DEAR Harley Davidson,

[Toejam503]

The Sportster has been around for 62 years now. It is the most customized, most recognized Harley Davidson in the world. This motorcycle, alone, has supported more businesses and brand loyalty than any other. Your company has become very highly revered and celebrated due to this iconic model. Keeping it affordable, there by letting the consumers individualize them to there own personal tastes, is the biggest draw to purchase and own one. The Sportster can be chopped, lowered, off-roaded, toured,drag raced, show circuited,bobbed, cafed, etc. and on and on. It is reliable, predictable, easy to ride and look good riding it. I believe it is THEE motorcycle that all others are compared to, even the big twins. Bill Harley and the Davidson brothers would have been SO proud of what it has become! And I am a very PROUD owner of one. Harley Davidson Motor Company has made it 100 years and I hope the SPORTSTER makes it at least 100 years, too.
THANK YOU for building the best motorcycle there ever was and is!

[sportsterpaul]

Well, what could be better than a Sportster? Two or more of course! Happy New Year to you all!

[Bama Lee XLC]

Dear Harley Davidson.......
In late September I took my "new to me" 2002 XL 1200 C into my local HD Dealer and SERVICE center for new front disc pads, a clutch lever, a turn signal bulb socket, Speedo sensor cleaning or replacement, AND a tire to tire inspection, & oil / filter / fluid change.
the mileage was 8300.

They charged me $700 for labor and parts including 5 qts. fluids and an oil filter.

Since then i've put only 600 miles on the bike, and had to REALLY change my primary / tranny dope to quieten my tranny (it was black from age and had shavings covering the magnet).

I've had to REALLY change my engine oil and filter to quieten my valvetrain......it was black and beginning to get lumpy. (I have photos & the old oil and filter)

I had to adjust my clutch cable and grease my steering head because the dealer didn't even take the 60 seconds and $1 worth of grease required to do this.

I basically got charged $700 for a $14 clutch lever, cleaning the bulb socket and speedo sensor, scratching my custom paint by wiping it down with a dirty shop rag, and installing new front brake pads.

My question to YOU, Dear MoCo, is......do you REALLY think that THIS is the best way to develop return customers? or do you even CARE?
Are you really so intent on making your money through flagging "one hit" new bike sales, that you have totally lost sight of the SERVICE aspect of the business?

I'll never darken your doorstep again for ANYTHING.....and i'm advising my riding friends to do likewise.
I have the tools and technology to do my own repairs and service, but am "time poor" and thought this might be a decent route to improving my bike.

I was wrong.

Edit: they also rounded off my front caliper bleed nipple, so next time I bleed the brakes i'll have to buy a new one.

[ParrotHead]

Originally Posted by Bama Lee XLC

Dear Harley Davidson.......
In late September I took my "new to me" 2002 XL 1200 C into my local HD Dealer and SERVICE center for new front disc pads, a clutch lever, a turn signal bulb socket, Speedo sensor cleaning or replacement, AND a tire to tire inspection, & oil / filter / fluid change.
the mileage was 8300.

They charged me $700 for labor and parts including 5 qts. fluids and an oil filter.

Since then i've put only 600 miles on the bike, and had to REALLY change my primary / tranny dope to quieten my tranny (it was black from age and had shavings covering the magnet).

I've had to REALLY change my engine oil and filter to quieten my valvetrain......it was black and beginning to get lumpy. (I have photos & the old oil and filter)

I had to adjust my clutch cable and grease my steering head because the dealer didn't even take the 60 seconds and $1 worth of grease required to do this.

I basically got charged $700 for a $14 clutch lever, cleaning the bulb socket and speedo sensor, scratching my custom paint by wiping it down with a dirty shop rag, and installing new front brake pads.

My question to YOU, Dear MoCo, is......do you REALLY think that THIS is the best way to develop return customers? or do you even CARE?
Are you really so intent on making your money through flagging "one hit" new bike sales, that you have totally lost sight of the SERVICE aspect of the business?

I'll never darken your doorstep again for ANYTHING.....and i'm advising my riding friends to do likewise.
I have the tools and technology to do my own repairs and service, but am "time poor" and thought this might be a decent route to improving my bike.

I was wrong.

Edit: they also rounded off my front caliper bleed nipple, so next time I bleed the brakes i'll have to buy a new one.

They charged for 5 qts of oil for a bike that takes 2.8 qts oil and 1 qt primary flluid?

You commented you had to adjust your clutch and grease the steering head but don't see that in what you asked them to do. They are not going to do anything that was not requested by the customer.

This really sucks and I'd be pissed also. Did you talk to the Service Manager or GM or Owner? HD really cannot help on this

[Bama Lee XLC]

Originally Posted by ParrotHead

They charged for 5 qts of oil for a bike that takes 2.8 qts oil and 1 qt primary flluid?

You commented you had to adjust your clutch and grease the steering head but don't see that in what you asked them to do. They are not going to do anything that was not requested by the customer.

This really sucks and I'd be pissed also. Did you talk to the Service Manager or GM or Owner? HD really cannot help on this

YES.....5 quarts Syn3 + all the gaskets and O-rings screws etc etc that are NOT new on my bike....$170 labor on work NOT performed.
oh....and i'm reading that they cleaned my speedo sensor but had to replace my TACH sensor because it was inoperative.
My bike doesn't have a tach !!

I requested tire to tire service and would have not been chapped.....IF they had actually done any service.......I mean REALLY.....too lazy / cheap to hook up to a zerk and shoot grease in for 5 seconds??
i'd think "tire to tire" MIGHT translate to adjust the clutch and use your high pressure gun to shoot grease into any zerk they could find.

or....to YOU does "tire to tire inspection / service" mean standing back 10 feet and saying....."yep, it's a bike, tire to tire" ??

like I said.....i'm done with my local......i'd been warned this might happen but didn't have the time to do the work myself......never again though.

[ParrotHead]

Originally Posted by Bama Lee XLC

YES.....5 quarts Syn3 + all the gaskets and O-rings screws etc etc that are NOT new on my bike....$170 labor on work NOT performed.
oh....and i'm reading that they cleaned my speedo sensor but had to replace my TACH sensor because it was inoperative.
My bike doesn't have a tach !!

I requested tire to tire service and would have not been chapped.....IF they had actually done any service.......I mean REALLY.....too lazy / cheap to hook up to a zerk and shoot grease in for 5 seconds??
i'd think "tire to tire" MIGHT translate to adjust the clutch and use your high pressure gun to shoot grease into any zerk they could find.

or....to YOU does "tire to tire inspection / service" mean standing back 10 feet and saying....."yep, it's a bike, tire to tire" ??

like I said.....i'm done with my local......i'd been warned this might happen but didn't have the time to do the work myself......never again though.

Honestly, I'd have no idea what tire to tire service would encompass. Maybe that is something standard in your area or perhaps in motorcycle shops in general, but I am not familiar with it and I hang out at the bike shop that works on my bike all the time. Requesting the standard 5 or 10,000 mile service would trigger a specific list of items and I know the steering head is on one of them and if the service writer was worth half his pay he would have brought that up and discussed with you.

I agree, you got screwed and I'd be beyond pissed as well. My bikes will not go into the dealer's service department because the Service Manager would not return my call for a week and all but laughed when I asked if they could knock a few $$ off because I was having a 10,000 mile service AND state inspection done at the same time. I am sure the mechanic was not going to look at my brakes and tires twice so why should I pay him twice.

You could probably call the Regional Manager for HD and complain to him. That is what they are for

[Nibelungen]

dear Mo.Co.
i read an italian motorcycle magazine right now
it says the new Livewire has ABS cornering
i didn't know that...

then to wrap it up
ABS cornering
dual front disks with radial modern calipers
traction control
pre canned ride mode
upsidedown front fork and rear shock fully adjustable
a sport frame designed to run

SO...
why not to spread all this tech to some of the other combustion powered bikes?

[Glamazon]

I use an independant HD specialist who's 2/3 the price of the dealer. I hope you brought up the poor service with the big chiefs at HD, a few years back Triumph stripped a dealer in Lancashire because of the complaints about poor workmanship, bad service etc

[rejeanprimeau]

The black oil is normal, they leave more than 25% old oil when doing an oil change.
When you ask for an oil change, they only service the engine.

That why I do my own maintenance. I even saw a place they just spin off the filter and install a new filter; it was not coming out of a box mind you.

They do as the boss ask or out of the door.

[Bama Lee XLC]

Originally Posted by rejeanprimeau

The black oil is normal, they leave more than 25% old oil when doing an oil change.
When you ask for an oil change, they only service the engine.

That why I do my own maintenance. I even saw a place they just spin off the filter and install a new filter; it was not coming out of a box mind you.

They do as the boss ask or out of the door.

I specified (and was charged for) ALL fluids........i'll cut the filter open tonight for diagnosis.......

either way it's ok........i'm done