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Disgusted.

Crocker, good post, may want to put in a good word on the HD dealer thread and give the owner a good thank you. Just a thought and kind word can go a long way for our readers as well!
 
I purchased all my bolts from True value hardware store. They were crome plated, allen head bolts, and less expensive.:p
 
Thanks HDFan yes my dealer is good to me and has been since Ive been going there, thats why I am loyal to them, Ive been in his situation with other dealerships ,what gets me he said he has a 40 year relationship with the owner , as for me I would look for another dealership to go to, In the mid 70s I use to go to a dealership for parts then I bought my first new HD from them in 1978 and then another in 1984 my oldest son was born that year So I knew this bike was going to be my last new bike for a long time , in 1995 one of the head gaskets on that bike started leaking ,So I decided to bring it in to have it replaced being I did not really have the time to do myself,to make a long story short when I brang the bike in I was told that the bike was to old and they dont work on bikes that old ,I told them to eat and die and you will never see me again , I did not even step in to any dealership again till 1999 when I bought a new bike and thats when I found this dealership , I shopped around at a lot of dealers ,but it was not price I was shopping for , it was how I would be treated in the future , When I met the owner of this dealership and told him my story ,he said I will service your 1984 HD and your snow blower if you want ,I said I dont have a snowblower but I have a Indian he said I will service that too .
 
Wow. I'm impressed. That is service with a capital "S".

I stripped out the bolts on my old primary and i went to a local bolt barn and bought some flat head stainless screws with a normal allen key head. Never had a problem from then on.

Neil
 
Some of you guys are missing the whole point of my frustration.
The key here, and why I placed the emphasis on my origional post is....
......."YOU DON"T HAVE BASIC PARTS FOR CURRENT MODEL BIKES IN STOCK!!!!!!!"
Sure, I could have walked back to the service area and got a derby cover bolt from any one of the mechanics. And I know you can buy it cheaper lots of places. Heck, I'm sure that I can dig around my garage and come up with half a dozen bolts that will work.
If the guys in the shop would have dug around, I'll bet someone could have come up with a master cylinder gasket too...
That is not the point.
If you are going to have to do that, then why bother to have a parts counter?
If you go in to BUY a part that is used high volume, or for a current production model bike, a LARGE VOLUME dealer should have it in stock.
Look, I'm satisfied with the dealer I use.
Like I said, we're old friends, and rode together way back before he even became a motorcycle dealer. Any work I have ever had them do has been done to my satisfaction.
And down thru the years, I've been handed some oddball stuff, that we dug thru the takeoffs and leftovers back in the storage area and found.
None of that changes the premis for my original frustration.
 
Our local HD dealer is the same. We use to carp about the old dealer and thought he was bad, but he was bought out by a large, multi dealership, and it got much worse. I drive about 100 miles round trip to a dealer that cares about your business and stocks most things we need for general maintainance and gives 10% off. FYI, Baxters HD in Bidwell, Ohio.
 
gs34 said:
I'm just about fed up.
I happened to strip the head of one of my derby cover screws last night, as I was torquing it.
Not a big deal, those small torx fasteners are prone to this so, I decided that I would just ride by the dealer this morning and pick one up.
Never even gave it a thought that they would not have one in stock!!
I called my son in law, while waiting for the parts man, and asked if he wanted me to pick up a master cylinder gasket for his Nightrain while I was there.
So, It's my turn to be served.....gave the man my parts order....they don't have the derby cover screws in stock.
Checked the number for the master cylinder gasket....they don't have it in stock.
Last trip up there, I needed to replace the rubber breather hoses from the heads....don't have them in stock.
Before that, the chain tensioner for a current model TC96 engine.....not in stock.
Meanwhile, there's a million dollars worth of chrome do-dads hanging on the wall, and on racks all over the place.
And there are t-shirts, jackets, hats, shoes, underwear, socks, and just about anything you could imagine with the Harley Davidson Logo on it.

BUT YOU DON"T HAVE BASIC PARTS FOR CURRENT MODEL BIKES IN STOCK!!!!!!!

On my way out the door I ran into the owner, who I've known for 40 years or more, and voiced my displeasure.
I hold him "this would be a good place to start a Harley dealership"
He cocked his head and gave me a "just what are you mean by that" look.
So I told him just exactly what I have written here.

Last I saw him, he was headed for the parts manager at a brisk walk.
Click to expand...

If I need a part I always phone the dealer first. If they are out it is ordered on my behalf. Much easier on the blood pressure. :)

Now IMHO those screws on the derby covers are not a good design. Small Torx fasteners are vulnerable! Never stripped one, but am ALWAYS concern when taking the cover off and on.
 
Randall K. Wilson said:
Now IMHO those screws on the derby covers are not a good design. Small Torx fasteners are vulnerable! Never stripped one, but am ALWAYS concern when taking the cover off and on.
Click to expand...

If the proper size torx is used, I have never had a problem and the proper torque on the fastener goes a long way too.
 
glider said:
I would be willing to bet they weren't grade 8 bolts.
Click to expand...

What is this supposed to mean? I try to replace every fastener I remove from my bike with a better grade. Its a peeve I have had about Harley for years. Their fasteners are grade junk. I go for stainless in most replacements. Some come from True Value. Not grade 8 but better than stock Harley

I agree that dealers should have a reasonable on hand supply of replacement fasteners. In this day of computer inventories there is no excuse for not having the most replaced fasteners on hand, since it is such cheap junk and easily strips out during routine maintenance, the threadstarters needed item should be readily available.

RR
 
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