I called my local HD dealer Orange County Harley Irvine Calif. yesterday (where I bought my bike) for a quote on the SE Compensator & install, they quoted me $250 on SE comp but said it was backordered 2wks, install would run $130. Service guy knew nothing about the stock comp issue and wondered why I was upgrading (It’s normal) I hung up and proceeded to purchase it online for $200 it shipped same day, be here Friday. I called OC Harley today to schedule the install, service guy tells me they will only install parts purchased at their dealership. Buy it at our inflated prices or we won’t install it. Is it me or is that just lousy customer service? Called Westminster Harley 25 mins up the road, service guy says nooo.. problem bring it in tomorrow we’ll be glad to install it. I know where I’ll buy my next bike. Guess I'll be investing in a torque wrench and a service manual in the near future. Looking forward to a nice long ride & breaking in that new SE comp this weekend.

 

If you call them back, since it's a stock Harley part, I'm sure they would agree to install it for $180...

 

A lot of dealerships are like this. I paid $22k for my road king out the door - asked them to install a set of heated grips I had. 1/2 hour down the road the grips looked like limp dicks - they only installed them 1/2 on the bar and when heated them just slumped down. I went back to the dealership where one of the family partners told me I should have purchased the grips from them in the first place. I told him to take a good look at my face, since he will never see it again. I FOUND A QUALITY INDEPENDENT.

 

Buy the manual online & get a good torque wrench & do it your self. Have money left over to take a good ride & a nice lunch or dinner

 

They got a stick up their azzes at OC Harley.

 

And u wonder why dealers are closing?

But sometimes you have to think...

try this-
Pick up some cold cuts, anything; turkey, cheese, mayo etc.

then bring the contents to a sub shop and ask them to slice a bun, insert contents then toast it 4 ya for the cost of the bun + a buck labor.
They risk the chance of the customer sayin “ hey you didn’t do this right, this turkey is bad, I am not paying you.

So it works both ways I have a small business and when people ask me to install there parts, especially ones that they got from the web.

Well when I do, and their parts are defective, they never want me to charge them to remove their old parts, even tho I have to pay my employee by the hour. And they are the type to bitch about the cost of the part they now want me to supply.

So I say now like my car mechanic says I DO NOT STAND BY PARTS SUPPLIED BY OTHERS.
I know where my parts come from, Internet is cheaper for a number of reasons the biggest on is the company’s sell retail returns among other things.

If my rep sells me a bad part he makes good in my stock for months, by adding additional discounts that the public can’t get, and they also send me lunch, vacations etc... So they make up for the bad part and the loss of labor if I supplied it. Not to mention that the more I buy from my suppliers it keeps me at the bottom price tier.
Allowing to give better prices.

There are a lot of things that happen behind the scenes that retail purchasers do not see.
Not saying the dealer is correct just saying they have their reasons.
I am sure.
and believe me you will get better service if you buy the parts there if they are respectable, for instance if they strip a screw or something , it’s usually the consensuses to say (screw this cheapo he brings us parts just slap it together and get the job done)

just sayin... if you are the kind of person that wants to save 20 bucks on something to purchase elsewhere that’s ok I have to pay shipping and a employee to open it check it test it etc.. And if it’s bad to change it . So I would turn the work away also. Can’t make any money if everyone does this there will be labor shops only. no thanx...

However if you have a lot of work or a long time customer and I am servicing your bike and you brought me say mirrors or something like that I would put them on.

Even though you purchased the bike from them timing is everything. I am sure if you had those parts b/4 you took del. they would have done it, case depending the dealer was wrong here just understand why.

 

Your right 5speedblu, too many want a freeride nowaday's.

 

I purchased the part from another HD Dealership online, not eBay, not Craigslist, which I relayed to the service guy, only reason is because I didn't want to wait 2wks. I don't think you can compare Harley parts to deli meats lol. The dealership makes "plenty" of profit on service. I don't expect them to warranty a part I purchased elsewhere, only the labor. Dealerships are closing because they rip people off, they sell $12 t-shirts for $35 and overcharge for basic parts & service. How about lowering the cost and doing some volume. I run my own business, I know how to treat my customers. If my customers want a part right away, I find it, get it here, and install for a reasonable price, that's why I get return business. The guys at Westminster HD had no problem installing the SE comp..they won a new customer..that's how you do it. Period

 

My dealer won't install anything you don't buy from them.

 

Bobbydeuce you saved money on the compensator and got it installed at a competitive price. What's your point. When you become a Harley Dealer you can make the decision of whether you install parts purchased elsewhere. Until then...not your decision

I'd be willing to bet a very large % of Harley dealers won't install parts that aren't purchased from them.

Before anyone gets too carried away lecturing on why so many Harley dealers are closing here's the facts:

a. there were too many to begin with even at 2000 demand levels.
b. Harley and their dealer network better adjust their business model to 2010 levels or below. The glory days of the late 90's aren't coming back anytime soon.... if ever.