My E-glide has a parade fan, it was about $500. After 50,000 miles the hole in the fan blade has worn and needs replaced, a 5¢ brass bushing would have lasted forever. OK, things wear out. The fan blade is only available with the motor form the MoCo, about $180, seemed high. The name on the fan blade is SPAL. Goggled SPAL and found SPALUSA. They sell the complete fan assembly for $71.95 with a plastic housing, same motor/fan, 1/3 the money, over $100 less. WTF? Called SPAL customer support and Eric said he'd send me a fan blade for free. Good customer support.

http://etxiow.accpaconline.com/itemdrilldown.cfm?category=MATV&exp=FANS&stype=cat&item=30100358

HD= Hundreds of Dollars..


Although not everything they sell is more expensive. I found the same boots as my HD ones (made by wolverine) and they're more expensive from Wolverine then HD, but they don't have the BAR & Sheild on the bottom.

Because Willie needs your money....

because people are WILLING to pay that much.

In general, I don't think HD parts are too high. Ever bought new parts for a Japanese bike?

Cause.......Dumb wads keep supporting them making them earn billions over the last few decades or so?!?!? :rolleyes: :doh

Simple... they have a captive audience.
They get a lot of their stuff made offshore, (read: China & Taiwan)
and instead of passing the savings along to the customer,
they jack up the price higher than if it was made in the US.
It's good business, because the customer tends to still just pay for it.
Why... cause it says Harley Davidson on it, a great American company.
How many companies have their logo tattooed on peoples bodies?
That's a pretty captive audience if you ask me.
Once you have a captive audience, the rest is easy.
Personally I tend to buy dealer stuff when they have their 30% off days.
The prices are then only slightly higher than one would expect.
OK... having said all that nasty stuff... they do make some nice bikes.
Heck, I bought one, the 2005 yellow 1200R in my avatar.
I would do it again tomorrow.
Gee... talk about having a captive audience.

In general, I don't think HD parts are too high. Ever bought new parts for a Japanese bike?

Word!

I just went to the dealership (more of a boutique than anything, only about 10 bikes) looking for some valve keepers. Yea, those little half moon things that keep the top spring retainer on the valve. Not only did they have them in stock, they were $1.75 a pair. :clap

Try that at a jap dealership.

Simple... they have a captive audience.
They get a lot of their stuff made offshore, (read: China & Taiwan)
and instead of passing the savings along to the customer,
they jack up the price higher than if it was made in the US.
It's good business, because the customer tends to still just pay for it.
Why... cause it says Harley Davidson on it, a great American company.
How many companies have their logo tattooed on peoples bodies?
That's a pretty captive audience if you ask me.
Once you have a captive audience, the rest is easy.
Personally I tend to buy dealer stuff when they have their 30% off days.
The prices are then only slightly higher than one would expect.
OK... having said all that nasty stuff... they do make some nice bikes.
Heck, I bought one, the 2005 yellow 1200R in my avatar.
I would do it again tomorrow.
Gee... talk about having a captive audience.

Doing a quick search...

Seems that the popular one's are APPLE, ZUNE, Sportsteams,

http://www.theapplecollection.com/Collection/objects/2007/My-Apple-Tattoo-6_2005.jpg (http://www.theapplecollection.com/Collection/objects/tattoo.shtml)
This site had many Apple tattoos (click pic)

http://z.about.com/d/tattoo/1/0/t/n/1/090207l.jpg

http://dcimeade.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/tattoosidekick.jpg

you will pay!:wonderlan

Whether it's right or wrong the simple rule of corporate pricing is "the highest price the market will bear". HD is a corporation and if YOU will pay it they will charge it. The sad thing is if the sales dropped and they HAD to lower the prices you can bet they'd put out a lesser product or engineer in future costs (planned obsolesence of parts and/or impede self service) to protect their greedy profit margin. You'll never get them to sell the bikes for what they are actually worth. So, if you must have an HD you must pay the price. Makes me glad I've only got an XL-883 and not some $17,000 model. I don't feel so bad.

Surprisingly, wheels such as their six-spoke series, run about 1/2 the cost (or far less) of the aftermarket. Aftermarket "custom" wheels have a far greater selection of choices, which also carry a "custom" price to match.

Surprisingly, wheels such as their Daytona series, run about 1/2 the cost (or far less) of the aftermarket. Aftermarket "custom" wheels have a far greater selection of choices, which also carry a "custom" price to match.


To bad the H-D wheels DON'T have near the quality like the aftermarket ones do.......

worth the extra coin if you look at it like that.....sorry H-D..:doh

two reasons, one it says harley davidson on it, two is that harley is made in the usa by tools and not in japan by robots

I bought a riding vest with only the HD logo on the left side about 2" by 2" I pulled out my Swiss army knife and removed the logo at the cash register after I paid for it of course....She looked at me like I was from Mars or something...I said I don't like to be branded...she replied what the :censor did buy it for then:doh I said I like the quality of the leather and workmanship...well you should of went to Peavy and got it for $50.00 less she replied.....Enough said I guess!!

union labor..................and the bloated american work ethic

that wheel is made in australia
that vest is made in china

that wheel is made in australia
that vest is made in china

And there we have it folks. Ain't too much with the H-D mark that IS made in America. They do pretty well though, for building "kit" bikes. Unfortunately, it's incredibly difficult to remain profitable with complex products if a company does not outsource a fair portion of components to specialty companies. Ferrari is a good example of what only the tiniest percentage of outsourcing can cost.

Makes me glad I've only got an XL-883 and not some $17,000 model. I don't feel so bad.

The new H-D tricycle is MSRP'd at $29,999.
A good deal for people who don't know how to ride a motorcycle, but like to pretend. At that price range, it better either be a rare road-rocket or have 4 wheels. A chuff-chuff 103" V-Twin doesn't cut it for 30 big ones. However, from the MASSIVE number of converted Goldwings I've seen this summer, H-D surely has a large group of pretenders with big cash, ready to sign up.

Because the masses will pay it....its as simple as that....

to be sincere, I totaly feel ripped off by harley in the last year.
My history so far with harley is a 883 2004 XL from 2004 that is great and works properly.
This year, a 2008 XL 1200 C that is a piece of crap, sounds bad, runs worse, and the EFI is a piece of shit. I don't see any advantage to me, the final user. The bike theoretically is working 100% right, but sounds like shit, and was expensive as hell too, and I can't just sell the thing ,seems nobody is fool enough to buy a EFI bike here... arghh also had to add lots of $ just to try and improve the sound...

also the quality of finish of the 2004 vs the 2008 was totally abysmal, the chrome has "grainy texture" on the 2008, the paint was so-so and the customer service @ dealer was POS, has taken the bike at least 6 times to fix stuff like missing bolts, paint scratch, the gearbox jumps out of 1st (still NOT solved), the engine runs and idles like a japanese knock off, the screaming eagle street performance mufflers are another rip off, the part of screaming eagle should be whispering chicken

And yesterday, finally I got my harley jacket ... to my surprise the thing says "made in china" and the protections "made in taiwan" and look like sandals trimmed and stuck there just for looks WTF!! 500 USD for a jacket made in china, if I knew I would have got a jacket here for 100 ...

the jacket looks great but I really hope the leather be good enough to survive 10 years like my last leather jacket made in here that I have since the 16 and still is like new (even after rolled a couple times over asphalt...)

so well, I think this is the last thing I ever buy from harley, they tired me. My next bike ain't going to be harley, and my jacket is the 1st and last harley clothing I get...

yes, I'm one of the fools that gave the moco a lot of $$$$ for so-so products, the really good thing was the XL 883, the 1200 is a garage queen... until I figure out how to replace the efi with carburetor and get rid of those all ugly extra cables, the bike looks crappy with all that electronics badly stuffed everywhere

We all have a choice on where to spend our money so no one should be bitchin.........I'm happy with my bike and have had no issues to date. Sure the chrome and paint are not perfect and my rotors and other bolts and metal are rusting. There is some Cheap China on our bikes.

Sad that buy American is almost impossible these days. HD must generate revenue and profits because they are not well connected to the "administration" and will not be bailed out with billions of our middle class tax dollars if they fail. So a mediocre quality American Company with some American made parts with American labor is better than not having one at all. It is the overpriced high profit margin HD apparel and accessories that is keeping them afloat through some rough times, one reason thier stock has not dropped nearly as bad as Ford, GM, or Chrysler.

I may shop at the dealership but rarely buy there, I, like others find out who manufactured the item for HD then go direct to them and save 50% or more. Would HD be better off selling more items with smaller profit margins so people like me would buy there? I don’t know? I think most people must have way more money than I and will keep buying at the dealership.

to be sincere, I totaly feel ripped off by harley in the last year.
My history so far with harley is a 883 2004 XL from 2004 that is great and works properly.
This year, a 2008 XL 1200 C that is a piece of crap, sounds bad, runs worse, and the EFI is a piece of shit. I don't see any advantage to me, the final user. The bike theoretically is working 100% right, but sounds like shit, and was expensive as hell too, and I can't just sell the thing ,seems nobody is fool enough to buy a EFI bike here... arghh also had to add lots of $ just to try and improve the sound...

also the quality of finish of the 2004 vs the 2008 was totally abysmal, the chrome has "grainy texture" on the 2008, the paint was so-so and the customer service @ dealer was POS, has taken the bike at least 6 times to fix stuff like missing bolts, paint scratch, the gearbox jumps out of 1st (still NOT solved), the engine runs and idles like a japanese knock off, the screaming eagle street performance mufflers are another rip off, the part of screaming eagle should be whispering chicken

And yesterday, finally I got my harley jacket ... to my surprise the thing says "made in china" and the protections "made in taiwan" and look like sandals trimmed and stuck there just for looks WTF!! 500 USD for a jacket made in china, if I knew I would have got a jacket here for 100 ...

the jacket looks great but I really hope the leather be good enough to survive 10 years like my last leather jacket made in here that I have since the 16 and still is like new (even after rolled a couple times over asphalt...)

so well, I think this is the last thing I ever buy from harley, they tired me. My next bike ain't going to be harley, and my jacket is the 1st and last harley clothing I get...

yes, I'm one of the fools that gave the moco a lot of $$$$ for so-so products, the really good thing was the XL 883, the 1200 is a garage queen... until I figure out how to replace the efi with carburetor and get rid of those all ugly extra cables, the bike looks crappy with all that electronics badly stuffed everywhere

Look up this site then : www.amm.haan.de/carb/carb.htm

We all have a choice on where to spend our money so no one should be bitchin

I disagree, if you pay fo something and the price is not according to the quality, you have all the right to bitch about it, hell I want a full refund, sadly HD at least here has the policy of "once out of the showroom floor, is your problem"
I mean, imagine if you get a expensive car and the damn thing has rusting stuff, a barely working gearbox, sub standard paint and a engine that works so-so
HD should start thinking on doing bikes that you can actually ride and use without having to add 0 $ to itnow, if the bike was free, I would not complain at all, but hell, I want my money back

I disagree, if you pay fo something and the price is not according to the quality, you have all the right to bitch about it, hell I want a full refund, sadly HD at least here has the policy of "once out of the showroom floor, is your problem"
I mean, imagine if you get a expensive car and the damn thing has rusting stuff, a barely working gearbox, sub standard paint and a engine that works so-so
HD should start thinking on doing bikes that you can actually ride and use without having to add 0 $ to itnow, if the bike was free, I would not complain at all, but hell, I want my money back

I see your point, if you pay a premium for a product you should receive a matched level of quality. Unfortunately, over time I have lowered my standards and expectations to match what is being produced.

HD products including bikes are over priced. However, I notice the metrics are slowly closing the gap. And HD bikes do come with some singular advantages namely, beautiful paint and chrome, no tank seams, almost infinite after market support, the ability to easily rebuild after piling on the miles, great network of dealerships (this is huge when traveling), the sense of being a part of history, and owning a bike which defines the industry for everyone else. Other manufactuers make good crusiers too, but they all look to HD for guidance as to what a bike should look like.

Not to support the stealerships, but I think the quality of HD parts is superior to most aftermarket parts. Yah, some are made overseas, but the chrome is excellent! If you've ever had an import bike, even if you keep it in the garage or covered, after a year or so, it looks like it's been left out in a flood. (all the rusty fasteners, chrome, etc.) I know the mark-up is outragious, because you can go to a reputable dealer such as Zanotti and get the same parts for much less! Check them out at zanottimotor.com

I see that most of you guys have fairly new HD's, if you think that they are not so good now you should have bought one back in the seventies. Piece of sh$t could not describe them well enough, and no support from the MoCo at all. Count your blessing's now.

Cause.......Dumb wads keep supporting them making them earn billions over the last few decades or so?!?!? :rolleyes: :doh

Yourself included? ;):p Or is EVERYTHING that isn't stock on your bike from the aftermarket? :confused:

I see that most of you guys have fairly new HD's, if you think that they are not so good now you should have bought one back in the seventies. Piece of sh$t could not describe them well enough, and no support from the MoCo at all. Count your blessing's now.
:clap

At least now most parts are in stock, and if not its a day or 2 wait time.
That was the whole reason why I got an HD.
I know the more you use anything, the more it will wear out.
So finding parts easily, is an important thing.

Cause.......Dumb wads keep supporting them making them earn billions over the last few decades or so?!?!? :rolleyes: :doh

You bought! I bought! Doesn't that make us both dumbwads?

Its getting worse. HD just raised the price of bare heads by almost 40%!!! Ouch

Not to support the stealerships, but I think the quality of HD parts is superior to most aftermarket parts. Yah, some are made overseas, but the chrome is excellent! If you've ever had an import bike, even if you keep it in the garage or covered, after a year or so, it looks like it's been left out in a flood. (all the rusty fasteners, chrome, etc.) I know the mark-up is outragious, because you can go to a reputable dealer such as Zanotti and get the same parts for much less! Check them out at zanottimotor.com

I have to disagree.
I've had several japanese bikes over the years, some only under a cover outside not in a garage.
Even the cheapest models had rotors that didn't rust.
The first bike I've ever owned that had rust issues was my Sportster.
The rotors and fuel opening showed rust in less than 6 months in a clean dry garage with partial heat.
I had to paint my rotors and rust treat the fuel opening.
The center thingy of my headlight even has rust.

People will always pay for the little bar and shield. I've bought plenty from online shops, for more reasonable prices. If it's a cover or something small, I'll buy it from harley. something like exhaust, forward controls, tires, grips...I'll grab online. Not ebay though. Ever look at the parts(covers) that they sell? Some have made in Taiwan stamped on them or somewhere on the packaging. Cheap crap, high mark up.

Yourself included? ;):p Or is EVERYTHING that isn't stock on your bike from the aftermarket? :confused:

:laugh :laugh :laugh :laugh

The aftermarket has great support at almost half the cost.......so YES......:rolleyes: :p



collinsb
You bought! I bought! Doesn't that make us both dumbwads?


I bought it to ride......not as a trendy lifestyle......so NO!! ;) :p

It's expensive because the marketing and advertisement departments at HD are very good at their jobs. They have sold people on the HD "Lifestyle" rather than products. Think about it, how many people have you see who have 3 or 4 HD shirts, but have never owned an HD? It's supply and demand. Everyone wants the HD "lifestyle," and are willing to pay for it. As long as people keep paying, they'll keep raising the prices.

I simply won't buy from HD, thier prices are rediculous.
I buy used or new from some one else who doesn't want what they just bought, like my Sportster.
It is a 2005 that had 1,435 miles and quite a bit of custom work and parts, I bought it used and payed less than $7k.
My HD boots were bought at a local Mall for $60 + tax), at an HD stealer they are $139.99. All my other goodies are from EBay or Craigslist.

The only reason I go to a HD stealer is to see what I want to find somewhere else.

In general, I don't think HD parts are too high. Ever bought new parts for a Japanese bike?

Great point...

My Dad (Willprevale) had a metric that he needed a front-end part for....guess what? he couldn't get the part.....all he could get was the WHOLE FRONT END...and the cost would spin your head....

ALL parts are expensive.....from ALL dealers...

I don't know about you, but the LAST place I get parts for ANYTHING is a ANY dealership...HD or otherwise...

Yea, I've run into that same thing......... you have to buy the whole freakin' thing to get the 5cent part............I'm inclined to believe they design it and plan it l that way on purpose.......so frustrating. Good for you checking out your other options.

The firm I work for sent me to repair a fork lift seat?.
I found that the height adjuster was snapped it two, ordered up new part[A SMALL DIE CAST ALLOY RACK ABOUT $10]
Next day gets told its not listed and will have to fit a new seat,
About $900

The customer was not happy?
:censor:censor

Peter Egan just wrote a great article in Cycle World, relating to how almost no one, anywhere, actually "repairs" stuff anymore. The experience, training, and tooling is rapidly disappearing all around the globe. I work on 25-50 year old Navy ships. Many of the companies that made their components went out of business years ago - no spares, and no tooling to repair the old junk. Our regional tire and brake chain-store, a VERY POPULAR and VERY REPUTABLE organization no longer "repairs" anything. It all comes pre-boxed at greater expense, still charged at typical "repair" labor - even though they can do a pair of brakes in only 20 minutes. They no longer see value in having skilled mechanics do what R&R technicians can do more times per day.

The MoCo will always charge more. But they do have their deals on parts. Primary gasket was a few dollars, but they had it and I didn't have to wait. I wanted a new tire on my new front rim, and they charged the shit out of me, but they did it, and that day. Nowhere else here in Riverside was open that day, and I probably would have had to wait. So, weigh your pro's and con's and decide if you want to spend the money. Do your homework. Hell, I built my chop with minimal booteek parts. And not the cheepest stuff either. After Hours Choppers shotglass sidemount taillight, was not cheap but it sure looks bitchin'!!! I dropped the original shotglass and broke it (of course). Then I put one that I had in the cabinet in, and it cracked and broke too. So, I spent the 5 bucks for a shot glass at the booteek, and it fit perfect, and has the bar and shield too. Whoopee. But it fits PERFECT! :D

Dale

It is kind of ironic to me......a bunch of HARLEY riders bitching about the company that made their bike.......


But me too, I only buy HD stuff at HD when I have to. I use syn 3 simply because my harley bucks from my Visa card pay for it every year...

Someone else on here said something about the parts being made cheaper overseas, but the savings not being passed on to the consumer- well, part of that is that, yes, people will pay. Where I live, it's kind of a pretentious software/yuppieville, so it's not steel workers who want tough bikes (and can fortunately afford them), its doctors and lawyers, people who make big bucks and really only intend to ride their chrome behemoths on sunny days, that buy them.

I have no 'special' brand loyalty, except that having worked in a vintage bike shop, I'm not that hot on Yamahas... and I def. respect the quality of *most* Harley parts (I'm talking Evo motors, not the p.o.s AMC stuff...) but on my vintage Honda (go ahead, laugh, but it was the first bike I could afford, and started restoring/building while I was a starving student) I get WAY too many 'un-waves', where the yuppster riders out here will take a hand off their handlebars and put it in their lap to make sure no one would ever see them wave at a Honda.

Me? Besides those guys (who get a big grin and wave anyway, maybe more enthusiastically than anyone else) I wave at everyone. Hell, we're all up against cagers together, rain or shine. I pay what I need to to get my parts (working on a 2006 xl883 now) but I do wish I could just go online for the parts fiche and part numbers. That's what bugs me. $48 for what jap bike makers provide free. :P Stock parts cost? not so bad. Accessories? A prison reaming. But for stock parts, just go to your dealer or local pull-off place and get for cheap what some other guy snubbed for a chunk of chrome. Less $$ bikes can be found at great deals on Craigslist or at repo auctions. (that's how we got our current '06 sporty for $2900... some guy's ex wife slashed the tires, beat up some stuff, stole the ignition switch, and he let the repo guys take it... our score!) just recommend you take your mechanic skills with you, maybe a long screwdriver to use as a mechanic's stethoscope to listen for valve noise, etc etc. you might be surprised.

Peter Egan just wrote a great article in Cycle World, relating to how almost no one, anywhere, actually "repairs" stuff anymore. The experience, training, and tooling is rapidly disappearing all around the globe. I work on 25-50 year old Navy ships. Many of the companies that made their components went out of business years ago - no spares, and no tooling to repair the old junk. Our regional tire and brake chain-store, a VERY POPULAR and VERY REPUTABLE organization no longer "repairs" anything. It all comes pre-boxed at greater expense, still charged at typical "repair" labor - even though they can do a pair of brakes in only 20 minutes. They no longer see value in having skilled mechanics do what R&R technicians can do more times per day.

+1! I absolutely agree. No one seems to know how to really 'fix' anything, especially if they can just toss it and buy new. Leaves some nice stuff for those of us with skills, though!