the manual.

Don't get me wrong, I do all my service too, but they are not going to allow you to "page" through their shop manuals after they know you are not going to pay them for service. Why should they? Of course they have them in the back for use by the mechanics...don't you know he was just blowing you off?

 

Yeah, These guys that twist wrenches on Harleys for a living, don't know near as much as you do. Sorry, just had to say it.
Did you check your Fall Away?
How about Belt Tension?
How did you sit on your bike and check correct belt tension?
How about greasing the neck bearing?
Did you do your on Re-Call as well??
Yeah I know my response will get Flack, but geez

 

I didn't order it because I thought by the time I hit 1000 miles, they would have them on hand. I didn't think it would take a while to get them in. Second, I guess my problem is that I come from a small town where people just help one another out and not withhold information so they can force you to purchase their services. Yes I know he was just blowing me off but I mean come on now. At then end of the day, if I saw him stuck on the side of the road, I would stop. I guess I just think there needs to be more humanity in this world and less everyone just trying to get theirs. Either way, the guy was a tool and it wouldn't trust him to check my tire pressure. My Harley is my passion and try Harley to them is a job so I care more than anyone else that it is done right.

 

Yes.
Yes.
Yes, according to the manual, you don't need to be sitting on it. Would they sit on it and have someone else check it at the dealership?
No because we don't have fitting for greasing the neck bearing.
Yes.

 

And I guarantee they know far more than I do, I wasn't saying that. I was saying that they don't care and I just thought they should knowing how important it is to do a good job on a service.

 

As a service manager in a truck shop I often let people look at manuals or give advise on how to do a job the correct way. Even though they are not letting us do the service they may bring a repair that they are not comfortable doing themselves at a later date. Just because you are not bringing me your work doesn't mean I have to be a dick to you. JMO

 

Yes they care. Cuz if they do something wrong or cause damage, which in turn costs the shop. Come backs also cost the shop. Glad you are confident enough to do your own service especially the 1K. And yeah I forgot the new neck bearing is a sealed style so no more lube fitting at the neck

 

Another part of my career field is to operate and maintain aircraft arresting systems on land so I figured if I can maintain a piece of equipment that can stop an $15 million aircraft going 130 knots carrying two souls, I can knock out my HD maintenance.

 

Not that hard to change your oil. Little common sense can go a long way here. Everybody wants something for nothing.