If I'm doing the work I'll get the parts where I get the best price (quality being equal).

If I'm taking the bike to any shop to get the work done then I'm buying the parts from the shop. I ain't letting them wiggle out of their screw up (if they have one) because they say I bought inferior parts. Paying extra for parts in this situation is the price I pay for being incapable of doing the job myself.

I buy my tires online and find out whoever is the cheapest to do the install when I bring the wheels and new tires to them.

 

Go to the Harley Dealer with some genuine Harley parts you get at one of the Discount Harley Dealers like Surdyke for them to use and see what happens. Look at what you are getting at a good Indie shop as far as techs, who tend to be more seasoned than the fresh out of MTI revolving door $11.00 an hour guys most dealers have. The fact that labor rates are cheaper and parts usually cost less than dealers doesn't give you a whole lot of reason to bitch at them making a few pennies of of parts. That or buy the service manual and do it yourself.

 

I can't remember the last time I was in a restaurant and they had prices on their menu for labor. Most of the shops I've been too, have a chart of their hourly labor rate. If my local restaurant had a labor rate posted, I bet people would bring food to them and ask them to cook it.

And that is the difference. If a shop has a labor rate posted, why not take advantage of it. Doesn't a shop also have a some sort of book rate for a job? Isn't that a charge for the labor for completing that job?

I can certainly sympathize with the business owner today and completely understand how difficult it is to make a living, but I am also feeling the effects of a tough economy and will do what I can to save money also.

My friends and I put a fair amount of mileage on our rides and go through tires fairly quickly. To save a few bucks, I would purchase a tire on the Internet and take it to my local indy (or sometimes the HD shop) and have them mount and balance it. Never had a problem and the work was never refused. But I did notice the price for the labor seemed to be going up to the point that I felt it became excessive. So what did I do? I purchased a No-Mar tire changer and now I do my own tires and all the tires of my friends and riding buddies.

A few weeks ago I ordered (4) tires off the Internet for my car. These were non-standard tires that I doubt a local shop would have had in stock. Took the tires and rims to a local tire shop close to where I live (never used this place before) and the service person told me they do not mount tires purchased off the Internet. The next day I took the tires and rims to a place I've used before near where I work and they happily mounted the tires for me. From my perspective, my local dealer turned away business. In regards to a tire, it isn't rocket science. I tell you this, I have my eyes open for a used tire machine and I'll mount and balance my own car tires eventually along with all my friends.

A friend of mine recently got a smoking deal on a Mercedes SL600 on craigslist. The engine in that baby has 24 spark plugs. Mercedes wanted a small fortune for a tune-up. Guess what? My friend found a qualified mechanic on craigslist that came to his house and did the work. It's a new world out there.
I haven't looked, but I can see the same thing happening with our Harley's. Look on one of the lists (craigs, angie, etc) and maybe one can find a qualified mechanic that will even come to your house.

 

That's like bringing your own food into a burger joint and asking them to cook it for you. If you buy it yourself, install it yourself.

I've bought parts online and put them on myself, I've gone through my indy for stuff that they couldn't get and they just told me where to get it.

I need my local indy to stay open, they're a resource for me. I go there and he lets me use his tools etc. Hell, I've wrenched on my junk while it was on my trailer at his shop door (his idea) using his tools air etc.... because he couldn't get me in before a run.

Bottom line, support your local indy!

 

His shop his rules, make your money go elsewhere if you are unhappy ....

 

Yep to this.

 

NONE. Your indy is cutting off his nose to spite his face. It's silly, really. Would he not rather make some $$$ than none? Geez.

Time to find a new indy...

 

I love when people say "I will support local", until it costs a few bucks more. What they are saying is they don't care about local, only their own wallet. That's okay, but state that outright.

Using local means sometimes paying more. But the people that I've built relationships with always end up giving me freebies in the long run... Whether it is parts, labor, knowledge, or advice.

People will spend hours researching grips or highway pegs to save $10 (sometimes it is a labor of love, but most times to save a few bucks). How much do you make per hour? Add that in to your total cost.

I would prefer to call somebody I know, ask their opinion, have them order it, try it out, and if it doesn't work then they will deal with returns.

We can all make more money, but we can never get back our time.

 

My feelings, exactly.

My indy will supply parts, or will allow the customer to supply parts. It's a very amicable arrangement, and in either case, he still makes money and the customer is still satisfied.

 

Find another shop. You're the customer. If an Indy or Dealer won't do what I want, I just go to another one. I've dealt with enough bad customer service at both types of shops so I don't put up with it. Let them know that they have lost you as a future customer too.