I think that, generally speaking, all dealers have people who love 'em, hate 'em, and can take 'em or leave 'em.

With that said, my dealer (I won't name them, but they are located in Athens, Georgia...Bogart, Georgia technically) has ALWAYS done right by me and my wife. We both ride and we have purchased several bikes and a lot of parts from them.

In the past we have bought bikes from a couple of other local indies and one other Harley dealership (located in the general area of Buford, Georgia) and we won't EVER buy from those indies or that other dealership EVER, EVER, EVER again, due to how they (mis)treated us.

Now, I'm not saying my dealer is perfect! We have had a couple of minor issues there, BUT they have ALWAYS made every effort to make it right when, on those rare occasions, the issues came up.

The service guys are good, and the service manager and service writer are really good guys. They had a guy from Florida in yesterday who was on a trip through Georgia and the cam chest in his CVO came unglued and they were trying their best to get parts in to get him back on the road today so he wouldn't have to tow his bike home or give up on the rest of his trip.

The sales guys are terrific, we've always bought from two of the guys there, but the other salesmen are good too. I just like these two guys the best, and I won't call names so I won't cause any trouble for Kevin or Mark...whoops.

They always make us really good deals on our trade ins and I have to tell ya, I tried my best to figure out a way to buy a 2014 Limited and I just could not make it happen. Well, my dealer DID make it happen. They knew I really wanted that bike, and they worked on the financing until they got things done so I could buy that bike. I never would have thought they could have done it, but they did. And by the way, I am LOVING my 2014 Limited!

And I just got it back last night from the clutch recall, which my dealer took care of already. They came and got my bike, did the recall, and they did my 1000 mile service for me while they had it.

Yeah, I know, dealers are in business to make money, and yes they do make money when my wife and I buy from them, they don't give stuff away for free (well, actually they DO give stuff away for free sometimes!), they have to pay the bills, but they don't rip us off and they do take care of us. And you know what? We consider some of those people to be more than just an employee of a dealer, they are our friends. So, yes, I have a GOOD dealer, and I'm not ashamed to say so. I wish everyone else had experiences at their dealers as good as we have had with ours.

 

I've found it hit or miss...I have two dealers that are about the same distance away from my house(bought bikes form both)...I've had good experiences from both, but also had bad experiences too(mostly service department issues)...I'd like to give my selling dealer all my business, but after a couple screw ups/problems with the service department, I rarely use them for service now...YMMV...Also loving my 14 Limited here!!!

 

I have one that is like 10 miles away from my house that I will only go to if I want to look at a particular bike. I own no clothing with their name on it, and I will never purchase anything from them. The dealer I go to is over an hour away and they treated me better than the other dealers did. Picked up my bike for the recall and had it back the next day with lowers installed. HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

 

Dealerships are populated by people, and it's people we interact with and form opinions of. I've met great people at dealerships, and lousy people at dealerships. Agreed with others that this is why some will gush over a particular dealership, and others will foam over the same particular dealership.

 

I like "my dealer" a lot. He's an ex-HD corporate executive and really works hard to satisfy you. Because of his relationships usually he can get the mothership to make accomodations when something isn't right, and the rules don't match the situation. I've bought three bikes from them. What I don't like is his labor rate of $90/hour. I understand it's his cost, overheads, and profit, but my local indy is $68.00/hr and all the mechanics are very experienced ex-dealer guys. I do my own 5k services, but like a "fresh" set of eyeballs on my 10ks. After my extended warranty expired, and weighing the cost of re-upping or not, the cost-benefit just didn't trade, so now my indy has my business, but I don't hesitate to recommend "my dealer" for sales or service.

 

My closest dealer in Edmond OK is great, they remember me every time I walk in the store and make sure I'm well taken care of. They have a great parts manager as well as a good service department. I let them do some of my service and they do a great job, but I do a lot of my own service and their mechanic is always happy to give me some tips to save time and even parts.

I didn't buy my bike there in 2009 because I got a much better deal two hours away at another really good dealer in Tulsa who always treats me like I'm their best customer. In fact, I don't think there are any bad dealers in Oklahoma. I only have to drive to Texas to see what a bad one looks like. But I will likely buy my next bike from the Edmond dealer even at a higher price because they really show their appreciation for me as a valued customer. I think we are lucky in Oklahoma.

Beary

 

Agree completely. I have had great service at my dealer while others complain. Overpricing is common place at HD dealers that is why many prefer indy's. At our dealership I used just one tech there and he does great work. You can never please everyone. To say ALL dealerships are bad is simply not true.

 

Nice post - thanks for the info. May have to pay those folks a visit sometime.

 

I am very happy with my dealer. Barb's Harley Davidson in Mt Ephraim, NJ has always done right by me. Sales people are very helpful, the service department is outstanding and work is always done on time and right the first time.

 

I'm friendly to my parts guy at my local Harley shop. He hooks me up as much as he can with discounts and deals. The local Harley shop also has a rewards program that gives me 1.5 points back for every dollar spent. I bought my PM rims and rotors there. With the points accumulated, I was able to get my PM front end virtually for free.