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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 พ.ย. 2024
- I love Harley Davidson motorcycles but some of the dealers I have encountered frankly suck. I explain how I arrived at this conclusion for my local Harley Davidson dealership after multiple bad encounters over the years. The latest episode was when I tried to get a price on a Street Bob 114 that I test rode.
• Street Bob 114 Demo Ride
For the record, I have encountered good Harley dealers, they just don't seem to be in the majority anymore.
Please let me know what your experience at Harley Davidson dealerships has been in the comments section and thanks for watching!
I went to a dealer looking for a used 1200. They had a few that were 1 to 2 years old, they were fairly priced but still a bit too much. I told them I was looking for a carbed bike because I know how to work on em, so these last couple weeks they sent me some they got as trade ins....atleast 2k above what they were going for on marketplace, I found a SWEET 96 1200 for 3k on marketplace and couldn't be happier
That is a solid deal. Most places won't work on a carbed bike so it is good that you can do it yourself.
It's the same thing with the Harley dealer here in West Palm Beach. They are Crooks. It makes me want to sell my Harley because I can't trust the repairs at the dealership. They tried to steal $1,000 from me.
An independent shop can do the work if you have a good one in your area. They might not be able to do the computer related stuff though.
I bought my first motorcycle (used 2015 street glide) from a harley dealer, the vibe i got was a bunch of old men that acted like i was clueless and only cared about my money and acted like they were doing me a favor, wouldnt tell me my rate for financing while i had money to put down, it was basically "what can you afford a month" in the end they finally gave me a price including "fees" that totalled 8 grand over their sticker price, i walked, came back 2 weeks later and they agreed on their sticker price, i felt insulted and a bit degraded, what i thought was gonna be a fun experience, was really not fun
Those types of crummy dealers can't go out of business fast enough. Sure they can survive when times are good, but I don't that many of them will make through the next recession.
The monthly payment presentation is a classic dealership tactic use to separate poor negotiators from their money! Good for you, you beat them.
Yeah I don't buy from dealers that don't tell me the price upfront on the bike or website
The "Get A Quote" button on dealer web sites is an absolut joke. I clicked it on for different dealer sites and all I got was endless phone calls, text messages and emails from all of them and never a price quote. I blocked their number and they just called from another number. These dealers are like scientologist.
All that stuff is just a contact info generator. Dealers sell still sell bikes as if the internet had never been invented.😀
Yup- I had one guy tell me he's not going to go through the 'hassle' of working up a price just so I'd buy somewhere else. I had to remind him that that's is the essence of competition. You provide a price, present options with respect to value based on service and quality workmanship... then let the consumer decide. Harley-Davidson apparently thinks it's our 'privilege' to spent $24K+ on a motorcycle. Credit app this.
Dealerships like this are clueless. They act like they were selling Ferraris.
I’ve done this with cars too. They all play games. Back in 2012, I went to buy an Xterra and went to Jersey and didn’t feel it was their best price. I then drove 2 hours west and they gave me more for my trade and less for car itself. A month later, jersey called me back and said car was still available. I was like your manager good cop/ bad cop routine was tired and in this day and age, it doesn’t work like it once did.
This is the reason I’m on a Guzzi and not a Harley. When shopping for my first bike a year ago I went to two dealers horrible experience. I later found out they have the same owner… 🤷♂️. I still want a Harley, I thinking of driving out of state this summer to get it done.
@@LuckyDogGamingI guess Im glad that I never have nor will ever have the urge to buy a Harley, there's a dozen brands that can give me a better alternative to any Harley bike😂
I like going to the Harley-Davidson dealers when they have events going on. Free food and beer. I bought new Harley-Davidson once and it was a horrible experience. Learned from it and won’t ever happen again.
Yes. As others have said, private sales is the way to go on Harleys and avoid all the games at the dealers.
I with ya. That's why I bought an ultra limited from a private person. Your videos are great. Nothing like allowing a well to do paying customer to walk out...
Thanks very much! I agree that private party dealers are the way to go when possible and you save a lot of money.
I just picked up a 2005 Fatboy (a bike I've ALWAYS wanted since I was a kid,) and the local dealership gave me a huge headache of a run around.
They tried the whole "We can finance at 16%" as a first offer, to which I laughed in their face and told them I would be back when I want to purchase with cash. They quickly asked my credit score and after finishing that out, offered to finance at 6% if it was true.
They ran it, offered it at 6, and I walked away with my new low-mileage Fatboy.
But goddamn, talk and trying to run me through the ringer. I won't even go into all the attempted "dealership fees" they tried to tack on. We negotiated that down to something that was much more reasonable, but I'm not going back for my next one after that song and dance.
I'm 40 years old. I'm not some starry -eyed kid buying his first bike, and this was (in fact) a second bike for me to have at home, not even my primary ride.
Now their service dept is great, no qualms there, but I'm not going to play that sales game with them again.
That has been my experience as well. I once asked them why they thought I must be dumb enough to fall for their garbage and they said they had to treat everyone the same!
@@cycletron I hear it from guys in my club more often than not. Several of the brothers have switched over to Indian motorcycles, as they are still US made but apparently don't make you go through the 'Harley Waltz' just to get the actual pricing of the bikes.
Times are changing, and Harley needs to adapt and change too, or they're going to get left behind.
Also, dropping the Sportster was a travesty- the most iconic Harley bike is going to fade out of existence as they age, and losing their only real 'entry level' 883/1200 was a definite mistake.
Granted, I'm biased as I think older 1200's are one of the best bikes for non-touring and around the town/state rides that Harley made, but they're just pricing themselves out of a competitive position... And idiots like me (as well as aging boomers) won't be buying bikes from them forever.
What I'd love to see is a bare-bones entry level 'starter' bike (1000cc modernized cruiser?) For relatively cheap to hook new riders, and (maybe) another Buell style sportbike- I've got a brother with one of those, and man... they are a delight to ride.
American sportbikes would be a virtually untapped market, these days.
@@HyenaOnTheRoad I hear what you are saying. Harley should not have canceled the Bronx Streetfighter. I really don't get why they killed of the 883/1,200 Sportsters either. They could have still sold them in the U.S. (in at least 49 states anyway).
I worked at a HD dealer as a salesman for four months. IT SUCKED to work in that environment as set by the owner and sales manager. An environment as you described in this video. I feel your pain.
I feel for the sales people. Most of them, like you, leave because of how these types of dealerships are run.
Same experience at my local dealer too. I literally drove 2+ hours away to get my wife’s bike a few weeks ago. I even would say that the service department at my local dealer is just as bad. Make an appointment and still have to wait to get checked in for an hour. And it took till the next day to complete it when I was quoted same day service. Seems to be a common them with many dealers. 👍👍on the video
Thank you for your comments. Sorry to hear that you had a similar, bad experience with your dealership. For the sake of the brand I hope they learn.
Another dealer favourite is when you walk in say how much a month
Yes, they love those folks!
Sales in any business is like that, they all get spiffed on extra margin. Some reps sell high margin low quantity and other sell low margin high quantity. You just have to find a dealer that wants to earn your business. Even after you settle on a price, then you have to fight about extended warranty and all the extras. We need a Carvana or other app for motorcycles!
Thank you. I love your "Bikevana" idea.
Check the stock price it’s actually on the rise. Even with the unscrupulous methods. They must be doing something right.
I have several Harleys and I can tell you I will probably never buy another one from a Harley Dealership. They really turn my stomach with their obnoxious antics today.
Agreed. I can't see buying any more bikes fro HD either.
I was at one of the two dealerships here in Tulsa the other day and happened to notice a brand new, 2021, red, iron 1200, that is not on the Harley website so it really caught my eye, not to mention it was absolutely stunning! A salesman noticed me drooling and did his job of trying to sell it to me. Nothing unusual there but what really struck me was he barely got started talking when he quoted me a price of 11k on this brand new 1200! Wow! He just offered up a price on the spot, and a damn good price too! And he did this right in front of everyone so it wasn’t just a price for me, it was just how much the bike is at their dealership! A very different experience than I had at the other local dealership. Also offered to pay the TT&L if I was ready to buy! What? You heard me right, TT&L. I wasn’t ready. I just came in looking for touch up paint, but wow, what a different experience than the place where I actually purchased my iron 883 in October! I will definitely be going there from now on when I get ready to trade up to a soft tail or maybe a PA! Or custom 1250? Very impressed.
That dealership you found is a keeper!
99 percent of youtubers that complain about companies that treat their customers badly, take the high road and say. “I’m not going mention the dealers name”. These dealers are not ever going to change their ways if you don’t throw their name out there. They treat their potential customers like they’re a door mat to wipe their feet on. And then the youtubers say I’m not going to tell you guys what dealer this is, that way you,my viewers unknowingly get ripped off by these guys. I don’t understand.
The point of the video is to point out these dealers practices in a generic fashion that could be of interest to viewers throughout the U.S. and abroad. To make it specific to one dealer in Kansas City would miss the mark and may be of interest to at most a few dozen people. Plus why give them any publicity? If you are in Kansas City I would not recommend trying to buy from Rawhide HD until they improve the way they deal with buyers.
Last bike I bought was with cash and I paid MSRP.....no games, no hidden charges, no dealer mark ups......I did my homework well before the purchase. Harley Davidson of Madison, WI......the only Harley Davidson dealership that I’ll purchase a Harley Davidson Motorcycle.....and I live Colorado.
In St Joseph the Harley dealer is known as the T Shirt Outlet. I tried to buy my 1st HD from them and was told they wouldn't finance with no money down. So I went up into Iowa and bought one. For it's first servicing I took it back to the "t shirt outlet" and they asked me why I didn't buy it there. I told them that the dealer in Iowa got me financing with no money down and they said they would have done that. The funny thing is that the salesman who asked me why I didn't buy it there was the same one who said they wouldn't finance it not more than 2 months earlier. Even having said that, their service department left bolts out. Never again.
That is crazy. I find that many of these sales operations just are not very professional these days. Plus at the Harley dealerships most sales people seem to only be around for a few months, tops. I wonder what, if any, training these folks get.
@@cycletron This happened 20 years ago at a family owned dealership
I’ve been riding Harleys for almost 30 years, I often wonder what compels people to buy new bikes, I’ve always bought secondhand
Yes you save a lot of money, have less hassle but look at all the drama you are missing out on!
@@cycletron I have an ex-wife for that my friend
@@jamestorregrossa3041 🤣
Yes indeed- I've bought 4 Harleys- ALL under book and less than 10,000 miles. I buy them off guys that want to 'try out' being a badass biker boy. Then they either get scared a couple of times, the wife makes him sell it or he discovers he 'doesn't have the time to ride'. I end up with a pristine machine that already has the upgraded exhaust, race tuner, chrome this and that... all for under book because you know... "Harleys retain their value". - Ah- only if you're stupid enough to pay full price. Ride safe everyone.
I had the same experience from my local HD dealership as well. I'm looking to upgrade from my sportster to a softail model and went in to sit on some bikes. The saleman wanted me to apply for a credit application even before talking numbers and added a $4000 markup on the MSRP after inquiring about the slim. In my opinion they seem quite desperate to make a sale and did care about the needs of their customers. I know that HD is a premium brand and I willing to MSRP prices but will not pay for markups. Harleys MSRP are already higher than most competitors of similar models.
Yes I agree with you. There is no reason to pay those mark ups especially when you consider the high depreciation that all vehicles have in the first few years of ownership.
It's not just Harley Davidson dealers.
Most corporations are, have already moved in a direction to target specific customers. Unfortunately, they're not about customer satisfaction. They are about profits, and with a limited inventory, they don't want to sell low. It's a low business strategy, but not illegal.
Well said. I think I am behind the times expecting them to follow a better business model.
@@cycletron
I'll travel more than 90 miles to support a solid business model.
Interesting enough, the Harley dealership on the wasatch front are part of what they call the intermountain dealers. They work together to satisfy the customer.
I haven't been in a bad dealer yet. I'll have to look a little deeper to get a better insight to how the whole thing works.
I
P.s. I appreciate you sharing your insights and experience with all of us. Thanks.
@@63rowell Thank you very much. I appreciate it! There are good dealers out there. I have no interest in bashing the one that is near me that is a pain. I am trying to make it generic so others can avoid similar types.
So, they can't work out a reasonable price, and then KEEP me as a customer. Nooo, they want to jack me, piss me off, and then wonder why I never buy anything from them again, and let everyone else I know how much they suck.....
I'm old enough to have purchased a number of new cars since 1973. So, I'm surprised that motorcycle buyers are shocked by this sales behavior. This has been the standard operating procedure in the car industry for longer than I've been alive.
I have dealt with new car dealers that are straight shooters, but you need to shop several of them in order to find the good ones. My last bike, a Sporster, like all of the bikes on the showroom floor, has a large orange tag on the handlebars with the cost in large print. If went in and saw not stated price, I'd walk the Hell out of there. Oh, and if they ask you how much of a payment you can afford, run, don't walk.
I am thinking that motorcycle sales need to be done more over the internet to give buyers more flexibility just as his happening with cars. I think car and motorcycle purchases tend to be pretty emotional for some people leaving them open to being scammed by shady dealers. But I am with you that if there is a whiff of games going on I am out the door.
@@cycletron True, the car dealers will pull the car that you want in the color you want up to where you’re looking at it while negotiating.
Went to my local harley dealer in bakersfield and I was in the market for a 22 low rider s because of the new 117 motor, told the salesman I was going to be comparing prices between dealership that way I get a good deal. Salesman said I was "trying to go to mcdonalds when I want to go out to an italian restaurant" I wasn't in the mood to argue over such bullshit so I made a point in reaching out to Laidlaws for a price and I got a cheaper price at laidlaws with a 5 year extended warranty and a delivery fee than the out the door price at Bakersfield Harley.
I am glad you got your deal at Laidlaws. Some of the other HD dealers can be real jerks.
Ah, I know that dealership and I have had similar experiences. My final interaction was when they had a used Road King on their website I was interested in so I called to make sure it was there as I'm 45 minutes away. I was told it was there and knowing the history of this store, I made sure to let them know I was traveling some distance to get there so I wanted to make sure it was not sold before I made the trip. I was told a second time it was there. So I immediately headed out.
I arrive 45 min later and surprise, it was already sold but they had plenty on new Road Kings they could sell! They just needed a credit app to get started. No thanks. I found another used RK at a dealer closer to my house but with a few more miles and a better price. I'm out on the old sales games.
I am glad it worked out for you. Those guys know all the tricks. I made a video a few months ago about how that same dealer tried to get me to pay $43,000 for a $29,000 Street Glide Special. We are the ones who walked away. Makes you wonder how many people actually fall for this nonsense.
Here's how to do it. Get an idea of street price from kbb/nada or online bike forums. Call or email several dealers, tell them you're looking to buy, you're contacting multiple dealers and only once (not playing back and forth price bouncing) and that best deal offered is the dealer that gets the sale. Then only mention you're paying cash after they give a price, to the dealer you decide to buy from.
Those are great tips. Please note that in my experience some HD dealers won't provide any pricing unless it is in person. It is like they are doing business in the 1920's.
@@cycletron You're right! I'd just remove those dealers from my options list and they don't get a sale. HD bikes are always a big enough purchase, you can do a radius of like 5-700 miles and if it's a better deal it can pay out. Also punish any crappy local dealers by making the effort to buy elsewhere
@@johncraftenworth7847 I agree with you. It is easy to assume that just because a local dealer is a jerk because they have high demand that it would be like that elsewhere. However there are good dealers out there that are also reasonable to deal with.
All of the dealerships I dealt with in MD were of the high pressure, game playing type. I got screwed pretty good when I bought the Sportster in '99. Those were the days of waiting lists, and I wanted that bike really bad. After also getting screwed by the service department on a warranty issue I never went back. I bought the Street Glide in from another dealer in southern PA in '06. They were straight shooters on a cash deal and very easy to work with (shout out to Zig Zag Dave). I blasted the service department pretty hard on the survey and ended up becoming a minor celebrity there for a while. So I know what that's like. I bought this used Night Train at my local dealer here in East TN (cash deal) and had a good experience. That's been several years ago and there's a new sales manager now, so we'll see what happens when I ask for a test ride.
I hope your experience goes well. HD has a lot of great bikes right now.
@Delo Funk That has happened to me too. It is ridiculous.
Can I ask what dealer you dealt with? I am also in East TN and am looking to purchase soon but not with 5k$ markups.
@@dalemademedoit921 I've been dealing with Colbach H-D in Morristown. Their long time sales manager left a couple of years ago so I don't know how or if their policies have changed since I bought my bike. I've only been dealing with the parts department lately but they've always been decent to me.
The location tells me all I need to know about that dealership. It's a car dealership that sells motorcycles. That's why they only want to sell on credit, they make more money on the finance package than the bike! It's also why they can afford to completely ignore a cash customer. The big-money, deep-pocketed car dealership owners have taken over from the Mom & Pop owners from the past and have completely ruined the buying experience. (PS: Can't believe how much Olathe area has grown. Wow!)
Good point! It is good to be grateful for what we have.
In a lot of dealerships they really don’t care unless you’re buying today because the likelihood of you coming back is very low and they’re gonna look at the sales person as he did not do his job to sell you one today they’re tracked on how many ups they take their closing ratio it’s unfortunate but it’s the way most sales organizations are
Been to that exact dealership for the same exact thing and had a very similar experience.. ended up buying one brand new over in blue springs the next week.
But I would always recommend city cycle sales in junction city, one of the best I've dealt with.
That doesn't surprise me one bit that you had to go to a different dealership. They spend money to hold events each week to attract customers only to run most of them out the door when they try to do a deal. It doesn't make any sense.
AMEN! Although my issue was with the salesman, not the dealership. I knew the GM and and had a longstanding relationship with the dealership for new bikes and service. When I went to buy my GSX-S 1000F, I actually had the salesmen say I was not worth the time and I could not afford the bike. I thought this was a joke. He said he would run a credit app but said I would likely not qualify. All because I was dressed down bringing tires for another bike to be changed out and was dirty. I was 48 at the time and a cash buyer. He told me I was not serious and asked me to leave! I was shocked. Immediately went to find the GM only to find he was on vacation. I knew the head of service so he said they would hold it until the GM got back. Well, one week later, the salesmen was fired and the sales lady I had was awesome. I bought the bike and received a discout and was out the door and very pleased. My best friend who is the same way and has probably 10 times my net worth has come accross this too and we fail to understand this. NEVER judge a book by its cover. Those who have means have no need to flaunt it. A little different then your situation as this was not a dealership but an individual but in my case it is always the sales people that are the problem. What the heck to I have to do, dress up to go make a purchase??? Since when is that a qualifier! That's my rant...
That is a great story of yours! I often get treated this way too. I don't wear fancy clothes (heck I have not even carried a hair comb in 30 years). I think the great sales people get it. I have had great sales people let my young kids sit on bikes they expressed an interest in even though they would be several years away from being able to handle or afford such a bike. The good ones know it is about building long term relationships with the customer (or their kids) and not just look for the quick sale. Even if I were to dress up and drive my best car or bike to the dealership to pique their interest I would still have to get my wife on board with a major purchase decision. What is even more surprising is that some of the more shabby treatment I have received from sales staff has been when no other customer was in the showroom. Go figure.
When it comes to the wife and motorcycles, asking forgiveness is always easier than asking permission! One she sees my smiles from riding it, all is right with the world again!
Hey man. Another good vid.
In Australia dealers are jumping on customers. I just bought a used 48 from a dealer with 1100km on it got the price down $2k, crash bars and free interstate transport.
Had similar with new Deluxe in 2019.
Don't get in your vid that this is a high volume dealer...with that nonsense, the word must be out to keep clear
Thank you! Yes, this was definitely a high volume dealer. The closest fair dealer (not shady) is about 90 miles away. There only problem is limited inventory as compared to the Mega dealers that has 5 of everything and all over MSRP!
i have the SAME issue with the dealers here in NH and Mass, i have a 800+ credit score, i plan to finance with my own BANK because i will get a FAR better rate than any dealership will get me, ALL i Wanted was a Price, and 45 minutes and the sales managers literally pulled the salesman off me and my wife and gave him to a yuppie looking couple , another 40 minutes went buy and STILL NO PRICE !! Finally we LEFT !! Then Another dealer did a bait and Switch, i was looking for a Road King and on line they had a beautiful pearl white and teal road king with SUPER LOW MILEAGE and a below book price, and yeah it here come on down, 2 hour drive later, they were sorry someone bought it in the 2 hours while i drove down......but they had several other Road Kings with higher mileage and higher prices, i turned around and left.........3 months later that same pearl and teal Road King was still on their web site, on cycletrader, on the local craigslist etc.
Wow that is totally crazy. I don't get these dealers. I had a Dodge dealer initially agree for me and my wife to test drive a Challenger only to have them change their mind saying we had to have an agreement (basically a deal in place) before we could do a test drive. These kinds of stories remind me of when I was in my late teens and early 20's. I figured that they thought they could pull this crap with a young person. Now that I am older they are still pulling the same old crap. How would they like it if you called and said you were coming down to buy their Harley only to ghost them afterwards.
I bought a new V Rod in 2017 from the Harley dealer in St Paul Mn. After I went there to pick up the new bike and when I got on it to leave with my new bike I discovered it already had 258 miles on it. Well they said they had borrowed it to someone. I thought I was getting a new unused bike, they offered my a hat or a T shirt. I contacted Harley Davidson and nothing happened. All they want is your money and the truth means nothing to them! The dealership has since been sold.
I just tried to buy my 4th Harley from my local dealership they wanted 20k for a new Softail slim otd and $18k + for a used street bob114 I didn't bite and I'm truly pissed at the way I was treated so now I'm looking at a Indian ftr.
That sucks. Many HD dealers are too short sighted. The FTR is a solid bike so good luck on your hunt!
You're spot on about the low credit/no credit buyers. Thats actually the average buyer, and they all get preyed on. One deal i saw a guy got half what his bike was actually worth in trade, and 19% interest on the newer but still used model. Rode out of there living his dream by paying $500/month on a 5yr-old Dyna!
I can see why they might not display prices on their bikes, but this is beyond crazy. I absolutely love it when you find a HD store that has all the bikes clearly marked. There are not a lot of them around but some very large dealerships mark them all. Temecula HD comes to mind. Their prices are high but its close to San Diego and at least the believe in price tags, and i presume you can find wiggle room
I worked at an HD dealership for years, and I have 8 bikes, but zero of them from a dealer. Whats that tell you?! I saw them even screw over employees, who should be your best PR guys if you treat them right. Heck my friend worked there longer than me and seemed to be more buddy buddy with the managers and he still got a better deal on 2 different Harleys he bought from the BMW dealership!
I think that many of these Harley dealers have so many of their buyers underwater on the trade value that it has cannibalized future sales.
Maybe things work differently in Canada? If I go into my local HD dealer every new bike has a price tag on it and that price is the MRSP directly from the HD website. Now of course the out the door price will include PDI, freight and taxes but if I ask the OTD price I will have it inside of 5 minutes. I have never heard of anyone having to fill out a credit app just to get a price.
There are definitely differences among the dealerships. I think the more problematic ones are the Mega dealers who have 40,000 square foot buildings and multiple locations owned by automotive groups or investment banks.
You have to dig to find it, but on Harley's website is a statement saying they compensate the dealers for doing pre-delivery setup and inspection. So anything you give the dealer for doing PDI is pure profit for them.
@@kingkrimson8771 That is a good find!
@@cycletron Thanks. Scroll to the bottom of the home page, click on Disclaimers, and see disclaimer #06. When I presented this info to my dealer they were clearly surprised that someone knew about it. They tried to claim that the amount Harley gives them isn't enough to cover their actual costs for doing the PDI so I said, "that's something you need to complain to Harley about, not me".
@@kingkrimson8771 Thank you! That is awesome.
Buy from a individual, lightly used, finance through local bank or credit union. 🤔 i learned the hard way! Avoid eagle mark financial at all costs!!!
Great advice. The number of repos with Eaglemark has gone way up.
I walked into local dealer in 2007. I wanted out the door price. Cash or certified check. Salesman would not give me a price without completing loan application. I have not been inside a dealership since.
Many of the dealers are still like that. They won't give you a price over the phone either, you have to go there in person and play games for hours. They want people who finance their purchases and are mostly concerned with the mostly payment amount. Eventually this kind of nonsense will catch up to them.
You have a find a sales person who really wants to help you, regardless of the dealership. I've seen great sales guys at average dealers and the other way around. Just work with that person for any bike you buy. Look for a sales manager or a veteran, or a guy who is older who doesn't have time for jerking you around. When I purchased from a dealer, I walked in and asked for the best sales person because I'm going to buy a bike this week. That got their attention. Also ask members of the H.O.G. chapter at that dealer....they all know who the good sales person is.
Great advice. Thank you!👍
Yup! Rawhide in Olathe KS Same exact experience. They are horrible, it's like some f'ed up game they play that I wanted nothing to do with
Agreed. They own about 13 other dealerships across the country too which says a lot about HD supporting these shady dealer practices.
I went for two test drives. They couldn’t tell the cost of them. I went inside no price on anything but 1 left over 1200 sportster 11,000 today only $279 for 60 months. That’s $17,000 $1,000 a year interest are they crazy.
You're right. Those prices are ridiculous!
I've heard these days if you want to pay cash and have good credit. Finance it through the dealership, then just pay it off the first month. They may give you a better deal thinking they will get you in the long run with interest.
That is a good idea. They will definitely charge more if they know you are a cash buyer.
I've heard in another video comment section if they see you do this they will mess with you when you come back for service warranty stuff.
I went through this last year on a 2020 Low Rider. I had sold cars years ago so I tried to make it as easy as possible but that didn’t work. Good dealerships adjust to each customer, I was at a “one size fits all” store. Once the smoke had cleared I was paying a little over retail, maybe 15 years ago but times have changed. A couple of weeks later I came across a 79 FXEF on EBay. Same small dual tanks, instrument pod in between the tanks, buckhorn bars, mid controls but with a swing arm, a kicker and no complicated electronics. If I want to tighten a bolt I don’t have to worry about a warranty, and being a Shovelhead I will be tightening some bolts. 25k miles, very close to stock with all modifications reversible, no leaks and a really good owner to deal with. Even though it was out in the middle of nowhere it was in my garage in 2 weeks, and with title, license and insurance I was at less then half of what that new Low Rider cost. If there’s a new model, Street Bob 114 in Orange for instance, prepare to drive around and suffer but if you just want a nice Harley, hit the classifieds. Enjoy every ride and be safe.
Wow that is a great deal you got. I know many people are now done messing with dealers and new bikes.
@@cycletron Thanks, I really like the old Shovels and Ironheads. I started liking Harleys in the 70’s and they were the bikes Harley was making at that time. Back then most dealers around here were small and family owned, they really appreciated their customers. All that changed in the 90’s but I’m glad I was around in the old days. Keep up the good work.
@@turbosure7873 Thanks a lot!
It has been the same for me in Australia in the past. Ive just purchased my second Harley after shopping around at a few dealerships. The difference may be that the majority of the HD Dealers in Australia have price tags on their bikes. The whole shell game BS has definitely cost a few a 40k sale though.
I thought it was just a U.S. thing but I am hearing that this kind of bad experience is common all over the world. Thank you for commenting.
Harley's campaign to close the smaller dealerships will only make this problem worse. More and more dealerships will be run by big conglomerates, just as it is in the auto sales industry. Not good news for buyers looking for straight answers that's for sure.
You are right. HD is favoring the mega dealer with huge stores and multiple locations. They dealer I went to on Saturday (who would not bother to give me a price) is about a 50,000 square foot store that is open 7 days a week (did someone say high overhead).
Great video here in the UK bikes have a price tag including tax and on the road price. Streetbob 114 £1545.00 that price will be the same. Different dealership's tend to offer discounts on stage 1 and accessories etc to get you to purchase a motorcycle from them. As for financial credit score they can do a check with your permission and it doesn't affect your credit rating as that is illegal if it does. Dealerships tend to ask if you paying installments or not if you haven't mentioned how you be paying for your motorcycle. Majority of people purchasing a Harley Davidson tend to put a big deposit down over half the value or the whole value and have extras on finance ie stage 4 ,custom paint etc.
Thank you for your comments. Sounds like you all generally have a better purchase experience.
The dealers have prices on them. They just add a 3K added dealer markup. On the net, it always says "call for price." To me that always says bend over.
Here’s how to buy a bike, step 1 test drive the bike to see if you want it Step 2 ask how much will it cost Step 3 tell the salesman thanks have a great day. Step 4 start shopping at other Dealers!
That's about right!😀
Yes, buy used if you want to feel good about the buying process, got a nice 08 Softail Custom last spring with 9000 miles for $5,800.00.
Harley dealer in PA just outside Philadelphia tried to sell me a SG special for $5000 over MSRP. Did the 4 square gimmick, wouldn’t give me the full break down on the inflated price (added accessories, markup etc) and offered 50% trade in value on my paid off bike that’s less than 2 years old with very low miles.
Harley dealer near the jersey shore had a $6000 markup on a standard street glide. Had the price tag hanging with the breakdown of accessories added and a whole bunch of useless overpriced scam fees.
Hence why I’m not buying a Harley anytime soon.
It is crazy. Eventually it will be a buyers market again. I just can't tell you when, but my guess is it will happen inside of 2 years and the tables will be turned.
It’s a shame that some dealers operate that way... my local dealers are pretty good, I can get a price easily enough if it isn’t already listed on the sticker, I haven’t seen anything marked over MSRP yet, and they offer me a test ride even if they know that I’m not planning to buy a bike right this minute.
That sounds like you have a good dealer. The closest good dealer to me is 90 miles away. I don't know what percentage of dealers out there operate in a simple transparent manner but I suspect it is less than half these days.
You ever wonder why they’d be letting you ride bikes that someone else is going to come in and buy like it’s the community bike? Seems like a pretty ignorant thing to be doing
Many HD dealers seem to think they are doing you a favor by selling the bikes. I went to ck out then new 500cc bike , sales guy instantly tried to convince me to go with the bigger Sportster. The dealers themselves hurt sales of the 500.
I have seen that attitude too. Anything that is a non-traditional Harley doesn't seem to get much encouragement from many people, dealers included. The dealers better embrace the Pan America more than they did the LiveWire or they will be in real trouble in my opinion.
Check out the Royal Enfield's. I've owned BMW's, Harley's and Honda's and currently own a R1200GS. I ride the shit out of my Interceptor 650. It isn't unusual to be asked about the bike or complemented. It's inexpensive and the parts are really inexpensive.
I know this dealership and have done business with them I have gone else where since. I don't know why I would ever buy a new MC for more than MSRP. The dealer pays approximately 80 percent of MSRP and then the service center gets a few bucks off of the set up. I want my dealer to make money but there is no justification for them to make 5 to 7,000 dollars off of a 20,000 dollar or less bike. I have never traded one in, bought on a payment plan, or bought years of an extended warranty. Not that each ought not be justified on their own but for a new bike price is all that matters to me.
I agree with you. Buying a bike at MSRP should be more than fair for all parties involved. Nobody would ever put up with McDonalds changing prices on their food items throughout the day depending on the individual customer.
Same for me in the UK - well, Belfast and Sykes were great customer experiences however, I recently went into Plymouth and all bar one person there made me feel like a spare part to buying a new FXBBS. So much so that I came home afterwards and felt bad and thought if this is what the buying experience is like, what is the after-sales gonna be like? I sent an email backing out the sale - their £16K loss...
More people should vote with their wallet like you did to get these dealers back in tune with their customers.
I pay cash for bikes. If I can't afford to pay in full, I don't buy. I hate the idea that I will owe a bank money. I was recently in a dealership looking at the Honda Crosstourer. I asked the guy how much it cost and he said.."it is an expensive bike". I guess that because I don't look like a yuppie the guy assumed I was broke as well!!!! Well, that is the reason I buy used bikes that the yuppies keep for 10 or 20,000 klm and then loose interest in going from their house to the coffee shop and back. I will be in the market for a BMW 1200/1250 soon. The internet is loaded with great deals from people like I mentioned before. So, I will walk into a dealership with an envelope of money and they will bend over backwards for the cash.....simple and effective. I'll keep my credit rating for other things...maybe. Banks are thieves anyway!!
Yes you are right. Cash is King!
Well, if their sales experience sucks, what makes you think the service experience will be better? Culture is culture with these people.
Great content Cycletron and Right you are and experiences vary but I think you have something there where they want to make the money off of financing and people with bad credit , cash buyers be damned!
My experience with local dealer is as follows. I bought a brand new dark blue pearl 2008 ultra classic in late 2007 for $26k and some change otd. I paid with a certified check from my own bank account with my own money and I waited 2 months and I never got the title. So, I called the dealership and asked them about the title and they said they sent it to the lien holder. I asked how is there a lien holder on a bike that I payed $26k of my own money just with a certified bank check? They would not admit what they did wrong but they changed the pink slip and paperwork after it was completed and I left with the bike which I think was illegal. That was a problem and I ended up having to call the bank and get them to send me the title that didn't belong to them because the bike was paid with my own money but apparently the dealer didn't think I was capable of having that kind of money so just assumed that it was a loan check from the bank even though it had no loan paperwork to go with it and it wasn't which was a very disheartening and negative experience in regards to that dealership. But anyway, that and the worst handling Harley (08 Flhtcui) ever is why I ride Victory still today and "till the wheels fall off". Ride safe🇺🇸 YOUR REVIEWS ARE HONEST AND EFFECTIVR AND IF HD CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH, TOO BAD!
Thank you and thanks for sharing your story. That would be a nightmare getting messed around on the title like that. Take care!
HAHA you are correct my friend, I just bought a Harley myself and it was the same experience almost. The guys were great to deal with until payment time. I financed through Harley at 10.5 % with a 845 (out of 850) credit score. I laughed and told them I was good with it because I was going to pay it off in a month anyway. They didn't like it, but it is not their concern.
Way to go, that is awesome! I can only imagine the looks on their face when you told them you were going to pay it off so quickly. Which bike did you get?
Ouch , 10.4 %but good on you
That dealer sucks ! Mine has the price tag on all bikes and no pressure. They do not work on commission
My local dealer is a "bring your lawyer with you" type!
Mixed emotions here. The sales are high pressure and the attitude is we are HD and can dictate the terms. On the other hand the service manager is great and a straight shooter. The parts department is HD catalog pricing and I never see them discount. The owner lives in my neighborhood and I have to say he supports the community - HOG, charity stuff, toy drives, a girls soccer team, etc. and he has a business next door doing MSF training. So I go there and take the good with the bad knowing there are no deals and everything is premium pricing but then the money and jobs at the dealership stays in the community. What can I say, its Harley-Davidson. If you ask me about my Honda dealer, I would give them 5 stars in every department except the physical dealership looks like a mom & pop garage out of the 1950's and I really like the down to earth no BS atmosphere.
I think my expectations are not in line with how some of these dealerships sell bikes. What they do is not illegal and what is "proper" is subject to interpretation by a given individual. I agree with you about the mixed emotions. I think it is a dialectic in that I love the bikes and don't like the sales tactics. I just need to be resolved in only visiting what I consider to be the "good" dealer 90 miles away from me.
@@cycletron Yes, the dealers problem, low unit margins and high overhead, the Harley Taj Mahal effect. The days of the low volume mom & pop shops are numbered. To stay profitable you have to be high volume, large parts & service, and lots of $50 t-shirts - pushing product to keep the lights on and service the debt load. You're right, the customer becomes a $$mark$$.
@@geneclarke2205 Your point is spot on. The dealer that I went to yesterday is open 7 days a week. That means much higher overhead since no dealer can remain busy every day yet they still have to pay all of the staff to be there. The have to recoup these expenses through typically tough sales methods.
Yep, been screwed twice by two different dealers. Never again. I love to just go in once in a while though to look at all the pretty bikes under the lights, but there is never the same salesperson there. Ever. Dealer employees turnover must be every week.
I see what you mean about the turnover at the problematic dealerships. The salesperson that I had was a nice young woman my daughters age but had only been there 2 months. I would say most of the sales people there are new without much experience.
I know this Dealership. It’s in Olathe Kansas. They treated me the same. I didn’t by from them. The 3 dealerships that I did by from and treated me great were Fort Worth Harley Davidson, Old Fort Harley in Fort Smith Arkansas and Salem Harley Davison in Salem Oregon. Great dealerships and no pressure on the customer.
You are correct. There are definitely some great dealers out there.
@@cycletron Thank you for the useful info. I almost visited there since they have several bikes I’m interested in. I’m grad i found your channel before doing it. I’ll check other two dealers in Topeka and Junction City.
@@jpbeeman Sure thing. The sales, service and parts people are actually pretty cool there. They are also easy to get a demo ride from. The issue for me occurs when you try to talk numbers and get a reasonable deal. As a result, all of my new Harleys were purchased in Topeka. Good luck with your search!
I bought one new HD and several other bikes since then, but my experience with HD was so bad I switched to Victory. I don't care much for Indian, but if I ever feel I need another bike it will be a used private sale HD or an Indian, or a Euro brand. I would never give another HD dealer a dime. Which is crazy because I do like their bikes, but I don't get why they have loyal customers, the loyalty is truly a one way street.
Many people have switched. HD's lack of loyalty to their customers will spell their demise at some point.
Harley is... Interesting. I just started at Twister City down in Wichita and I'm happy the managers make it easy here. It's refreshing from other dealers I've sold bikes for.
Good luck at your new job. Does your dealer have much new bike inventory? Supply is getting pretty tight for many dealers.
@@cycletron we do, we have more than enough to choose from with maybe the exception of 883's and the newer models.
I ride with a full face about 90% of thee time. I am happy with my current Aria for fit and comfort.
Yea yes yes yes … I have bought three and every time I felt like I was bothering the salesman and all of the staff except for one woman at the counter. Even when I wanted to buy exhaust and a seat it was like I was pulling teeth. Never again
It is amazing that places like that can stay in business.
Battlefield Harley(PA) is one. Had a road glide ultra on hold got there and they said it was sold. Ended up with a base Electraglide I didn’t want that cost more.
I have heard about those guys and it isn't good.
My shirt reads "THE BEST THING IN THE HARLEY SHOP WINDOW IS THE REFLECTION OF MY DUCATI "!!!!!😊😊😊😊😂😂😂 no thanks!!!
🤣🤣
I don’t blame the dealerships for thinking they can play games..they piss a few people off but they know there is a guy right around the corner who is gonna come in expecting to get the Harley he’s dreamed about.....he deserves it and he has already justified the reasons why in his mind......the bikes are already outrageously priced so anyone who comes into a dealership aren’t likely gonna get talked out of a Harley......It’s an overpriced toy that most people ride less than 4000 miles a year.
You are correct. They are counting on emotion getting ahold of these folks and getting the bike and an excessive price.
I HATE NO PRICE TAG ON BIKES, that's why I never bought new Harley. 🥶
I don't know why they have to play games with motorcycle sales.
That was Rawhide Harley Davidson in Olathe, KS. Bought my road Glide3 for 10K over MSRP at Outlaw Harley Davidson in Blue Springs, MO. I like my trike but will not buy another Harley. I could have gotten 4 Can-Am Rykers for the price of my bike.
Thanks for your comments. Harley is milking their customers for every dime until there will no longer be Harley customers.
I have bought a bike from 2 different local Harley dealers and shop at another many times, have signed up for their email alerts for any events going on, have not received any notifications ever. I went to a harley dealership out if town 3 weeks ago- signed up for their email alerts, they have notified me several times already about their events. Go figure.
I think that many of these dealer operations are very compartmentalized so that lack of coordination from a given dealer does not surprise me.
Twice now I've gone into a HD dealership looking for a Sportster for my wife. Both times, different salesmen, tried to lure me into purchasing a touring bike. I felt like I was in a Seinfeld episode! My bad for going back the 2nd time. There won't be a third.
Most HD dealers need to just go away already.
I attempted to buy a used sportster from two local dealerships. They both tried to scam me BIG TIME. It would take to long to explain all the details. Long story short. I ended up buying privately. 2021 sportster less than 2K miles for almost $4,000 less than the dealerships.
That is a solid deal. Private purchases are they way to go now. Next, I suggest finding and independent shop that could do the work on it instead of an HD dealer.
Harley Davidson should make it a company policy to sell their bikes at MSRP and have price tags on the bikes. The local dealerships mark up all their bikes including used to insane prices.
Yes I agree with you. HD corporate should and could do more to rein in such dealers but they choose not to.
Make a list of good Harley dealers.
You aren't going to need a big sheet of paper.
I think you are correct. I am guessing there are fewer than 50 decent HD dealers of the 600 total in the U.S. judging from the comments.
I could write pages on this topic, but i will be brief. I am one of 2 motorcycle mechanics for a government fleet. We did close to 10K worth of business in parts the last riding season. The other mechanic asked the Harley Davidson dealer we had the contract with to give us each a tee shirt. Not a chance. They wouldn't toss in 2 free shirts in our order! I myself have been beaten up asking about prices as you have been. Even trying to nail them down on a rental price is a chore in itself. Finally i was told that i could not rent a bike. I had to go through the website first. Even though there is a sign up over the dealership that clearly says RENTALS. My price? $185-$225 a DAY. This was a couple of years ago, so i am sure they have went up since then. Needless to say, we do our government business, and that's it. My hobby lies elsewhere.
HD needs to clean house with these type of dealers but why don't they? I don't buy the independent operation argument. These are franchise operations. Corporate could and should establish basic customer treatment guidelines.
@@cycletron I am at the point where i feel it is standard operating procedure with Harley Davidson. Especially after this new CEO took the helm. You don't want to pay full price and get your wallet emptied? The next desperate sucker to walk into a dealership will. All they have to do is wait it out. There was another bad report on yahoo news, stating that Harley hasn't shown a profit in 7 years. Well, with the way they treat their customer base, is it any wonder people leave without making a sale?
I did a little experiment while on vacation. I went out of state, stopped in to a few different Harley Davidson dealers on the way, to see if it was any different. The only difference seemed to be the level of arrogance and the depth of the attitudes towards me. They won't give an upfront out the door price without a fight, and want to load up the aftermarket junk bling, as well as trying to push their extended warranties down your throat.
@@Karrpilot I did a video a while back speculating that HD knows that they won't be in the motorcycle business in their current form much longer and are trying to extract as many dollars from customers as possible until the end comes. It seems to me a more likely scenario with each passing day.
@@cycletron I just placed an order for my new Cadillac. They were upfront with me the whole way. No pressure at all, no hassles, no credit check, and NO down payment. When the vehicle comes in, with the color and options i want, they will call me. I can then test drive it, and begin the negotiation process. If i don't like the vehicle, or anything else, i can decline the sale at that point.
I was completely shocked at this. I fully expected a fight on my hands. Especially when i told the salesman all i wanted was the vehicle. No extended warranty, no maintenance plan, no dealer add on, no nothing. The car off the transport, my plate slapped on, and out the door i go. He said done deal. Harley Davidson, if you are listening to this, try treating your customers and potential customers like this, and you might just get a person the place an order with your dealers. Instead of them walking out like i did.
@@Karrpilot Your example with Cadillac is definitely what HD should be emulating. I hope they are paying attention.
I went to a harley dealership looking for an iron 883 for my first bike and I end up going to a kawasaki dealership and pick up a ninja 400 because of the bad experience at harley.
What do they want you to do? Hand them a blank check and let them fill in the price?
Pretty much! They would do it if you let them.
Dude! I live in Vegas and pay cash! The shops here owned by the same vendor could not be any different! There’s no uniform process with sales, service the whole damn process! They’ve completely lost the edge if who made them great! This is why Harley struggling so bad!
Cash is still king.
Just went through this shit buying my used 2017 Road King. Most dealers I interacted with were ok, but nothing special. One dealer I worked with fora while were oblivious the the concept of what a good deal was. Simply quoting full sticker and no incentives for ESP is not giving me a deal. The worst dealer was Desert Wind Harley in Mesa. Literally offered me half of the average Id been quoted for my trade in from other dealers. Buuuut it I went for a brand NEW Harley-Davidson, they give me that average trade in price...... of course their new inventory started 4K over MSRP. Lol, keep your bike and scummy sales tactics dude.
Dealer I just bought from initially gave me a ridiculous offer that I declined. A few days later they texted me and asked what I though was fair. I named it. Came back $20 a month higher than my personally calculated monthly that was heavily in my favor. Win. Got the deal I wanted and was patient. BUT, I was also realistic with my trade, my down payment and my budget. Would have loved a Road King Special, but the standard Road King was in my budget.
Sounds like you hung in there and got the deal you wanted. It is unfortunately that many of these dealers make things so difficult. They will be changing their tune soon enough if the country ends up in a recession.
I really wish I would have seen this video two weeks ago before I started trying to buy my Harley from a dealership! Three of the dealers didn't even want to give me any numbers. The last dealership that I finally bought my bike through, gave me the numbers and was actually able to get me what I was asking. Although I had to fight and argue with him a little bit they finally got me where I wanted to be!
Yes, it is crazy how hard some of these dealers are to work with!
Two years ago I went to local hd stealership planning on purchasing a bike. I went there three or four times in a a matter of about three months. Each time i was in there at minimum half an hr. One time I was there for an hour. Every time several sales associates were congregated together with one or two actually dealing with customers. The final time my wife was with me. From there we took a couple hr joy ride in her car and ended stopping at another dealer which was eager to help. My wife told them about my experience and said “my husband really is purchasing another”. Because the dealership was 2 1/2 hrs from home i didnt buy there. Instead I stopped by an import dealer next door to the original dealer I went to and bought a drz. Ultimately the dealer and hd lost out. I love the drz400 , still have my 1200 sporty and because of them my third bike may not be a harley. I am very interested in the pan am but have no desire to deal with that hd shop.
I don't know why some of these dealers are so difficult to deal with. Would it be an option for you to identify the bike you want from an out-of-town dealer whos is reasonable and have them ship it to you? You would have to pay for the shipping but could otherwise get a could deal.
it is an option I have considered. The problem is getting someone to inspect it for licensing. I live in a very rural area with limited options on places which do inspections on bikes. Even a new one needs to be inspected here.
@@fredbowser7939 Yes, I could see where that would be a hassle. Where I live all used vehicles with out of state titles must be inspected but new vehicles do not.
Interesting that the HD dealers in the states are as bad as in Germany. In Germany they are legally obliged to put a price tack on the merchandise but everything else (long waiting times, no service quality, arrogance etc.) pretty much is the same. I have 4 dealerships within a 200 km radius of where I live and only one is great. Another one is ok and the two other suck!
The interesting thing is that the closed about 100 HD dealers in the U.S. last year. Unfortunately these were mostly the smaller stores leaving the huge stores with massive overheads and bad sales practices in many instances.
@@cycletron what a shame!
Hi. This is the 3rd vid of yours, I've watched this evening. You are cracking me up. I laughed thinking about my own Harleyisms, I've bumbled into, locally and otherwise. Let me know when it's a perfect world, but it is a contest of dollars (yours!).... isn't it ?
Thanks very much! I probably won't darken the doorstep of another Harley dealer for a while.
Dealers always end up hating me. I pay cash and say “no” often.
That is the way to do it.
I got screwed on the new sportster I bought. I assumed buying a new bike would be sold at msrp. Me thinking $11k was the bike after taxes was wrong, and I was originally given a $350 a month payment for 4 years but with a bunch of extra bullshit i didnt want. Just wanted the bike and said i cant afford it. Made the mistake of saying i wanted the payment to be under 200, and they got that, but extended the loan to 7 years and increased the interest rate. I said whatever since I’ll probably pay it off within a year anyways, but i spent $1000 more on the bike than it was worth. I’ve already paid off like $3000 and im getting an insurance settlement soon, so im lucky but some other guy will get fucked like that and be stuck with a monthly payment almost a decade after he bought it
Wow that is rough. At least you are able to pay it off sooner. There are too many shady dealers out there and it only seems to be getting worse!
Local DLR doesn't play those games with new bikes. They are tagged with the price on the bikes for all to see. However they do play those games with the used bikes which are way over priced IMO. If you act like you are interested in a used bike and ask the price they say why don't we have you test ride the bike to see if you really like it and if you come back and really like it we will make you a swinging deal. Well that deal is way over what you could find the bike for from a private party. If you press them by saying you just want to know if it is a bike you can afford they tell you it is company policy to not give the price until after the test ride. They justify the price by giving you a lifetime warranty free but that warranty stipulates that you have every scheduled service done on time at that dealership. That's not going to be me. It must work for them to do this because they have been doing this for years. It's just their business model.
A lot of times that slap a credit app in front of a potential customer and expect them to fill it out before they will give them the price on the bike. They are just fishing for people with bad credit among other things.
Yeah, I ran into the same kind of thing with a HD dealership. Tried to get a price for a used bike over email. No go. They wanted my credit info before quoting anything. Told them no, I just wanted a price. I'm in my 60's with good credit, but I'll be paying cash. I know what NADA and KBB list for the bike. Just wanted to check if they were near what folks were selling that model for. If so, I'd go look at it. Nothing but runaround, so, I'm not going to even make the trip.
That is unfortunate but it seems to be happening more frequently with the cut in HD's bike production. They are acting like it is the 1990's all over again.
I'm looking to you, Henderson Nevada!
I seen a bike a bike on The website of the Harley dealership about two hours away. (Wildcat Harley in London ky) It didn’t have a price it was that “contact dealer for price” bs but I was interested in the bike and was seriously looking so I filled it out. They called me about ten minutes later and I wanted to know the price of the bike and they kept telling me to come in and look at it while avoiding the direct question of “how much is the bike “ well finally I tell them listen man I’m not driving four hours round trip to find out you want too much for the bike. So he said “ok it’s high single digits low double Digits” well what the hell does that mean. So I got off the phone with him and called a guy there later that day that I had talked
To a few days earlier about a different bike who was cool. He’s like yea man I’ll get you a price so he messaged me back about half an hour later and said “mid teens on the price “ well what the hell the other guy said high single digits and you’re mid teens? That’s presumably a difference of 6k on the bike. Does no one there just know the price of this bike? So they called me again a few days later after me not replying to their texts and I told the guy (some sales manager) that without the price I wasn’t interested in the bike. Period. He again gave me a ball park
Idea but said if I could come in and sit down we’d talk more about the specific numbers. So I just told them I wasn’t interested anymore in the bike. I’ve never been so turned off to a brand by an experience like that.
Yes, it is amazing that there are so many of those types of dealerships out there. How they remain in business is a mystery to me, but I think their day of reckoning is coming.
The local Harley Davidson dealer in Jamestown New York will not work on any Harley older than 1999.I bought a new FXRS-SP in 1985 from this same dealer. Whats the deal?
This is getting to be more and more common with dealers of a lot of different brands, not just HD. If you have not seen this video, I cover this entire topic here:
th-cam.com/video/ipOYXGGU69M/w-d-xo.html
Please let me know your comments and Thanks!
Speak with your money , walk away , and go elsewhere it's your best choice don't let the dealership treat you like crap speak with your money
Same at my local Harley store. Only good for the free food and beer. They price their motorcycles so high you’d have to be high or stupid to pay what they ask. They say they are a “premier dealership “ to our area. Oh! Ok! That’s why you price gouge people who come to your store.
I always wondered whether the HD dealers who serve beer are hoping that some customers will make a bad financial decision after getting a few beers in them.
I always got looked at as a tired kicker in my local area , so I bought a used Harley private sale , get my service at a local shop , not Harley , but all he does is Harleys, fare labor rates , 75 an hour , I learned that there's always a way when the may sayers try to beat you down , did I need a big new Shiney , Harley nope , got a vintage , Evo , 1995 heritage custom , well cared for , and I couldn't be happier ,dealer like st out by treating me poorly , I'm no kid I'm 54 , but I don't have a big bike payment , and I'm enjoying the ride , same as the guy on the brand new bike but I have no payment , same exact fun , I'm glad I didn't , get sucked into the latest and greatest new thing ,
Great point. The important thing is to ride.
"Im looking at buying a new bike in the next few months, my wife permitting" I felt that... Good Luck
Thanks, you too!
Wife permitting. Nope. After what I've dealt with the past year,, the wife has no say.
you’ve been there three times and haven’t bought a bike yet test road 2 bikes and you walk in with a GoPro they see you come in from a mile away what they see is you want to take a test ride a new bike to create content for your channel at least I think that’s part of it. and the other part where they wouldn’t give you a number on the bike and try to pull your pull up your credit. Nope, I wouldn’t waste my time at a dealer like that
I see your point but I have seriously attempted to buy there on more than one ocassion and I only had my Gopro 1 of 3 times. They practically beg people to go on a test ride. The issue with this dealer is they only bother with people who want a bike so bad that they are willing to pay way over MSRP.
I had the same experience, I’ll never buy a new Harley because of it!
It is a shame isn't it. If any other type of business operated like this they would be closed in no time.
Funny that no other brand has this type of videos on TH-cam. Terrible dealers and horrible customer service is just part of the Harley experience. Why do we keep them in business?
Same crap at Camping World! Sad really!
At least it is still open. The Harley Davidson dealer north of here closed and ours closed.
True enough. HD closed about 100 dealerships throughout the U.S. last year.
Maybe this is one reason why people swap to Indian? Although my five year long experience with my 2015 Indian Scout was definitely "disappointing" in terms of the reliability / quality of that particular bike (and I regretted the day I sold my Evo Superglide a hundred times at least) , the many dealers I dealt with over the years in both Canada and the US were, I felt, stellar in 99% of cases. Shame you won't name the dealership you dealt with...lol. Perhaps (if legal in that State, Federally?) you should go back and covertly film the whole thing? I never get far with Harley dealerships in Canada because as soon as the salesperson trots out the standard "you are not just buying a motorcycle, you are buying a lifestyle", my cynical no BS Aussie DNA starts to leak out onto the showroom floor and they sort of get confused about who they are dealing with. And laughing at them does not help either. Btw my Indian dealer, to their eternal credit, traded my Scout for good dollars in on a new Kawasaki (which they also had the franchise for) , something I appreciated greatly at the time and have not regretted at all.
Yes I agree that HD dealers are fueling many Indian Motorcycle sales. Sounds like you found a good Indian dealer who was willing to work with you.
@@cycletron Oh it wasn't just one, I had work done all over the place due to the amount of touring I did on it. Tires changed, services, warranty work - my experience was multiple awesome dealerships.
My first bike was a '63 XLCH, purchased in '67 for $600' when I got out of the service. I've owned numerous bikes
since and currently ride a '98 Shadow 1100 ACE. Most Harley riders won't exchange a wave,.......But I still stop and offer help when they're broke down. I can afford a new Harley..............But I can't afford the culture. (The Sportster was my one and only HD)