| Author | Message | ||
     Reepicheep |
Extra keywords for people searching: Ohio Dealer Cincinnati Dayton Middletown Midwest... After wasting tremendous time and energy on Eastgate Buell here in Cincinnati, I was VERY happy to see a friendly blue Buell sign pop up in front of Tri-County Harley Davidson a month or two back. They are only selling blasts at this point, but they have very good stock on the sportster crossover parts, can order any part for you, and have very knowledgable people behind the parts counter. So far I am doing my own work, but I would not hesitate to take the Cyclone to them if I get out of time or in over my head. The next closest dealer (F&S Buell in Dayton) has had been OK in terms of having parts in stock, but they have screwed up a couple things I asked for, and the people behind the parts desk seem to vary from disinterested to openly hostile. Hopefully Harley of tri-county will start ramping up on Buells... So: Eastgate Buell (Cincinnati): If I broke down in front of their shop, I would probably let them work on it, but I would watch them very carefully. They did decent shop work on the shock recall, but getting them to order the shock parts was a three month comedy of errors (all theirs). I would not deal with them at all if possible. Tri-County Harley (Cincinnati): I would drop off the bike, tell them to do what needs to be done, and ask them to call me when it's ready. I have not had them do any work on the bike yet, but it is obvious to me they really have their act together. F&S Buell (Dayton): If I need a part quickly, I will use them, but double check prices and part numbers and don't expect much help or many warm fuzzies. Just my experience. Hope this is helpfull to somebody. | ||
| Duck |
Frederick Md Buell/HD gets a thumbs up from me. I was up visiting and riding with a couple buddies on a Saturday afternoon when I look down see my left leg covered with oil. I limped into Frederick and the Buell mech (wish I could remember his name....sorry)takes a look and it's of course my rocker boxes. He asked me if I could leave it and I explained that I was leaving for Norfolk in the morning. No problem. They sqeezed me in between two appoinments and had me in and out in two hours. They cleaned every last drop of oil off my ride and sent me on my way. Excellent, excellent, EXCELLENT!!!! These guys clearly get it! Before I found Buell I rode various Japanes bikes. I bought three of them from the same dealer in AZ. Two of those times I rode my bike back to AZ traded it in and then rode the new one back. The reason I did that was because they treated me right. Not just a customer, but a friend. They have gotten a lot of my money over the years..........I wish more dealers "got it". I'd rather ride 200 miles to be treated right than 20 to be treated with indifference. | ||
| Javahed |
Destination Harley (Tacoma, WA) -- Great guys!!! Brought my X1 in for it's 500, just needed the checks cause I already changed the fluids. They did it all -- FOR FREE!!! Too cool, my thumbs go way way up to them. Rich, the mech, great guy! Dan | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Cheers, Thought I'd move this question over to this topic area. Does anyone happen to know if it's a requirement for a Buell dealership to have their Buell mechanics specifically trained on Buells? In other words is there a specific training certificate that is required? S'later, -JW:>) | ||
| Blake |
Jim: I'd have to say no, since I know of one in particular (Kosko in NJ) that doesn't even own a wrench to adjust Buell rear shocks. | ||
| Jim_Witt |
Hey Blake, Sure would like to know for a fact. Seems rather odd to me if it isn't a requirement. I was also under the impression that a certified Buell mechanic could only preform warranty services on a Buell. Dunno, guess not of the hooligans that visit here know either. Cheers, -JW:>) | ||
| Mikej |
My guess is that it only has to be a certified shop that does the warranty/recall work. Having qualified staff is probably part of being a certified shop. I'm going down to a shop tonight to sit on a few bikes, I'll ask around and see what I can find out. | ||
| Josh |
When trying to get ready for my last dyno runs I tried to get the local dealers to squeeze me in for a TPS reset (I had changed throttle cables, heads, etc). All of the local shops were swamped with pre-Sturgis work so I called Coziahr HD in Forsyth Il right down the road from the dyno place (local dyno place was swamped too). Not only did they squeeze me in that Saturday morning, but they didn't charge me for it and gave me breakfast! What a deal! Josh | ||
| Buellhowser |
THANK YOU MODESTO BUELL! IF YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT A GREAT BUELL DEALER, HIT 'PAGE DOWN.' After a few great experiences ordering parts from Modesto Buell (everything in stock, free shipping, friendly communication), I decided to get a 10K service and isolator upgrade done on my '99 S3. Most service writers that I've dealt with in the past were less than confidence-inspiring, making me want to snatch the work order out of their supple hands and write it up myself; however, I was relieved to find that Danny of Modesto Buell clearly had a good grasp on the workings of our bikes! The work order was just about wrapped up, and almost as an afterthought I remembered to mention my motor's unusually large appetite for oil, ingesting a quart every 600-800 miles, and my motor's penchant for detonation. Background: Santa Cruz Buell repeatedly told me this was normal oil consumption for Buells, and that my motor passed a leakdown test. After sealing my oil tank and letting me ride the bike for 500 miles, they declared "it didn't use that much oil", but couldn't tell me how much "that much" was, and sent me on my way (and I've never been back). But why do I know others whose bikes use no oil? Where was my oil going? Obviously, (to me) the motor was slowly burning it, drop by drop, causing detonation in the process! I gave Modesto Buell a followup call a few days later to see how my bike was progressing. I had NO hope or expectation that this problem I'd been living with for the last 2 years would be solved, I was just stoked to be getting the 10K and the upgraded isolators. Jay, one of the Buell mechanics got on the phone. "Sorry this is taking so long, we should have your cylinders back from the machine shop tomorrow and I can get it back together for you." Needless to say, I was pleasantly SHOCKED! "What?" asked I, "You found a problem? You found THE problem?" "Oh yeah," Jay casually replied, "the rear cylinder failed the leakdown MISERABLY, you should see the 1/8" of BLACK CRUSTY OIL DEPOSITS on top of the piston. We went ahead and BORED IT OUT for you." (Thank God for extended warranties!) Three isolators, steering head bearings, detent plate, fork seals, and a top end later, my bike feels and runs as new. I've put 300 miles on it, and will be easy on it until it hits 500 miles just to be sure of a proper break-in. I can already tell the motor's happier, much smoother idle, easier to start, AND THE OIL LEVEL HASN'T BUDGED. All is right in the world! Sorry for this long post, but I would like to give Modesto Buell my highest recommendation. Any Bueller living within a reasonable radius of this shop would do well to have your bike serviced there. Thank you Danny, Jay, Deanne, and crew. See you when my ignition switch comes in (oh yeah they helped me with that too). bh | ||
| Sarodude |
I need to post something positive here about Glendale HD / Buell - Glendale, Ca that is... There is a driving force at that dealership to put Buells in their rightful place and its name is Ernie. Some guy was asking what kind of Harley he rode. His response (LOUD, mid you) was, "I ride a Buell - a Buell Blast." I've met up with one not so enthusiastic sales guy at that dealership. I've also met up with parts guys that are kind and courteous even though they may not be completely on the ball with Buell. However, this dealer stocks MORE THAN ONE UNIT of the Blast V&H pipe, jet kits, etc - no doubt because of Ernie. As a whole, they're a difinite asset to the whole Buell thing. Drop by there and let them know you like what they do if you're in SoCal. Talk to Ernie and tell him you hear good things about their Buellness. -Saro | ||
| Buellhowser |
Major thanks to Jim and crew at Auburn HD Buell. They saved my ass in the middle of a road trip by swapping my broken race muffler for the new improved version. They then went above and beyond the call of duty and welded up my spare header support bracket no charge. Amazing! Honorable mention to Modesto; they were ready and willing to help, but didn't have a muffler in stock. Thanks for trying! We're real lucky to have such great dealer support in this part of CA. | ||
| Artful |
So far Tucson HD/Buell has been very good to me. All the warranty work done without a hitch. My only complaint is parts, very few in stock and three weeks to get any in. My bike has the same problem as Buellhowser and I will be taking it in for its 10k in about two months, so we will see if they are on the ball. Art..... | ||
| Johnnybravo |
SPECIAL THANKS TO WISCONSIN HD AN BUELL IN OCONOMOWOC, THE HOST CITY FOR THIS YEARS HOMECOMMING, MY ROCKER BOX GASKETS BLEW 100 MILES BEFORE I REACHED TOWN THE TOOK MY M2 IN AND HAD IT FIXED BY MORNING, I WISH I WOULD HAVE HAD IT THE SAME DOY FOR FREE DYNO AT HALS BUT THE DID A KICK ASS JOB KUDOS TO THEM , TONY | ||
| Pj1 |
Brought my M2 in for its 500 mile check up to Boston H-D/Buell. Didn't know what to expect since it is a huge H-D dealership. Everyone was great! They took the time to explain everything they did and were very friendly. They also called several times prior to remind me (was a 3 week wait for the appointment). Dropped it off in the morning and was riding by early afternoon. Other than the wait for the appointment the experience was a pleasant surprise. I will happily bring it back for any other services needs. | ||
| Johnnybravo |
NEVER I REPEAT NEVER GO TO MOTOWN!!!! (TAYLOR MI) NOT ONLY DID THEY LIE ABOUT WHY I WAS FIRED BUT NOW THEY HAVE THE NERVE OF A SEWER RAT TO PLAGIARIZE AN ARTICLE I DID ON THE NEW FIREBOLT. THEY PUBLISHED IT UNDER THE NAME OF A SALES PERSON WHO KNOWS NUTHING ABOUT BUELLS, MOTOWN IS CORUPT AN NEVER HAS OR WILL CARE ABOUT A BUELL RIDER, ONES THAT WORK THERE OR COME THERE AS CUSTOMERS. I AM ASKING EVEY ONE OF YOU TO STOP PATRONIZING THERE ESTABLISHMENT IF EVERY ONE OF YOU JUST TELLS FIVE PEOPLE WE CAN MAKE THEM LOSE THERE CONECTION WITH BUELL WHICH THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE! | ||
| Gus |
"Welcome to Morgan & Wacker - The oldest Harley-Davidson distributor in the World. Since 1917, our motto has been "Always Reliable Service"" This is on the opening page of the website. They are the Buell Distributors for Australia. List of parts that I requested. Idle speed adjuster cable for X1 Throttle cable clamp Injector O-rings Sportster venturi ring Result Injector O-rings The other bits have to come from the US, so maybe 1 or 2 weeks. This is only one example, I could write pages. I think that they should be called Morgan and Wanker | ||
| Pilot |
Gus I have a venturi ring and a cable clamp if you want. I ordered them from M&W the venturi ring was in stock and the cable clamp arrived in a week.They have always looked after my X1 when I was in town remember I live 14hours away, Ross. | ||
| Toad |
Thiels Wheels Sandusky OH ? How about some feedback they are advertising new M2s 2001 for $6400 and 2002 for $7000. | ||
| Road_Thing |
Here's a plug for Buell of Dallas, the guys at "Sport Twin" whose link appears on the main page of this board. I bought a 95 S2 on eBay, which arrived here a few days ago. After a few hundred miles, I decided it needed a set of higher handlebars so, on Monday of this week, I ordered a set of the S2T bars from Sport Twin. On Tuesday morning, while you guys with jobs are at work, I'm diddling around in the garage and the Fedex guy delivers a box--you guessed it: one day service, from e-mail order to delivery! Outstanding! (I like the higher bars, too-they put the bottom edge of my helmet just out of the slipstream off the back of the windscreen-much quieter!) road_thing_in_houston | ||
| Aaron |
Congrats on the S2 Tom!!! Pictures! | ||
| Court |
Tom: That is the type of thing we LOVE to hear. Sporttwin is setting an example for how it should be done! Get us pictures of that babe! All Buell roads EVENTUALLY lead to an S-2  Court | ||
| Bullitt |
A quick word on a couple of Central Fla dealerships - Daytona H-D/Buell - Good service dept, awful sales - Rek Kinsey is gone,and the new Buell sales manager actually seems to dislike the bikes. He really has absolutely no clue - but he'd be happy to show you a "real" Harley! Ugh. Orlando Buell - Just the opposite. Good sales, awful service. John Crown runs the showroom, and actually rides a Buell. A genuine enthusiast, and nice guy to boot. Amazing. I wouldn't allow their service manager to service my weed whacker though - let alone my M2. Caveat Emptor. | ||
| Seeeu911 |
Orlando HD/Buell Rocks. From Duncan and John in sales to all the 1st class tech's and service manager. Fast appointments, my bike work is always done as scheduled and the bike cleaned ! They've expedited all warranty repairs and are always ready to stop and answer questions and share their repair experience. Orlando HD/Buell Xlnt service. Highly recommended. | ||
| Bullitt |
Glad to hear Orlando H-D is doing right by you, 911 - and I totally agree about their sales staff. Service however - Bruce, in particular, are the trouble for me. I hope the folks in charge there follow this board. Brought the bike in for loud pinging (preignition/detonation) twice - was told both times everything was fine. "They just do that" I was told. Daytona H-D reset the timing and fixed it the first time. Strike one. Got a letter in the mail regarding the shock recall on my '00 M2. Was informed "We only replace them if they leak". I didn't know the real reason for the recall, and took them at their word. Found out the truth and upon mentioning this the recall work was done. Strike two. Was presented with an $80 bill for oil and filter change that "You need anyway" (it didn't - less than 500 miles on both). When I protested, Bruce's answer was that "I'll go get some used drain oil and an old filter and put on your bike. Then you can have it." Fortunately, this is when John Crown stepped in. This process was already underway! Strike three. Their service dept is out. A real shame, as John is the one who turned me on to Buell to begin with. But, these are a few examples of truly awful service, and I stand by my warning. Caveat Emptor. | ||
| Seeeu911 |
Kevin, we should ride together during a weekend. I met John one week after I bought my Buell. We've been good friends and riding partners since then. Him and Duncan do Orlando Buell owners good. Before John and Duncan the Buell store was not well stocked was not run by a true Buell enthuasit/fan. If it fits a Buell, Duncan can get it or has it in stock, and either John, Ken,Clarke or I have it on our bikes. My 1 experience with Bruce was very positive. Mostly I deal with Matt, Nick and the other guys who all do more than 100% for me every time. No complaints and much praise actually. Sorry that you'r experience is not as good. Talk to the General Mgr about your issues. I've ridden with him and he is a good guy. My bike has stranded me too. Mostly I break it though. Hook up with John for a sunday or Poinciana ride soon and we can meet in person. | ||
| Bullitt |
Would love nothing better that to go for a weekend ride - except the Evil Overlords (my employers) insist that I work every weekend. It makes it hard to find riding cronies to go with when you are stuck with Wed and Thur off while everyone else in the free world is off Sat and Sun. I work for a large rental car co and our industry was just about obliterated after Sep 11 -esp in Florida - I'm lucky to have a job, let alone rocking the boat for weekends off. As far as the bike stranding me, I can't ever stay mad at it. I love it too much. I NEVER would have tolerated this from the imported bikes I rode. After lots of thinking and talking with others who have them, I think I know the reason. My Buell has a soul. It's not a seamless Japanese appliance. It's imperfect and sometimes cranky just like the human who rides it. When I went to Orlando H-D the first time, it was to look at a used Ducati. Somehow, John managed to make me understand that wasn't really what I wanted and he was right. I owe him a great debt. If I ever can arrange to be er, "sick" I'll look you fellas up. And thanks for the invite. | ||
| Satx |
Unless you're a RUB with money spewing from your wallet, stay away from Alamo City h-d.You get treated great until you stop spending money and want your motorcycle fixed.They have a bullshit excuse and/or hustle for just about every problem I came up with.I had two motorcycles in a row sit in their service dept. for three months,one of which STILL didn't get fixed properly.SERVICE(?)dept., hell,you'd get less attitude inviting yourself into a Bandido meeting!I think they were just letting my warranty burn up so they could try and poke me for $65/hr. for the repairs.Myself and some friends had similar bikes that all kept burning back brake pads and rotors like firecracker fuses and they actually had the nerve to accuse ALL of us of riding with our foot on the brake.I could go on and on but what's the point?I sure like my new Buell I bought from Austin Buell/h-d.I was equally impressed with their staff as well,they got my vote. | ||
| Notrt |
Here's my plug for "the Harley-Davidson store" up on Route 40 east of Baltimore, Md. There's a reasonable Buell presence in the showroom, and their service writers (especially Jason) and wrenches not only know their stuff, but are polite, and articulate about explaining it to you. Thus far, I'm more than pleased. | ||
| Jmartz |
Earl Small's Harley-Davidsonand and Buell in Marietta, Ga. The first dealer to take on the Buell line in the greater Atlanta area. They have enthusiasts on the staff in both the sales and parts departments. The city has now 3 Buell dealers and 5 HD dealers. With such fierce competition 20% sales are common and I'm loving every minute of it. | ||
| S2pengy |
Jose While I am pleased that you have had good luck at Earl Small's I have not had any such luck with their service department... As a matter of fact I have had nothing but problems including; 1. Tire mounted in the wrong direction. 2. Isolators installed improperly, pin was not in the hole in the isolator. 3. Improper adjustment of the primary chain (over 1 inch of play on the 500 mile service). 4. Screw left out of tank cover after fuel cell replacement. 5. Wiring harness allowed to rub on tire after rear fairing requiring harness replacement. 6. Cotter keys left out of front caliper after brake pad replacement. Regretfully I could go on....... I have had much better luck with the non-service areas of Earl's and would recommend Bob and Russ as very helpful and knowledgeable. But my favorite has to be Danny at Modesto who will even mail order to me. Service wise I have learned only to trust myself... Todd |
