By CCRyder

That old guy from BC always has something of interest to say and I undoubtedly read his column before all else. Once again Roland Haug has hit the nail on the head when he talks about the H-D Dealerships. Although I've never done it, that test of his is one I'm sure I'll try in the future. I do like to grade most of dealerships where I stop. I always make a point of asking where the discount rack is and secondly what do they have available in promo items. Many places these days have zip, zilch in this regard. I guess they figure it is unnecessary, and some of the excuses are out-landish. Some of the employees even go as far as apologizing for their cheap employers

On the other hand some shops are very generous with promo items and service assistance. In Farmington, N.M. they gave me a discount on all I bought, installed my chrome at no cost and changed my oil. They also gave me two hats, stickers, and dealer dots. Barnett's in El Paso also installed the red light kit at no charge and gave me two handfuls of promo stuff. Winnipeg HD , Toys for Boys (Moncton), Dartmouth H-D all have promo stuff as does Southern here in Calgary.

I've happened to show up on Winnipeg's doorstep a few years ago badly needing assistance and hoping to complete the first thousand miles of my iron butt ride I was in the midst of at the time. Not only did they bring my bike into the shop before opening, they removed the bike on a bench to get me in and out. I informed Dave that I had 1 1/2 hours to complete my last fifty miles (1000 miles in 24 hours)of the iron butt .In fact, I was riding from Kansas City to Calgary, non-stop. Well without taking my boots off anyway, although I did take a few naps in various odd (heated) spots along the way.

Dave assured me that I would make it, and so I did. Obviously in my report card Winnipeg, El Paso, Farmington, and Dartmouth (these guys have helped me so much it would take a whole column on its own) all get an A+. Other shops I also want to give an A to are: Killer Creek (Atlanta area), Jacox (Montreal, need a part that Deeley doesn't have, call these guys), Tucson (Az), Boston, Bergdale (Minn), Belgrade (Mont), and Gillette (Wyo).

Now for the other side of the coin, shops I failed are:

Cheyenne, Wyo - I pulled in there a few years back in late November with a bald tire, heading into a snowstorm. I gave the young guy at the tire area my HOG pitch and asked for a discount. He told me he couldn't help, but referred me to the boss and owner of the shop. I introduced myself to this wanna be biker/hippy, and told him my plight. Three times he told me, "I'm sorry but we sell for national list price". Well, being the stubborn fool I am, I drank his free coffee while chatting with a few of the older employees and getting any advice on how to continue my trip home. Then I headed out with my bald tire still in place, and any T shirts I had gathered were left on the counter. I would never walk through those doors again and I "dis" him whenever I get the chance.

Fort Walton Beach, Florida - The guys working there were very helpful to me although one mechanic did quit while I was waiting to be serviced. Guess the head mechanic wanted to do my work, but I had to wait for him to finish his other job and this other mechanic quit over not being able to do my work. Well, I ended up there all day over a flat tire and at the end of it the manager was an asshole who wouldn't take a Visa under another name, or Canadian cash, or a cheque. They sent me walking to a bank to convert my cash and the bank didn't even want our money. By now it was near the end of the business day and I had to get difficult myself. They did eventually send me off with a driver to a travel agency where they gave me a cheque that still had to go to a bank. I also noticed that the manager had locked the gates just in case I decided to ride off without paying. This is another shop where, although I liked the personal, I will never return.

Vegas - We stopped here on our way to Daytona with a new bike under warranty. Forget any help at all on Sunday unless you want to rent a bike (got to have some type of mechanic taking care of the machines but...) or buy a shirt at outrageous prices. I talked them out of one sticker but a dot would have cost me. Needless to say I left without either. Leo didn't get any service assistance, and we had to ride on without his headlights working correctly. I might return here to window shop, but that would be it.

Black Hills S.D. - These guys did some work that should have been on warranty but they charged me and lied to me saying it wasn't covered. When I returned to Calgary, Pat (Kanes) sent in the bills and got my money back from extended warranty. Not only did these guys charge me for stuff that should have been covered, they spilt brake fluid all over my tank (caught the young guy trying to clean it up, not like they informed me). My primary has leaked ever since and they put a valve stem in that was too long when changing my tire and it snapped off at seventy MPH plus. My bike was fully loaded at the time as I was heading home, I was dressed in my work boots and a pair of shorts. Thank the Lord there were no trees in my path as I traveled over 200 yards through the bush before stooping my beast (still upright I might add) within three feet of a four strand barbed wire fence. The guys riding behind me were more freaked than me because they were sure I was going down, remember, never say die.

These shops that failed may have done so for various reasons, but it all comes down to the fact that for them, the Harley Davidson lifestyle is all about the almighty dollar. I encourage all the readers to write in and tell us about your horror stories, or anywhere the Dealer has made you proud to be part of the motorcycle community. I purposely didn't grade any shops in Alberta or British Columbia most of them are helpful to me anyway and I only have positive things to say about them. I will say that we are lucky to have so many qualified shops to choose from in Alberta. I'm sure you all have your own opinions, so let us know about your positive or not so positive shop experiences, and send an email to comments@amemagazine.com

I'd like to finish with the lid sticker: "Around here, gun control means a steady hand"

CCRyder

CCR@ccryder.com