Miffed with local H-D Dealer in Wausau, WI

[Zixxerpilot]

I need to get a baseline dyno on my Gixx, and Wausau Harley seems to have the only cycle dyno in the area. So, I called them up, and got a very rude service rep who informed me they only put Harley's on the dyno.

I politely asked him if he was afraid the little Gixxer would break his poor little dyno. I think that made him a bit upset...

This is the first time I've had this issue with a Harley dealer. Lax Harley did a bunch of my bikes for me. I'm not talking tuning, but baseline dyno runs.

Sorry for the rant, it just kinda pissed me off. I'll truck the thing to Lax H-D before I'll ever set foot in their store.

[ray6576]

I guess this dealer must be turning business away (not)? Just a piss poor example of a business being run by an idot.

[atypical1]

Just a piss poor example of a business being run by an idot.

Well you don't know that the owner is an idiot. Maybe the service rep just didn't know better. Maybe they only put HD's on there for liability reasons.

Making a comment like "do you think my little gixxer....." did nothing to help the situation. Maybe you should have just talked to the manager..

james

[dm_gsxr]

I dunno. When I needed a tire change in Fairbanks, the Harley/Honda/BMW dealer said "we don't work on Suzuki's" with a disgusted frown on his face. I said it's only a tire change. "We don't work on Suzuki's".

Carl

[atypical1]

I dunno. When I needed a tire change in Fairbanks, the Harley/Honda/BMW dealer said "we don't work on Suzuki's" with a disgusted frown on his face. I said it's only a tire change. "We don't work on Suzuki's".

Carl

Well, FWIW, I wouldn't work on Suzuki's either...it may just be that they don't work on ugly bikes  

james

[Zixxerpilot]

Well you don't know that the owner is an idiot. Maybe the service rep just didn't know better. Maybe they only put HD's on there for liability reasons.

Making a comment like "do you think my little gixxer....." did nothing to help the situation. Maybe you should have just talked to the manager..

james

First impressions last. I sent an email to the service manager, but I doubt it will go anywhere. Someone I work with bought their Harley there, and can no longer stand to go there.

Let me express, I do NOT have a problem with H-D dealers. Like I said, I've spent some quality time on Lax's dyno. The only thing I've ever been told is that they cannot work on the bike, mostly because of no training and no tools for non H-d machines. I'm fine with that. But, to say they cannot dyno a bike is flat out rediculous.

I've also found out through the pipe they will not dyno a Buell. They sell Buell at this dealership, but won't dyno it because it isn't a Harley?

Whatever. I've run shops before, and I know what liability the dyno carries. The insurance companies don't care what bike gets put on it. I called Lax H-D today and we're taking a trailer load of bikes there. Granted, it's 3 1/2 hours from here, but I'll travel for the kind of people they have there.

[Flyer]

I think they did you a BIG favour.
Probably a f*ckwad running the dyno, another as the manager, another as the parts guy...

[bomber]

they likely are not turing business away that they can handle -- most HD shops (dunno bout this one) have long waiting lists for tire mounting and normal maintenance as it is -- can you imagine the hissy fit if someguy shows up to get his new conchos installed and finds he's next in like behind a GIXER? (only partly tongue in cheek) . . . .

that, and this time of year, many shops (not just HD) are busily laying off the majority fo their techs for the winter doldrums.

[Zixxerpilot]

Bomber, even that wouldn't have been an issue. I was looking to schedule dyno time in advance, well in advance. The biggest part of that is there is a group of us that need it done. There are 2 other guys on Buells.

The comment about them doing me a favor is probably right. I'm sure the dyno guy would have been afraid to let a bike rev past 5.6k RPM.

[Baz]

I say you wait about 6 months and then ask him how business is.

[desert_rider]

I'm sure the dyno guy would have been afraid to let a bike rev past 56k RPM.

56,000 RPM!!  

I's got to get me one of dem Gixxerz!  

[Zixxerpilot]

56,000 RPM!!  

I's got to get me one of dem Gixxerz!  

lmao! Forgot the dot. I fixed it now. 5.6k, as in 5600rpm.

[bomber]

Zix -- in my previous life, I was a Buell Driver (and will be again, when I put it back together) . . . . .

I't sbeen to three different HD shop for Dyno runs -- none could do the work (though I've heard good reports about Hal's) . . . .

It's an insular little community they got going on, and they like it that way -- up til recently, they could damn near print their onw money, so how are you going to convince em otherwise?

Not saying I agree with it, but it does seem to be the case . . . .

Due to that lil community incentuousness, my tube frame Buell (which I love dearly) will be the last HDI product I ever buy -- I just don't live on the same planet as most of those folks . . . . .

my loss, I"m sure

[clyde]

 I would have said, "Oh, I understand. You must have one of those dynos that only reads up to 50 horsepower. My bad, sorry to have troubled you."

[servicerifle]

I posted about the same kind of thread a few months ago, but that time it was me on my BMW GS.  

County commented later that HD places have the best bathrooms around.  From now on I will use that knowledge to let them "Work on my BMW shit."  

[atadaskew]

Don't feel like you've been picked on.  I took my HARLEY to my nearest Harley dealership - Bartells - to have the 1K break in service done.  They had my bike a week and did nothing.  They said they were 'swamped'.  The mechanics there get their haircut at the same place I do.  The hairdresser told me that they complained that they have no work to do...
I took my bike back, took it to Glendale HD who did the service as I waited...

Some places are just full of douchebags.

[Stray Cat]

And I wonder with all the failing businesses when HD will be asking for a bail out?

[SteveG]

I ran into the same problem when I lived in Corpus Christi.  The service manager was a decent guy, just said that they weren't allowed to work on other models because of the dealership's owners rules.  They were terrific working on Heather's sportster, and I would have trusted them over the other shops in the area.  I finally found a local hole in the wall that did excellent work, but the Harley shop was the only Dyno in town..

[Zixxerpilot]

Zix -- in my previous life, I was a Buell Driver (and will be again, when I put it back together) . . . . .

I't sbeen to three different HD shop for Dyno runs -- none could do the work (though I've heard good reports about Hal's) . . . .

It's an insular little community they got going on, and they like it that way -- up til recently, they could damn near print their onw money, so how are you going to convince em otherwise?

Not saying I agree with it, but it does seem to be the case . . . .

Due to that lil community incentuousness, my tube frame Buell (which I love dearly) will be the last HDI product I ever buy -- I just don't live on the same planet as most of those folks . . . . .

my loss, I"m sure

The biggest difference here is that I didn't need them to work on any bikes. All they had to do was strap it down, and run the HP curve and A/F for me. I build and tune bikes, but the dyno reads help get the last little bit of tweaking done right.

F#$% Wausau Harley. I'll take my money somewhere else, as well as money belonging to my customers.

On another note, I've dealt with Hal's. I actually know one of there race techs from when I worked for S&S. If they weren't so far away, I'd call them in a heartbeat.

[ray6576]

My previous comment still stands about a sorry run operation. I had a 2004 Sportster that when I called the closest harley dealer to me for a 1000 mile service was told it would be 3 weeks before they could get to it. I said that was fine and then the next question was "Did I buy the bike from this dealer?" (I remember the quote well). I said no and the service manager said they only work on the bikes they sell. Now 4 years later they well work on any harley no matter where you bought it. As far as I am concerned they can go to hades.