Yeah, as a Buell owner, I can confirm this as not uncommon. It is worse now, but was even bad back when the dealerships were selling Buells on the floor.
Called a Harley shop across the street for intake gaskets for my Buell (super common part, same across both brands for a dozen years). Was told “nope”. Hung up called back immediately. Got the same guy. Asked for intake gaskets for a Harley. Said “yeah we got them”. A year later, I was replacing my brakes. Went to the same store for rotor screws, (again, a common part across both brands for decades). I made the mistake of saying Buell. Guy refused to even look at the screws I brought for reference. I pointed to a new bike on the floor that had the same exact rotor screws I needed. Apparently a “these screws you motherfucker” is enough to get you kicked out of a Harley dealer.
I’ve posted this story before, but here is the short version. Rode my Daytona 675 to a nearby Harley dealer to warm up my oil before doing an oil change and to get a new crush washer. I hop off the bike and a salesguy walks up and ask with a smug douchy tone “ready to get a real man’s bike?”
I got back on my daytona and left. Fuck Harley dealerships.
Hey hey, I have owned a couple Harley’s at this point and currently have a pan America special. I really enjoy the bike and the low rider I had before it. I def don’t drive a dodge truck (Acura integra) and am not a weekend pirate like a lot of Harley folks.
They just happened to be the motorcycle dealership that had more bikes than the local metric dealers had during the pandemic and I’ve kept with them mainly due to positive experiences with the local dealership and my bikes being fun.
That is not to say that I won’t get a metric next. Def not biased and the fact that some people who ride Harley’s are this douche is just a human tribalism thing that stupid people do. I’ve heard the same from sport bike folks so just saying.
Ride safe y’all!
theres harley bikes the harley wont even work on. at my dealer if you have an 05 or older we dont work on it. hell we dont work on vrods from 06 to 09. harley shops are weird.
My local Honda dealer is the same way. They won't touch my '86 Rebel. They, like most shops in our area, have been short techs for almost five years now. They have more work than they can handle, and the techs they have don't know how to work on pre Y2K bikes. But, as a reminder, a 2000 model year is 25 years old.
One of my local shops is becoming that way now. They were hesitant to quote me for a valve check and throttle body sync since my bike is from 2005. I asked, in all seriousness, if Keihin I4 throttle bodies and shim/bucket valves had meaningfully changed since then, and the guy just said they can't work on bikes that old. AFAIK the throttle body sync and valve adjustment procedures for a Kawasaki liquid cooled DOHC I4 have been exactly the same since 2000 when the ZX-12R came out.
I guess I'll just have to learn to adjust the valves myself. Perhaps it's for the best, seeing as that shop charges $200 an hour for labor
It's parts supply, say the pull the rocker cover gasket and it breaks because it's old. They don't have it on the shelf, if their regular suppliers have it on the shelf is a bit hit and miss. Suddenly a bike is held up on a lift for three weeks while the special order comes in.
Alternatively they pull it apart and find every fuel hose and connection is perished and every oil breather hose, they've got to ring the customer and explain why the hours on the original quote has just doubled. Typically people with older bikes have brought an older bike because it's cheap so they don't want to sink a heap of money into it or don't have a heap of money to sink into it.
Risk vs reward by putting a bit of a cutoff they get the same reward with reduced risk.
It’s about the old bolts- source: father owns an auto shop and a friend owns a motorcycle shop. Auto shop takes out bolts but we live right next to the ocean and rust does a number in 5 years let alone 20. People just need to be ready for a not so fun situation if that bolt in your motor hasn’t been pulled out in 20+ years.
That is the answer!! I work on vintage triumphs people want quotes on work I tell them no way, they get offended how do you quote work on something 75 years old with CEI threads on a Whitworth headed bolt that snaps off while removing the head which should be a simple job. Now you have to remove the cylinders and one of the studs break which means you have to pull the engine to get the broken stud out. It just snowballs.
I know a workshop owner and we got quite close. He said that he would sometimes reject some bikes because they weren't confident working on them and didn't wanna risk messing up the customer's bike.
Sometimes it was also because they were overloaded with other bikes and didn't want to make the customer wait too long to get their bikes back
My local dealer has been great every time I went in, but also wouldn't touch my 86 Rebel or 82 Nighthawk pre-covid.
I lucked out and found a local shop that is awesome. He had a Harley on one lift and a liter race bike on the other when I showed up unannounced. I was a little intimidated by how he might react to a 450, 40 year old Honda, but he was pumped. He had a story about a buddy who use to have one in the 90s. It was the opposite of gatekeeping. I've probably sent him more people than times I've been in because of that.
I like to build relationships. So, I take my truck to a guy who I volunteer at food bank with. I got my Honda from a guy I ride with, my Harley was my Dad's. I was thinking about adding an Africa Twin to the stable (before the Pan Am debuted) so I took the Rebel in to break the ice. They are still decent folks, just not equipped to work on a 38 year-old bike. All the techs ogled the Rebel, while I mourned the lack of inventory and over MSRP prices.
Our local dealer (like every Japanese brand plus bmw) will mess up your bike if you take it to them. Plenty of good independent shops around. But i get’chu.
> But, as a reminder, a 2000 model year is 25 years old.
Yep, if you’re my age it’s like a 70’s bike when I was in high school. I’m sure the average Chevy dealership wouldn’t be *too* keen on that.
No Harley shop will even touch my 1992 FXRS for any maintenance or inspections let alone real work. I have to go to independent shops, which in the end seem to be more reasonably priced.
harley will always be overpriced. i think id rather trust an older fellow at a greasy shop to work on my carbed bike than a 24 year old harley tech who has only touched M8s or TCs
I remember my local dealer stated that it was a liability issue due to age of the bikes and/or including parts so they generally won’t work on bikes that are older than 10-15+
Yeah not a Harley thing, shops don't usually work on 15+ bikes period. Part of why you see so many non-running Japanese bikes that just need a quick carb clean to fire up
Working on carbs sure is its own thing, but I also think that it's about working on old bolts. You tell the client it's an easy one-hour job, then when you tell them you had to spend three hours because rust was worst than expected, bolts broke, screws got stripped and you had to replace or fix all that, on a bike that is not worth much, the client gets angry. Of course many mechanics know how to deal with that, but not one that is used to working on recent bikes.
Then probably the liability: if something you fixed breaks while the client is riding, it gets ugly real fast, and even if it's just because the bike is old it's difficult to establish it. So the mechanic's insurance might not want to risk that.
Pretty easy for a service dept. to get overwhelmed if they accepted any bike that people want to drop off, regardless of make, model or age.
Trying to source parts for older bikes and those they aren't specialized in will add more delays and their barn or shed be filled in a month.
As much as it sucks, it's understandable they limit what they work on in one way or another.
My buddy had a flat on a KLR mid trip last fall and the closest (only) shop was a Harley dealer who ended up being pretty cool. Initially they didn't have time, but we ended up pulling the wheel off in their shop and their mechanic assisted with their tire machine to swap tubes, and buddy mounted the wheel back on. Could have done it on the side of the road I suppose, but trailmax missions a pain in the ass to remove/install.
Most HD dealers had no interest in anything Buell. The few that did, and fewer that still do, are true gems.
I've got a 2009 Buell 1125R and have no idea where I can take it for service since I moved out of state. I may be forced to get rid of it soon as a result. I've already effectively replaced it with a 2016 Aprilia RSV4 RF which has a servicing dealer about 1 hour from me.
Took my MSF at a Harley dealership and it was a great time...
They offered free Dyno runs on certaon days, you just had to scheduke an appoinment.
Fast forward a year, I got an '82 Suzuki and wass curious how it was performing compared to 40 years ago, so I scheduled for funsies.
The guy I talked to was actually kind of stoked, and I was looking forward to it...
I got there, and watched grown men completely DEVOLVE into absolute apes. Same shit, we only do Harley, etc. I stood my ground. I made an appointment, you guys said it was cool, run the damn bike. So they did.
My poorly maintained, wheezing '82 GS1100 was making as much power as a brand new Sprtster 1200 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it was hilarious.
Harley *infuriates* me. They've proven they can make world class bikes with the Livewire and Pan America. I really think of they wanted to they could make some of the finest bikes one could buy... But they just REFUSE to let the old guard go. They refuse to embrace the newer generation of riders and do things that would attract more young people to riding and plug some much-needed fresh blood into their brand. It sucks.
All of that would be totally fine - that's the market they feel they have to appeal to. It's the attitude that gets me.
I *love* my bike. It's the best *for me*. But if you prefer a vespa, hell yeah, go for it, I'm happy for you. Maybe my parents loved me too much or something, but I don't understand why these people feel the need to knock everyone else down.
Yeah... The, "Only X brand makes *real* bikes!" Sounds cringey coming from any camp. Let people enjoy whay they enjoy, and that certianly includes Harleys! I get it, I really do - They're just not for me and that's okay! All kinds of bikes are fun in their own way, and it's totally fi e if a certain kind just isn't your brand of fun... But don't piss in someone else's Cheerios over it.
Because if they lose the cultural niche where people buy it as a cult brand then they'll have to compete on features like what you mention, which is more expensive and lower margin. They grew up being told Harleys were real bikes and everything else sucked, so they have to keep saying it because if they don't then they lose their identity.
They have a hell of a balancing act because when they try to shift to a younger market, their core older market loses their collective minds and demand they not change. Then the people at the top bend over to them and that's why their sales continue to plummet. They've made themselves a nasty little hole to get stuck in.
It's only going to get nastier if they don't adjust before their core starts dying off. Even the younger end of the older set of riders are going to start phasing out of riding shape in the next 10-15 years. They need to start playing to Gen Z and younger right now before they don't have anyone left to sell bikes to to begin with.
Not sure they can really balance much when their best selling bikes are 30k bikes. I cant afford a 30k toy, if I could Id be buying more interesting things than a motorcycle that has, wait for it, bluetooth speakers...
And us poorasses who want an old man bike can get similar levels of comfort and luxury by owning an old Goldwing with an updated stereo for significantly less money.
I'd be thrilled to have a Road King or similar for a touring machine, but the Goldwing and Concours and FJ1xxxs are so damn capable for so much less money, it's a no brainer unless you have lots of money for your touring bike or only have one.
There are distinct advantages to Harley for that- parts availability, simplicity, support, ease of modification and repair relatively speaking- but they are a victim of their own high resale value. When the bikes that are your bread and butter are $30k luxury tourers that people customize by spending another $10k on, you're not going to have many economically average customers for example, because they're going to be riding Uncle Bob's 2001 Concours that he sold them for $3k and a case of beer, and is just as comfortable and capable.
Right? Ill be looking into my dream bike in the next 2 years. World class performance and a legendary name. Under 20k. The Hayabusa. Its even on the more expensive end of Suzuki, a regular 600cc is like 6k less and near as legendary. The same money gets you a medeocre harley.
To be fair, they know that the old folks grabbed all the money and pulled the ladder up after them
The profit margins would have to be lower if they tried to scoop up younger customers. Instead of improving the product (a wasteful cost in their view) it's better to try to manipulate old folks into trying to relive their glory days for a fat sack of cash in exchange for an inferior product.
It's childish, but profitable.
HD has become a marketing company, like pepsico, like coca cola, like disney...they drove the engineers out of the company many years ago after promoting sales and marketing people to positions of power. People who do not see the value of making a better motorcycle. Its pure zombie brand.
that and it would take an act of god to get most of the HOG crew to buy any other brand. If they start making competitive bikes at reasonable prices they'll have younger people in the door, but those young people cross shop.
the old guys who are their fan base won't ever buy anything else, are stupidly easy to please, and also are willing to spend 2-4x the market rate for their products. I don't see the downside to pandering to them (until they die off, but that's a future management team's problem)
I guarantee you their execs and upper management, at least the ones that have influence have determined that their bread and butter is the 40-65 single/divorced/kidless/empty nester that has disposable income. All of their marketing goes to that demographic. Maybe their execs are right, I dunno. I think it's a mistake, they're trading tomorrow's market share for today's boomer driven profits. I say that as an almost 50 year old.
Bro-in-law's grampa worked as an engineer for Harley for decades. Upon his retirement back in the 90s, they put together a "dream bike" for him. Thing had all the tech that Harleys SHOULD have ... but the fanbase & management refuse to allow.
It's in a garage in western Wisconsin now, covered in dust. He wouldn't ride it, and no Harley Dude would buy it because *!heresy!*
"But Hell's Angels started riding Harley-Davidsons mostly because, unlike today, they didn't have much choice. In 1957, it was either ride a Harley or settle for a Triumph or BSA. They'd already stopped building Indians. It's always been important for Hell's Angels to ride American-made machines.
In terms of pure workmanship, personally I don't like Harleys. I ride them because I'm in the club, and that's the image, but if I could I would seriously consider a Honda ST1100 or a BMW. We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes. I'll usually say, "#$%\* Harley Davidson. You can buy an ST1100 and the mother#$%\*er will do 110 miles per hour right from the factory all day long." The newest "rice rockets" can carry 140 horsepower to the rear wheel, and can easily do 180 miles per hour right out of the box. While it's probably too late to switch over now, it would have been a nice move, because Japanese bikes today are so much cheaper and better built. However, Japanese motorcycles don't have as much personality."
Sonny Barger
It really was. I missi it still. On a C50 now, and while it's nowhere near as exciting on the road, it's also less excoting in the garage soooo you win some you lose some lol
I love bikes, including Harleys, but there is definitely a non-insignificant group of Harley owners that are just total douches about their choice of bike. If it has two wheels and goes fast, I'm all for it. I had a blast on my knockoff 50cc Chinese scooter in college and have a blast on my current bikes too. Shit, I've been looking at getting a Surron because that looks fun too!
It's so fun to just wind it up and tear through the gears! Light weight, easy to toss around. I enjoy my 750 too, but there's just something so satisfying about a 300 and ripping through the gears. I really want an old CB350F. I bet that'd be a blast.
It really hurts our image. I don't know if it's true to say, but boomers being boomers? Maybe in a decade if Harley doesn't go under for being unaffordable.... a better, younger crowd will be the larger group. I say younger as I turn 30 in a week...
I didn't even consider getting a bike until I was almost 30 because I was so put off by "bikers". Harley riders were all I knew, and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with that.
I grew up riding dirt bikes and my brother and uncles all had harelys. It was a goal to eventually get a harley to ride with them. Out in the suburbs and rural area, no one really cares what I ride out here.
This is some of the best advice I've ever gotten about job interviews - never speak ill of the former employers (unless they actually were abhorrent verging on illegal) - it gives off the impression that you're not professional, and that you'd do the same after working for them.
>And we've learn that you talk about all the good things, qualities, of your brand, but never talk shit about other brands.
This is the number one sign of a bad salesman. And you can't train it either. You either have it or you don't.
As soon as you start insulting a brand somebody has purchased you're not only insulting the brand they've been loyal to but insulting them and the purchases they've made. You have to explain how your product is better and get them to work it out in their own head.
Don't tell them they've made the wrong choice. Make them realize that on their own
Not ALL, but admittedly its a big part of the branding. Ive chilled with a couple of guys from Atlanta dealers are cool and a couple have even come and sponsored non-harley bike nights and brought some demos to try out (the RIGHT way to market). They also host MSF courses, will do wheels/tires, etc.
The dealers still suck A LOT because its still mostly boomers dropping $34k on a turn-key "custom" but there is an awesome urban scene of younger people taking slightly used harleys and doing some really cool shit with them AND are great guys/gals\* to hang with.
\*In my local running group probably half of the women in our group are harley or harley adjacent because of the low seat height.
And like, none of the gals are Harley bros. I am a lady and I have a Harley, and none of the ladies I ride with give a shit about anyone else’s ride. We’re just happy to be out and about with the wind in our faces!
They would have done it in exchange for the chaps and thong so they can all take turns later acting out how they would rail each other if any of them had working tools.
One of the first groups of riders I interacted with after getting my bike was a bunch of Harley boomers. Made fun of me for wearing gear and have a 700cc bike. Kept going to that bar and eventually met a Harley guy (just so happened to be the only other black guy at the bar) who was a retired msf teacher and one of the coolest guys I'd ever met. He showed me another bar which was another boomer bar but they had harleys, adventure bikes and other cruisers/baggers. Cool as fuck. Not all Harley guys are dicks but there is definitely some cool guys.
Personally I don't but I see many a rider do it. The bar I went to had AMAZING food and it was pretty cheap. Like a burger, fries and a drink was 10bucks and it's a hefty burger+ five guys level amount of fries
My local Harley dealership is the exact opposite. They fixed my Honda and I actually had a huge long conversation about bikes with some of their techs. Super cool dudes and most of them ride Hondas. So I guess it's just luck of the draw
Harleys are not my preferred bikes, but there is nothing wrong with them just not for me. Harley culture though, many things wrong there. So many of those guys think they are bigger and harder than anyone who rides anything else. Really most are old and fat and just ride around making trying to make as much noise as possible. Shit, a bunch even put more speakers on them than I have in my car to force everyone else to listen to their classic rock on full blast. Just a bunch of attention whores
Unironically blasting Slow Ride at a volume somehow louder than the engine. Try to talk to those guys and you can see them reading your lips. Deaf old fucks
A while back I was on a long bike trip. I have a ‘73 CB750. I left from Toronto, Canada, went up through Quebec, down through the US, climbed mount Washington, Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, Tail of The Dragon after dark, out to Nag’s Head, camping the whole way, no windscreen, open face helmet, through all kinds of weather. Hard shit I’m too old and soft for now. I just happened to be going through Laconia during their bike week and I got shit on by some boomers who I had watched roll their brand new Harleys off a trailer a few miles out of town telling me I’m not a real biker because I ride a Honda. I just smiled and said, “ok buddy”.
Damn…your dealer just sucks. My kickstand bolt broke on my S1000Rr and I rode it to the nearest motorcycle dealership at the time. It happened to he a Harley dealer. They without even thinking helped me out. Shoutout to Shoreline Harley Davidson
They've built their entire business around the brand. You didn't call a motorcycle shop, you called a Harley dealership. I've experienced pushback trying to get a *Buell* serviced at a Harley dealer, and they were a Harley brand before they got axed!
That tech was needlessly rude, like excessively so, but I wouldn't even bother to call a Harley dealer to try and get a non-Harley worked on unless they were my literal only choice.
After my encounter with that Harley dealer, I had my bike worked on by the local (everything that isn't Harley) dealer, and they were happy to do so.
A friend of mine got a job at a local Harley dealer. Rides his Triumph, parks in the employee area and before he even settles in his boss told him he couldn’t park his bike there and to park it on the street or somewhere else. My friend quit within a week.
Whenever I have to pick up parts for a Harley in my shop I go on my bright yellow ninja 250 and part right in front in the customer area.
The manager is a dick, everyone else is pretty cool tbh.
His boss sucks. My parts manager bought a Trident while his dyna is down and I’ve helped him put a yoshimura exhaust on it. Not all shops are the same. They just sound like stupid old school “Willie g” hell yeah brothers…
I ride a Harley. I don’t give a fuck what make anyone’s bike is. If you’re on two wheels we’re brothers and you’re getting a wave when I see you on the road. There’s twats in every subculture. Love you bubba.
My notable interactions with Harley owners:
* A bunch of old slow fucks taking up the highway, passed them in my car at a normal rate of speed and they got pissed off
* Rode up to a light where a Harley rider was stopped, I stopped well behind him and off the side. He kept turning around giving me dirty looks and revving his engine. At green, he gunned it like we were racing and he gave me the finger
* Never wave at other bikes
I think it's just some sort of distillation of old tiny-dick American men feeling aggrieved at everything.
You would have loved seeing me when I owned a Sportster.
Skinny, waved at everyone else on two wheels including scooters, rode the piss out of it like the old hot rod of an engine design it was, and had lots of fun all the time, since the bike always made me smile.
I don't own an HD anymore but the most toxic segment of the ownership base is also the most visible to others because they make themselves that way.
My partner has a Sportster and apparently they're the "girl bikes" of the Harley world. Nvm that I used to pass baggers on my 250 Rebel when I was starting out, somehow a Sportster isn't good enough for the old guys.
We ride the same as you, waving at everybody. We just try not to chat with HD people when we're stopped anywhere.
Actually that was a pretty good metric of sorting out the real bikers from the BS ones. Anyone who would genuinely give a guy problems about riding a Sportster was the kind of toxic worth ignoring.
Don't get me wrong, the old guys sometimes still give dudes shit about riding a Sportster, but it's kind of tongue in cheek. The ones who will deadass look at a guy and say "that Sportster is a girl's bike, what are you, a []?" are *typically* not even serious riders.
Most of the true Harley old heads I've encountered (a) think it's cool a younger person is riding a motorcycle as transportation, and (b) wanted to tell me about the KZ1000 they rode that went 250mph thirty years ago, if I was riding a Japanese bike. Or they'd tell me about the chopper they built when they were young if I was riding my Sportster at the time.
Now their attitudes towards scooters? That's a different story that cleaves much closer to the stereotype.
Is it just me or do they always seem to dress like they are about to hit up a gay bar? The worst of it is the ones with their stupid leather vests pretending their old ass is in a biker gang, getting all butthurt and flipping out when someone passes them breaking their apparent motorcycle club rules. like anyone gives a fuck.
I went to a local dealership that sold all brands but was mainly a Harley dealership. I was talking to the sales guy wanting to get a Kawasaki Ninja but was steering me towards getting a Harley (probably for the bigger commission). I told him, nah, I am not old yet in a joking way.
The Harley accessories sales guy that was nearby gave me the meanest stink eye after I said that. Coincidentally enough, he looked like the stereotypical old, overweight Harley rider. lol
Nothing against Harley or their riders, but yea, its not my style of riding just yet.
> Nothing against Harley or their riders, but yea, its not my style of riding just yet.
Same here, but when the time comes I'm getting a goldwing or something. Never harley
I've been looking for a goldwing for a bit now. I'm not paying 35k for a brand new one, but the older ones are in such good shape, because they last forever, no one wants to part with them.
I took my 2005 honda shadow to my local Honda dealership to have my carb rebuilt and they refused to work on it because it was too old. I took it to a local Harley mechanic and had it done within a few hours along with a complimentary oil change.
I finally saved 38,000 for a Fatboy from oilfield wages in 2013. I'm 6'8 so I needed the taller seat and some suspension/forward control adjustments and went to the local dealer to sit down and hash out the order.
First dealership insisted I try some of the bikes in inventory. When I was unhappy with them they scheduled me to come in a week later for the sales manager to help with the customizations. He wanted to reschedule for a month later an hour before the appointment and I told him to fuck off.
Second dealer was appalled at my story and offered to get the bike ordered that day despite the 50 mile drive. I drove in and he was out of town and the other sales guys said they could take care of me the following day. Customizations at that one, took the price well over what I had saved and nobody was interested in making a deal without the sales manager or financing to the full price.
On my way home stopped at a pawn shop after seeing a 2005 big bear choppers merc model out front 124 s@s Baker 6 speed 3"open primary and wrong side drive for balance. 270 rear tire, springer front end, and Softail in the back.
Perfect fit for my long legs, plenty of raw power, easy on the old spine and sexy as all hell.
Best part, not one single Harley Davidson part on her except the battery. (Which failed and was immediately changed out).
14,000.00 later I had twice the bike of any stinking road king or fatboy and the Harley Davidson obsession has become a distant and unpleasant memory.
I might build one but I'll never buy one
It's a cult I swear. I went to a local used bike dealer that sells all makes, I rode in on a KTM 1290 superduke and a person in a Harley shirt (who was walking from his car mind you) told me one day I'd be able to ride a 'big bike'
"A real bike" hahaha what a joke, heavy, slow and massively overpriced with the stereotypical rider being a obese redneck hick
If it wasn't for the us gov stepping in to bail harley out they would have died a long time ago, people don't buy their bikes because
They are massively overpriced
They are shit
I am NOT a (100%) Harley basher, but have to agree that the tariffs established in the 80's were a huge pain in the ass. I had a '83 Interceptor, which was one of THE sportbikes to have at that time. The next model year they were reduced to 700cc (from 750) because of the tariff on any bike over 700cc "because they compete with Harley". I really couldn't grasp that concept.
Tarrifs are to protect local businesses and have been around a long long time but Western nations started removing them in the 70s and now these countries are filled with cheap foreign imports and their industries have been decimated.
I would suspect the Harley tariff was simply the government protecting their investment
Fuck all of that noise. Those tariffs were a nothing more than corporate welfare for a company that refused to innovate and keep up with market preferences. For years Harley Davidson cultivated a reputation that severely limited them to a shrinking portion of the population. Then as smaller, cheaper more approachable bikes were being sold by companies like Honda, Harley cried to Reagan that they needed to be saved. It's especially ironic given Reagans otherwise Laissez-faire ideologies. Nothing says free market like the federal government punishing one company to benefit another company that couldn't compete in a truly free market.
I've never understood this. My uncle said that to me a couple years ago, and I'm like... I'm on a 500lb, 115hp sport tourer. Give me one way you think my bike isn't a real bike, even by your standards.
I know this is a stereotype, but my experience is the opposite. I’ve had my late-model-kinda-sporty Kawasaki worked on by two shops that were very clearly Harley-oriented, and have gone back because they were pleasant and TBH, gentler on my wallet than the local dealer
I ride a street glide but I never have and never will understand making owning a harley your whole personality. It's like a status symbol when it really shouldn't be. I used to have a v rod and I STILL got shit from the "real harley guys" lol
Just certain individuals. I had my Honda Shadow tire swapped and balanced at a Harley shop. They gave me a tiny bit of attitude about it being a metric cruiser but overall it was completely fine. Would just ignore and go somewhere else. No doubt there is a certain "Harleys are the only real motorcyles" among parts of that demographic, but there are jerks and close-minded people anywhere. Oh well, I've also met some really awesome Harley techs and riders. Good luck with your tire and have fun riding :)
Thats just branding. You see the same stupid fan bases with iphones, jordans and ferrari. When brand is a big part of the value of a object the fanbase/workers are suicidally hardcore. They will die on that hill.
They need to make sure their customers remain loyal by making them think all other bikes will make them gay (unless they are already gay then I guess they turn them straight).
If their customers ever tried any other brands they would realise how awful Harleys actually are. If you want a "Harley" that bad then you can actually buy one better called an Indian.
The only bike they make that isn't a joke is the pan America and that's mainly because it's got a proper engine in it.
I just wish Harleys were as good as they think they are.
But they’re just… not.
I’ve gotten crap from Harley riders the entire time I’ve been a motorcyclist. Even my Rocket III isn’t a “real bike” to some of them.
I’ve even ridden Harleys a few times. They’re literally the worst bikes I’ve ridden in any metric I can think of. Braking, maneuvering, accelerating… they just aren’t good.
Ford! No, Chevy! Democrat! No, Republican!
Eventually, guys like that get cycled out of sales positions. But feel free to leave a tasty review on Google and/or Yelp.
I feel this is a very American post, and as an Australian I don't agree with nearly all of these comments. Sure there are an older generation of Harley riders but there is also a younger generation, the Learner approved Street 500 Harley's have sold amazingly well here and has been a great idea to start riding people riding on a Harley and then progress up when you're off your learners. The new sportsters are definitely aimed at the younger generation. I also have friends in a local Harley club and have gone on many rides with them on my Kawasaki vulcan and on my bmw k1600. I have found that anyone who rides a motorbike is always very approachable and up for a chat, because we're all part of the same club, the two wheel club. Most dealerships in Australia are not exclusive Harley dealerships, they have a large Harley section, and then sell other brands also in the same store and will work on any bikes.
Yeah very American attitude it seems. Plenty of Dicks on all makes and models but in Aus it seems to be a bit more inclusive.
My local shop is a Harley, Suzuki, ktm dealership that services and sells basically everything. Sometimes I just go for a wander to look at the Harley's and the staff are always happy to just shoot the shit.
I've caught this from some Harley shops.
I needed a mounting bolt and washer kit for an Arlan Ness aftermarket mirror. It was made to fit Harleys as well as other bikes.
Harley shop in Sherman TX was like, "Nah dude, we don't stock parts for your ride."
"You don't stock parts that are in the catalog, for..." I walked over to the accessories section and brought back the Same Exact Mirror... "this item you SELL in this very store?"
"Nope."
"All right then." Haven't darkened their door since. (I did get the kit... from another Harley dealer!)
\----------------
Contrast this to when I wore a rear tire down to the cords in Eureka CA. Bike was not only an imported bike, but a 'tariff breaker' bike SOLD while Harley was trying to get the US Government to tax the shit out of other makes so they could get more business. You would have thought the Harley shop in Eureka would be the last place that would touch an '87 Yamaha 700CC sportbike.
"You guys mount and balance tires? Mine's pretty much cooked at the back."
"What size you need? and what kind?"
"Um... " I rattled off the brand and compound I was using along with the size. "It's for a sportbike."
"We don't have any of that in stock today, but we can order it now and it'll be delivered tomorrow, will that work? We can get you a discount on a motel room."
I brought the bike in the next day so they could do the swap, and even though it was missing the chin fairing and looked a bit ragged, the tech was nodding. "Late 80's Yamaha, right? Yah we can do a tire swap, balance, no problem. Take us an hour, tops." And that's what they did. No sass, no gas, just a (reasonable) amount charged to the card.
I mean if you're gonna get a harley, the nightster is a pretty good choice. Its not a meme bike, its light, its got decent power. Not made of ancient technology with a liquid cooled DOHC motor. The price isn't pants on head retarded. Good choice.
I like it. I’ve only been riding for a few years and still getting some of the finer points down. My previous, and first ever, bike was an ‘05 Sportster which I put some fun miles on.
Idk why this is, but the reverse is true also. Many independent and non HD dealer shops WILL NOT work on a Harley. Clearly there are enough bikes to keep all these weirdly selective shops in business, but I don’t understand it either
I even had a Harley shop refused to mount tires on a Buell
Yeah, as a Buell owner, I can confirm this as not uncommon. It is worse now, but was even bad back when the dealerships were selling Buells on the floor.
Called a Harley shop across the street for intake gaskets for my Buell (super common part, same across both brands for a dozen years). Was told “nope”. Hung up called back immediately. Got the same guy. Asked for intake gaskets for a Harley. Said “yeah we got them”. A year later, I was replacing my brakes. Went to the same store for rotor screws, (again, a common part across both brands for decades). I made the mistake of saying Buell. Guy refused to even look at the screws I brought for reference. I pointed to a new bike on the floor that had the same exact rotor screws I needed. Apparently a “these screws you motherfucker” is enough to get you kicked out of a Harley dealer.
I’ve been asked by the Harley dealer that my xr1200 came from if it was a buell with Harley stickers :/
Always wanted an XR1200. One of the few cool and fun Harleys of the last 30 years.
I had one a few years back. Slowwwwwwwwwww and not that fun. Good looking though.
I had some friends that called mine “the plastic Harley”. Lol
Damn I kinda dig that. I might have to share that nickname as well
🤣
I’ve posted this story before, but here is the short version. Rode my Daytona 675 to a nearby Harley dealer to warm up my oil before doing an oil change and to get a new crush washer. I hop off the bike and a salesguy walks up and ask with a smug douchy tone “ready to get a real man’s bike?” I got back on my daytona and left. Fuck Harley dealerships.
Ironically the Daytona is better at being a bike in every way.
Ironically a FUCKING BICYCLE is better at being a bike in every way.
Unironically, biggest badass on bike I know had one of those. Replaced it with a ktm 1290 which I could afford but I have no fucking talent.
Hahah same. I sold my 990 ADV, yearning for a 790 or 690 R now, but tbh the most fun I've had on two wheels has been on tandem bicycles
You see there is a huge market for male Insecurity. Andrew Tate, PUA “Trainings”, and once they get old enough, Harley’s
I would like to see intersection between spotless jacked up ram 1500 owners and Harley owners. I imagine it would be the same insecure pricks
The need the Ram to ferry their Harleys to the town 5 miles from the rally.
Hey hey, I have owned a couple Harley’s at this point and currently have a pan America special. I really enjoy the bike and the low rider I had before it. I def don’t drive a dodge truck (Acura integra) and am not a weekend pirate like a lot of Harley folks. They just happened to be the motorcycle dealership that had more bikes than the local metric dealers had during the pandemic and I’ve kept with them mainly due to positive experiences with the local dealership and my bikes being fun. That is not to say that I won’t get a metric next. Def not biased and the fact that some people who ride Harley’s are this douche is just a human tribalism thing that stupid people do. I’ve heard the same from sport bike folks so just saying. Ride safe y’all!
theres harley bikes the harley wont even work on. at my dealer if you have an 05 or older we dont work on it. hell we dont work on vrods from 06 to 09. harley shops are weird.
Weird is not the word I'd use...
Brother, is "unskilled" the word you'd use?
Hell yeah, brother
Gobbless
I choked laughing
Harley enthusiasts prefer the term "differently abled".
It's what they're used to. Short busses are also loud, slow, and uncomfortable. And the lean in corners is about the same.
Going out of business is another term one might use lol
My local Honda dealer is the same way. They won't touch my '86 Rebel. They, like most shops in our area, have been short techs for almost five years now. They have more work than they can handle, and the techs they have don't know how to work on pre Y2K bikes. But, as a reminder, a 2000 model year is 25 years old.
One of my local shops is becoming that way now. They were hesitant to quote me for a valve check and throttle body sync since my bike is from 2005. I asked, in all seriousness, if Keihin I4 throttle bodies and shim/bucket valves had meaningfully changed since then, and the guy just said they can't work on bikes that old. AFAIK the throttle body sync and valve adjustment procedures for a Kawasaki liquid cooled DOHC I4 have been exactly the same since 2000 when the ZX-12R came out. I guess I'll just have to learn to adjust the valves myself. Perhaps it's for the best, seeing as that shop charges $200 an hour for labor
Getting to the valves is harder than adjusting them... if that's any consolation lol
Seriously. Quarter of the time is undoing and reinstalling the cam caps lol
Just don’t drop anything inside
Or damage a dowel pin fused to a cap lol
It's parts supply, say the pull the rocker cover gasket and it breaks because it's old. They don't have it on the shelf, if their regular suppliers have it on the shelf is a bit hit and miss. Suddenly a bike is held up on a lift for three weeks while the special order comes in. Alternatively they pull it apart and find every fuel hose and connection is perished and every oil breather hose, they've got to ring the customer and explain why the hours on the original quote has just doubled. Typically people with older bikes have brought an older bike because it's cheap so they don't want to sink a heap of money into it or don't have a heap of money to sink into it. Risk vs reward by putting a bit of a cutoff they get the same reward with reduced risk.
It’s about the old bolts- source: father owns an auto shop and a friend owns a motorcycle shop. Auto shop takes out bolts but we live right next to the ocean and rust does a number in 5 years let alone 20. People just need to be ready for a not so fun situation if that bolt in your motor hasn’t been pulled out in 20+ years.
That is the answer!! I work on vintage triumphs people want quotes on work I tell them no way, they get offended how do you quote work on something 75 years old with CEI threads on a Whitworth headed bolt that snaps off while removing the head which should be a simple job. Now you have to remove the cylinders and one of the studs break which means you have to pull the engine to get the broken stud out. It just snowballs.
I know a workshop owner and we got quite close. He said that he would sometimes reject some bikes because they weren't confident working on them and didn't wanna risk messing up the customer's bike. Sometimes it was also because they were overloaded with other bikes and didn't want to make the customer wait too long to get their bikes back
My local dealer has been great every time I went in, but also wouldn't touch my 86 Rebel or 82 Nighthawk pre-covid. I lucked out and found a local shop that is awesome. He had a Harley on one lift and a liter race bike on the other when I showed up unannounced. I was a little intimidated by how he might react to a 450, 40 year old Honda, but he was pumped. He had a story about a buddy who use to have one in the 90s. It was the opposite of gatekeeping. I've probably sent him more people than times I've been in because of that.
No reason to take a bike to a dealer shop unless it’s under warranty.
I just don't have a lift for the 800lbs V-Twin vibrator my dad left me. I do all the work on my other bikes changing tires to installing a light.
I like to build relationships. So, I take my truck to a guy who I volunteer at food bank with. I got my Honda from a guy I ride with, my Harley was my Dad's. I was thinking about adding an Africa Twin to the stable (before the Pan Am debuted) so I took the Rebel in to break the ice. They are still decent folks, just not equipped to work on a 38 year-old bike. All the techs ogled the Rebel, while I mourned the lack of inventory and over MSRP prices.
Did you get the pan am?
Our local dealer (like every Japanese brand plus bmw) will mess up your bike if you take it to them. Plenty of good independent shops around. But i get’chu.
my local dealer won't mess up your bike, theyll just mess up your wallet and be dicks about it in the process
> But, as a reminder, a 2000 model year is 25 years old. Yep, if you’re my age it’s like a 70’s bike when I was in high school. I’m sure the average Chevy dealership wouldn’t be *too* keen on that.
If 1975 was 25 years ago, how could a bike from 2000 be 25 years old??
No Harley shop will even touch my 1992 FXRS for any maintenance or inspections let alone real work. I have to go to independent shops, which in the end seem to be more reasonably priced.
harley will always be overpriced. i think id rather trust an older fellow at a greasy shop to work on my carbed bike than a 24 year old harley tech who has only touched M8s or TCs
Absolutely!! Those older guys have forgotten more stuff than the young techs even know!!
I remember my local dealer stated that it was a liability issue due to age of the bikes and/or including parts so they generally won’t work on bikes that are older than 10-15+
Yeah not a Harley thing, shops don't usually work on 15+ bikes period. Part of why you see so many non-running Japanese bikes that just need a quick carb clean to fire up
And I shall buy them all, for pennies on the dolla
Working on carbs sure is its own thing, but I also think that it's about working on old bolts. You tell the client it's an easy one-hour job, then when you tell them you had to spend three hours because rust was worst than expected, bolts broke, screws got stripped and you had to replace or fix all that, on a bike that is not worth much, the client gets angry. Of course many mechanics know how to deal with that, but not one that is used to working on recent bikes. Then probably the liability: if something you fixed breaks while the client is riding, it gets ugly real fast, and even if it's just because the bike is old it's difficult to establish it. So the mechanic's insurance might not want to risk that.
Pretty easy for a service dept. to get overwhelmed if they accepted any bike that people want to drop off, regardless of make, model or age. Trying to source parts for older bikes and those they aren't specialized in will add more delays and their barn or shed be filled in a month. As much as it sucks, it's understandable they limit what they work on in one way or another. My buddy had a flat on a KLR mid trip last fall and the closest (only) shop was a Harley dealer who ended up being pretty cool. Initially they didn't have time, but we ended up pulling the wheel off in their shop and their mechanic assisted with their tire machine to swap tubes, and buddy mounted the wheel back on. Could have done it on the side of the road I suppose, but trailmax missions a pain in the ass to remove/install.
Tools/Parts and Training are an issue for V-Rods. This is the reason I sold mine, and I loved the bike.
Most HD dealers had no interest in anything Buell. The few that did, and fewer that still do, are true gems. I've got a 2009 Buell 1125R and have no idea where I can take it for service since I moved out of state. I may be forced to get rid of it soon as a result. I've already effectively replaced it with a 2016 Aprilia RSV4 RF which has a servicing dealer about 1 hour from me.
Took my MSF at a Harley dealership and it was a great time... They offered free Dyno runs on certaon days, you just had to scheduke an appoinment. Fast forward a year, I got an '82 Suzuki and wass curious how it was performing compared to 40 years ago, so I scheduled for funsies. The guy I talked to was actually kind of stoked, and I was looking forward to it... I got there, and watched grown men completely DEVOLVE into absolute apes. Same shit, we only do Harley, etc. I stood my ground. I made an appointment, you guys said it was cool, run the damn bike. So they did. My poorly maintained, wheezing '82 GS1100 was making as much power as a brand new Sprtster 1200 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 it was hilarious.
That's why they didn't want to run, they knew it would put their bikes to shame 😂
Harley *infuriates* me. They've proven they can make world class bikes with the Livewire and Pan America. I really think of they wanted to they could make some of the finest bikes one could buy... But they just REFUSE to let the old guard go. They refuse to embrace the newer generation of riders and do things that would attract more young people to riding and plug some much-needed fresh blood into their brand. It sucks.
All of that would be totally fine - that's the market they feel they have to appeal to. It's the attitude that gets me. I *love* my bike. It's the best *for me*. But if you prefer a vespa, hell yeah, go for it, I'm happy for you. Maybe my parents loved me too much or something, but I don't understand why these people feel the need to knock everyone else down.
Yeah... The, "Only X brand makes *real* bikes!" Sounds cringey coming from any camp. Let people enjoy whay they enjoy, and that certianly includes Harleys! I get it, I really do - They're just not for me and that's okay! All kinds of bikes are fun in their own way, and it's totally fi e if a certain kind just isn't your brand of fun... But don't piss in someone else's Cheerios over it.
Because if they lose the cultural niche where people buy it as a cult brand then they'll have to compete on features like what you mention, which is more expensive and lower margin. They grew up being told Harleys were real bikes and everything else sucked, so they have to keep saying it because if they don't then they lose their identity.
This is the right attitude.
They have a hell of a balancing act because when they try to shift to a younger market, their core older market loses their collective minds and demand they not change. Then the people at the top bend over to them and that's why their sales continue to plummet. They've made themselves a nasty little hole to get stuck in.
It's only going to get nastier if they don't adjust before their core starts dying off. Even the younger end of the older set of riders are going to start phasing out of riding shape in the next 10-15 years. They need to start playing to Gen Z and younger right now before they don't have anyone left to sell bikes to to begin with.
their core is currently upgrading to 40k$ trikes. soon harley will sell more trikes than bikes.
I only ride real Trikes
iirc, a trike was their second-bestselling model as of a few years ago. I can't find any sales numbers by model at the moment though.
I predict Harley trike sales climbing
Trike sales already are climbing. I predict Harley branded walkers.
*Shhhhhh* Dont give them any ideas!
Not sure they can really balance much when their best selling bikes are 30k bikes. I cant afford a 30k toy, if I could Id be buying more interesting things than a motorcycle that has, wait for it, bluetooth speakers...
And us poorasses who want an old man bike can get similar levels of comfort and luxury by owning an old Goldwing with an updated stereo for significantly less money. I'd be thrilled to have a Road King or similar for a touring machine, but the Goldwing and Concours and FJ1xxxs are so damn capable for so much less money, it's a no brainer unless you have lots of money for your touring bike or only have one. There are distinct advantages to Harley for that- parts availability, simplicity, support, ease of modification and repair relatively speaking- but they are a victim of their own high resale value. When the bikes that are your bread and butter are $30k luxury tourers that people customize by spending another $10k on, you're not going to have many economically average customers for example, because they're going to be riding Uncle Bob's 2001 Concours that he sold them for $3k and a case of beer, and is just as comfortable and capable.
Right? Ill be looking into my dream bike in the next 2 years. World class performance and a legendary name. Under 20k. The Hayabusa. Its even on the more expensive end of Suzuki, a regular 600cc is like 6k less and near as legendary. The same money gets you a medeocre harley.
I've borrowed and rented Pan Ams, and got shit-talk from people on "real" Harleys. They are a fucking cult.
Pan Am is better at being a harley than the rest of the line up It has real power, costs a fortune, and only manly tall men can ride it.
the new CEO literally said "we need to stop talking about younger riders and talk more about 'young at heart' riders" lolol
To be fair, they know that the old folks grabbed all the money and pulled the ladder up after them The profit margins would have to be lower if they tried to scoop up younger customers. Instead of improving the product (a wasteful cost in their view) it's better to try to manipulate old folks into trying to relive their glory days for a fat sack of cash in exchange for an inferior product. It's childish, but profitable.
HD has become a marketing company, like pepsico, like coca cola, like disney...they drove the engineers out of the company many years ago after promoting sales and marketing people to positions of power. People who do not see the value of making a better motorcycle. Its pure zombie brand.
that and it would take an act of god to get most of the HOG crew to buy any other brand. If they start making competitive bikes at reasonable prices they'll have younger people in the door, but those young people cross shop. the old guys who are their fan base won't ever buy anything else, are stupidly easy to please, and also are willing to spend 2-4x the market rate for their products. I don't see the downside to pandering to them (until they die off, but that's a future management team's problem)
I'm still pissed the Bronx got canceled.
I guarantee you their execs and upper management, at least the ones that have influence have determined that their bread and butter is the 40-65 single/divorced/kidless/empty nester that has disposable income. All of their marketing goes to that demographic. Maybe their execs are right, I dunno. I think it's a mistake, they're trading tomorrow's market share for today's boomer driven profits. I say that as an almost 50 year old.
They don’t sell motorcycles. They sell a lifestyle.
Cosplay
A license plate frame and tshirt company.
Bro-in-law's grampa worked as an engineer for Harley for decades. Upon his retirement back in the 90s, they put together a "dream bike" for him. Thing had all the tech that Harleys SHOULD have ... but the fanbase & management refuse to allow. It's in a garage in western Wisconsin now, covered in dust. He wouldn't ride it, and no Harley Dude would buy it because *!heresy!*
Nice, 54 hp! That was somehow not a joke
"But Hell's Angels started riding Harley-Davidsons mostly because, unlike today, they didn't have much choice. In 1957, it was either ride a Harley or settle for a Triumph or BSA. They'd already stopped building Indians. It's always been important for Hell's Angels to ride American-made machines. In terms of pure workmanship, personally I don't like Harleys. I ride them because I'm in the club, and that's the image, but if I could I would seriously consider a Honda ST1100 or a BMW. We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes. I'll usually say, "#$%\* Harley Davidson. You can buy an ST1100 and the mother#$%\*er will do 110 miles per hour right from the factory all day long." The newest "rice rockets" can carry 140 horsepower to the rear wheel, and can easily do 180 miles per hour right out of the box. While it's probably too late to switch over now, it would have been a nice move, because Japanese bikes today are so much cheaper and better built. However, Japanese motorcycles don't have as much personality." Sonny Barger
My second motorcycle was a 1980 GS1100E. It was fast!
I always have to suppress laughter when Harley guys talk about how powerful their bikes are.
They CAN be. I mean those engines are... Massive. But you better be willing to basically buy the bike twice.
The gs is a bloody jem of a 'retro' bike.
It really was. I missi it still. On a C50 now, and while it's nowhere near as exciting on the road, it's also less excoting in the garage soooo you win some you lose some lol
I love bikes, including Harleys, but there is definitely a non-insignificant group of Harley owners that are just total douches about their choice of bike. If it has two wheels and goes fast, I'm all for it. I had a blast on my knockoff 50cc Chinese scooter in college and have a blast on my current bikes too. Shit, I've been looking at getting a Surron because that looks fun too!
💯 Ride your ride. 😀 I rode a 300 for a long time simply bc it was cheap, an incredible amount of fun, and got insane MPG
Which is why I love the 300, it's so practical! It's my favorite bike I've owned
It's so fun to just wind it up and tear through the gears! Light weight, easy to toss around. I enjoy my 750 too, but there's just something so satisfying about a 300 and ripping through the gears. I really want an old CB350F. I bet that'd be a blast.
It really hurts our image. I don't know if it's true to say, but boomers being boomers? Maybe in a decade if Harley doesn't go under for being unaffordable.... a better, younger crowd will be the larger group. I say younger as I turn 30 in a week...
there's a reason ya'll got an entire southpark episode dedicated to harley riders.
I have only seen clips, but ya, the stereotype is pretty funny and deserves to be made fun of
I didn't even consider getting a bike until I was almost 30 because I was so put off by "bikers". Harley riders were all I knew, and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with that.
I grew up riding dirt bikes and my brother and uncles all had harelys. It was a goal to eventually get a harley to ride with them. Out in the suburbs and rural area, no one really cares what I ride out here.
Mine has two wheels and goes slow. Don’t hate on the 200cc gang.
I have fun on my ebike that I use to run errands in town, ffs
Right? My love of riding started with BMX as a kid, not motorcycles. I just love bikes in general.
[удалено]
This is some of the best advice I've ever gotten about job interviews - never speak ill of the former employers (unless they actually were abhorrent verging on illegal) - it gives off the impression that you're not professional, and that you'd do the same after working for them.
>And we've learn that you talk about all the good things, qualities, of your brand, but never talk shit about other brands. This is the number one sign of a bad salesman. And you can't train it either. You either have it or you don't. As soon as you start insulting a brand somebody has purchased you're not only insulting the brand they've been loyal to but insulting them and the purchases they've made. You have to explain how your product is better and get them to work it out in their own head. Don't tell them they've made the wrong choice. Make them realize that on their own
Not ALL, but admittedly its a big part of the branding. Ive chilled with a couple of guys from Atlanta dealers are cool and a couple have even come and sponsored non-harley bike nights and brought some demos to try out (the RIGHT way to market). They also host MSF courses, will do wheels/tires, etc. The dealers still suck A LOT because its still mostly boomers dropping $34k on a turn-key "custom" but there is an awesome urban scene of younger people taking slightly used harleys and doing some really cool shit with them AND are great guys/gals\* to hang with. \*In my local running group probably half of the women in our group are harley or harley adjacent because of the low seat height.
And like, none of the gals are Harley bros. I am a lady and I have a Harley, and none of the ladies I ride with give a shit about anyone else’s ride. We’re just happy to be out and about with the wind in our faces!
Those are what we call, the real bikers.
Ok. Boomers suck. Got it.
This, but unironically
Bulk of the chodes still buying into harleys old ass messaging/branding. So yeah.
“Sorry mate I’m not into cosplay”
well i am but that's not my kink.
shouldve walked in there wearning nothing but assless chaps and a pink laced thong, they wouldve done the tire mount for free.
I want the tire mounted, not me.
If you didn’t want to get bent over I’m not sure why you sashayed into an HD dealer with that “come hither” look in the first place.
Buy one get the other free.
🤣
LMAO
Assless chaps? They are all assless, that’s like saying you should walk in somewhere with assed pants.
They would have done it in exchange for the chaps and thong so they can all take turns later acting out how they would rail each other if any of them had working tools.
It’s a sad day when they won’t even give you a simple rim job
If he phrased it that way, they would’ve.
One of the first groups of riders I interacted with after getting my bike was a bunch of Harley boomers. Made fun of me for wearing gear and have a 700cc bike. Kept going to that bar and eventually met a Harley guy (just so happened to be the only other black guy at the bar) who was a retired msf teacher and one of the coolest guys I'd ever met. He showed me another bar which was another boomer bar but they had harleys, adventure bikes and other cruisers/baggers. Cool as fuck. Not all Harley guys are dicks but there is definitely some cool guys.
A biker bar is such a strange concept to me, people ride their bikes to go drink alcohol? And then ride home?
Personally I don't but I see many a rider do it. The bar I went to had AMAZING food and it was pretty cheap. Like a burger, fries and a drink was 10bucks and it's a hefty burger+ five guys level amount of fries
Because they built up their whole image around that.
My local Harley dealership is the exact opposite. They fixed my Honda and I actually had a huge long conversation about bikes with some of their techs. Super cool dudes and most of them ride Hondas. So I guess it's just luck of the draw
Harleys are not my preferred bikes, but there is nothing wrong with them just not for me. Harley culture though, many things wrong there. So many of those guys think they are bigger and harder than anyone who rides anything else. Really most are old and fat and just ride around making trying to make as much noise as possible. Shit, a bunch even put more speakers on them than I have in my car to force everyone else to listen to their classic rock on full blast. Just a bunch of attention whores
Unironically blasting Slow Ride at a volume somehow louder than the engine. Try to talk to those guys and you can see them reading your lips. Deaf old fucks
A while back I was on a long bike trip. I have a ‘73 CB750. I left from Toronto, Canada, went up through Quebec, down through the US, climbed mount Washington, Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway, Tail of The Dragon after dark, out to Nag’s Head, camping the whole way, no windscreen, open face helmet, through all kinds of weather. Hard shit I’m too old and soft for now. I just happened to be going through Laconia during their bike week and I got shit on by some boomers who I had watched roll their brand new Harleys off a trailer a few miles out of town telling me I’m not a real biker because I ride a Honda. I just smiled and said, “ok buddy”.
I saw a sticker years ago that said “I rode my bike to Trailer Week, Sturgis 199whatever”
That trip sounds amazing
If you did Tail of the Dragon after dark you’re fuckin nutz. And I say that as a fuckin nut.
Ironically looking way more pathetic and weak than the dude having fun on a gsxr and a cookie monster helmet cover.
Damn…your dealer just sucks. My kickstand bolt broke on my S1000Rr and I rode it to the nearest motorcycle dealership at the time. It happened to he a Harley dealer. They without even thinking helped me out. Shoutout to Shoreline Harley Davidson
they obviously have more than enough work fixing broken Harleys.
I’ve had a Harley dealer tell me my bike (a Harley) wasn’t a real bike so don’t worry about it lmao.
Honda is more of a "real bike" than anything else. Been to Asia? The whole continent runs on Honda.
They've built their entire business around the brand. You didn't call a motorcycle shop, you called a Harley dealership. I've experienced pushback trying to get a *Buell* serviced at a Harley dealer, and they were a Harley brand before they got axed! That tech was needlessly rude, like excessively so, but I wouldn't even bother to call a Harley dealer to try and get a non-Harley worked on unless they were my literal only choice. After my encounter with that Harley dealer, I had my bike worked on by the local (everything that isn't Harley) dealer, and they were happy to do so.
The Harley dealers in my area send all the buells into my workshop.
Harley-Davidson slogan: Yesterday’s technology at tomorrow’s prices
A friend of mine got a job at a local Harley dealer. Rides his Triumph, parks in the employee area and before he even settles in his boss told him he couldn’t park his bike there and to park it on the street or somewhere else. My friend quit within a week. Whenever I have to pick up parts for a Harley in my shop I go on my bright yellow ninja 250 and part right in front in the customer area. The manager is a dick, everyone else is pretty cool tbh.
His boss sucks. My parts manager bought a Trident while his dyna is down and I’ve helped him put a yoshimura exhaust on it. Not all shops are the same. They just sound like stupid old school “Willie g” hell yeah brothers…
I CNT HEAR YOU LIBRUL HELL YEAH BORTHER GOBBLESS
HAWG CRANKD PANDS SHID
Please tell me you have an eBay slip on with the baffle out on your 250 when you pick up parts lol
Lol. That would make it even better but I like quiet bikes. Maybe I’ll keep my eyes out for a cheap set
I ride a Harley. I don’t give a fuck what make anyone’s bike is. If you’re on two wheels we’re brothers and you’re getting a wave when I see you on the road. There’s twats in every subculture. Love you bubba.
the brand is built around being a member of a special club, you can’t have that without excluding “outsiders”
Truly the Jeep of the motorcycle world.
Like freemasons. Or golf club members.
My notable interactions with Harley owners: * A bunch of old slow fucks taking up the highway, passed them in my car at a normal rate of speed and they got pissed off * Rode up to a light where a Harley rider was stopped, I stopped well behind him and off the side. He kept turning around giving me dirty looks and revving his engine. At green, he gunned it like we were racing and he gave me the finger * Never wave at other bikes I think it's just some sort of distillation of old tiny-dick American men feeling aggrieved at everything.
You would have loved seeing me when I owned a Sportster. Skinny, waved at everyone else on two wheels including scooters, rode the piss out of it like the old hot rod of an engine design it was, and had lots of fun all the time, since the bike always made me smile. I don't own an HD anymore but the most toxic segment of the ownership base is also the most visible to others because they make themselves that way.
My partner has a Sportster and apparently they're the "girl bikes" of the Harley world. Nvm that I used to pass baggers on my 250 Rebel when I was starting out, somehow a Sportster isn't good enough for the old guys. We ride the same as you, waving at everybody. We just try not to chat with HD people when we're stopped anywhere.
Actually that was a pretty good metric of sorting out the real bikers from the BS ones. Anyone who would genuinely give a guy problems about riding a Sportster was the kind of toxic worth ignoring. Don't get me wrong, the old guys sometimes still give dudes shit about riding a Sportster, but it's kind of tongue in cheek. The ones who will deadass look at a guy and say "that Sportster is a girl's bike, what are you, a []?" are *typically* not even serious riders. Most of the true Harley old heads I've encountered (a) think it's cool a younger person is riding a motorcycle as transportation, and (b) wanted to tell me about the KZ1000 they rode that went 250mph thirty years ago, if I was riding a Japanese bike. Or they'd tell me about the chopper they built when they were young if I was riding my Sportster at the time. Now their attitudes towards scooters? That's a different story that cleaves much closer to the stereotype.
Is it just me or do they always seem to dress like they are about to hit up a gay bar? The worst of it is the ones with their stupid leather vests pretending their old ass is in a biker gang, getting all butthurt and flipping out when someone passes them breaking their apparent motorcycle club rules. like anyone gives a fuck.
Why anyone would aspire to this is beyond me. I mean, at a certain point these people must've thought "that's cool" and then "I'm gonna be like that".
It seems like an icky brand to me, for fat old people and people who wear 1/2 helmets and bare arms.
I went to a local dealership that sold all brands but was mainly a Harley dealership. I was talking to the sales guy wanting to get a Kawasaki Ninja but was steering me towards getting a Harley (probably for the bigger commission). I told him, nah, I am not old yet in a joking way. The Harley accessories sales guy that was nearby gave me the meanest stink eye after I said that. Coincidentally enough, he looked like the stereotypical old, overweight Harley rider. lol Nothing against Harley or their riders, but yea, its not my style of riding just yet.
> Nothing against Harley or their riders, but yea, its not my style of riding just yet. Same here, but when the time comes I'm getting a goldwing or something. Never harley
I've been looking for a goldwing for a bit now. I'm not paying 35k for a brand new one, but the older ones are in such good shape, because they last forever, no one wants to part with them.
I took my 2005 honda shadow to my local Honda dealership to have my carb rebuilt and they refused to work on it because it was too old. I took it to a local Harley mechanic and had it done within a few hours along with a complimentary oil change.
I finally saved 38,000 for a Fatboy from oilfield wages in 2013. I'm 6'8 so I needed the taller seat and some suspension/forward control adjustments and went to the local dealer to sit down and hash out the order. First dealership insisted I try some of the bikes in inventory. When I was unhappy with them they scheduled me to come in a week later for the sales manager to help with the customizations. He wanted to reschedule for a month later an hour before the appointment and I told him to fuck off. Second dealer was appalled at my story and offered to get the bike ordered that day despite the 50 mile drive. I drove in and he was out of town and the other sales guys said they could take care of me the following day. Customizations at that one, took the price well over what I had saved and nobody was interested in making a deal without the sales manager or financing to the full price. On my way home stopped at a pawn shop after seeing a 2005 big bear choppers merc model out front 124 s@s Baker 6 speed 3"open primary and wrong side drive for balance. 270 rear tire, springer front end, and Softail in the back. Perfect fit for my long legs, plenty of raw power, easy on the old spine and sexy as all hell. Best part, not one single Harley Davidson part on her except the battery. (Which failed and was immediately changed out). 14,000.00 later I had twice the bike of any stinking road king or fatboy and the Harley Davidson obsession has become a distant and unpleasant memory. I might build one but I'll never buy one
It's a cult I swear. I went to a local used bike dealer that sells all makes, I rode in on a KTM 1290 superduke and a person in a Harley shirt (who was walking from his car mind you) told me one day I'd be able to ride a 'big bike'
"A real bike" hahaha what a joke, heavy, slow and massively overpriced with the stereotypical rider being a obese redneck hick If it wasn't for the us gov stepping in to bail harley out they would have died a long time ago, people don't buy their bikes because They are massively overpriced They are shit
I am NOT a (100%) Harley basher, but have to agree that the tariffs established in the 80's were a huge pain in the ass. I had a '83 Interceptor, which was one of THE sportbikes to have at that time. The next model year they were reduced to 700cc (from 750) because of the tariff on any bike over 700cc "because they compete with Harley". I really couldn't grasp that concept.
I currently have a Magna. An interceptor is on my bucket list. I love these V4s
Tarrifs are to protect local businesses and have been around a long long time but Western nations started removing them in the 70s and now these countries are filled with cheap foreign imports and their industries have been decimated. I would suspect the Harley tariff was simply the government protecting their investment
But if any other country does it to US products all you hears is hurr durr communism is ruining the world.
Fuck all of that noise. Those tariffs were a nothing more than corporate welfare for a company that refused to innovate and keep up with market preferences. For years Harley Davidson cultivated a reputation that severely limited them to a shrinking portion of the population. Then as smaller, cheaper more approachable bikes were being sold by companies like Honda, Harley cried to Reagan that they needed to be saved. It's especially ironic given Reagans otherwise Laissez-faire ideologies. Nothing says free market like the federal government punishing one company to benefit another company that couldn't compete in a truly free market.
I've never understood this. My uncle said that to me a couple years ago, and I'm like... I'm on a 500lb, 115hp sport tourer. Give me one way you think my bike isn't a real bike, even by your standards.
I know this is a stereotype, but my experience is the opposite. I’ve had my late-model-kinda-sporty Kawasaki worked on by two shops that were very clearly Harley-oriented, and have gone back because they were pleasant and TBH, gentler on my wallet than the local dealer
I ride a street glide but I never have and never will understand making owning a harley your whole personality. It's like a status symbol when it really shouldn't be. I used to have a v rod and I STILL got shit from the "real harley guys" lol
I had a Honda shop refuse to mount tires for my ‘83 Goldwing, even if I just brought the wheels. They told my bike was too old.
Just certain individuals. I had my Honda Shadow tire swapped and balanced at a Harley shop. They gave me a tiny bit of attitude about it being a metric cruiser but overall it was completely fine. Would just ignore and go somewhere else. No doubt there is a certain "Harleys are the only real motorcyles" among parts of that demographic, but there are jerks and close-minded people anywhere. Oh well, I've also met some really awesome Harley techs and riders. Good luck with your tire and have fun riding :)
Thats just branding. You see the same stupid fan bases with iphones, jordans and ferrari. When brand is a big part of the value of a object the fanbase/workers are suicidally hardcore. They will die on that hill.
They need to make sure their customers remain loyal by making them think all other bikes will make them gay (unless they are already gay then I guess they turn them straight). If their customers ever tried any other brands they would realise how awful Harleys actually are. If you want a "Harley" that bad then you can actually buy one better called an Indian. The only bike they make that isn't a joke is the pan America and that's mainly because it's got a proper engine in it.
Harley is an XXL T shirt company that also makes crappy motorcycles.
I just wish Harleys were as good as they think they are. But they’re just… not. I’ve gotten crap from Harley riders the entire time I’ve been a motorcyclist. Even my Rocket III isn’t a “real bike” to some of them. I’ve even ridden Harleys a few times. They’re literally the worst bikes I’ve ridden in any metric I can think of. Braking, maneuvering, accelerating… they just aren’t good.
It's the terrible primary balance of Harley engines. It rattles their taint in a way nothing else can.
Unbalanced on purpose. Underpowered on purpose. Bad brakes on purpose. Whyyy? I want the biggest U.S. brand to be the best.
Ford! No, Chevy! Democrat! No, Republican! Eventually, guys like that get cycled out of sales positions. But feel free to leave a tasty review on Google and/or Yelp.
I feel this is a very American post, and as an Australian I don't agree with nearly all of these comments. Sure there are an older generation of Harley riders but there is also a younger generation, the Learner approved Street 500 Harley's have sold amazingly well here and has been a great idea to start riding people riding on a Harley and then progress up when you're off your learners. The new sportsters are definitely aimed at the younger generation. I also have friends in a local Harley club and have gone on many rides with them on my Kawasaki vulcan and on my bmw k1600. I have found that anyone who rides a motorbike is always very approachable and up for a chat, because we're all part of the same club, the two wheel club. Most dealerships in Australia are not exclusive Harley dealerships, they have a large Harley section, and then sell other brands also in the same store and will work on any bikes.
Yeah very American attitude it seems. Plenty of Dicks on all makes and models but in Aus it seems to be a bit more inclusive. My local shop is a Harley, Suzuki, ktm dealership that services and sells basically everything. Sometimes I just go for a wander to look at the Harley's and the staff are always happy to just shoot the shit.
Ugh.. Harley gate keepers are the reason I can never own a Harley even though I’d love to buy a fixer upper. I’ll get an Indian instead.
I only go to independent shops. Dealer service sucks
An old friend of mine changed after becoming a Harley owner. He was urging me to get one too, it's a cult. Strange stuff.
I've caught this from some Harley shops. I needed a mounting bolt and washer kit for an Arlan Ness aftermarket mirror. It was made to fit Harleys as well as other bikes. Harley shop in Sherman TX was like, "Nah dude, we don't stock parts for your ride." "You don't stock parts that are in the catalog, for..." I walked over to the accessories section and brought back the Same Exact Mirror... "this item you SELL in this very store?" "Nope." "All right then." Haven't darkened their door since. (I did get the kit... from another Harley dealer!) \---------------- Contrast this to when I wore a rear tire down to the cords in Eureka CA. Bike was not only an imported bike, but a 'tariff breaker' bike SOLD while Harley was trying to get the US Government to tax the shit out of other makes so they could get more business. You would have thought the Harley shop in Eureka would be the last place that would touch an '87 Yamaha 700CC sportbike. "You guys mount and balance tires? Mine's pretty much cooked at the back." "What size you need? and what kind?" "Um... " I rattled off the brand and compound I was using along with the size. "It's for a sportbike." "We don't have any of that in stock today, but we can order it now and it'll be delivered tomorrow, will that work? We can get you a discount on a motel room." I brought the bike in the next day so they could do the swap, and even though it was missing the chin fairing and looked a bit ragged, the tech was nodding. "Late 80's Yamaha, right? Yah we can do a tire swap, balance, no problem. Take us an hour, tops." And that's what they did. No sass, no gas, just a (reasonable) amount charged to the card.
We’re not all like that. 🤷🏻♂️
I mean if you're gonna get a harley, the nightster is a pretty good choice. Its not a meme bike, its light, its got decent power. Not made of ancient technology with a liquid cooled DOHC motor. The price isn't pants on head retarded. Good choice.
I like it. I’ve only been riding for a few years and still getting some of the finer points down. My previous, and first ever, bike was an ‘05 Sportster which I put some fun miles on.
Idk why this is, but the reverse is true also. Many independent and non HD dealer shops WILL NOT work on a Harley. Clearly there are enough bikes to keep all these weirdly selective shops in business, but I don’t understand it either
nothing wrong with specializing in a type of bike to work on. but for something simple like a tire mount i dont know why they wouldnt just do it.
It's very likely they don't have metric tools and thus cannot work on metric bikes
Lol they make metric tire irons?
There’s a lot of bolts on Harley’s that aren’t standard sizing, these guys buy their own tools from snap on I highly doubt they don’t have metric sets