The Worst Part Of Owning A Harley Davidson - Why I’ll Never Buy Another New Harley
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- čas přidán 22. 07. 2023
- Thinking about buying a Harley Davidson? Has anyone told you their parts are expensive and they over charge for service? I’m about to! In this video I tell my story of getting screwed over by my local Harley Davidson dealer…
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At my dealership they told me upon my last visit I needed all new cables and it would be $1,000. I took it to an independent Harley specialist. They laughed. They took the time to come out front and look my bike over. They told me its this kind of shit was the reason they opened their own shop. They told me man your cables are fine, come on back when you really need help and we will be fair. They said the dealer was just trying to up sale me and use me.
I got an estimate from a non Harley dealer service shop to swap out bars and cables. $1500.
@rleedillon42 I did bars a cables myself for 400$
$500 for a jacket that looks cool. Sounds so Canadian.
But it does look cool……hanging in my closet. 😂
ripoff@@rleedillon42
Honestly, this is exactly why i do everything myself , service it yourself and you know its done right. or find an independent shop and use them, dealerships didn't get the stealership nickname by accident
Absolutely for general maintenance there are no special tools required either. By doing stuff yourself you also gather knowledge and each time servicing is easier to do. Clymer, CZcams and some guts is all you need!
Sounds like MotorCity Harley-Davidson in Farmington hills
In defense of the few good dealerships that must be still out there: their profits on sales have been squeezed mercilessly by Harley Davidson to almost non-existence. So the only way for them to make enough money to keep paying the bills is to overcharge on services, accessories etc. This is a top-down death-knell that has dealers going out of existence and the customer paying more for everything: the bikes are getting more expensive, the first service (that once upon a time was even free) suddenly costs almost as much as a normal service, accessories cost more, normal services cost more, fixing a problem cost more and so on.
Hooking up your bike's OBD2 port (that almost every new vehicle has these days) to the computer and hitting "diagnose", which is literally the first thing a mechanic will do, will already leave you with a bill of $50 or more. But even that's because they have to pay thousands of dollars per month to Harley for the license and updates of the software and the on-line link to the service/repair database.
@@mokumkat Total Agreement. Do it yourself
RIGHT ON 👍😎
20 year old here, picked up my first Harley Davidson sportster not too long ago, I was stocked for getting my first bike and it would’ve been a Harley too! So I ended up getting one from a private seller because that’s the smartest thing you could buy that’s used and worth your money. I had the bike serviced on my first week just so I can check everything out and which they told me that I needed and oil filter change+ tires were looking old so they needed to be replaced. I ended up telling them to only service the oil which costed me $120 which I didn’t mind paying if that’s what it’ll take me to ride the bike until the next service. So 2 months go by and I decide to let one of my friends test ride the bike as long as they would pay for the fixes. They’ve agreed. So they ride it and everything was fine until they decide to park the bike without putting the stand down which naturally made the bike drop. No big deal just minor scratches on the clutch, shifter got bent. So we decided to estimate the fixes on the higher side and settled on $600 max to repair any damages. Dropped the bike at the dealer, got it checked out for $240 “crazy right?” came back to a $3000 work order listing all of the damages on which $1600 were estimated labor work. I flipped out on the guy, asking him how would a 20 year old be able to handle these unrealistic prices and he did nothing but nod and agree on how these prices were expensive but that’s how Harley is, so I left the dealer. Sold my bike for profit on Facebook market place and switched to ninja Kawasaki. Then you’d wonder why only old geezers end up buying Harley’s and why the youngin are staying away from such an iconic brand. Fix your damn service department Harley.
Ummm, so you let some IDIOT ‘friend’ ride your bike and when he trashed it, you found out that getting any workshop to do the repairs cost you a whole lot more than your estimate. By your own admission, you’re a newbie and here’s where you went wrong. The first thing you do when you buy any bike is to find a whole lot of OLDER people who have some experience with that particular bike and you listen to what they have to say. You ask questions! Heck, I did it that way and we didn’t have the internet back in 1972, but I learned stuff. The number one thing I learned was that you NEVER, EVER, let anyone ride your bike unless and until you KNOW that he/she knows what he’s doing!
I don’t know how you arrived at your estimate for the repair costs, but what you do is to ask upfront for an estimate from the workshop. If I was going to do this, I would be asking for a written quote for the cost in parts and a written estimate for the time it would take to remove damaged parts and fit new ones. Most reasonable people will be prepared to do this, but with the caveat that they might find something that wasn’t immediately obvious on first inspection (like internal damage caused to the gearshift mechanism by the shock to the gear lever) In that case, a reputable workshop will call you to let you know about this extra cost and not do any work until they have your okay to go ahead. I would have to see the itemised work order, but I’m giessing that there was some substantial damage done to the internal shifter mechanism , which would require a complete strip down of the primary drive system to access the relevant parts, replace them, and then refit everything.
Dearlerships don’t just have to pay for the parts and then pay their mechanics, they also have overheads, like paying for utilities, land taxes, etc. AND they’re trying to make a profit, which is NOT against the law, or unethical. You make a profit out of whatever work YOU do, don’t you? You set a value per hour or per day and you factor that into what you want to earn. I’m sorry you had a harsh lesson here, but it’s hardly the fault of Harley Davidson. No matter what brand of bike you had that got damaged, your estimate of what the repair costs might be, versus what any dealership will charge you for doing those repairs, is going to be wildly different. I’ve been riding for 50 years. I recently had a friend ask me to help him flush out the radiator in his Yamaha 900 twin. It took us about an hour and that’s mostly because I was unfamiliar with that bike, so I guess a dearlership would take about half that time. You wanna know how much they quoted him? Try $600 on for size! Yes, they wanted $600 for a half hour job. And they were a YAMAHA dealership, not a Harley one.
Your troubles have nothing to do with the actual brand of the motorcycle you had and everything to do with a couple of silly mistakes that YOU made.
@@BigAl53750 keep sucking Harley's knob I bet they'll send you a discount for your next $80 skull tshirt
My Goldwing came with all the bells and whistles stock and has never needed anything but oil changes in the first 85,000 miles.
Honestly...if you want to travel tens of thousands of miles a year, for a few decades, with just replacing wear items buy a Wing. This from a BMW owner =)
Nothing is more boring to ride than a Honda motorcycle! This coming from a Honda guy 20 years ago that enjoys BMW bikes
Bmw, six of them, since '64, never visited a shop, never broke down, four were new, the first one was an R51/3. the last a K75. All great, and resold for little less. Too old now, ride an e-bike 😄
The Goldwing is a great bike. No doubt. Honda makes a solid bike. I grew up on Honda sport bikes. My last one was a CBR 1000RR. My brother has a Goldwing and does nothing to it. The thing is bullet proof. But, when I was shopping for a touring bike I looked at the Goldwing, Indian, and Harley. They all have the pluses and minuses. I would have pulled the trigger on the Goldwing but could not get one in my area. Out of Stock. I ended up with the Harley. I don't regret it at all. My Road Glide Limited is awsome. Yes I had to pay for 1K mile service. The thing is because to can mod the heck of a Harley and really make it your own. But, like anything else it does not come cheap. Also, it's been my experience that all dealers are not the same. Some are great and unfortunately some suck. I'm lucky I have two that I use and both are good. It's comes down to the ownership of the dealer and the relationships you build with the staff.
Honda goldwing is the best bike money can buy. I have a 2014 Valkarie Brand new and 10 years later it still runs perfect and I have done nothing but oil changes tires and brakes and none of it cost a fortune and still riding and pulling strong
That's why dealerships have the nickname "stealerships".
I own four HD's, but newest is 2009 Ultra getting ready to turn 100k. I avoid dealer's completely, do all my own basic service & minor repairs. Created a working relationship with two different independent shops for serious repairs. Sad to see many HD shops bought up by conglomerates who are only in it for profit, don't really care about customer relationships. Couple other CZcamsrs cited HD sales are down 5 yrs in a row, but profits have shot way up as they make it on service & clothing etc. Looking into BMW RT1250 next, not cheap, but last longer.
@@larryj8924 The Harry Davidson clothing company propaganda machine.
If it has "Harley" on it at the dealership it'll cost 500x more than it's worth.... I refuse to go to dealerships unless necessary.... For example, cleaning my carb there was a screw that was pretty bad and stripped so I took the carb to the dealer to get the screw out.... $20 for that and rethreading the petcock.... Find an independent mechanic
As a blue collar electrician and a road king owner, I support this video 100%. Harley is out of their minds with the prices. I'll ride my road king til it's dead, then swapping out the motor for a new s&s. I'll never buy another new bike from Harley.
Same I’m an electrician. I do all my maintenance myself I can’t afford to bring it there lol
@trevonwalker6177 It's ridiculous man. I own my company and do pretty good but I'm not pissing it away on an overpriced bike. When my road king needs a new motor, I'm going with s&s 124 and it's a brand new bike that's already set up like I want. And dint even get me started on the shops that take a new road glide, slap a big wheel and some powder coat on it, then turn around and sell it for 80k. Absolutely insane.
@@chupacabraracing181 yea it’s better to buy used and upgrade it in a way the mechanic does t have to be involved
And after your bikes is 10 years old the dealership wont work on it anymore.
@michaelweilmuenster5754 that's not true at all, and what makes you think I would want them to work on my bike?
Came from Australia where I had owned over 10 Harley’s started on a shovel head, thought our dealerships were bad, came here to the US brought myself a Harley, after services found loose nuts etc on my bike then had new tire fitted. On the way home heard some squealing noise, got home, the smell of metal was bad. Got my torque wrench out, they had the rear axle not 60 ft lbs tighter than what it should have been, went back the dealership denied all wrong doing, spoke to owner, no luck there, sold my Harley and will never buy another one again. Do enjoy riding them but dealerships have ruined them for me.
I’m in the UK and I agree with you mate, HD is taking us for a ride.
I own an Ultra Limited. I am one of the rich gits you talk about here, I started out very poor and worked for years to make my money. I got myself an education, worked hard and am now the CEO of a multi-national tech company. My background ambition was to own an Electra Glide and a couple of years’ ago I thought, now is the time. I bought my UL and tried to love it. But, you know what, it is so far behind its competition I am amazed that HD have any customers at all.
Last year I did a tour in the USA of Yellowstone and the surrounding area. I couldn’t find a local HD dealer to rent from so I rented an Indian. Superficially, the Indian was identical to my UL but I found it to be superior in every respect. And this led me to question my decision to buy HD in the first place.
Since getting back to the UK I have tried to love my UL but I simply can’t. It is just so inferior to the Indian. Given that I run a tech company, I am seriously disappointed with myself that I ride this HD piece of crap, I have become a victim of their marketing and I now hate myself for my unintelligent submission to their message.
So I am going Indian. I get that the Goldwing is better still but I want a Merican cruiser. And as I am rich, I want the best Merican cruiser. And that is an Indian, plain and simple.
(I have HD friends who will want to kill me for this post)
I know a lot of Harley riders who own Goldwing's and ride them all the time. their Harleys usually need work and the riders don't have the money to fix them. most will fix them and list them on craigslist or marketplace.
I’m going with an Indian as well
I feel your pain. I'm a 66 year old retired white guy, I can't afford Harley dealer prices here in the U.K. so I do all my own work. I buy nothing from Harley Davidson, all my parts, fluids, tyres etc. are aftermarket. Even my factory workshop manual came secondhand from eBay as I refuse to give the Motor Co. any of my cash!
What does your being white have to do with anything? Do U.K. Harley dealerships charge white guys more?
It's getting hard to buy brand new motorcycles in the United States now they're going to price themselves right out of business. I had to settle for an old used one too and found out it is just cheaper to rebuild it besides people admire the older ones anyways
Likewise!
At least you have a manual which is a must to get all the correct torque specs. Plus you have the basic instructions.
I used to live in the UK and had a 1991 5 speed belt drive 1200 Sportster Evo. Harley dealerships were non Existent then . In the States now and things are getting no better here then they are in the UK . They opened a Black Bear in Newmarket, I believe there's one in Norwich and of course Warrs in London which is the oldest dealership in Europe. 👍🇬🇧🇺🇲😎
I feel the same way. Harley really lost sight of their true customer base in the early nineties, they stopped wanting to do business with the people that kept them alive during the AMF years. The sad thing is the new Harley owners are not really brothers anymore, I have been stopped on the side of the road and motorcycles ride by without stopping, that used to never happen. I am not a you ride a Harley or nothing kind of guy, if you ride I consider you a brother and will stop to help or least make sure you are ok. I keep standard and metric tools on my bike so I can help anyone that needs help. Today’s riders are rich and scared to stop and offer help. I am pissed with my HD dealership now because I go there to order parts, and some stupid young salesman told me that I was wearing a gay skull shirt ( I was recovering from open heart surgery, or that fucker would have been laying in their parking lot recovering) It was actually a pirate shirt from St.Augustine, you can talk trash with people you know but not a stranger especially a rider with over 50 years experience riding. The company has lost sight of their customer base. And then having a band that doesn’t like America represent their 120 th anniversary. I will never buy a new Harley again. Wokeness is killing our country.
Yeah. I saw they had Green Day on the bill and had me scratching my head…
F green day!
Well said I don't care about anything Harley tells me now wish I could say something better I just can't horrible experience for plus lost money w/ a pathetic HD dealer
I made up my mind, with everyone going woke, the only American company I would buy from now is Buell. I will probably end up with a Goldwing because I like to ride long distances. Our whole country has been lied to in school and taught history wrong, math stupid, and lies in science, they are not raising leaders , they are raising followers that are taught parents are stupid. The education system is the first base to destroy a nation, Hitler did it that way, Stalling did the same, Castro did the same, and many more. These kids have been lied to about Socialism, they relate it to social media. We were warned that everyone would be lied to and believe it, we are in those days
The way they are all dependent on Chines. computer modules I am keeping all my 70s carbureted vehicles and my older Harley's for life. I would not waist many thousands of dollars on chunk junk. New anything. And you are right about the new generation etiquette, It seems it is all about ME ! God is watching.
As someone who's a certified HD Master Technician, your reasoning for not want to deal with dealerships is why I quit working for dealerships. Plus they charge over $150/hr yet pay the Technicians $9/hr. It's not worth the grief and bs from management or customers because you're doing your job the way the dealership wants you to.
I find $9/hr in this day and age hard to believe!
Stop making stuff up. The average yearly pay for certified HD technicians is $63700 - look it up on Google. There are 40*50 = 2000 working hours in a year. That works out to $32/hr, not $9/hr.
That's the problem with all dealerships, they charge you top rates and instead of getting a qualified technician you end up getting an apprentice or some student as the qualified individual is MIA.
They have to be getting at least $30,no?
You got away luckier then me. The dealer in Smokey Point hammered the threads on the rear axle so bad removing it-then told me it went in that way-so I needed to pay for a new one AND the hour it took to remove such a damaged axle. Nobody but me had ever worked on it prior and I always could gently slip that axle in and out barehanded. I hauled my Road King outta there in pieces on a trailer and skipped their $1200 estimate. That was my first-and last time going to a Harley service department.
Excellent video!! I have owned approximately 20 bikes. I’m 51. I have heard this exact same thing from many Harley owners. Everything you said about Harley is true. They just take their customers for granted. I’m glad that Indian is giving people a choice if they want a American made bike.
Indian dealers will also overcharge you for parts and service
Indian is exactly the same, except parts and dealerships are much harder to find.
I don't buy "American" bikes cuz they aren't even American, they use a shit ton of imported parts
Japanese bikes use more American labor and materials than Harley or Indian do
Same goes for cars, japanese brands create more jobs for Americans than American brands do
Indian isn’t near as bad as Harley.
It isn’t just Harley. I went to buy a Honda once and the salesman was so busy flirting with some chick that he wouldn’t even acknowledge my presence, I ended up buying a Vulcan later that same day
As an aircraft tech i fully support this message. As much as I love my machines, i would never have it maintained by an HD dealership. The dealerships have really raked the customers over the coals in last 2 decades, its no wonder why HD sales suffer year after year. People get tired of dealing w the dealerships
Hey I'm an aircraft Tech as well up here in Canada, although I don't own a Harley I have a Boulevard M109R boss Edition, I would still never let the steelership touch it because those kids simply don't care. They will over torque, under torque, avoid torque wrenches all together, not read manuals, try to hide their errors and then on top of that you pay top rate for a qualified mechanic and they constantly get their apprentices to work on it. It's a complete joke
You must ask how much things cost PRIOR to having your bike serviced sorry but that’s on you buddy
I will probably always have a Harley or two in the stable. I will never buy a new one ever again. I have always performed my own work until recently. Now, I have the luxury of choosing not to do certain tasks. This is when I turn to an independent shop. This shop is made up of techs who are the best in the industry. These folks left HD because of the lack of integrity. They now make a better living by treating customers right. Remember, the techs are usually getting screwed too.
I have NEVER owned a Harley. THAT'S the BEST Part.
I just had my Royal Enfield first service done for $130. This also includes an unlimited 3 year warranty. BTW, their CEO rides a bike every day and understands bikers. I used to be a Harley owner, but never again. Harley lost their way when they started making more money on clothes than motorcycles.
"I just had my Royal Enfield first service done for $130. This also includes an unlimited 3 year warranty" this is what any good dealership would do.
But not a big twin Harley.
Yes, that includes all their motorcycles.@@yoso585
those Royal Enfield's are looking real good these days - I started riding in 64 with the Triumph TT's and the BSA - I remember when the Jap bikes first came out with the 300/305CC bikes - and the X6 Hustler with the 1st 6 speed - those two Strokers were death traps with the power to wheely right over onto your back if your hand slipped releasing the clutch -
Spot on !
My Streetglide gave me a lot of trouble, experiencing frequent hiccups during rides. Despite taking it to five different Harley service dealers, none of them could pinpoint the problem. Frustrated with the situation, I decided to trade it in for an Indian motorcycle. Since then, I've been riding my Indian for over three years, covering more than 40,000 miles without encountering any issues. I will never purchase another Harley Davidson again.
Indian just doesnt have the media appeal that Harley had over more than 70 years or more of cinema and television. By now, Indian dealership parts can be expensive, but Indian bikes are not that expensive. Actually, they got reliable bikes with great features (when you want that), and when you dont, they're great bikes by itself. Indian could eat that marketbase that Harley is throwing out.
@@IgorShamanblue and a one piece crank that doesn't cause a multitude of issues like the HD crank does.......................
Let me guess biglou… your street glide is an 08 thru 10? Bike goes into limp mode or just shuts off whenever it feels like it?
That's why I call them Hardly Movidsion's I love the brand and name recognition but will not pay the outrageous prices they ask, the Indian Bikes, I love the styling and overall appearance of the bikes, pricing is a little high but is not to high
@@trevorjarvis3050 It was 2012 and it was always something.
I am with you. Had exactly the same experience with a new FLHS several years ago, and never went back after the first service. Got a manual, and made friends with a mechanic who loves to ride. Got all the help and answers I ever needed.
Couldn’t have said it better myself and feel exactly the same way. I’ve owned three Harley’s and they’re all the same. They’re you’re best friend when you’re buying but they don’t give a sh-t afterwards. The whole ‘Harley Culture’ is BS too and is why I sold mine and went to Kawasaki. Better tech, better quality and much cheaper to maintain.
@chazbott78 roger that, i ride a Honda Rebel, but i agree 100%
Roger that. I have owned 2 Yamahas and 2 Kawasakis. Extremely well built and reliable. Other bikes might look cooler but you don't look cool broken down on the side of the road!
Can't agree with you more - Harley culture isn't about the ride today but more about wearing merch, being seen, and ridiculous upgrades to hide the fact "out of the box" almost every model is outperformed by competition.
Buy a Harley and be like all the other non-conformist.
Amen brother!!
Been riding HD since 1977.
I have seen my local dealership turn into something unrecognizable from years ago.
It used to be a family atmosphere where you knew everyone and they knew you. It has totally evolved into a corporate money grabbing venture for reasons you stated.
I was blessed because my personal friend was their long time head mechanic. He would do work on the side at his home garage. This was done on a hush-hush basis among a small group of people who were friends. The reason being, so the dealership would not find out.
Bottom line was the work being done was easily 50% cheaper.
Really sad because the long time supporters of HD cannot even afford to purchase them anymore.
The dealerships in my area are now all owned by one company. If I want to use a different company, then the next closest dealership is 83 miles away. I've come to the conclusion that anyone who can't do their own work just shouldn't own a Harley Davidson.
Bingo and Right on the money. A lot of other brand dealers have turn to shit. Most of the employees don't even ride. They don't understand what 'motorcycling' is. AGATT
This world is truly ludicrous
sales and quality are suffering so corporate jacks up the price and passes it on to the customer.
@@concrete981 You've hit that nail squarely on the head.
Loved the talk coming from a Harley owner. Love your expression, enjoyed every bit of it and rounded it up so well. Cheers :)
Not only does HD overcharge for EVERYTHING...but then the biggest scam of all is their approach of "Make it Your Own" so they put the new bikes out with sub-par components and then everyone jumps on board and spends thousands more on Screaming Eagle extras, aftermarket suspension, tuning, exhaust, intake, etc., just to get the performance near where the factory should be putting it out in the first place. Then, since they overcharge so much on service, most will do the work themselves so when you look for a used HD, you typically have zero maintenance records and who knows the mechanical ability of whoever worked on the bike before.
The best feature about HD is that they are really simple to work on. Super basic machines. Get a factory service manual and take your time. There are a million videos on here that cover every job possible if you're a visual learner like myself.
HD has positioned itself as a niche brand and they aren't going to apologize for it. Both corporate and dealers have made the calculation that they can't exist or compete in any other way. They pimp the"lifestyle", gouge for labor and parts and could care less if someone gripes bout it. Hell, it's baked into their business model!
I agree. Niche markets however tend to be parasitic and self defeating over time. For viability, industries must appeal to the masses. It’s why Fiat eventually owned Ferrari. Building a cult will achieve short term hysteria and loyalty, leading to one’s own demise. Watch the MAGA crowd.
While that is a possibility, their business model is essentially identical to that of John Deere.
They are both marketing and licensing companies that happen to make overpriced machines but get away with it because of the their perceived ‘reputation’
I guess they also know that a big part of their buyers are quite unsophisticated and another group of buyers are, well, groupies. Pretty easy to dazzle that mob.
Yeah they literally lobbies Congress to remove competition from their market space back in the 80s and put all their eggs in that one basket
It's come to bite them in the ass
What comes around is all around 🤣
I think Americans are waking up to the fact they are ripped off for everything. I can understand a harley rider where you can repair and be a hobbyist yourself but paying top dollar for Chinese badged up s*** you get what you deserve. This isn't just Harley It's your whole American consumer life
Purchased my last motorcycle in 2007 when I turned 50 years old. I am still riding that same bike today at the age of 67. So, for 17 years I have been riding my 2007 Kawasaki 1600 Nomad. I have changed the oil, bought new batteries and replaced the tires throughout my ownership period. Taken trips to the mountains and to Mississippi several times. Other than waiting on new tires to be installed on my bike, it has never been in the shop. Almost forgot, I had to replace the clutch rod oil seal a few weeks back which I replaced myself. It has basically been maintenance free and reliable.
Back in 2007, when I was shopping to purchase a motorcycle, I went to the Harley dealerships and tried very hard to convince myself to purchase one. The biggest hurdle for me was the crazy purchase price of their motorcycles. Then, I talked with people who rode Harleys and listened to their stories. I was shocked that a motorcycle that cost more than a lot of cars was so unreliable. Shockingly, I had Harley riders tell me I had more bike than they did. Wow! Maybe they were just helping me to feel better about my Nomad purchase. Don't know.
At any rate, I couldn't get over the sticker price 17 years ago and still can't today. However, I love the sound of that Harley engine roaring down the road.
Being a working man myself that isn't a millionaire, I learned how to do the service on my bike myself, so nobody puts me over a barrel. Hope you fare better wherever you end up making your next purchase.
Sorry to hear about your experience as a retired motorcycle tech, I will tell you the shops are not the same as they where back in the 90's... hence I tell everyone who decides to buy a HD to find a good independent HD shop which is what I specialized in for 20 years before I retired in 2007 and now I just wrench on them when I want to. Remember the new modern shops just like car stealerships make their money on the back end in service (the wrenches don't make the money they charge for labor the dealership does). Remember most of the techs nowadays are parts swappers so real diagnosing to get to the real issue has gone by the way of the dodo. Even the warranties are a waste of money since if one decides to do aftermarket slip-ons, air box, or even a cam swap if it's not done by them and it's not an HD part they will void the warranty on the bike. So it's a good thing to learn how to do your own oil changes change the oil every 5k and spend the $40 and get the service manual for your bike in PDF form just keep all of your receipts and mileage logs for when you did services on the bike. Yes, everything for HD's are expensive doesn't matter if it's aftermarket Performance Machine, S&S, Advanblack, if it has made for HD it's going to cost.
Agreed as a former Harley Dealership Tech ( called mechanic when I started ).... and I wrench when I feel like it now also ! Lol......
Harley was sued on this very issue of voiding the whole bikes warranty if you went with any aftermarket parts, and they lost. The full HD warranty is now still intact, aftermarket or not. But now It's basically up to the dealers to decide if your aftermarket part caused the problem with the genuine HD parts and if they want to cover it at all.
I had something similar happen, paid 4x what I should’ve for tires. Decided to do everything my self at that point, broke the main fuel line with a quick disconnect. I tried to find it elsewhere but it was easiest to go to the local dealer, they wanted $107 for a three inch fuel line with a plastic connector. Sold it by the end of that month and never looked back.
I have a great respect for anyone that tells it like it is. Your not whinning you are telling the truth. It's hard to get by these days and you buy a motorcycle (with a legendary name) to have fun and enjoy, maybe take a little stress out of your life while you ride but then have a greedy dealership out to drain what's left in your wallet.
It was once a wonderful time to have a relationship with your dealer. Those days are all but gone as employees come and go like a revolving door.
Sad!
Great video sir!
Welcome to the ex-Harley riders support group, lol ! I had five Harleys in a row before I gave up and went another direction (Stratoliner). You perfectly described why I did.
Yamaha is a great brand that rarely has issues. I have a 05 road star and considering another for my 2nd ride.
Stratoliner owner here as well, great bike. Had it for 10 years!
Yamaha, like most Japanese manufacturers, make excellent bikes. The nakeds and some sport bikes are exciting, but more everything else lacks soul.
Sorry to hear about your trouble. I just verified with the dealer here in Ohio yesterday about when your bike needs to be serviced & the rules concerning the ESP (Extended Service Plan). What most people don't know is that H-D recently lost a case concerning "service" & "aftermarket" parts. They were denying warranties because someone had a service done elsewhere, done it themselves, or because they'd used aftermarket parts. Now, they can't do this in the auto industry & a judge ruled they can't do it in the motorcycle industry either. As long as you keep the records (receipts) of your service you should be OK. Myself, I'm a youtuber so I'll be taking video documentation too. There are some decent dealers out there, but you have to find them yourself. I know some people don't want to hear this but- invest in tools & learn to do services yourself. They way the world is going, self-sufficiency becomes more valuable by the day.
Magnusson-Moss Act protects consumers against these practices. HD and John Deere got caught recently.
The Federal Trade Commission fined HD last Summer.
I’d like to add that you can screw a customer once and lose that customer. A business can only do that so much and then go out of business. Plus bad news travels fast…
@@mldiode while normally I would agree with you there is this weird loyalty HD owners have and they will willingly get screwed over and over again and proudly come back for another screwing just because it is Harley Davidson. I have nothing against the bikes but there is no justification for the prices of them or their service and it blows my mind when I see these die hard HD riders that will have horrible experiences but still stay with HD. HD knows this and will never change because of this misplaced customer loyalty.
I can't believe how many bike riders don't work on their own bikes, I see no pride in skills or accomplishment anymore
man, i’m glad i found ur channel. was thinking of looking at a HD but not now. far back in my memory back, i recall conversations about how bad HD service had been to the Harley owners i was talking to
Sorry you had a bad experience. Curious…did you get a written estimate for all the work prior to handing your bike over to them? Did you have receipts for the parts you had all ready paid for? I’ve found over the years that finding good HD dealers, and other powersports dealers a crap shoot at best.
As a Long time Harley Davidson owner of many HD bikes myself I can honestly say that I agree with you. I won’t buy another HD for the same reasons you give. The new corporate business model now put forth by the new CEO of Harley Davidson Jochen Zeitz and his supporting executive staff and their “ESG” BS is disgusting…
My 2017 RGS is the last Harley I should have to buy. Has everything and does everything I need.
Fund a good local mechanic. Fair priced. Ask them their labor rate before you go there. Good luck safe riding.
@@davidbothwell6625 That's not easy to do. I went to one who could not change the oil on my wife's sporty and a couple other things we wanted done for two months. He said I have to take care of my regulars first. LOL. It's not like he was going to do my work for free. So fk him.
Y'all need to use Tampa Bay Harley they don't rip you off
, similar to what the CEO of Sears/Kmart did to those companies. Has that Harley CEO ever ridden a Harley? Has he even ridden ANY motorcycle? Who hired this guy?
👍👍👍 I agree with you 100%. I have been riding for 52 years. Mostly Harleys. The local Harley dealer used to be decent. I had two very good dealers within 10 miles of each other. A car dealer bought the closest dealership and at first you could get great deals. They were giving great deals to get loyal customers. I actually bought 3 new very expensive Harleys from that dealership including an extended warrantee and service package. The farthest dealer's owner died, and a car dealer bought his franchise to get the area. Then the deals disappeared.
The dealership started using a car dealership mentality. The dealer changed the perks of the service agreement after I bought the third bike. They screwed me and didn't honor the service agreement. They tried to appease me by giving me some gift cards. I used the gift cards and will never spend another penny in that dealership.
I sold my bike and if I every buy another Harley I will go to another dealership hundreds of miles away so this one doesn't get any of my money.
Harley wants you to be loyal to the brand and dealers, but the brand and dealers are not loyal to the customers.
P.S. This dealership can't keep employees. There is a lot of employee turnover very week and the experienced employees leave.
Absolutely! This is why I take mine to a business owned by a Harley Davidson tech who was fed up with dealerships. He honors the factory warranty.
Battlefield Cycle Works in Rome NY.
How does he honor the warranty?? Does he just pay out of his pocket?? Harley won’t pay an independent shop for warranty issues. No manufacturer will pay an independent shop for warranty work
Thanks for the heads up and sorry for your horrible experience. I believe you’ve cured me of any notion I had of wanting a Harley.
Any and all dealerships are all just out for money. Just get the Harley, get your 1k service done at the dealership and do the rest yourself or take it to an independent shop.
I absolutely have loved my Harleys. My girlfriend loves hers. Don't let a minority of people griping dissuade you.
You don't have to buy new. So that opens the playing field up for ya.
Exactly. I had owned metric bikes for years. The first new Harley I bought and threw my leg over, I knew I had bought a motorcycle that far exceeded the quality of the metric bikes I had owned in the past. Yes, they're expensive. But, you get what you pay for. And, I've got a great dealership which treats me like family. I'll never own any other make of motorcycle.
I grew up with mini bikes from 9 years old, now 59. I learned to work on cars and bikes early and never ever took any of my vehicles to a shop in my life. I still drive old cars and trucks so I can work on them. Got newer bikes now but still work on them myself.
I feel ya. I’ll try to keep this Reader’s Digest short: I bought a bike in Wichita. Good experience. Moved to KC. Had the bike a couple years, then it started eating batteries. Eventually, I was replacing them with non-Harley batteries because it was eating me alive. (It would eat a battery sitting still overnight. Charger wouldn’t help. Explanation later) Under warranty, I took it to the nearest dealer, Worth Harley in KC. After a week, they said it’s good. Picking it up, service manager said I installed the battery backwards. BULLSHIT. First, it would’ve never started if it was backwards. Second, that wiring harness is so tight, you CAN’T install backwards. I told him his tech was lying and waited for my bike to be brought out. All they did at that point was replace the battery. 30 minutes later, they send out some cute little number to tell me, “they’re getting it out to you, but had to put it on a charger for a bit. If you don’t start it now and then, the battery drains out.” No, ma’am. Not after two days. They bring it, I ride off. I’m not even to the end of their parking driveway and it dies. I WALK it all the way back. Tell them it’s dead. Another week they have it, say it’s done. Burned up voltage regulator. Fire it up, all is good. This was a ‘12 Nightrod. Riding home and notice the bottom of the radiator is flapping back and forth. They forgot the two bottom bolts on the radiator! I call… They say, I can bring it back or send the bolts to me. I said, just send them, I’m never coming back. They never sent the GD bolts. Worth Harley in Kansas City can eat an entire bag of buttholes and skunk juice.
Yep! That’s Worth for you and they will insult you while they are at it . I take mine to a local guy.
Never had good luck with worth, personally whenever i need something done i cant do myself i take it to Rawhide in Olathe Kansas. Ive had pretty good luck with them so far
I have driven past the dealership in Wichita plenty of times and they have bikes from the 2010s still on the lot.
your stater was shorted out and that was draining the batt, should have been under warranty. roll on!
So are you saying you wont own another Harley like the OP does? What happened to you is on that shop not Harley Davidson. Find another shop dude or fix it yourself
My supervisor used to be a Harley Davidson factory line manager.
I always ask if he’s riding and he says “no, I have to fix it.”
He just said he has to do a $2000 repair.
I put THOUSANDS of miles on my Kawasaki and Yamaha and Never had any repairs….
It’s just crap. Crapety crap.
My neighbor was a retired Maryland State Trooper. He owned his first Honda Gold Wing for nearly 30 years before he traded it in on a new one in the early 2000's. Neither bike ever gave him a lick of trouble. They didn't leak oil, ran so quiet that you couldn't hear the engine until it was right on top of you, had a stellar sound system, heated grips, and the list goes on and on. I never met a Harley-Davidson owner who wasn't tinkering with his motorcycle constantly just to keep it on the road. My 2006 Triumph Bonneville was a joy to ride and own. Relatively quiet, nothing's as quiet as a Gold Wing, and far more comfortable than a Sportster to ride.
I looked at Harley, but I heard enough stories of being grossly over charged by HD, from my fellow riders. So, I traded in my 20-year-old Honda shadow VT750, I got a new 2023 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT, with a 6-year warranty which included towing. I bought it from a local family-owned business, that has been in business since 1965.
Sorry to hear that. The Vulcan is a real turd.
@@ranchodeluxe1 It's not the highway machine the HD is, but it is OK. I've owned my Vulcan 900 since 2006. (It does have a lot of plastic rather than metal parts but rides great backroads, but a little vibration at higher highway speeds so it needed a 6th gear.) Reliable bike. Wish there were more metric cruisers out there in 2023 but many have been discontinued.
@@pcthayer YA. They just suck. I did an event at Vegas Motor Speedway, on a closed course. A Kawi dealer told me he could smoke me on the infield road coarse. He left in an ambulance with a broken leg.
@@ranchodeluxe1 The Vulcan isn't a track bike. Just cause the guy s*cked it doesn't mean all Kawasakis s*ck too.
@@pcthayer But Vulcans suck, for sure. I was on a Harley Wide Glide. He assured me is big Vulcan was more than a match for the Harley. It wasn't, and it isn't. It's a very bad motorcycle.
I have a friend who bought a brand new street glide. 300 miles, the charging system went out. They tried every way they could to say he put something on the bike, still all stock. Later on something went wrong with the stereo, and they couldn't find the problem. Told him he was crazy. When they did the service the battery cover fell off on the way home, cracked his windshield. The problem with the radio just happened to be the antenna cable had come loose where they had serviced the bike. So if you are in southwest Va, don't stop at Blackbear Harley
“I had the dealer work on my bike and now I’m crying because it’s expensive.”
Anytime you take off the bars; internal wiring, brake bleeding, swapping controls, is gonna be about 2 hours plus.
That price is what dealers charge, you don’t like it go somewhere else or do it yourself. Quit crying in the internet.
Exactly same experience and feeling here! I thought ducati service was expensive until I bought a H-D. It's it's crazy more expensive, H-D is a true con job.
I can attest that this is 100% true. I bought a bike from the Harley dealership about 4 months ago. I bought the extended warranty since I got a 2008 model. So my foot board pad flys off when I’m shifting a gear and I took it to the shop. I was told that they have no record that I purchased the warranty. It’s all a scam. I love my Softail, but I hate Harley Davidson as a business.
I Purchased that maintenance warranty too after I used it one time they canceled it. Never got a refund. Never again.
The reason the only HD I've owned was a sportster which I owned for a whopping 200 miles; I hated everything about it and sold it with no regrets. Later I went back to buy a Dyna, the retail was around $14k. I was ok with that, then since it had a solo seat and "ape bars" I wanted to change all that. The estimate put the bike out the door, around $20k! They were aghast that I asked to buy all the parts and do it all myself, but they argued about potentially voiding the warranty, etc. I had enough, I walked out happy to not deal with them again.
Harley Davison bikes are for rich people there always breaking down there know good,I worked for a motorcycle shop mainly Harley Davison, I asked the Harley owner who was the boss where's your Harley and he said I would not own another peace of junk like that ever again.
@@user-ji5bv4ng3j I ride a Yamaha Raider. It's a Japanese made bike. Alot of people don't like that. But all I do is change the oil, keep my eyes on the brakes and change tires when I wear them out. It's never in the shop. I love Japanese bikes. They don't cost a whole lot to own. They give you piece of mind so you can enjoy your ride.
You should just give that 20K to Ukraine and st Fu.
That's what became of maintenance by the owner models later in the company history. Frankly computers have wrecked everything. They aren't needed. But we had to go to the moon. Now everything has one in it unless it is old. So I buy real old stuff. And I own a bunch of tools.😊 Happy at last😂
@@van6278 The Raider is bullet proof. I have a friend that has one, and she only changes the oil once a year and puts around 18-20 THOUSAND miles on it every year!! I think the bike has about 85K miles on it now, and continues , despite her poor maintenance schedule, to run trouble free! LOL
I worked for a couple of HD dealers as a tech. I actually got chewed out by the general manager for suggesting we have a budget bike build off contest/ show for a weekend. He SCREAMED “HARLEY IS A LUXURY BRAND !!!! Ferrari doesn’t have cheap car weekend ! Neither do we!!!” I fucking hated working for them because they truly don’t give a shit about the customers anymore.
Since 2002 I have bought 11 Harleys . I use to trade every year . I feel your pain on the service dept. I finally invested in the tools I needed and I do my own service, which is fluid changes, that's all Harley does. I was lied to about interest rates, the price and the service sucks . I am currently looking to buy my next motorcycle , " A Honda Gold Wing " A friend of mine has a Gold Wing , you ride one and all your Harley friends will make fun of you, but they all know the Harley's can't compete .
I have a regular riding buddy who is a Harley rider. We compared service records for his Street Glide vs. my 1250gs. Made the BMW dealership look like the Dollar Store. You just get the impression that Harley dealers hold their customers in contempt. I generally get major dirt bag vibes from Harley dealership staff. Completely turned me off the brand, pretty as they are.
I feel your pain. Used is the way to go and then service at a good indie shop brother. Good to see another video from you.
Dealerships, in general, are meant to bleed people dry financially.
For example, I took my charger to a dealership, and they said I need a new engine and I should pay $7K for my car. So I took it to a mechanic shop and they said it was just a faulty 02 sensor. They replaced it, and it removed the check engine light, which costed me roughly $150.
The initial issue aside (the rip-off prices), if they conveniently lost the proof that you already paid for this, show them YOUR copy. Job done!
Right on! I empathize with you! I’ve never had a Harley or even wanted one. I started out with a Honda, a small one and worked my way up to the Flag Ship Gold Wing. Never had a problem with ANY of them! I get it, Harleys are definitely a cool bike, the sound of all that power, the “lifestyle” and so on and so forth. I’m too old now to safely ride ANY 2 wheeler, so to all you riders out there Enjoy that freedom no matter what brand you choose. 😊
A gold wing ? Sorry to hear that. You must listen to music because you sure as he'll can't be listening to the motor rumble HAHA as you cruise
You make a valid point. My experience was similar. I went ahead and gave Harley my last $125 and had them order me the complete service manual their mechanics use for my specific bike. I will buy a couple of extra tools I need and perform my own services going forward.
very smart, i buy one for my bikes
A couple of extra tools 😂😂😂
@@Vodou7 Several
Never had any service done at harley but i did order a spray can of denim black paint and i am still waiting for it going on 4 MONTHS. I call them and every time someone says, well sorry it's now going to be another 2 3 weeks.. i won't make this mistake again.
Just buy a Royal Enfield, a Honda, something inexpensive to maintain and get on the road and ride. Like the old Honda ad used to say “you meet the nicest people on a Honda.”
Hm, yeah, Harley's different in the way they treat customers. Of the 15 bikes I've owned, I had one Harley--an EG Ultra Classic--which I bought just for the experience and to try to understand the appeal. I enjoyed my "modern antique" for three years before going back to Kawasaki. It was fun in its way, but the sales team was always very elitist, and the prices for parts and service always made me wince. My brief ownership experience answered all my questions; I scratched the itch, and now I'm glad I got Harley out of my system.
Sounds like an experience we females have to face every time we go to any mechanic shop or tire store. I caught a Discount Tire shop red-handed lying to me about my "free tire rotation." After nearly 2 hrs waiting in lobby for finished service, manager tells me my rotation and balance was done only for me to point out that I secretly marked the tires to prove they never even made the attempt of service. I yelled and cursed so loud the glass shook. Sorry about your experience, I would have lost it.
The Harley Davidson dealership misplaced or lost the contract you signed for them to do to work on your motorcycle question is, where is your contract you received a copy where is your contract?
As a millennial, this is why I’ll never buy a HD. I’m a teacher, so I can’t afford a Harley by any measure. If HD doesn’t start taking that into account, they’re gonna be run out of business. Just bought a 2024 Royal Enfield for a literal fraction of the cost of HD’s cheapest bike. And there are a surprising number of affordable bikes out there for those on a budget.
You're 100% spot on. I used to be a technician for a few different Harley dealerships and many people go through this same bs. There is a reason why Harley is down in sales right now and why Indian is going up in sales. I ride a 07 Dyna and I just can't bring myself to give Harley my money on one of their new bikes knowing all that I do about the company.
I feel your pain. I started riding H-D's in the '80's. Been on H-D's ever since, but learned to do my own work just because of how bad & costly the H-D service departments were. Best advice I can give is get the official H-D Service Manual for your particular model. It'll teach you everything you need to know about your motorcycle. Ride Safe!
I learned a long time ago....Never have your dealer do ANY work on your vehicle!!!! Plenty of really good mechanics around even on this rock called Honolulu HI. Bought a 2024 Indian Scout Bobber on 2/1/24. Had a mobile mechanic come over and put some Vanes/Hines slash cuts on my exhaust, changed my stock bars to Dean-Speed drag bars with a 1.25 inch riser, replaced my stock front blinkers with Eagle wraparounds, and installed my Corbin seat which just happened to arrive at the time he was in my garage. $375 bucks plus $20 buck tip. Took him 2.5 hrs. Look around, google, ask people.... plenty of GOOD mechanics around.... if you look hard enough!
Bought a new soft tail in 02, it made a black streak where the Mtr/trans joined. Don't know if it was oil or case movement but it took about 100 miles to develope. Was told by a dealer i should have bought a black one, they don't show. Harley will never see another dollar from me.
Right on! I'm glad you're telling it like it is. I've been riding for 19 years and I've heard this complaint about HD A LOT. This is one of the reasons why I'll stick to my metric bikes thank you.
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The same thing happened to me, bought a 2013 FatBob with the maintenance included; 6 months later both fork seals were leaking. I took it in and they wanted to charge me $700 for the repair and they couldn’t find my warranty in their computer system. I had to bring in the contract. Then on another occasion they did it again, the warranty I paid for was still not visible in the system. I believe the service departments rip their customers off and it shouldn’t be; if you want a loyal customer, then treat them fairly.
I’ve had my fair share of HD issues, but I had my Challenger 5,000 miles service done and they handed me back my bike with the check engine light on. Biggest issue is everything is electronic today and needs a computer.
My reasons for not buying a new Harley:
1. Very poor after sales services.
2. No availability of spares for older bikes.
3. Implementation of speed limiters making the bike useless for closed rally events in a controlled environment.
4. Long waiting periods for spares ordered and final price remains a mystery until it arrived.
Totally with you on this. My street glide got warranty work done and they forgot to put the ECM bracket bolts in. Call them up and told the service manager will call back. He couldn’t be bothered. Go in to buy replacements and on back order for three months. No one at the dealership could care less. Harley corporate won’t allow direct emails so public pronouncements on social media are the only way you can give them feedback.
Completely agree. Been there done that. $500.00 cost to change a set of front wheel bearings. Service manager knocked it down to $300.00 i have changed them myself in a couple of hours. I was in a time crunch and needed it done fast for a trip. Never went back to a dealership. Instead take it 200 klms to a guy who has been building harleys for 30 years and I sit down and watch him do his thing.
I've been riding motorcycles for over 60 years. I have learned a lot but, I can tell you that H-D stands for "Hundred Dollar" not Harley Davidson!!
I agree with everything you've said. Sorry about your bad experience. All to say, wish we had some nice open spaces again to ride our bikes with hardly any cars on to mess with like you have. Too much traffic in our neck of the woods now and it wasn't like this 40 years ago.
I agree 100% man. I just bought my first Harley from a dealership, and it was my first experience with getting a loan for a vehicle or purchasing from a dealership. The dealership, despite calling and texting back and forth regarding this motorcycle, didn’t tell me I should put reservation money down and ended up selling the bike out from under me even though we were still talking about this bike. I arrived at a dealership two hours away from my home with a Uhaul truck, and I couldn’t even come home with the bike I went up their to get. Not wanting to leave empty handed and having wasted mine and my parties time, I bought another bike. As they do, they gave me a tour of the service department, and I was absolutely floored by the things they were telling me and how much they would charge. I could hardly afford the motorcycle that I went home with, I certainly couldn’t afford to drop hundreds of dollars every 5,000 miles. In that moment I felt like I had made a huge mistake, the dealership made me feel like signing those papers had doomed me financially. I’m 21, married, and have a house that all depends on my income. I just wanted a motorcycle to ride and be proud of, and I felt naive for thinking it would be that simple. However, I love my Harley. It’s not perfect, it shakes like it’s going to fall apart at every red light. Makes me sweat with radiant heat in the summer, and I just about pull a muscle every time I try to push or pull it somewhere because it’s so heavy. And my Apple Watch gives me noise decibel warnings every time I ride. But I love doing it, and it’s helped me to separate my motorcycle from the dealership and the people I dealt with. There’s no way I would own one without knowing how to do most services at home, though.
Wait. So you got approved for the bike but didn't put money down for it?
Ooof.
Just remember, ride what you like. If you aren't happy with your circumstance, let alone bike, it's to return it and shop elsewhere. Because fk the stigma and fk the dealerships hounding you about "needing" to buy from them. Go with what you feel comfortable with. If you're bank acc is happy about it, I'm sure yoy will be too.
I have a 2012 Yamaha Stryker 1300 cc - was $5,000 and never had issues but looks awesome. Harleys r way overpriced n overrated
Brother let me, 63 year old senior that has owned about 20 bikes, give you some advice. The whole HD thing is all hype to rape you for your money. After owning a new from the dealer HD decades ago, I got learned. After that I never paid more than about $8K for any bike. A few new ones that were model year leftovers or I bought new used. I paid cash because you really know what that money feels like going out of your hands. All my other bikes have been from the Japanese big 4. I would buy what fit me best and my riding style. You shouldn't give a rats ass what other people think of what you ride. If a Vespa is your thing, then screw what other's think. Riding is for enjoyment. As a family man and father, I understand what getting into the wind means for you to make you forget about the all the rocks you carry in your backpack everyday. You will mature and learn that keeping money is more important than spending it on something that is all hyped up. A $20K Toyota Corolla with sub $100 dealer services will outlast any $50K BMW 3 series. They hype of what is "cool" to show off to your friends cost you a comfortable retirement. If you had put all that money into blue chips in a fund and just kept feeding that you would have a hell of a nest age for your later years. We think we have all the time in world when we are 21. But brother, the years go by faster than you think. Listen to Kenny Chesney - Don't Blink and you will get what I mean. Best of luck to you son!
@@brunothepug8807 I totally get what you're saying, especially that Kennhy Chesney song.
That one's heavy. 🥹
We need more videos exactly like this .... Shame on the dealerships and shame on Harley Davidson company for letting them do it ..
I found that different Harley dealers have different prices.
For my Sportster S one quoted me $1000. Another dealer quoted me $508 & included the software updates.
The one that charged the lowest price, I didn’t even buy the bike for them. But if Harley ever comes out with that Bronx, they’d be the one I go to.
I have personally owned and ridden Harley’s for nearly 20 years now, and grew up on them. I have always done all my own work with one sole exception, and that was when the MoCo had a recall for the generator on my ‘06 FXDI, which the shop near me at the time had to take care of for free. But all maintenance, all service, all custom modifications, I’ve done it all myself. Forks, tires, triple trees, pipes, oil, brakes, seats, lines, wires, and basic engine work… If I didn’t already know how to do it, I took the time to research thoroughly and learn. Why? Because of this very reason right here.
Once you buy your bike learn how to wrench on it yourself. That's what most riders do anyway.
Experiences and stories like yours are becoming the norm for the "Harley Experience". I have also had a terrible new HD bike purchase - I was overcharged to the tune of $1,300.00. They eventually refunded me the overcharge but no one ever apologized to me. No more Harley's for me. I'm looking at Indian and Triumph as well as Honda and will end up with one or the other, but no Harley. It really is the Dealerships that are just killing HD (aside from the astronomical pricing of new bikes!). I predict that more and more independent shops will be springing up in the future. Especially after Harley goes bankrupt. 😝 The old adage "Harley Davidson is a T-Shirt company that also makes motorcycles" is so true! 😂
Excellent! Well said!
But are the T-shirts made in America?
We do not own a Harley, but this just makes me grateful we finally have a local motorcycle mechanic shop. Took my Triumph to him for first service and was like $200. My husband had to have new tires ASAP and he fit him in and had it done in less than 48 hours, including ordering tire.
Aye! Triumph! 😎🍻
But it’s not a big twin Harley. Different bike.
@@yoso585 That's the whole idea, it's NOT a Harley 😀😎
In 1980 I purchased my first new Harley Davidson motorcycle, a wide glide. A few months later I took it in for the first service where they check the oil and kick the tires and they gave me a bill for $500. Like you, I was outraged, so what I did was purchase the service, parts, and electrical manuals and have not looked back at the dealer. Any work I cannot do I have a private shop do and aside from having a special part made in a machine shop, I don't use the dealers. As for the anger, I have been known in the past to use a high powered sling shot and ball bearings to break those large plate glass windows from a almost a block away and you will be amazed what a tube of two part epoxy can do to building and door locks at night, but I don't do that anymore. I no longer purchase any Harley with computers and am fine with building my own bikes now. My current ride is a hard tail special construction with a Rev-Tec 110 and my next motor will either be the Rev-Tec 125 or a pumped up S & S Panhead. I suggest you let it go because I don't think Harley Davidson is too long for this world as they have stuck it to and broke it off in way to many people.
My dad always wanted a Harley and he passed in 1993. I’ve ridden Japanese super sports since 2017 and the closest I’ve came to riding a cruiser was an Indian FTR 1200, even considered a Victory at one point. The bikes back when dad was young were the long lasting, tough Knuckle Heads and Shovel Heads, not these oil leaking service happy bikes nowadays. Also the low HP and the REAL MANS BIKE attitude always made me cringe. “Just haaaad ta lay er down!” I know a young fellah who’s paying more in service than he is on payments and he gets more use out of his Dyna by sitting on it at the coffee shop than he does riding it.
The local dealership quoted me $1200 to change the handlebars on my Dyna. I did some research and changed the bars myself for the cost of the new handlebars. Wires, cables, and hoses were already long enough.
Yeah, it's hard to imagine a trained and experienced mechanic taking more than an hour to change out handle bars.
Never buy anything never than an EVO, never buy an evo with fuel injection. Use qualified independent shops for service, or learn to work on them yourself. Harleys have had too many required repairs engineered in the bikes since the introduction of the twin cam. I own several shovels and evos, and they will still be running when the newer low quality Harleys are turned in for scrap metal. Great video!
Just to add to what you said, the reason to stay away from an EVO with fuel injection is the Magneti Morelli Fuel injection system on them. Just can't get parts for it anymore and most shops don't know how or won't work on them.
EVO bikes are incredibly reliable! Wonderful motorcycles.
My experience with HD was horrible, took my Electra glide for state inspection, come back 15 minutes later, to a bill for $500. Plus, now they haven't even moved the bike to the bay, yet, I lost my mind, they suck
The more videos I watch about your experiences with US dealers the more horrified I become. Here in the UK if you buy accessories with the bike they’ll fit them for you FOC and servicing is fixed price published in advance. Yes there’s always the “you could do with this done Sir” but not the “nickel and dime” hustling you guys have to endure. I think you’re spot on with the rich white guy argument. I see videos where idiots brag about how much they’ve spent on extras as if they’re proud that their $30k bike “needs” another $6k spent on it to make it work properly and if any dealer over here tried to sell above MRP or tried to charge a “prep” fee they be out of business by the end of the month because the manufacturers wouldn’t allow it and we wouldn’t pay it anyway.
Your experience was simular to mine. I purchased two new Harley touring bikes four years apart.. I went $40k deep for my last CVO Harley. The cost of repeated reliability issues and service department bandits pushed me out of HD ownership for good. Good luck to anyone who throws hard earned cash down this money pit.
I ride a Yamaha Raider. It's a Japanese made bike. Alot of people don't like that. But all I do is change the oil, keep my eyes on the brakes and change tires when I wear them out. It's never in the shop. I love Japanese bikes. They don't cost a whole lot to own. They give you piece of mind so you can enjoy your ride.
I went through something similar. My service was due, and I needed new tires. My service plan just expired and asked about the price of a three-hole fluid change. Obscene! Then we got to the tires again obscene. A little back and forth they took $200 off the tires. I ordered the fluids from Amazon watched a plenty of CZcams videos and did it myself. I ordered Redline fluids for around 150 and they wanted 500 something to do the change. I understand everyone needs to make money but again OBSCENE! Sure it probably took me longer than it should have but I got a few new tools and I learned a new skill. I love my SportGlide but it will be the last Harley I purchase.
Our service is around that much but it includes a ridiculous amount of other things than oil. Back before I was a tech I'd spend all weekend every so often going through all of the same. But to spend $500 plus get a free wash I woulda hopped on it like crazy. I think 3 hole is only like $120 though.
good for you, learning to do it yourself. Glad I ride a Victory, 1 hole oil change and done.
Bought my Sport Glide 2nd hand.... and have one experience with a HD dealership. Let me tell you, the Service writers and technicians are in cahoots to upcharge you for shit you don't even need. Like it really takes 2 hours to rebuild one fork leg to put new seals in it. At $180/hr. Total bull shit.
And you gave Bezos more cash with which to prosecute his war on the working man. Congrats.
325 for a 75-85 oil change that’s not that hard. I had a similar experience with parts. Find yourself an other shop to work on your bike or learn to do it yourself. To have a Harley dealership is too expensive and they reflect it back to the consumer.
I don't even own a bike, but my logic is this: if you acquire something, You need to do research on these things first. You cannot expect to own something with certain quality/reputation and not expect to pay above some numbers. It's like having a Ferrari and expect that the mechanic fees will cost you $20
I feel your pain Bro !!!! I do not take mine to the dealer anymore. I 've found 2 independents in my Town and they are skilled and reasonable.Hope you can have a better experience. We are with you.
I have a new 2023 anniversary Tri-Glide. I paid $48000 out the door. I do my own work and I just did my 5000-mile inspection. I found the front axle pinch bolt was stripped out in the socket. The brake fluid had almost 4% water content. The heat deflectors didn't have the special nuts crimped, so the lower screws were doing nothing. The spark plug wires were not tie strapped to the frame under the seat area. The adjuster on the rear axle was 3/16" wider on the right side compared to the left side and the triple tree is a few degrees to the right when the front wheel is straight. The ground strap in the trunk was disconnected. So I would say that Harley's quality control is not there
I said that more than 40 years ago.........DOH !!
As long as people pay 50 k for a bike they will keep charging outrageous prices
@@dalegrim193 Unless it is an H2R I will not be paying anywhere near that price. Nothing over 25k
I can build 2 bikes with that. E thing is just astronomically priced these days and only because people pay it. And that doesnt make the value worth what they pay. Its gonna be real bad if the grid goes down because of emp or whatever i always have.a truck and a bike that are pre 1980. Gas will be the commodity that i need to store up. After the toilet paper hoarding a few years ago that was just a sign of how greedy and ruthless people are. I hope people learn to plan.
Sadly it was prob better during amf years lol
Same here, I had a similar situation , had the bike for one year and loved it but the dealership experience was terrible. Sold the bike and bought a Japanese bike. I will never buy a Harley again
I am a retired 24 year LEO Motor Officer. I was on motors 24 years. I have never cared for any Harley. I have been riding since I was 13 on street bikes. I have had a lot of Honda's , Yamaha,s and Kawasaki's. However our first year with motors we had Kawasaki KZ Police models. They were absolute rockets. Second year we went to Harley's for economic reason. We got new Harleys every three years, and auctioned them, same with the Kawasaki's. No one wanted the retired Kawasaki's but everyone wanted the retired Harley's. We sold the retired Road Kings at auction for the same price we bought them new. The Harley's never could go as fast as the KZ's could, not even close.
That is why I have never cared for Harley or ever wanted to own one. Overpriced, under powered.
Sorry to hear about your experience with the local HD dealership. It’s true you have to keep an eye on them. I always ask up front for the price before the work is done. I find it quite surprising that you did not take them a copy of your contract to show the dealership that you paid for the cost up front. Also, I find it odd the dealership did not have a copy of your contract.
I dont take mine to the dealership. I do my own services and if i need something done, that is beyond my capabilities, i take to a local shop. I also think, its not just the service department that sucks, i also think the prices of new bikes are getting way out of control too! I dont think i will get another Harley again. And that is all i have ever owned, was a Harley. Nice rant👍
You are not wrong. They have had had that same business practice for 15 to 20 years.
Some people obviously dont mind over paying, but the other 80 to 90 percent of us never take our bikes back to the stealership unless we have no other option.
Most of us either work on our own bikes or find an independent mechanic.
Its usually pretty easy to find a good local independent shop. Word of mouth travels quickly between harley riders.
And you are a harley rider. I think you will find the majority of us 100% agree with you.
Learning to wrench is learning to pay yourself.