Considering trading in but don't trust my dealer
 

The only reason why Im even considering it is because all of them were fired.....

Last year we went to our local Harley dealer. My husband somehow managed to get approval on a bike........literally one bike on their lot......funny thing is the one he wanted was actually cheaper. Didnt make sense but he didnt care.

He was so high on the fact he FINALLY had a bike that we missed that they removed things off the bike before they handed it over. We had taken a pic of it before our app was approved. We didnt realize it until he got pulled over....no turn signals on the back.

Shortly after it died and my mechanic (who is my brother) said the battery was bad and brakes were also bad. Which that by itself isnt a problem it is the custom work off the chopped fender making it a problem to install signals on the back. Still trying to find the darn part I need. There is a particular pigtail he needs and is having trouble locating one.

It has been in my brothers possession for nearly a year....he is familiar with Harleys but has never seen one setup like this one. At this point we are just about to give up and trade it in. We are in good standing with them and almost paid off.....i just worry about getting duped again.

I suspect they gave him that bike since they wanted to get it off their hands....we wanted one with a passenger seat with sissy bar....ended up with a single seat. Turns out even with the seat we bought to allow me to ride the chopped fender means i get wet if it rains.

I read it, but I'm not sure I understood - you left the dealer without realizing the bike did not have rear directionals?

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...150f3b8383.jpg

I wouldn't trust them either, but not just cause they are HD car dealers fall into the same category IMO.

Two questions why buy a bike that you did not want ? How did you not notice the turn signals were not on the bike when you were picking it up ?

I think there is more to this story thats not going to be told.

I suppose you could use hand signals?

Battery, brakes and turn signals is about one afternoon's worth of work. Tell him he works too slow.

This post sounds vaguely familiar...you and your kids didn't get kicked out a dealership before, did you?


Seriously, you'd think the bike would have directionals on it...matter of fact, if they were installed as original equipment, I think it's illegal for the dealer to sell it without 'em. Either way, you didn't notice this when you took delivery?


And you wanted a bike for two-up but bought one with a solo seat? I think that one's on you, too.


Finally, you do know that if you're on a motorcycle in the rain, there's a 100% probability you're gonna get wet.

Huh? Your brother is a mechanic and you didn't have him check it out before you bought it?

Just strip it and make it a bobber. Lose the signals. Speedo. Front brake. Etc....

But seriously. Sounds like you got too excited and bought something without realizing what you bought. That's your bad. Not the dealer.

But again...not sure about where you live but here turn signals are required by law and a dealer shouldn't sell you a bike without them.

And yes...if it rains you get wet. Happens to all of us.

How about..... switch out the chopped fender for a a take off stock fender with turn signals; get a battery, fix the brakes. Pay it off, sell it, or go trade it in.

Just go to another dealer and buy a bike that you want.

Wow...no I didnt get kicked out a dealership. He had been wanting a bike for so long that he settled for what he got...if only to get better credit to be able to actually get the one he wanted. He was only approved for that one bike...no other one including the cheaper one that had what he wanted. Changing out the seat wasnt a biggie. Btw what I meant in regard with the rain is if we are on the road and its not raining but the road is wet ....I get wet.

My brother doesnt live close to me, it took hell and high water to get it to him. There were personal issues that kept him from getting to it sooner plus he also has a fulltime job with the county (working on the county vehicles) When we went to the dealer I really expected them to turn us down....we dont have the best credit but we had a good size down. I would rather have had my brother come out but like I said he wasnt local to me....and my husband was running around stark raving nuts when he was approved.

Now that we have built some credit in good standing we can actually get one we want instead ending up with one option. I dont know how we didnt see the signals were gone.....like I said......new bike high....stupid I know. The cop that pulled him over and pointed it out said he had to get it street legal....hence turn signals. He also said it wasnt illegal for the dealer to sell it like that just illegal to drive it like that. Even though there were signals on the front, the cop said hand signals wont do, and he better not see him on the road again without the rear signals.........then again cops are hard A's out here

Hell, I'd say they could go to the same dealer if they wanted. Without knowing the whole story, doesn't sound like the dealer did anything wrong. The whole blinker thing sounds odd, but if you're buying used and you're not a mechanic, either get the bike checked out or get a warranty if one's available.


I agree that there's more to this tale than we're hearing.

Lessons learned. Be patient, pay attention, and buy with your brain more than your heart. Hope you get what you really want this time. Good luck!

He was only approved for that one bike? what kind of shenanigans is that?

Amen to that!! The fender is bobbed...whoever modified it relocated the lights off the fender. The were on side bracket

Go to the nearest, newest Indian dealer, and trade it in on whatever new bike they can finance for the old man. Make sure it has a seat for you, before you let him buy it.

Yeah I agree with you and Morpheus......

None of this makes sense???

I'm not getting the wet roads and stuff. If it's just rained we all get splash back on our legs from the wet roads, passengers and riders unless you have lowers on the bike like the Ultras. Get gaiters or wear a rain suit or get higher boots.

I would love to see a photo of this bike.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.hdf...526f028405.png

Maybe the back tire is throwing water up on her back like a bicycle with no fender does.

Might want to think about sending someone else to get you a bike....some serious tomfoolery going on 'round there!!

I'm predicting a future movie or TV drama about what happened to the OP.

Plus another 15 minutes to make a pigtail.

Wow, qualified just for that 'one' bike. I'd be suspicious too.


Sounds like Speed Felon from Mighty Misdemeanors Used Cars was the salesman.


(Old Disney Flick reference if anybody remembers lol )

There are no shenanigans. He was only approved for that one bike. That one bike the dealer couldn't sell to any other sucker because it had a bad battery, brakes and no rear turn signals.

The dealer picked up on the fact that the OP was drooling for a bike and would buy anything he was approved for.

Sorry OP. It's all on you for not inspecting the bike or having someone else do it for you BEFORE the purchase.

In summary, you were right on the edge of being approved for a loan so you got cornered into buying a bike that wasn't right for you and you really didn't want because that's how you will "improve your credit", then it turns out the bike is some sort of hacked up mess that your brother the mechanic has been fiddling with for a year, so now you are wondering if you can "trust" the dealer.

There are a lot of people in this story that I wouldn't trust. The dealer is pretty far down on that list.

That is exactly what I thought! Why only one bike when the one he wanted was $1000 cheaper......made no sense. The one he wanted was on the showroom floor.....they said no but we can set you up with something else....which was in the back area....that one bike with absolutely nothing we wanted....I say we because I wanted to able to ride...he didnt care if it only had one seat.

I know what you mean about riding passenger on a bike with a chopped fender... water, mud, road grease, everything goes right up your back, I had a few shirts ruined because of this. I'm just not getting the fact that your keeping it at your brothers for so long. Seems he doesn't have the time to work on it?

If I had just bought bike, I would be all over that thing trying to get it on the road! Especially if it was just those few minor things you mentioned. Get a manual and some tools, get on the "youtubes"; maybe some advice from your bro, you can get that Sporty roadworthy! Throw a two-up seat on it and you got yourself something to ride around on while your looking for your perfect ride!

Interesting that the first ride on the new bike resulted in a traffic stop for no signals.
Somehow I managed to work 34 yrs as a leo with 14 of those in traffic and can't ever recall busting someone's balls over no signals.

If I could just see a picture of this bike, I'd be fine if I died afterwards. At that point, I would have seen and heard everything.

lmfao! :d

:icon_worthless:

Isn't that a pic of the bike on post #17?

Looks like it, is that an 883?

I think so. It looks to be in decent shape from the pic. Nice looking Sportster.

A dealer selling a street vehicle, is required to make sure it can pass a state inspection (in states that have them).


If you got pulled on the way home, you should have turned around and taken the bike back, or sued them to make it legal.


But since that was a year ago, too bad.

No .. If it has fenders you won't get wet when its raining! What's u igsnurant