Ihear ya' brother!

Back when I worked at a dealership in the mid-80's, it seem most employees were real enthusiasts. But it also seem that places like electronic stores also had real stereo freaks. You won't find them at best buy now! It seems like computer stores still employ enthusiasts (OK, nerds) but that's not always the case either.

A couple of years ago, I went to the local honda shop to check on a part for my CBX, the kid behind the parts count didn't know what a CBX was. But I then realized the bike was older than him....

 

I'm with you guys on the dealer "clowns".... (Heres my long story if you care)

2 months ago I stopped in a Honda dealer by me and asked how much the seals inside the calipers I'm rebuilding cost. Ron Ayers has them for close to 5 bucks a pop. I was in the area and figured if there even close (within 2 dollars per), I'd rather buy them from a local guy. So after he looks them up this guys says 9.99 a piece..... so I tell him, "You know what, I think I'm gonna pass, thank you, I appriciate your time." I figure that's the end....

This dude follows me and my wife into the showroom then asks if theres a reason I didn't want the seals. I tried to be nice and said "I just want to wait, thanks..." he proceeds to mutter then asks if it was the price? At this point I said... "Yes, actually, I've seen them elsewhere/internet for 5 dollars. That's quite a difference from your price."

So he gets mad and says I'm completey ridiculous becuase I'm going to spend 7 dollars on shipping to save 4 dollars...
Confused by his suggestion... I point out I need 16 of the seals, so it's a bit more than a 4 dollar swing. He then says "He doesn't get all the people like me.... (Now in a louder tone) You guys are all doing the work yourself, now you gotta worry about a few bucks for some parts... your already saving money by doing the work yourself, whats the big deal of paying a little more for the parts?"

I was pretty shocked.... normally I'd lay into the guy, but my wifes standing right there and I couldn't believe he was as pissed as he was... so I just said, "Listen, I'm not here to argue with you... if I do work on my bike that's my buisness... I don't see why that means I owe you something? Just so you know I was planning on purchasing all the items I needed for my bike from you like the filters, oil, THE SEALS, etc... but you've made this decision easy, goodbye."

Then I just left.... I still want to go back and just lay into him about his crazy math, but I figure not ever spending a penny there is even worse.

Anyway... that's been built up inside me for awhile... figured I'd share my rant seeing others get the same crap form these people. Unbelievable.

J.

BTW If anyone knows a good shop/mechanic in the Westchester/NYC area let me know.... not going to this clown.

 

Yeah, happens all the time they don't want to pay the quality techs what they're worth but they'll still charge us $75 bucks an hour for labor.

As far as doing it yourself, not only do you save money. You also have the satisfaction of knowing, I did that, you won't be mad at somebody elese for thier screw up. Nor do you have to loose money by taking time off of work to bring it back when they do screw up.

As far as f*** ups at the counter I had a guy ask me if I needed the rear shoes to go with the front pads on my superhawk. SHOES they haven't used SHOES on a motorcycle since I was about ten.

 

wow!... is that guy puzzled about his lack of buisness!?!?

i think this thread will go far.. i'm sure alot of people have horror stories. mines not too bad... but bad enough to keep me from going there again. here it goes....

i live in an apartment complex.... and normally don't mind performing routine maintinece in to parking lot, but we just had a really long heat wave of 105 degree+ heat. i got a coupon in the mail for a $20 oil change.. out the door. i figure... hey... thats not too bad at all.... a honda filter is like $12 or so, plus oil.... why not?
i take it down there and they get my info and ask if i will be waiting, i say yes. it's not too busy at all that day... actually kinda dead... wheathers kinda shitty, i figure i will be in and out. i hate to be a bother and bug people when they are workin on bikes but... when i do an oil change at home it takes an hour... tops...draggin my feet, drunk off my @$$.. whatever... an hour, tops. two hours later.. i ask if they are almost done.... the service manager says the tech has to run it, then recheck the levels and then he will be done. an hour and a half later and the freakin' monsoon storm clouds are piling up fast, i ask the service manager if it's done yet and he says he will go check.... a few mins. later i see him leaving for the day....wtf? i find someone else and ask them whats going on, by the way we are now over the 4 hour mark. they come back and say they will be done as soon as they wash it. wash it!?!? it's RAINING NOW!! and all this time they keep sending over salesmen to try deal me a bike...... f@#kin' bloodhounds..... all in all by they time i got out of there it was almost 6 hours later. needles to say, i'm never buying a single thing from any dealer thats part of the arizona motorsports group... thanks for pissing away my day! god a i hate big dealerships!

ahhh that feels much better.....

 

I've been pounded by dealers before, but won't get into those stories. I have found a small shop about half a mile from the Honda dealer that now gets all the work I don't want/can't do. Only one guy, the owner, works there. I think that he just pays for his riding habit and living expenses with the shop.

I was going to get a tire changing setup, but he changes my tires for $10 each if I bring the tire and rim. He even told me that he doesn't carry much inventory because he knows that most of his customers can get it on the internet cheaper than he can sell it for.

Finally someone that "gets it"

 

Funny same thing here. I found a real good mech. and person for that matter and he just does it to support his racing habit. I'll gladly hand my money over to him instead of the big guys, and he's a hell of a lot cheaper too.

 

Mine was when I was looking to buy a Super Hawk. I picked up the Yellow pages and found dealers.

First place.....the salesman was nice. Told'm I was getting back into bikes after a 9 year break......He had a CBR900 with my name on it he sez. Not with my 36"inseam I think. I tell him I'm looking for a bit less power and a V-twin. "We don't deal in H-D bikes Here".......(No but there's a Superhawk there, I think).......on to shop #2.

I tell my story....." Come back when you want to puy money down and really want a bike."
Onto shop #3.

At #3....excellent sales person......who put me on a Superhawk that day....at a fair price. With slip-ons! It was the only black Superhawk in San Diego for years too!!

The next day I rode to shop #2 the look at jackets. When I came out 1/2 the shop personel were drooling over the bike and paint. "Where you get it?" I tell them ....." and by the way....I stopped here to buy a bike and was told by (pointing finger) that man to come back when I was serious."

I got on my black D&D piped SH and rode off....never went back.

SouthBay gets all my bike business....No Fun Bike or House for me.

Mike