| Author | Message | ||
     Ozymandismotard |
So today I had my 1000 mile service for my XB12Ss Drive 86 miles to my preferred dealer, rather than the local guys, who are crooks So I pull into the parking lot on my XBSs, a little dusty after the ride In front of me is a big 4X4 hauling a very classy dyna-glide on a trailer. So I say's to the owner: 'have you broken down'?? No, he replies, I am bringing it in to be serviced ! Looking at his plates, he cannot come from more than 20 miles away. I took a nice ride in the sunshine to get there, stopping in the mountains to take in the view, and a very nice cup of coffee, and this guy comes with a trailer; Am I missing something??? ozy from France | ||
| Slaughter |
Am I missing something??? You are OBVIOUSLY missing the Harley experience. | ||
| Old_man |
No you're not missing anything. When it was serviced he trailered it back to his living room to look at it and shine the chrome. | ||
| Diablobrian |
There are fundamental philosophical differences between most Buell owners and most Harley owners when it comes to how they view and use their motorcycles. | ||
| Cadhopper |
If he rode the bike it might get dirty.  I guess some people buy them to ride and some just buy them to impress their buddies. If I don't ride at least 1000 miles a month I start looking like this...  | ||
| Madduck |
I always trailer mine to service. That way they can be left for the work to be done when the mechanics can find the time. They really appreciate being more productive and I don't have to run around getting someone to pick me up. Anytime I need service they just give me a drop off date, usually less than a week and I pick it up in a couple of days. Remarkably hassle free this way. | ||
| Pwnzor |
After my first scheduled service, I rode home to find that my primary drain plug was 1 thread away from falling out. After that, I trailered my bike to and from the shop. By the 10,000 mile service I fired all mechanics and got a shop manual. | ||
| Bomber |
er, the dealer may have wanted to bike overnight, leaving the guy few options (other than sleeping in the parts department)? I yell at my mechanic alla time -- he doesn't listen anymore ;-} | ||
| Percyco |
Maybe he was just leaving it at the dealer a few days and driving home ?........It makes me giggle at all the anti-Harley posting that goes on here........when if it wasn't for the H-D motor company....Buell wouldn't be where they are today. Some people trailer bikes, not just H-D's I might add...who cares ? I know H-D owners with 100,000 + miles on the bikes . I'm just glad to be enjoying my Buell XB and knowing they are backed by an American motorcycle giant ! | ||
| Diablobrian |
I wasn't being anti-Harley. I was just making note of the fact H-D rides go from this place to that place. Buell rides go down this road to that road to the other road. That's not being anti-Harley. I for one am glad that the guys buying chrome have helped finance Buell R&D. It does not mean I have to admire the "lifestyle" | ||
| Bugman |
Unless you ask why you shouldn't draw conclusions. He might have a good reason for doing it. | ||
| Chainsaw |
Am I missing something??? Yup. Dude doesn't want to have to bum a ride to and from the dealership. I can't recall any service, scheduled or otherwise, that was performed while I waited. | ||
| Clown |
Not all harley riders cater to what you call "the harley experience". I have almost 70,000 miles on a 2000 model Deuce. Some people seem to make very broad generalizations on this board about Harley Dealers. I for one am tired of hearing about how "all harley dealers suck". If you think you can do better, apply for a job at a dealership. | ||
| Spiderman |
apply for a job at a dealership Been there, done that, got fired for standing up for Reg Kittrel when they tried to steal BattleTrax from him. Not all dealer princapals are as nice as yours or Dave's and the few others that actually support Riders and not just another dollar sign.} | ||
| Percyco |
The Harley dealer (no Buells) 20 minutes from where I live owned a race team called "Evo Twin". He won the Thunderbike championship a couple of years ago and holds four records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Oh yeah all this on Firebolts, he just sold the dealership to Classic H-D owner and Buell racer Mike Hale backer......If the so-called "life style " is supporting this I don't have a damn thing to say bad about it ! Somebody get me some chrome polish and pass me my leather undies !  | ||
| Bcordb3 |
Am I missing something??? I think you are. As someone else said, maybe the guy had things to do, like a job and didn't want to hang around or maybe his appointment wasn't until the next day. Give the guy a break. | ||
| Oldog |
Earlier this year, I spent a half a day waiting on an appointment schedualed 2 weeks prior. I had my gear stashed and was hanging around the dealership in my black Buell mechanics shirt, drinking coffee. I had 2 HD customers come up and read me the riot act, [ thinking I was an employee ] with Josh the sales guy looking on interesting experience, also watching Josh work them, trying to be polite and contain the situation I can sympathize with the dealer employees, dealing with the public sucks at times. But, Same dealership the last service writer put a tire on my bike that I did not want on it, I was charged full retail for it, and there were a number of other issues. as a result they don't do my service work. My guess is that the service writer also stuck some one else, he is no longer there. For some reason that I still can't understand a 3 dollar part took 2 weeks to get, brake pad mounting pins should be on the shelf as should be brake pads, lightbulbs, cables, air / oil filters and all bolts and nuts.. Is this unreasonable to expect? maybe even a small selection of buell parts, tires, mebe Isolators, efi parts too. it would be nice. My local dealer has a huge selection of chrome and motor clothes, By and large Great folks, I'm Ok with having to order apparel items basic parts and wearout items should be in house. Clown, You and your dealership are exceptions to the general rule, but I have told you is just a small part of the story now I have to ask you how would you rate that kind of service? My former motorcycle dealer was Proline Suzuki in Tucker GA , when it was owned by Brian Kenney, and it was a good experience of ownership. My local dealer is not in the same league, BTW Proline never had cook outs, demo rides, but every single time I went in for a part they had it. My only bad experience with them was my last when a new mechanic screwed the carbs on the bike up, took me about an hour to fix. I moved from the area so I have no idea of the curent quality of ownership, or service .. from the porch.. the ol-dog... PS Clown, Thanks for sponsoring BWB, Expect some parts orders in the future. (Message edited by oldog on August 22, 2006) | ||
| Leftcoastal |
I've found it to be much more economical to Eff You see Kay up my own bike, rather than pay some possibly inept dealership mechanic Eff You see Kay it up for me. AL The last time I had a dealership touch one of my bikes was for the recall work on my wife's S2. They adjusted the drive belt so tight you could strum the bass riffs in time to the neighbor kids rap music. | ||
| Mr_grumpy |
I think Bomber & I must use the same mechanic, as mine doesn't listen to me when I yell either. Mind you he yells too, when he traps his fingers, then his wife comes out & yells at him to tone down the language. He listens to her!  | ||
| Aldaytona |
Trailering bikes, ah yes, come to Daytona for Bike Week or Biketoberfest. You'll never see so many Touring bikes in trucks or on trailers. I don't get it. Motorcycle service, people drop off their bikes and don't have a clue what parts have been installed or what their bill is until they get to the cashier. They don't do that with their car (and it's not legal, no signed estimate, at least here in Florida) but they do it with their bike. I don't get it. Parts, everyday parts, plugs, clutch levers, isolators, cables, the essentials to make a bike usable, not in stock. Most dealerships don't have "motorcyclists" in key positions and the owners are not "motorcyclists". I don't get it. I have been in and around the motorcycle industry most of my life, working for large and small dealers and one thing is the same, you can almost always count the number of employee ridden bikes in the parking lot on 1 hand. I don't get it.  | ||
| Cadhopper |
I can't recall any service, scheduled or otherwise, that was performed while I waited. I guess I've been lucky with Waugh HD in Orange, VA. Back when I owned several Harleys they always did my 10K services and got me in and out in a very timely manner and were always very courteous. I had not been in the dealer for almost 8 months but when I walked in last Saturday I was greeted by name when the service manager saw me. It's a crying shame they don't sell Buells because I have nothing but good things to say about them. | ||
| Bomber |
it HAS occured to me that the HD bashing round here IS getting slightly familiar -- reminds me of HD riders telling me to get a real bike -- this balkanization of participants in our sport makes us really easy targets for legislators, IMO that said, I can't ever remember I time when I changed someone else's mind -- something tells me this ain't gonna be the day, either ;-} | ||
| Djkaplan |
"Am I missing something???" Maybe you missed the fact that while you were waiting around for your bike to be finished with the service, the Harley guy was doing something else besides hanging out at a Harley dealer. | ||
| Ceejay |
Ozy may have a point tho, a lot of the people I work with trailer thier touring HD's to respective events...why would service be any different... | ||
| Ozymandismotard |
I do not hate H-D owners Quote from DJKAPLAN "Maybe you missed the fact that while you were waiting around for your bike to be finished with the service, the Harley guy was doing something else besides hanging out at a Harley dealer" I went into town, had a great meal, went to the beach, and checked out the local babes swimming and sunbathing topless, with a great Latte in my hand. Is there something I missed? (sorry, no photos, board rules) Rode home, slightly faster with the new exhaust filter combo. 112 klicks of sweeping, well maintained road. Tough job, but someone has to do it.; ) Ozy from France}} | ||
| Percyco |
I do not hate H-D owners I should hope not....after all, you kinda are one ... Gotta go wax my trailer for the next bike rally !  | ||
| Anonymous |
I have on more than one occasion, several actually, have gone to my dealership with a serviceable question or issue only to have my/the Buell tech stop what he was doing and either fix/adjust it on the spot for me or tell me how to do it myself. Then again, I do not go in with a chip on my shoulder and expect that I should be treated badly. I speak and treat them in a reasonable manner, and for some reason they do the same to me. Go figure. The whole world does not suck... Don't want to get him into any possible trouble so posting annony, just in case. Please let it stand... | ||
| Oldog |
I don't go in with said chip on shoulder I generaly treat folks the way I want to be treated. I accept reasonable explanations for delays. And I make appointments and keep them. Does it take 4 hours to change 2 tires? with the full kit?, hand irons you bet... 2x final drive banjo string tight? an a whole list of other issues. I ask again is it un reasonable to expect the dealer to have a set of brake pads on the shelf? or to have service work preformed properly? as I said earlier Nice [ no GREAT! folks ] fair service, not much stock. | ||
| Midknyte |
I ask again is it un reasonable to expect the dealer to have a set of brake pads on the shelf? or to have service work preformed properly? nope! agreed. wear parts, tipover items, and fasteners should always be in stock. | ||
| Ratyson |
I trailered my bike to my local shop (Rocket HD) for the 10K service on Sunday. Got a call on Monday that the clutch cable needed to be replaced, and that it would probably take a couple of days to get the new cable in. Got a call on TUESDAY stating that they got the new cable installed, and the bike was ready. I will be trailering the bike back home this evening due to the fact that I don't have another way up to the dealer. Nuttin wrong with trailering a bike. Sometimes it is necessary. | ||
| Old_man |
Wish I had a trailer! But I don't, so my wife or son meets me there. We go to a great little diner and get a good breakfast, then find something fun to do together. Come to think of it. I'm glad I don't have a trailer. | ||
| Blake |
How the heck do you imagine that anony post could possibly get you into any kind of trouble?   Please don't abuse the anony option again. | ||
| Cowboy |
If I go by my self I ride the bike to be serviced. If my wife goes along we use the trailor as the 1 ton dooly is full of her crap takes the trailor just for the bike. |
