Freedom Harley here in Denver said they would charge me around $70 for a regular oil change! :yikes :yikes :yikes :censor That! Now thats what I call a Stealer -ship! I can get it done for $30. I was just in that part of town and thought I would give em a call.

Do it yerself- it's a beautiful way to get acquainted with yer scoot.

Do it yerself- it's a beautiful way to get acquainted with yer scoot.

I can't even wrap my mind around this...lol

Hi.

Before you start calling them names, you need to ask just what they are doing for 70.00.
If it just 3 quarts of oil and a filter then you are right. But if it inclueds things like a test ride, fliud topping and adjusting things, then it sounds about right.

You need to ask.

Hi.

Before you start calling them names, you need to ask just what they are doing for 70.00.
If it just 3 quarts of oil and a filter then you are right. But if it inclueds things like a test ride, fliud topping and adjusting things, then it sounds about right.

You need to ask.

Clearly the cost is not out-of-line with posted labor rates...

60.00 per hour...

So, they're charging you 1/2 hr - 3/4 labor (some dealers won't split an hour) and then fluid and filter costs...

Totally reasonable.

Not true.
We(As Mechanics) change by the .1 of an hour (A 1/10 is 6 mineuts)
Most shop use a shop min, ususaly it is a 1/2 hour.
Most oil changes pay .3 to .5, depends on the vehical.

Like I said, it depends on what they do beside change the oil.

Not to be contrary, but what you log (as a meknik in the shop) isn't necessarily what is charged to the customer in all shops... ;)

A test ride? with an oil change? I couldn't get them to test ride the bike when it ran like crap due to...it turned out later...a crack in my carburatur bowl. "We don't have time for test rides...you tell us the symptoms, we'll look up the solution in the manual and change the right part." They told me the lurching was due to an old chain and sprocket combination.

OK did not mean to start a war here! :eek: 1st off Thank you Cantolina! 2nd Red Rider, Do you work 12 + hrs a day and work a 2nd job? Raise 2 young kids,ride 99% of the time and try do get :censor done?Try my life for a week and talk about an oil change. 3rd Jeffytune, Do you know the guys at Freedom? Well I have a friend that works there. And yet they still want to charge me $70 for a REGULAR :censor ing oil change!!!I don't want to scrape any body;s bones here.......But I will call FREEDOM H-D whatever the :censor I want to call them! :madhead :madhead :madhead Now as far as RMHD, I have nothing but RESPECT for them. :sorrysign :soap :soap :soap :soap :soap :soap :soap :dammit :xlrocks :urock :wtf


















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Take it easy friend, Red Rider (Rob) is a good guy and was just making a suggestion because so many people are scared to try it themselves. He didn't know your circumstances.

As for shops charging by the tenth of the hour, I have NEVER seen any kind of mechanical shop that charges anything less than 1/2 hour increments. 15 mins is a 1/2 hour. 45 mins is an hour. And so on.

You think they get you on an oil change, what till they have to really do something! I'm a busy guy myself, don't want a mile in your boots, but it is a good way to get to know your bike. Spend some money on a shop manual, and change your oil.
Call your dealer and ask them about brake pads. I replaced my rear ones Saturday on the back porch in about 20 minutes, for less than $13. Knowing a little more about your ride, car/bike/tank just makes for more peice of mind. Something we can all use more of. :tour

...yep....what he said.

As for shops charging by the tenth of the hour, I have NEVER seen any kind of mechanical shop that charges anything less than 1/2 hour increments. 15 mins is a 1/2 hour. 45 mins is an hour. And so on.

FYI,Latus Motors Portland Or. charges to 1/10th hr.
They used to own the shop up in Spokane too but sold it a couple years back.

FYI,Latus Motors Portland Or. charges to 1/10th hr.
They used to own the shop up in Spokane too but sold it a couple years back.

No kidding huh? Well, I stand corrected then.

And yeah, Sumate out of Kennewick bought them out up here. HUGE change for the better! Latus would not look at you crosswise if you didn't have a $100 taped to your forehead. Altho some folks say the Shumate in Kennewick is terrible and the Latus in Portland is awesome. Local managers I reckon.

I look at what I wrote now from last night,and I feel like a :censor Head. Sorry. :)

I look at what I wrote now from last night,and I feel like a :censor Head. Sorry. :)

I have bad days, but when my wife has a bad day, I have a really bad day. ;)

I look at what I wrote now from last night,and I feel like a :censor Head. Sorry. :)

We have those times man. It was cool of you to come back and say so.

This thread has died but I had to give props to Downtown HD in Tukwila (just South of Seattle) home of the $9.95 oil change. They even wash the bike and have you back out in good time. :clap

My bike has been at the dealership for the 1000 mile service since last wednesday. Im about to explode. :censor :censor :frownthre

This thread has died but I had to give props to Downtown HD in Tukwila (just South of Seattle) home of the $9.95 oil change. They even wash the bike and have you back out in good time. :clap
$9.95! Wow! That is great! I wish it was closer. Guy

$9.95 for an oil change? whats the catch? thats less than the cost of the oil and filter alone. do you have to have bought the bike from them? or is that $9.95 labor plus the cost of the oil/filter? damn, wish i lived closer too.

i was going to be gone for a few days , so i called the local shop to see what a oil change for engine and tranny would be... 100 bucks...
i waited and did it my self early one sat morning..
really fought to get the plugs out of the primary cover ,never did get the one loose that covers the clutch . im going to try and give it a shot with pentrating oil every day and then try again.

$9.95 for an oil change? whats the catch? thats less than the cost of the oil and filter alone. do you have to have bought the bike from them? or is that $9.95 labor plus the cost of the oil/filter? damn, wish i lived closer too.

A quart of my OIL costs that much....lol

Free haircuts on Wednesdays too! :D

So I think the catch is that they are doing oil and filter but maybe not tranny fluid - I'm going down today so I'll check. You don't have to have bought the bike there but they do the oil changes from 8 am to 12 pm weekdays which is difficult for people working during the day. It's probably a good way to get people hanging out in the store during an otherwise slow time for them.

what ever town you live in has the worst of , well, whatever. the worst cops , the worst hospital, the worst streets , the worst ..... well you get my drift

hows the saying go? "the grass is always greener....."

but this is the modern times and if ya don't like what ya got put 2 and a half bucks worth of gas in your bike and go to the next town , their stuff is always better ;)

i was going to be gone for a few days , so i called the local shop to see what a oil change for engine and tranny would be... 100 bucks...
i waited and did it my self early one sat morning..
really fought to get the plugs out of the primary cover ,never did get the one loose that covers the clutch . im going to try and give it a shot with pentrating oil every day and then try again.

I had trouble with my primary cover bolts just about everytime. I swaped those Torx out for allen sockets this spring.
A couple of hints on those bolts, warm the bike up first. Then when you put the torx bit in the screw head, tap it with a hammer first.
If you happen to strip a torx head out (like I did) you can use a cheap torx bit one size bigger, and tap it inplace with a hammer. I always use a ratchet and socket to turn the bits.

My primary cover leaks, still does. But I was able to slow the leak to almost nothing by tightening the bolts that hold the cover on, while the bike was hot.