Yup, same script here. I think I've been in there enough times now so they know I'm not a buyer and have stopped asking. They are commission sales people so I can't blame them for doing their job. It is annoying to be told your Sportster isn't sufficient though.

 

Yeah!


Good advice.



True that!


Yeah, that will probably shut them down.

Or you can show them your key chain.

 

Now now, let's be nice to couches, I bought one too. And brand new on top of that.

But unlike the MoCo, IKEA charged me less than a grand.

 

I had a similar experience when I tried to trade my FLTRU in for a sportster.
I had been riding for over 46 years, had dynas, softails, roadkings, eletroglides, and finally a roadglide ultra; got tired of backing up a 900 lb bike. Getting old I guess.

First dealer salesman insulted me so bad I went to another dealer and bought my 2016 1200C. I set it up to fit me and love it.

 

Harley has been selling the XL as an entry level bike since the early '80s.

In a miracle of human evolution, overnight, the Sportster went from being the ideal mount for a recently returned paratrooper (or a recently released felon) to something your middle aged wife could learn to ride on.

Salesmen see an opportunity to sell and they take it. I wouldn't sweat it.

 

It's funny that when they ask you "do you have a bike" and you say you own a bagger they never say: "Are you looking for something smaller?"


In fact, when I answered "I have a Road King, but I want to trade it in on a Sportster" they took a few seconds to process, but then said, no problem, gave me a $1000 discount on a 17, and handed me a check for over $5K when I rode out. Honestly, that's what I call a good dealer.

 

Actually the motor company's selling strategy that they push and try to instill within their dealers, is a very ethical approach. Being in the industry for years, the dealers are independently owned and most bikes on the floor have already been purchased from the Motor company by the dealer. sadly... that has made it come down to price only. Bringing shady sales tactics and horrible experiences. It's all because of volume and or what Harley pushes on the dealer to make you purchase. You can only get allocated bikes if the goal set by Harley is met. If it's not met, you will be the last dealer in your area to be allocated bikes.. And it will be a 1/4 of bikes allocated to the dealer then if you had met HDs goal.
You met the goal! here's 25 more touring bikes and a few cvo's bikes for the next two months. You didn't meet the goal! here's five 883 irons and six switchbacks for the next 5 months! That's why sometimes you see nothing but sportsters, v rods, softails and dynas on the floor. Harley dealers are undercutting each other, point blank. You'll either get aggressive sales tactics with no service and a we bit of a better price or you could get a we bit of a higher price with an amazing customer experience all around, that will bring you back to the dealer for many years to come...

If a customer is bickering over 300 dollars even after they dropped freight and set up and 2k and doesn't take the deal because of 300 bucks, he or she isn't looking for a customer experience or good service in anyway shape or form. But then walks from the deal and then goes to another dealer and says how horrible of an experience they had at the prior dealer that wasted their time and gave them the run a round. Sorry, who wasted their own time? The customer... It's simple, you get what you pay for... Even in the big ol entitled HD community...


[QUOTE=Guzzi;16104853]It's not just you......Harley trains their sales people to be predators.
Thank God most of the dealers around here have a side door that's left unguarded.[/QUOTE

 

The goal is not to "find the biggest seat for your ***". Yes the goal is to make money, obviously, its their job. But its not, or shouldnt, be the main goal. The main goal is to find you the bike that you are comfortable on, a bike that suits you and your needs, THEN upsell the hell out of products. That is the strategy, or the intended strategy that the motor company wants in every dealership.
It does them no good to put you on a bike that youre not comfortable with, that youre not going to ride, that youre not going to spend any money on!

 

I always just say "parts!" and point to the back while walking past them.

Actually that's because I never go in just to "look around," what's the point?

The girl at the parts counter always calls me "Money Bags" because I rarely spend over $10.

 

You had me at doughnuts....