...the customers with "real" motorcycles. You know, the $50,000 customs...
I hear ya, but if you ask me... a $50,000 custom is just a $10,000 bike with $40,000's worth of marketing and multiple brain-dead TV shows creating a "follow the herd" mentality in the new generation "bikers" (
pronounced "RUBs") Pah-leeeze.
Everytime I see some 55 year old clown talking about or buying a Thunder Mountain or Big Dog for his first bike, I have to walk up and remind them about how far that money would go in golf clubs and country club dues.
Besides, IMO, they have exceeded good taste in the custom chopper building world, and have arrived at "whatever can be, but has never been done". I saw one at a local bike night with something around a 1 gallon fuel tank and a diamond-plate "seat". Yeah, that's practical!
You got the real bike - even if you have to find a "real shop" to wrench on it. Or even better yet if you have the knowledge, do the work yourself and know that it is done right. If you don't have the knowledge, take your time with your bike and a good service manual and learn - that way you know what you are riding inside and out. Most stealership mech's may have the required knowledge, but quite frankly they just don't care about your bike like you do.
Anyway, good luck and screw eastern performance. We're here if we can help.