has anyone used shopbigskyharley.com? Just googling harley parts and they came up. About $100 cheaper for a stage 1 than others.

 

yes, this!!

 

That may have worked with the Mom & Pop HD shops of the past, but the new superstores have overhead to pay for...

I used to have a relationship with two local HD shops (2006ish).. In one, the parts manager was a personal friend, and he gave me a discount. The other, the sales manager was a professional friend, he gave me a great deal on a new bike and introduced me to the service manager who would take care of me..... Because of those personal relationships, my name was all over the stores' computers and I knew the parts counter people/service people by name.... The parts manager moved out-of-state, the sales manager got another job, and all the people who knew me, stopped giving any discounts ASAP..... and they would even charge ABOVE MSRP for small items like bolts, spacers, etc.

The relationships that got me treated well, were with specific individuals, the store/organization has no "relationships", nor did they seem interested in forming/maintaining them. They just have profit margins to make...

I went to the online parts buying and never looked back....!!!!!

 

Yeah, one thing about the San Diego Dealers is that no part is below 2.99 Needed to replace the sealing screws on a 02 fuel tank for fuel filter change. 10 screws were 29.90.. Was looking for a rubber dust cover for a FXDWG. SDHD had one but said I'd have to by a pack of 5 if I wanted one more. Got the same spiel from El Cajon HD. Fortunately, South Bay had an open pack.

 

I'm with that ^^^^^^

I don't want a "relationship", I want the parts. My pat response to "I can order that" is "So can I".

 

And folks are wondering why HD sales are down? Really? Could it possibly be that after years of this nonsense, folks are finally tired of the motorcycle business in general, and HD specifically?

 

Gone are the days of selling bikes 2500 over msrp. I just price checked a bike I was going to order( I did) without haggling he dropped freight and set up. I hope was the time is closer I can get a deal on parts and esp. If no deal on parts it will be surdyke and all they'll get is the tuning fee.

 

Not sure how parts sales effects motorcycle sales. I think one of the things hurting HD deals and forcing them to reduce part inventory is the boutique atmosphere that mother HD demanded of the dealers in the late 90s and 2000s. The large layouts are expensive. They add a handling cost to the small parts. HD replacement parts still seem cheaper than the Japanese stuff. Dealers typically stock parts for anything more than a few years old anyway.

 

I think one of the things hurting HD deals and forcing them to reduce part inventory is the boutique atmosphere that mother HD demanded of the dealers in the late 90s and 2000s ... I couldn't agree more ... Gone are the days when guys like us could walk in and not be inundated with/by all the cutesy stuff, and I'm not talking about chicks :<(

 

I agree with you about the demands MoCo put on the dealers to have to cough up money for these big elaborate dealerships. That must have cost the franchise owners millions for each one.
It did put pressure on the owners to generate more profits to pay for their business. But again, did we as customers ask for that? NO, I don't think so. I don't require a massive building to serve me as a customer. But I don't want a run-down building either. Instead of forcing the owners into a "mold" for a dealership look, it could have been done more economically with a local flavor.

But all that aside, it still doesn't make for a reason that I shouldn't look for the best pricing I can get either. I have done business with my local dealer for 20 years now. I have bought my HD bikes from them. I still don't get any kind if favorable pricing in parts. I do not, and will not pay even MSRP on bikes though, and they know that. Either negotiate with me or I'm buying somewhere that will...even if that means going to another brand.

I do business with my local dealer for one specific reason...their service dept. I am not a wrench at all, and I don't care to be. So I need a dealer with a good shop who can maintain and FIX my bike in a hurry. None of this "we need a week" business. I expect to have it back the next day in most cases, and never longer than two days. And so far, they are the only one in my town that can do that. But with they way they treated me a the last ESP warranty work, I am not satisfied with the "tactics" they used. I think I have bought my last bike from them. I have never been "jacked around" by them in the past(that I know about), but there was NO QUESTION about it this last time...and Iet them know it in no uncertain terms.