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Took my bike in for the 3000 mile service a year or so ago. The local dealer
asked," Did you buy it here?." " No", I replied. " It will be three weeks or
more and you will have to leave it", he replied. I fought the urge to choke
him and walked out.
I decided to get the service manuals, pipe, jet kit, K+N filter etc., from
the dealer. He didn't have them but he was willing to order them for about
25% more than Fred sells them for. Drove to Moab. Fred was in Kansas but his
employee opened on Saturday and sold me $600+ dollars worth of goodies. Wish
Fred owned the local dealership. Spent the weekend in Moab, with the wife,
nice motel, meals etc. and still saved money. Got home and finally did my
valves.
Every time I've been back to the dealer to get anything his prices have been
sky high. Several times I've driven eighty miles to another dealership, not
so much to save the money, more to keep from choking someone.
I ordered four pilot screw o-rings, two washers, one spring, one pilot jet,
last week from my local buds. Picked them up today, short the pilot screw.
The bill came to $21.75. Fought down the choke urge and asked him to
mentally calculate what my KLR is worth if those small ticket parts cost
that much. Must be real close to what a really loaded Harley would cost.
Thanked them and left them, unmolested. Mentally recalculated. That price
would be with a side car and trailer.
I guess the bottom line is, all the folks pinching the dealers when they buy
a bike, need to quit it because they are trying to kill us on parts. I'm
sure the dealers need to make a buck but they need to spread the gouge out
over a broader range. I've been thinking of buying a big BMW lately. I doubt
the parts would cost any more.
DAngus
A-11