View Poll Results: Would you contact a previous owner?
Yes
45
67.16%
No
22
32.84%
Voters: 67. You may not vote on this poll
Contacting a previous owner?
Thread Starter
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Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,640
Likes: 817
Contacting a previous owner?
If you bought a used bike from a dealer and had the previous owners info., would you contact them to learn more about the bike? Not to complain, just politely to ask for information.
Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 200
Likes: 0
contact
I went thru a similar situation when buying my Road King. Bike was at Naples HD in Naples Florida. I found it when I was there on vacation. For security purposes the dealer would not supply me with the previous owners contact number. What they did do for me was they called the previous owner and gave him my contact info. The previous owner then had the choice of calling me or not (which he did). You may want to ask your dealer if they will do the same for you.
BK
BK
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 4,530
Likes: 607
From: Raleigh NC
If I had a question, about services, or mods.... yeah, a polite call should be ok.... but I wouldn't call to gripe.... the problem might have happened at the dealership.... guess ONE more reason to buy used bikes from a private seller. (plus a private seller might hand you some valuable extras)
Road Captain
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 541
Likes: 2
From: Clark County, WA
I had to do the same thing after I bought my Heritage. The dealer I bought it from didn't know much about the bike, other than it had the Stg I Air Cleaner, SE Heads, and Pipes. After making a few calls and getting a hold of the original owner and the original dealer he bought the bike from, I found out my bike had a lot more than just a few bolt-ons! 
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,197
Likes: 708
From: (Toronto) Canada
Nope. A good dealer will go over the bike and fix problems, so what the old owner says may have no current relavance.
You don't know if the bike was repossesed, sold in a nasty divorce, has a dead previous owner. Why take a chance?
Plus, my personal experiance with ppl that continue to check prices, deals etc of a similar product after purchase just makes me pissed.
You don't know if the bike was repossesed, sold in a nasty divorce, has a dead previous owner. Why take a chance?
Plus, my personal experiance with ppl that continue to check prices, deals etc of a similar product after purchase just makes me pissed.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 3,718
Likes: 11
From: Punta Gorda,FL
I also bought my bike, almost 3 years ago, at Naples HD. It was only 14 months old and had less then a thousand miles on it. The dealership had just lowered the price on it, so I was a little suspect. I figured for the low price and 10 months left on the warranty, I couldn't get too hurt. When I bought it, they gave me a 4 page print out of all the extras, the previous owner had added, when he bought the bike. It was at a HD dealer up north and had the previous owner's name on the paper work. I called him and had a short talk with him.
Tom
Tom
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 2,160
Likes: 3
From: Houston, Texas
I would and have....
You just have to remember to be respectful when talking with them... and what ever you do don't talk about money....nothing like finding out how much the dealer stuck it to you... and the seller....
You just have to remember to be respectful when talking with them... and what ever you do don't talk about money....nothing like finding out how much the dealer stuck it to you... and the seller....
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 9,335
Likes: 13
From: MA
I think if you called them once or maybe twice it would be fine. Calling them repeatedly with questions might lead them to change their number or take a restraining order against you. I sold a car to a guy once and he was calling me once a week with "questions". 
I referred him to the local dealers service dept.
I sold a car to a guy once and he was calling me once a week with "questions". I referred him to the local dealers service dept.