Man, I feel sorry for you folks that have crappy dealers. 'Cuz Shumate-Spokane flat ass rocks!

Went in there a couple weeks back to show Stephanie in Motorclothes the ripped zipper on my MoCo leather coat. It had been a couple months since I bought it and it being a garmet and all I wasn't sure what she would say. She looked at and said, "No problem. I can send it back but that will take 8-10 weeks and I know you want to ride, so..." She grabs one of her business cards and (from memory) writes down the address/number of a lady I can take it too for repair. Free.

"But," says I, "I have to work a long stretch and then have some stuff I have to do one my one day off before I go back so I'm not sure when I can make it out there..."

"Don't worry about it," says she. "I'll remember. Just take it out there when you can. Just be sure to let me know before hand so I can call her and tell her we are paying for it."

"Cool!"

I've been really busy so now, about four weeks later I finally get around to taking care of the coat. I had to go right by Shumate on my way to the leather shop so I just stopped in to tell Steph I was headed out there. As I am walking up to the counter she looks up at me and says, "Well Hello Erik. Get that coat fixed yet?" How cool is that? Not just remembering my problem but knowing my name too.

So anyway, I tell her I'm on my way and she asks if I would stop back by and let her know if I had any trouble getting out there. The shop is quite a ways out on the edge of the city and there is a TON of construction going on. She wanted to be able to tell other customers if there any road problems so they could be forewarned. Looking at for her customers.

So I went to the tiny little shop and the lady in there was great. If you are in this area and want leather work done (from sewing on patches to having custom coats/chaps made) call Teri's Custom Leather. It is a blink and you miss it kind of place but she is a sweet lady. She has to be good too because Steph don't mess around with folks who ain't! Teri said she had been doing work for Steph for years, back to when Steph worked in a leather shop. So I'm pretty certain she does good work. Ain't the tiny shops always the best no matter what they do?

So Teri hooked me up right there on the spot. Turns out Steph got busy and hadn't called her yet but no matter. I showed her the Shumate card that Steph wrote her address down on and that was good enough for her. She said she'd call her later if she didn't hear from her. She did comment on how flustered she gets by the internal quality of MoCo leather items. She kept mumbling, "expensive coat, think they'd do a better job. This is why you spend the moey to have them made!" :)

Teri advised the repair may not hold and I may need to bring it back for an entire new zipper. Okie Dokie. I cruised back over to Shumate to see Steph again. Told her the road going out was clear and Teri is a gem. Told her I may need a zipper replacement and she said no problem, just let me know if you do and we'll take care of it.

Then I talked to Eric the Sales Manager on behalf of a fellow XLF member and gathered up some info. Eric was, as always, cool and helpful.

Then I cruised back to the service department to see Larry. Larry is a cool guy. I ask Larry how much rise I can put on my bike before I have to start swapping out cables. He starts to answer and then says, "You know what? Come with me." So I follow Larry back into the shop and he starts digging through his big roll away tool box. Eventually he pulls out a set of polished aluminum risers. About 3.5-4" tall with maybe a 1" pullback. "I put these on my wife's XL standard and didn't have to change out a thing. Had to do a little re-routing but nothing big and nothing you can't handle."

"Wow," says I. "That's cool. More than I expected." We chit-chatted a little about them and I go to hand them back to him. Get this! He says, "Naw just take 'em. Try 'em out on your bike and see how they feel. If you like 'em we can work a deal or you can buy new ones or whatever. And if you don't just bring 'em back to me."

No shit! I say, "Wow Larry that is really cool of you but I have to work this weekend and there is no way I can get to it and next weekend we are thinking about going..." He cuts me off and says, "I ain't worried about. Get to it when you can. No big deal. I trust ya." That folks is a stand up guy!

Then on my way out of the shop I meet a guy who just bought a 1200C. Pretty all decked out in chrome. It was blue and not black but no one is perfect. :D ANyway, he's an older gentleman and has that "I just bought a Harley" grin onhis face. Salesman (Ray who is also a cool guy) is giving him the "You just bought a Harley" tour. I interupt. Shake his hand, congratulate him, and point to the XLForum.net card I posted on the bulletin board (that Jeff aka SharkDoctor sent me). Told him all about us and encouraged him to pay us a visit.

Man was he excited about that bike! Ran into him again outside after they had wheeled his new ride out. Ray had gone inside to get something so the old guy and I chatted for a few. Said his son rides a '95 Sporty and he had wanted a Harley since he was 8 years old and saw his first one. Said he could never afford one but now that he is retired he said what the hell. Said his son was out of town and this was going to be a surprise for him. The old man showing up on HIS Sporty to ride with his son. How frickin cool is that?

Aside from the two crack whores that tried to kill me today (girls bike my ass! thank God for torque! Oh yeah, keep 'em revved in traffic) it was an AWESOME day.

To make a very long story just slightly shorter: SHUMATE-SPOKANE ROCKS!!!

:clap :tour :clap

Great read Gotwa. Sounds like you have yourself a dealer. Do they sell at MSRP?

I wish more dealers hired people like that, had a similar experience here when the shock adjuster would not fit my spring collar, told him I could modify though pretty easily, he then knocked like 20 percent off since I should not have to pay full cost for something that needs work.

Great read Gotwa. Sounds like you have yourself a dealer. Do they sell at MSRP?

Yep. Across the board. They don't pull any hinky stuff and tell you straight up why the cost you are seeing on the paper is above MSRP. MSRP+Shipping, etc. They are just a great bunch of folks.

On a side note, I learned that the former General Manager (Dave) bought the HD dealership in Boise, Idaho. Dave is a great guy! He was a part owner here but moved upward and onward. He took with him Kurt (My salesman and an awesome guy) and Peggy (a great girl and pretty to boot). So if you are around the Boise area I have no doubt HD Boise will give you great service.

A guy at work just bought a Buell Lightning from Shumate and he and I were talking. And he was just carrying on about how cool all the folks were at the dealer. Said it is good to know they care about you even after the sale. In fact, he said that is what made up his mind. He said he wanted a crotch rocket and every Jap dealer here in town treated him like shit. The whole, "if you aren't spending today, we don't have time" kind of car salesman crap. So he had it narrowed down to the Buell or some other damn thing and when he went into Shumate and they treated him they way they do everyone who walks through the door, he put his money down.

Service is alive and well it is just a damn shame it is so hard to come by!

I wonder if they would pay to fly me up there if I bought my bike there and rode it home. Washington to Texas. That would be a hell of a way to break in a new bike.

I wonder if they would pay to fly me up there if I bought my bike there and rode it home. Washington to Texas. That would be a hell of a way to break in a new bike.

Nope. Not unless you buy a used one. As a matter of fact that was the info I was gathering for one of our fellow members. Seems HD frowns on them selling bikes to folks outside their respective regions. Messes with their demographics and they will short them that unit the following year. Now I don't know why some dealers will sell and ship but I reckon it is because they aren't concerned about the following year's allocations.

I cruised back over to Shumate to see Steph again. Told her the road going out was clear and Teri is a gem. Told her I may need a zipper replacement and she said no problem, just let me know if you do and we'll take care of it

I think she want's ya dude :laugh :p :laugh :smoke

I think she want's ya dude :laugh :p :laugh :smoke

HA! As much of a comliment as that would be, I reckon she's just a good gal. That sad, she did say she isn't as innocent as folks sometimes think. And of that I have no doubt. ;)

You don't think that means Larry wants me do ya? :laugh

Nope. Not unless you buy a used one. As a matter of fact that was the info I was gathering for one of our fellow members. Seems HD frowns on them selling bikes to folks outside their respective regions. Messes with their demographics and they will short them that unit the following year. Now I don't know why some dealers will sell and ship but I reckon it is because they aren't concerned about the following year's allocations.

I had no problems buying a new bike from Tukwilla last year. I did most of the dealing over the phone and they even delivered it to my house 180 miles away, no cost to me. Bought my bike at MSRP but they did charge the going rate around here for freight and set-up.

I had no problems buying a new bike from Tukwilla last year. I did most of the dealing over the phone and they even delivered it to my house 180 miles away, no cost to me. Bought my bike at MSRP but they did charge the going rate around here for freight and set-up.
Yep but that was an in-state purchase. What I was inquiring about was an out of state purchase.

hummmmmmmmmm maybe I should tattoo Shumate on my ass????? :rolleyes:

hummmmmmmmmm maybe I should tattoo Shumate on my ass????? :rolleyes:
I bet we could get a free t-shirt for that. :D :D :D

Hi Erik.

I had a problem with a set of MoCo chaps I got at the moving sale(80.00 bucks!) and the dealer told me to take it to any shop I wanted, and they would re-inbuce me, and they did.
Latus....yes Latus in Portland did that for me.

I know they sell a lot of bikes to the Idaho guys as well, but they probably include that in the demographic due to the proximity. Gotwa we gotta go ridin soon!