Dealer vs private shop?
 

So I want to get my first mait done by a mechanic and the dealer I bought the bike from honestly I don't really trust they seem very money hungry and grubby and I got this place that's about a half hour closer than the dealer (I inly bought the bike from the dealer because they were about the only one in the area that had the bike I wanted and I honestly felt like I over paid but I wanted the bike so what can you do when you know what you want and someone has it). Now the dealer wants 380 for the first mait and oil change, and the place down the street named nicks custom cycles witch I've heard good things about says that it'll take them 2 hours to go over the bike, roughly 250$ to go over it with their certified mechanics with the oil change and if I bring my warranty books with it they will stamp it to keep the warranty valid. Now would you guys suggest going back to the dealer and paying what I think is a total rip off or go to the shop that specializes in old Harley's and customizing and paying the around 250, 70$ an hour in labor plus whatever the cost for the parts are. I'm leaning towards the custom shop personally but wanted to know opinions from my fellow riders.

What you said there is the key factor.
I have no problem supporting an independent shop if the guy has a good reputation,, matter of fact I seek them out.
Every shop, dealer or not,, is going to have a horror story,, you just can't please all the people all the time,, but a good man's reputation is generally common knowledge.

You can use an HD Dealer, an Indy, or even save more by doing it yourself.

Keep your invoice from the Indy, or save your receipts if you DIY.

All are fine in regards to your warranty

I go along with the "do it yourself" suggestion. If I remember correctly, with the exception of changing the fluids which is no big deal, it's pretty much a walk around and inspect your bike situation. Good time to get out the manual and start learning about your new bike. And if you don't have a manual, use the money you save to buy one. Remember, nobody cares as much about your bike than you do. Who do you trust more to actually take the time to do a routine review of your ride, some bored tech or yourself. Don't forget, it's not his butt in the saddle going down the road it's yours.

I wish I had the option of a private shop. My dealer seems OK but service dept is constantly jammed and will only install items bought at that dealer. Learning and studying to do my own work.

I like the dealership to do my work, since I don't have the tools or desire to do it myself. But I've had a couple of things done at the indie shop too. I just trust the dealership more.

I took my bike to 2 dealerships because my back brake didn't work, in fact it never worked correctly. Both dealerships claimed there was nothing wrong with it. I took it to the local indy shop and that guy said I had a bad master cylinder, he rebuilt it and now it works great. Indy shop gets my business from here on out.

My first mait I feel more comfortable getting done by a professional with a good rep because there could be some minor stuff that could lead to major issues later on that I personally wouldn't have caught since I don't 100% know what I'm looking for esp on a Harley but just the routine stuff I wanna do myself. This place by me is where all the guys in the Harley clubs the "bikers" I suppose you could call them lol go. It's where they get all their custom parts the shop does all custom work welding and fabricating in house they tune do mait custom work re chrome restore. It's basically one of those places that if it exist they either have it or will find it for you. They were even featured on that TV show American pickers where they went hunting for old rare stuff. They even have a antique bike museum in their shop. They don't sell new bikes but sell used stuff and they have parts hanging up and around like you wouldn't believe. I was in their once years ago and from the outside it just looks like some garage in the woods but once you go inside its like Harley heaven, new looking used stuff new parts used rare parts and completely custom parts. I feel like I wanna give these guys a shot and support my local business.

Yep. You remember correctly. Purchasing the service manual actually IS an investment. The first time you use it you will likely come out ahead money wise.

A good Indy over a dealership all day long. Also remember this when you need tires. HD will screw you and not even think about using KY. My Indy charges me $40 to change a tire.