I have a 2005 RK Custom that I purchased in Nov 2011 with 3500 miles and I usually to my own 5K Oil changes but at the 20K mark I decided to take it to the dealership and get it looked over by someone that knows what they were doing. I am OK with basic but I’m no mechanic.



Turns out I had some serious issues going on.



Original work I wanted: Around $700



20K service: $311.92, not too bad for what they are doing.
New hand grips $90 – Installed for $20, an easy job but for $20 let them do the work
Dealer found I was missing Anti-Rattle Clutch Clip - $3 for the clip installed for free.
Front Tire - $175 installed for free since I was doing the service.
Brake Flush – Bikes 10 years old and I bet it has never been done - $83

Now I get the call. Jack from the HD dealership. We have some issues, he starts going over what they found and I will admit at first I was thinking what we all start thinking, really? Are they trying to take me? But as we start talking he goes over everything then he says, look I know this is a lot of money, you need to talk with your wife and I want you guys to come done so I can show you everything before you make any decisions.



So, I call my wife and asked if she could get off work early and after I told her what was going on she said you bet.



This what he shows us:
Rear Brakes and Break Rotor. I just had the rear tire and breaks replaced about a year ago (at a different place) and the brakes were worn down almost to the metal and the rotor is pitted and warped. $275



Primary Leak. He also showed us where the leaks were coming from. $438



Rocker Box Leak. Again, he took the time and showed us where the leeks were. $250



Throttle/Idle Cables. They pulled them to lube them and man, were they fraying. $221.



Jack really took the time to explain to both of us everything and he talked to us like humans. He didn’t try to double talk us and let us ask all the questions we needed to. I had about half of the total and asked if they did any financing. He said, not in the since of what we are used to but if we needed we could make payments and leave the bike there until we could pay off the balance. No charge for storage. He said we are working guys just like you guys and understand this isn’t a small sum.



New total is around 2K ,but what are you going to do? My wife said it was worth it because she knows I love to ride and she was more concerned about safety and the longevity of the bike.



Now, I know most of you guys would say you could do all that work yourself and save a lot on the labor but I’ve learned over the years that if were to try something like this I would end-up paying more latter.



Just wanted to share.

 

Hopefully they will get you back on the road soon. It's cool you got a call and the explanation before they did any work.

 

I don't cut corners when it comes to stuff that will kill or maim me. Only thing I would suggest is to see if trading it in for a newer used or new model would make sense since financing would be available.

The service department at my dealership is top notch as well. It's comforting.

 

I thought about the trade in but I really need to get my wife a new car before I get a new toy

 

+1 on trade up! weigh your options!

 

Couple of thought...

I don't think they should charge you $20 for installing the grips, my dealer does it for free with the service 'cause taking them off/cleaning/lubing is part of the service.

That sounds way high for replacing the 2 cables.

If you can put off the primary leak, rocker box leak, and front tire (assuming it's not too bad) you can get back in the wind now & do the rest later when you have the $s.

Good luck.

 

Hey, sometimes it is the cost of owning one of these things.
Some dealers would have been much worse.
If you plan to keep the bike, consider a service manual. Informative reading at your leisure.
Ride safe!

 

OP... when was the last time you lubed your cables?



Nowhere in any service manual does it call for taking off the grips and lubing them.

$20 is cheap for changing grips. I wouldn't change a set for $20, and I work cheap.

I thought that was the only thing that was reasonable, but if he's happy I'm happy.

 

Primary gasket kit: 60 bucks.
Valve cover gasket kit: 50 bucks.
Lyndall brake pads: 42 bucks
HD rotor: 50-100 bucks on ebay.
Throttle cables: 100 bucks.

Easy to fix these things yourself but it's your money.
No shame in just paying for it to be done I guess.
If I was made of money I would too maybe. I dunno...

 

It's good that you have a shop you are comfortable with, they're not that easy to come by. Personally, I'd leave the 688 bucks worth of leaks alone for now. If you didn't notice it before while doing your own services, they can't be that bad. keep an eye on them, go riding and when you save the money, have it done if it still bothers you.

I rode leaking or weeping bikes for a long time. Carry a shop rag and a quart of oil. It's not going to explode without notice.