Warning: Long read.
So having All Orange / Black CVO's since my first 2000 Road Glide, When I saw the "Spy photo" of the Orange / Black road glide for 2022 I knew it could be something I was interested in. I contacted the 2 HD dealerships that are still in business that I worked at in the past and both said if and when the bike is confirmed they would "take good care" of a former employee. So I waited for the reveal and there it was!
I contacted the first dealership I ever worked at and Still have friends there, Told them to get "My price" worked up and I would be placing a deposit. The sales manager got back to me right away with my ex employee Special price of
$60,000 otd. I about had a heart attack. I said "That's how you are taking good care of me?" And politely declined. On to the next dealer I worked at . My first question to them, "Are you a MSRP dealer?" The answer was yes. I gave them $1K deposit and took my current CVO, a 2017 Street Glide to them for trade in value. They gave me an initial write up and trade value that was pretty good. Knowing that I was paying the $3K extra for Gun Slingers paint, and the HD mandated $1K "Surcharge", I asked for a little more on the trade in. They agreed. The bike came in last Thursday and got prepped and when everyone started commenting how beautiful it was, Thats when things went sideways the first time. They suddenly wanted to charge me 5 hrs labor to change my garage door module to the new bike and remove my Bagger Nation license plate and frame! I told them Every dealer in the past has did it as a courtesy. They reluctantly agreed to change the module but would not give my frame back. (I had the stock set up for them in the tour pak) After another spirited conversation with the salesman they finally saw the logic that it would actually be easier to just take it off and give me the assembly rather than taking it off and then trying to unbolt the plate from the frame. (those of you that run the Bagger Nation plate frame know what I'm talking about). Not to mention I cut the plate to make it fit in the frame and it would never bolt on a regular frame again.
So know its Friday (the day before I pick up the bike) The dealer sent the "Finalized" write up to My credit union. Well needless to say the prices had changed. Yes, they gave me more for my trade, but now dealer prep went up $200. I now had a "Doc Fee" of $210,
And the MSRP no longer matched the website. (off by $300) I was upset, and called out the dealership on the price change but after jumping through all the hoops so far I just wanted the deal done and agreed on the "New price". But thats where my credit union held up the deal. The new write up sent by the dealer said "Selling price" where it used to read "MSRP". My credit union called the dealer and asked them for the "MSRP" associated with this bike and my VIN number. The dealer refused. It's now 4pm on Friday, my credit union closes at 5pm, Im expecting to pick up the bike the following day and the deal went sideways again. So I called the Sales manager.
He said if I didnt agree to this price he now had 2 back up buyers behind me that Will buy it. Again, by now Im so stressed out I just wanted it over. I told him to change the MSRP back to what it says on the web site and add his "Fluff" on to the Doc fee line. He agreed.
My credit union excepted it and I "E signed" the loan docs just before they closed. What a nightmare. And this was where I used to work!
The next day I picked up the check and went to the dealership. Everyone was nice as can be. I bit my tongue and we did all the paperwork, and got the new bike loaded. Only then I could finally relax. It was Not a good experience. None of it.
The bottom line now is, I am the "Happy" new owner of my 5th CVO, a 2022 Road Glide.