In case you didn't pay attention last week, the recession was over last year. I heard it from the news media and they were reporting what the government said. It must be true.

All of this will come to pass and it will be alright. The "President" is in Madison as I write this and he is making it better. I had to take the day off because I did not want to share the same city.

 

Didn't read all the replies so I might duplicate.

MOCO plans as far as I know to close 150 dealers. It's economics pure and simple. Nothing 175 members of HOG say is going to change that at all. MOCO is responsible to stockholders not the HD riders. It's kind of like boycotting gas companies. Won't work, never has, never will. Unfortunately it will have an impact on jobs and local workers/riders.

With respect to the to displaced HOG members. If in fact you want to be a member so vehemently what is preventing everyone from banding together with a current chapter?

The rally if as represented in your letter was that bad nothing precluded anyone from simply standing up and leaving. Obviously the officers of the chapter had their own agenda. No one was forced to eat tepid food or chewy chicken. If they did it was my choice. Personally I would have gone home or out to eat if it was that bad. It's like a political rally or any other meeting where the wannabe governors/presidents feel a need to thump their chests.

Nothing precludes all 175 of you from organizing your own group and having your own rallies, rides, meetings etc. I'm sure there are local businesses in the area that would luv to their business increase once a month. Just do some footwork and ask around.

Letters to MOCO or any other major business has the time to respond to each and every letter they receive. It isn't any different than submitting your resume online.

I understand your displeasure but unfortunately your options are limited. JMHO.

 

I bought my first Harley ('09 RKC) last year in April in Sacramento, CA. I got a handshake and was told, "Welcome to the family."

Elk Grove HD closed soon after (a sister store to Sac Harley) and I saw people from Elk Grove coming in and replacing some of the employees who worked at Sac HD and who were nice to me when I bought the bike. It wasn't the same dealership after that. Rocklin HD's gone, too. South San Francisco HD just closed after becoming a "museum" recently. The place was gorgeous, a friggin' masterpiece of a dealership, but I remember hardly anyone visiting this new facility when we showed up...my girlfriend and I thought, "Yeah, this place is neat now, but it's dead...no one's here..." and I don't remember ever seeing anyone buy a bike there since the beautification. Too bad. Kinda saw it coming. Of course, I'm "just" a consumer, I don't know what goes on behind closed doors.

I'm happy to say that I always go to Iron Steed HD in Vacaville. But I'm just one guy. What impact can I possibly make? Well, I can give these impressions publically. I can tell you that Iron Steed moves units...they sell a bunch of bikes. Good for them! I like Iron Steed. They treat me like family, not just a customer. I love this dealership and my contribution to their continuing success is that I buy stuff there pretty much every time I visit. And let's face it: yes, they're moving units, but I bet their profit margin's razor thin, but it's all about moving units right now. That's it.

What do I know? I'm just a customer, but I have eyes, and I see some dealerships reaching out to customers more than others and I see my favorite dealer probably fighting for its life to stay alive and just keep people coming in the door. But this isn't just about business. This is about forming relationships with customers to make them want to do business with you, whether economic times are good and we're eatin' "high on the HOG" or when we're all eatin' down around the hocks (Ironic subnote: Iron Steed has a new BBQ stand doing business right on the parking lot...a shot out to you, Debbie and your family; it was a pleasure to "meat" you and I wish you nothing but the best.) Then again, that's my point: It's all about loyalty, but that loyalty has to be earned, and the real question becomes from my perspective, "Did you earn my loyalty all along by simply reaching out and being nice to me as a customer even when you thought you didn't need to because money was coming through the door ad infinitum and even if you lost my business many more were comin' through the door, or were you haughty because you thought the flow of customers and their dollars comin' through the door would never end and I didn't matter as an individual customer? Were you nice to me even if I didn't buy anything that day, or was I wasting your time?"

Am I out of line with my thinking here? Maybe. You can't tell me that a lot of good dealerships who've reached out and treated customers like family haven't gone under. I pray that Iron Steed stays healthy as a business and this feeling has nothing to do with Harley Davidson Inc. or HOG. It has to do with customer loyalty on the microscale (microeconomics), but loyalty works both ways, and from what I'm reading in these posts, on the large scale Harley's slippin' on the loyalty front. Am I hitting the nail squarely on the head with my commentary about Harley in general?

I don't know. I'm just a customer.

 

Am I out of line with my thinking here? Maybe. You can't tell me that a lot of good dealerships who've reached out and treated customers like family haven't gone under. I pray that Iron Steed stays healthy as a business and this feeling has nothing to do with Harley Davidson Inc. or HOG. It has to do with customer loyalty on the microscale (microeconomics), but loyalty works both ways, and from what I'm reading in these posts, on the large scale Harley's slippin' on the loyalty front. Am I hitting the nail squarely on the head with my commentary about Harley in general?

I don't know. I'm just a customer.[/quote] Your not out of line. The MOCO is. We worked..saved..and SPENT. Now the MOCO is feeling the pinch, so pass it to the CUSTOMER. BULLSHIT. I won't set foot in a dealer. I do my own work. If its a problem, see a good INDY. But thats rare. Love the bikes...hate the company and its politics. And the greed. And HOG? can't believe they got away with it for so long. $45.00 a year for so long for what? Feel good rides? To make money? To get John Q. Public to part with his money? To drain the Harley status Quo of its pocket change? The MOCO should be ashamed of itself. What a farce. "Buy here". This is the place. What a bunch of ****. Its sad, really. Glad I never got sucked in.

 

In my area none has closed. They just raised the msrp to meet their needs. I went looking for a se ultra or se road glide could not find 1 any where from 10 dealers. The offered me to put down $1,000 on 1 that is coming in in Nov. with no guarantee of trade in value. They offered me less than 50% what I paid 3 years ago.

Since there are 175 of you guys/gals why not form a ride club of your own. You an call what ever you would like. All the Hog chapters I either have or do belong to have their own cook outs and rides. The only benefit being a member is a 10% discount at 1 of these chapters. I can order for a lot less and never have to go anywhere.

I will either keep my 07 or trade for a Victory Cross Country, I already have a 2010 Goldwing so it doesn't matter to me.

just a thought

dd

 

I agree yljkt in the above post. $45 dollars is one hell of an expensive patch. I never bought into the BS from the start.

 

My guess is most of the dealers going under were mismanaged and not prepared for the recession. The strong will survive and the rest will be history. Harley can't stop dealers from going under. They are independently owned and operated.

Now go order your parts from the internet dealers and good luck finding a 'club house'.

 

I bought a motorcycle to ride.

The "club", the "family". Its a business, plain and simple, when the money stops, they have no use for the "club members" or the "family members".

Screw the "club" screw the "family", just ride and enjoy your bikes.

HD may not be around in a few years, if they are they arent going to look anything like they do today.

Tomorrow Im going to post a thread on my take of motorcycles, the ecomony, and why HD is heading for ch 13.

 

Modesto and Jamestown are the same owners, Merced and Carson City are the same owners

 

If you bought your Harley to wear a HOG patch then you should have joined some other organization to feel like you fit in with someone. Even in this economy there is still a surplus of black top. Go ride, relax, and come to this forum with some info people can use not just another complaint about your feelers getting hurt.