Maybe I'm off base here but..If I were a dealer, I'd do free oil changes for life for any customer that bought a bike from me for a couple of reasons...
1) While I'm changing their oil, they're in the shop buying a couple of hundred dollars of "stuff" that they don't really need.
2) You might find a potential problem that needs fix'en ..I:E tires, battery, etc. The customer would think your a hero for saving them a breakdown.
3) I'd charge everyone else 25 bucks for the same above reasons..they might even trade with you to get the free oil changes.

The idea of a good business mind (IMO) is to keep the customer from going somewhere else to do business. I:E Indy shop, internet or doing it themselves.
Forget the free doughnuts and burgers...there unhealthy and are gonna kill your customers...give us free coffee and oil changes.( I think a free beer would be asking to much.)

 

fosters harley in tuscumbia alabama is the only folks i will let touch my bike besides me. full 15,000 service cost me $140.00. thats with syn in motor and formula+ in primary and tranny and new plugs along with adjustments. took them an hour. i like letting them service it because they are family owned business that goes the extra mile for the customer and it lets me shop around the store while they are working.

also had new front and rear pads put on and they told me if i bought the $41.00 pads from them, they would install them for free during the service. no labor charge.

i love fosters harley.

they do business they way it should be done. with the customer in mind.

 

there is aguy around here who does all three holes for 75$ He does everything to spec and does not leave a drop of oil anywhere on the outside. That is fair,of course I still prefer to do it myself all the work is done at home by me in the time it would take to get to his shop and back! Stealer around here gets 89$ an hours! they charge 1 hour + oil + parts + tax and you just have to check if they haven't overfilled !

 

I had my 1000 mile service done at my dealer because it was free. After that I bought a service manual and do all my own oil service on my 3 family cars, bike and boat. Saves hundreds of dollars every year. No trips to the shop sitting in the stupid waiting room and the work is done right with high quality parts. I always get my oil on closeout sales so a full 3 hole oil synthetic service costs me about $40. The 20w50 synthetic racing oil I am running right now was a free sample from the company so I paid $7 shipping. So this years engine oil change cost me $18. If you shop around you can save a lot of cash doing the work yourself.

 

Do it yourself. I have never taken my bike top the dealer for oil change. You just pay for more hassle. Regardless of income level, It is quite simple to do. I'd rather do it myself and know it is being done correctly too.

 

I think it's standard practice for the dealers to charge a minimum of a half-hour labor. That's what's so infuriating about the Stage I download. It takes them five minutes to do it (on top of the charge for "parts")! I'll take my bike in for the more involved stuff I don't want to deal with, otherwise...

 

The dealer here is really involved in the HOG group and funds it quite well so I thought I would throw them a bone and some loyalty and let them service the bike. In turn I thought this would forge some good will and when I had issues they would be taken care of, wrong! I had to go round and round on several very basic warranty issues, when serviced I get my bike back filthy and so many other issues of basically not giving a damn about my concerns and issues. It also seems if you raise some concerns your considered a complainer and you get that tension when you come in.
Recently they raised their 5K service from $280 to $350, freakin' crazy. So I went in to get the parts and I found they mark up their parts about 5% over list. It cost me $75 in parts to do the service after a 15% discount special they had one weekend and I had to beg for that because I forgot the coupon at home. When I did the service, I found they reused the old o-rings (they were all torn up) and used teflon sealer on the threads in place, if that don't burn your toast nothin' will. I let them do 3 services thinking it will get better, well, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different out come, so I came to my senses!
Long story short, the basic servicing of our bikes is crazy easy and I'll be doing the services from now on.
CB

 

An indy near here does the 5k service for under $150 (using Amsoil). $350 is outrageous.

 

The only time I ever had the dealer change my oil was at the 1000 mile service. Since then I've done them myself. Like everyone else says, it's better that way. Besides, it helps you get closer to your bike!

Bart

 

I called the states attorney and the office took my info

I have a book already

I have a lift

I have been riding free 33 years

I love my new $99.00 jacket from china

Sometimes i'm a lazy **** !