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[grc]

Warranty work is the same for every shop.  It's not like they get more if you buy and service at the same dealer. Service and sales are opposite!

In the automotive business good service can and does lead to more sales, and you would think it should work that way at Harley stores as well.  However, when you have a market with very little competition, like the motorcycle market, all too many dealers blow off the service side of the business as just another expense to be cut.  I remember fighting that attitude with car dealers back in the 70's, when the Big Three controlled the market and were happy to just trade customers back and forth.  Things changed when competition from Japan finally shook up the complacent folks running the Big Three as well as the dealers who survived the purge.  What the motorcycle market really needs is that same sort of thing, but unfortunately all we really see is H-D corporate promoting and enforcing anticompetitive policies that protect the bad dealers.  I keep hoping the other companies like Polaris can eventually take a big bite of the market and wipe the smirks off the faces of those folks at H-D.

Jerry

[mjb765]

In the automotive business good service can and does lead to more sales, and you would think it should work that way at Harley stores as well.  However, when you have a market with very little competition, like the motorcycle market, all too many dealers blow off the service side of the business as just another expense to be cut.  I remember fighting that attitude with car dealers back in the 70's, when the Big Three controlled the market and were happy to just trade customers back and forth.  Things changed when competition from Japan finally shook up the complacent folks running the Big Three as well as the dealers who survived the purge.  What the motorcycle market really needs is that same sort of thing, but unfortunately all we really see is H-D corporate promoting and enforcing anticompetitive policies that protect the bad dealers.  I keep hoping the other companies like Polaris can eventually take a big bite of the market and wipe the smirks off the faces of those folks at H-D.

Jerry

You are right Jerry......I remember years ago only the foreign car dealers had service open on Saturday, then the American car dealerships had to do that to keep up.

[110tHunDer]

They've had the bike for over a week and still haven't diagnosed the problem?  I would get it the hell out of there ASAP.

[grc]

They've had the bike for over a week and still haven't diagnosed the problem?  I would get it the hell out of there ASAP.

Probably one of those "didn't buy it here so it goes to the bottom of the list" dealerships.  Makes me mad every time I read one of these threads.  Then we occasionally get reports like the recent one from phato1 about Bumpus that give us hope, since at least some dealerships do things the right way.  I wonder what it's going to take to have more like Bumpus?  Most likely divine intervention, since I don't see H-D doing anything at their end to improve dealer service.

Jerry

[mjb765]

They've had the bike for over a week and still haven't diagnosed the problem?  I would get it the hell out of there ASAP.

They cancelled the pickup last Wed and re-scheduled for Monday so they have had the bike 3 full work days. I just called and I spoke with someone else who told me they are going to get back on it tomorrow morning (hopefully).

The whole "our techs work on more than one bike" thing has got me pissed...just stay on mine, fix it then move on! I am sure they are working on the services or upgrades for their customers and sticking mine in when they can......

The last bike I had at a dealership for a repair (other than the accident repair on my '10) was a warranty rear rocker box gasket on my Softail in 1999........Lets hope this one never sees the inside of a dealer service dept again either.

[Cat Eye]

I know this is frustrating and one of the things I do is discuss with the service manager what/how they are going to trouble-shoot the problem.  At least this way I know if they have a plan or not.  If they say they don't known until they get into it is not a plan....and ask more questions.  When I had a ECM problem on my Road King I spoke to three different shops about the problem and flat out ask if they would be interested in working on the bike.  Two said they would be happy to check it out and the third say they would but it felt like he was doing me a favor (and this was my Hog Chapter Dealer)

Your bike won't start.  This should be easy since it is not an intermittent problem.

I feel your pain and good luck and I bet it will take them 5 min to fix the problem once the figure it and get the part!

[mjb765]

High pressure line inside the fuel tank popped off!!!!   It may not have been seated correctly by the dealer that replaced the tank under warranty a few weeks ago. Just happy it disconnected when I wasn't too far from home.

Not to mention the 3 days it took for the dealer to get to it to make a 1/2 hour repair (probably less)

Going to pick it up later this afternoon.

[Twolanerider]

High pressure line inside the fuel tank popped off!!!!   It may not have been seated correctly by the dealer that replaced the tank under warranty a few weeks ago. Just happy it disconnected when I wasn't too far from home.

Not to mention the 3 days it took for the dealer to get to it to make a 1/2 hour repair (probably less)

Going to pick it up later this afternoon.

Didn't reread the thread but thought I remembered early you saying you didn't hear fuel sounds inside the tank?  I know I started to ask once if you had but then thought I remembered you already saying that was discounted.  If I remembered wrong I'm sorry for not asking MJ; could have been an easy fix.  My bad buddy.  Glad it's home soon .

[mjb765]

heard the pump prime, but that's it.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[dooinit2u]

Glad it's all back together. Still a long time for that kind of repair, especially when they were in there before...

[mjb765]

Glad it's all back together. Still a long time for that kind of repair, especially when they were in there before...

It was not the same dealership. The selling dealer in Ct replaced the gas tank and the bike was towed into a local dealer on Long Island. Whatever HOG does not cover for the Sunday night tow, the selling dealer said they would make it right.

[CVOStreetglide]

It was not the same dealership. The selling dealer in Ct replaced the gas tank and the bike was towed into a local dealer on Long Island. Whatever HOG does not cover for the Sunday night tow, the selling dealer said they would make it right.

As a famous member here says.........RIDE ON!!

[mjb765]

Longest week of my life....It just ain't right when the bike spot in the garage is empty!

[D-N-D]

That's why I have 2 Bikes I'm never down, Glade to here your back and running.

[mjb765]

That's why I have 2 Bikes I'm never down, Glade to here your back and running.

Eventually that's the plan.....