Actually its more of a sloppily done oil change, many dealers do use a check list, I knew a secretary that in her spare time used to fill in the checkmarks.
That was the "prep" checklist; I think there is a Harley requirement that they complete those. As far as ever finding a dealership that actually did all the work on that checklist, or the ones for the various service intervals, I have failed to ever find even one.
H-D should be ashamed of themselves for selling such an obviously defective POS that they must require their dealers to go over the entire bike (at least on paper) before foisting it off on an unsuspecting consumer type. And just to be sure that nothing got missed (yeah, right), they suggest you have the same clowns who didn't catch chit the first time go over it all again (on paper) at 1000 miles. No one has ever explained to me how all those critical fasteners keep loosening up, first in the crate on the trailer ride from the factory to the dealership, then again as the new owner gently putts around for a week or two putting on the first 1000 miles. Do you suppose it's because H-D doesn't use proper locking fasteners, or is it because they don't use modern tooling that will assure proper tightening? Or is it maybe that they just never updated their BS procedures from back in the 1950's.
The auto industry abandoned all those BS prep checks many, many years ago, and they eliminated the shortened first service interval many years before that. In all those years, the only change H-D made was to go from a first service at 500 miles to the current 1000 miles. Whoopee! I'm going to make a WAG here and suggest that the dealer's don't want H-D to eliminate that early service. Most buyers still fall for the idea that they have to take the bike to the dealer for this "service", and it's a 100% profit item in most places. Don't believe me, add up the retail prices of the various lubricants, filter, O-rings, and gaskets. Then add one hour of labor, which is more than most dealerships invest in the entire process. Estimate dealership cost at maybe 75% of the parts prices and 50% of the labor charges, then compare to that average price of $400. Now do you understand why the dealers like that 1000 mile service?
Jerry