Shop refusing to work on a 2003 moto?!?!?!

[ratsblast]

Find an independent HD shop, those are all easy jobs. You can always pull the rims and bring them to CG for tire replacement. While they are off throw some new brake pads on, buy brake pads on ebay look up ebc part # half price over HD parts.

 

[clutchslip]

I’m sure the business model is a little different at a motorcycle dealer, but if you saw the P&L sheet from most car dealerships you’d wonder why they even bother with new car sales at all.

I wouldn't do it. In big/competitive markets, it is really a suicide waiting to happen. Invest $5m in inventory that sits and loses value doing nothing. Pay for lights, property, taxes, wages. The margins are thin, even with the manufacturer holdbacks. Thus, your part of the business is so very important for the dealer. Without it, they couldn't survive. And thus the manufacturers try to help with dealer only servicing and paying dealers in advance to maintain cars that don't break down like they use to do. Man, it's a vicious circle. German and Italian cars have better margins. But, even those have shrunk.

 

[Kurosaki]

Honda dealer refused to look at an 11 year old Nighthawk 750 I used to own.

BMW dealers will work on pretty much any vintage; they worked on my 25 year old K75S back in the day.

I wonder if in a couple years Honda would refuse to work on my CBR even though a CBR currently only a few years old is basically the same bike.

 

[berth]

Are motorcycles under the same "must have XXX years of parts" rule that cars have?

 

[russ69]

some dealers won't work on anything older than 10 years

Pretty much this mostly because the manufacturer has stopped making replacement parts. Back in my day there weren't as many models and there were many parts shared by many models. You have to draw the line somewhere and 10 years is a good number.

 

[NorCal_SV650S]

So it's an easy answer...find a good local shop that will work on the bike that still has plenty of parts available..and to quote George in The Dealership, Final season..."Yeah right.. I’m gonna get my car repaired at a dealership. Huh! Why don’t I just flush my money down the toilet? "

 

[orbframe]

So, GF has a 2003 HD 883r
HD lanesplitter refused to work on it saying they stopped servicing pre 2005 models?
Has something changed since the last time I owned a harley?

That’s dumb. Go to eagles nest HD in Lathrop... if they won’t do it go to hk cycles in livermore.

 

[ST Guy]

Once upon a time, the only people who rode were those who could wrench. And if a bike lasted 5 years before needing major work, it was considered a miracle. Times have changed.

 

[RTW Reno]

Thanks y'all for the offers, really love how Barf comes in handy.
I'll keep them for next time as the GF decided to take her bike to OSC near her job.

 

[NeverSayDie]

I have never heard of this. I've only owned Japanese bikes, some of them were at least ten years old but go to bikebandit or any vendor of OEM parts and the big four can supply you with damn near any part you need.

Hey wait, is this just a Harley shitpost to troll us? Cause the only HD that has "different" parts have Porsche-built motors.

 

[originalsturge]

i felt they didn't really change since 1914
/soren

ftfy

 

[Kameron808]

It's irrelevant if the model has changed. Things get old and get less profitable to attempt to repair. It's not crazy at all.

 

[berth]

It's irrelevant if the model has changed. Things get old and get less profitable to attempt to repair. It's not crazy at all.

Outside of the "getting stuck with a bike and a fighting a lien", while it may not be worth while for the bike owner, the shop shouldn't car being as it's fee for service and parts are either a wash or marked up.

I'm not in the business, so I don't know how often a shops labor and fees turns in to basically a bad loan with lousy collateral if the owner abandons the work.

 

[RTW Reno]

It's irrelevant if the model has changed. Things get old and get less profitable to attempt to repair. It's not crazy at all.

Lets see
tires, hmmmmm ok
brake fluid...hmmmm lmao
brake pads?
and install the easy pull I bought????

not crazy? you've got to be fucking kidding me ...

 

[Blankpage]

If ya wanna get something done ya gotta grease the palm man

 

[Junkie]

+1 Johndicezx9 most management at the dealer level would love to just sell new bikes no strings attached the service department is more of a liability than a money maker. Much higher profit margin in "maintenance" with less headache. Add to that slim manufacturer part support after so many years and lack inability to dive into the aftermarket why would you?

I'm surprised at that, given that the opposite is generally true for car dealers (service is where they make most of their money)

 

[originalsturge]

if youre in san jose there are a few indy shops that would be more than happy to work on that bike. RAM CYCLES is a good shop down that way.

 

[sjuels]

ftfy

I stand corrected - although the metric Sportster is almost just an Evo.

/Soren

 

[Kameron808]

Lets see
tires, hmmmmm ok
brake fluid...hmmmm lmao
brake pads?
and install the easy pull I bought????

not crazy? you've got to be fucking kidding me ...

So what happens when your caliper has rusty hardware and a bolt snaps off? Tires? Easy. Oh wait, your wheel bearings are garbage and you don't want to buy new ones because "they never did that before". The banjo fitting hasn't been touched in years and now won't seal again and it's a weird angle because the previous owner installed some bars from a Dyna? When the clutch cable refuses to move again once it's been pulled from its current alignment and there isn't one available except on eBay and it's four days out and you still want H-D warranty because "it wasn't like that before". Oh and the easy pull has a different size barrel at the ends and now there's play in the lever. But online it said it was for this bike! Look at my phone, it says so right there!


But... but.. no. My bike doesn't have any of those problems. It would be easy. I know for certain!

Sure you do.

Maybe worth the headache for some, definitely not for others. Sounds like they were right to turn you away. You refuse to try to see the other side of the story and would end up being a multiple time comeback for some pile of a sporty that they didn't want to touch in the first place.

 

[Kameron808]

the damn kid at the service counter wouldn't know the difference, you're right

When he puts in your VIN to check for recalls and maintain compliance records he would. If they're so ignorant why are you going to them in the first place?