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[sadunbar]

Well, one policy I always try to follow is: Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

       

[Midnight Rider]

Howie (fng)...they do list the backplate in the HD on line catalog for the TB, so the 0800 will fit, if you get that backplate, or another, as Scott suggested...Arlen Ness, Zippers, etc.  The dealer willl also tell you that the stock cover will not fit, and that is also not true.

Can anyone confirm that Jerry's original "roll your own" post will work with the 08 TB?  Only difference would be that the 08 TB is a 50mm, so maybe a different part number for the backplate itself, but the other components should work fine.

[Twolanerider]

Well, one policy I always try to follow is: Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

A large amen to that.  Though the local dealership has its (significant, large, disturbing, incomprehensible, flabbergasting, bizarre, stupendous) issues in the shop there is at least one very good parts guy.  Pretty sure one or two others are decent as well.  That being so I still try to never go to the parts counter without having looked up the part numbers first.

Doing that isn't a knock on them most of the time either.  With all the changes we do to these things we make them where all too often the parts catalog isn't going to give them right answer anyway.  That being the case its incumbent on us to keep track of the things we've done and make sure we can get what we need.

[Hoist!]

A large amen to that.  Though the local dealership has its (significant, large, disturbing, incomprehensible, flabbergasting, bizarre, stupendous) issues in the shop there is at least one very good parts guy.  Pretty sure one or two others are decent as well.  That being so I still try to never go to the parts counter without having looked up the part numbers first.

Doing that is at all a knock on them most of the time either.  With all the changes we do to these things we make them where all too often the parts catalog isn't going to give them right answer anyway.  That being the case its incumbent on us to keep track of the things we've done and make sure we can get what we need.

Translation (for those that don't speak Donlish): Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

[FNGw/08SERK]

I landed on this site becuase my dealer confused the hell out of me. Of course that's not hard to do to a FNG now is it?

[Twolanerider]

Translation (for those that don't speak Donlish): Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

Even when we can't or choose not to trust them for the right answer and realize it's just simpler to supply our own and know for sure there's still a judgement about the quality of the effort.  Too many of them only know what they can read in the catalog.  And if it's pre-Twin Cam they've never heard of it.  And they're certainly not willing or not able to try to figure something out that isn't just obvious to begin with.

That's where the local parts counter actually does a good job.  Then can't know the various small slight miniscule minor changes I've made.  But they'll look up breakdowns of accessory kits for individual bits that were never published in the general catalogs and they'll look all over the country for a part they don't have (but could order) and will pass that information along if it would help out.  You even got a set of rings because of that effort once.

The Harley shops do enough wrong, and enough bad, and enough arrogant, and enough just stupid that I don't mind at all mentioning when they do something well.

[sadunbar]

Even when we can't or choose not to trust them for the right answer and realize it's just simpler to supply our own and know for sure there's still a judgement about the quality of the effort.  Too many of them only know what they can read in the catalog.  And if it's pre-Twin Cam they've never heard of it.  And they're certainly not willing or not able to try to figure something out that isn't just obvious to begin with.

That's where the local parts counter actually does a good job.  Then can't know the various small slight minuscule minor changes I've made.  But they'll look up breakdowns of accessory kits for individual bits that were never published in the general catalogs and they'll look all over the country for a part they don't have (but could order) and will pass that information along if it would help out.  You even got a set of rings because of that effort once.

The Harley shops do enough wrong, and enough bad, and enough arrogant, and enough just stupid that I don't mind at all mentioning when they do something well.

There is one great counter guy at my dealer of choice.  Often he knows, but when he doesn't, he say so and works with me and does the research (if I have not come pre-armed with part numbers).

The ones that make me crazy are those who spew misinformation to the unknowing and trusting!  Almost everytime I am at a dealership, I resist the urge to correct something a salesman or parts counter guy is telling an innocent customer.

Sometimes it is out of ignorance - other times they flat out lie...

The last time I was at the dealership, a guy with his wife and young child in tow was putting a down payment on a 2008 White SEUC that was on the showroom floor.  The good news is he was paying MSRP with no additional add on charges - a good deal.

But then he walks over towards the parts counter.  I was buying a primary gasket I needed due to my recent motor rebuild.  He heard me say "07 SE Ultra Classic" to the parts guy.  He looks at his salesman (who knew exactly what I was doing) and says - "I hope he doesn't need that gasket because of a motor problem" and then laughs.  The salesman quickly ushered the proud new owner and his family back into the sales office. 

At best, I felt bad for the guy...

[Twolanerider]

The salesman quickly ushered the proud new owner and his family back into the sales office. 

At best, I felt bad for the guy...

Harley floor sales staff.  When I got the red bike I couldn't help but yank the salesman's chain just a bit.  He was asking some amount (2 or 3K, don't remember for sure) over MSRP.  So without saying anything else first I asked him "just what is MSRP on these cool bikes?  On the Harley website it says something different." 

He responded with a stammering reply about Harley not knowing what the MSRP might be at every local dealership .  With that it wasn't even worth talking to him about it.  Had a conversation later with someone higher in pay grade who sorted it out.  And they wonder why we don't trust them?

[Hoist!]

Even when we can't or choose not to trust them for the right answer and realize it's just simpler to supply our own and know for sure there's still a judgement about the quality of the effort.  Too many of them only know what they can read in the catalog.  And if it's pre-Twin Cam they've never heard of it.  And they're certainly not willing or not able to try to figure something out that isn't just obvious to begin with.

That's where the local parts counter actually does a good job.  Then can't know the various small slight miniscule minor changes I've made.  But they'll look up breakdowns of accessory kits for individual bits that were never published in the general catalogs and they'll look all over the country for a part they don't have (but could order) and will pass that information along if it would help out.  You even got a set of rings because of that effort once.

The Harley shops do enough wrong, and enough bad, and enough arrogant, and enough just stupid that I don't mind at all mentioning when they do something well.

Translation (for those that don't speak Donlish): Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

[Twolanerider]

Translation (for those that don't speak Donlish): Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

What rmust really suck is  and having to learn that with TWO local dealers .   

[Hoist!]

What rmust really suck is  and having to learn that with TWO local dealers .   

Translation (for those that don't speak Donlish): What rmust really suck is  and having to learn that with TWO local dealers .   

 

Hoist!

[Twolanerider]

Translation (for those that don't speak Donlish): What rmust really suck is  and having to learn that with TWO local dealers .   

 

Hoist!

By the way, how are those cams and other top end "small" jobs coming? 

[Hoist!]

By the way, how are those cams and other top end "small" jobs coming? 

Tell me about it Don! Very slow! Never assume the local dealer knows much of anything about the motorcycles or parts he sells...!

Hoist!

[Twolanerider]

Can't say anything.  I'm not being any more productive today.  Thought it was going to be a busy busy two or three days but got a call this morning that put the kabosh on a few day's efforts.

Hadn't turned on the little heater in the garage as hadn't expected to get to play with the red bike this weekend.  16 degrees outside so the little heater needs a bit to catch up too.

So the red bike sits 15 feet away, on the lift, much of its top end off and all kinds of pretty parts organized on the work bench.  And for some reason I don't have the urge to mess with it this afternoon.  Might be that I didn't in until about five this morning and it got a little drunk out last night.  Or it might be just one of those days.  But spring is still right around the corner.