say you have 1993 doesn't harley recommend going to shop for work to done? i think they have turned there back on owners! some of Shops around town refuse to work on bikes older than 10 years this doesn't sound right? Harley wheres the loyality!! lets find out/ if they are forgetting there customers!! or what? You pay $10,000.00 to $20,000.00 for a thing and they drop you like a hot potato!??
2007-11-04 01:52:40 · 10 answers · asked by ? 7 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
You know,
Nobody will work on my Hondas, it's the same thing! Very little is available for my 1983 Honda CB900C, but my 72 Trail 90, is not a problem, because China copied the motor for the new junk they send here. It is ironic that these parts work fine to keep my bike alive!
I work on my own bikes, so my problem is parts availability.
2007-11-04 12:30:02 · answer #1 · answered by Jim! 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Many great answers already, but I can reiterate some of them since I work for a Harley dealership.
You can still get parts for many older models from both Harley and aftermarket companies, although some parts you cannot get from Harley.
The knowledge base of employees at any dealership or "mom/pop" shop is getting lower and lower in both the parts and service side. And besides, you probably would not want someone who just graduated from MMI working on your prized Knucklehead unless they knew the bike from experience. So yes find a place that has a mechanic you can trust and request them every time you need work done that you cannot do yourself. I try to do what I can on my 2001 Nightrain, but rely on the skills and knowledge of the mechanics I know to do most of my work, so finding someone with the skill and knowledge to work on an older model bike is harder to come by. Especially the way most places treat their employees!
On the getting paid for work side, an older model bike can cause more trouble for the tech and cause them to make less money per hour.
I do not think it is so much a loyalty issue as it is a business one. The choice to work on a certain year bikes is usually a choice of the shop, not the Harley Davidson company.
Yes it does suck, but I cannot find anyone I trust to correctly work on my 73 240z, so I have learned to do most of the work myself (although messing up something on a motorcycle can be more serious that a car).
2007-11-04 10:10:38 · answer #2 · answered by nin_tao 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's because you're dealing with the dealership. Find a well spoken of mechanic in a independent shop. Harley only deals with years and models in high demand. Once the demand reduces they drop contracts to produce those parts that are now considered obsolete. Also remember that the dealerships are franchises and primarily staffed with young mechanics fresh out of tech. schools trained in the LATEST models with little experience in Flathead, knuckleheads, panheads, shovelheads and even blockheads. Are parts for these Harleys hard to get? Not at all. Contact J & P cycles and get a catalog you can find anything you might need. Independent machine shops are still producing them just not for Harley-Davidson. The reason is demand. Go to any run and it's getting rare to find a Shovelhead let alone a Pan or Knuckle.
I also don't beleave the reason is to get you to buy a new bike. Look around in a Harley dealership and you can easily see their consistant income is from shirts, leathers, jewelery and the like. The mark up on a new bike is realitively low. And the parts department is staffed by fairly uninformed personel and poorly stocked even for later models.
2007-11-04 02:39:42 · answer #3 · answered by puttndutchman 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I don't believe it has anything to do with parts. I owned a 1978 FLH(shovelhead) from 1984 until this year and never had a problem getting parts. It was always finding a shop that had an older workforce to work on it. The newer mechanics are only trained on the newer models.Luckily, I live near Brandts Harley Davidson in Wabash, and the brothers grew up Harley, so they work on all models.There is also Moodys Cycle in Kokomo that has always worked on my older bike and gotten parts.They are not a genuine Harley shop, though.I have a 2004 RoadKing now, and Harley is making it difficult for independent shops like that to get the necessary info to work on the newer bikes. They want you locked into Harley service only, but only if you have a newer bike. It is not fair. But, that is life!
2007-11-04 02:16:46 · answer #4 · answered by Harley Lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
We do basic service on shovels, and anything on evo's. That being said, here's why we do charge more for these bikes.
We work on commission (if we ain't working on a bike then we ain't getting paid). when we get a bike that should only take us 3 hours to do a 10k service and it takes us 5 hours because of broken bolts, stripped screws, warped covers, clogged zirt fittings, rusted/corroded anything.
Who pays the bill? Should we work for free on a bike that the owner did not take care of? Should we charge the owner for these extra parts that should not have to be replaced? How do we tell the owner that what should have been done at 12 now won't be done until 5?
It is a money thing, put yourself in the owners shoes and think about this but why work on 1 bike when you can work on 2 or maybe 3 bikes in the same amount of time.
So a lot of dealerships in large markets do send the older bikes to garages that they trust and have done business with in the past.
My suggestion is find a shop that you trust, (dealership or aftermarket) and take your bike to them.
2007-11-04 03:46:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Parts availability is why? Older bikes you have to shop around find used or salvage parts off wrecks. Some shops these days deal in brand new choppers and don't have time to mess with old and dirty. Besides bike shops really want to sell you a new Heritage Soft Tail with all the chrome and that could cost as much as $40,000 dollars these days. They will put your old bike in the used bike sales lot and some one will buy it. Harbor freight, Northern Tool, buy a motor cycle lift and service manuals and tools learn how to do your own maintence at least you will know it was done right!
2007-11-04 02:02:43 · answer #6 · answered by John Paul 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Some places just no longer carry parts that old. Its the same with old cars. Its hard to get parts for them anymore, so you have no choice but to go to a junk yard for parts. Those old bikes are classics and if someone cares enough to keep them in good working order...those companies should be obligated to the loyal customer to provide them with either service or a place to get service. For now you are stuck with either having to try and fix it on your own or finding someone who can and may charge you an arm and leg!
2007-11-04 02:03:16 · answer #7 · answered by Soniafrompa 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i'd say convey a toy of his to the save with you so he has something to play with and shop him busy. If he throws a tantrum...forget approximately him. whilst my 2 year old gets cranky and starts off performing out on an identical time as paying for, I purely enable her do it and pass approximately my organisation. i don't sense embarrassed what others would say or think of. young ones are young ones. sturdy success to you!
2016-11-10 05:55:05 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it seem like the Harley company is not as loyal to it brand as most of it's customers. Sad to says it is just becoming money to them also.
2007-11-04 02:05:58 · answer #9 · answered by nevergrold 6 · 0⤊ 3⤋
It aint just harley bro! it's all of them. all good answers above though.
2007-11-04 05:35:28 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋