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Littlebuggles
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 12:47 am: | 
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Russ and all,
“That will be in in seven to ten days."
Aaarrrrgh!!!
(I hear that a lot, it used to frustrate me, now I’ve come to expect it). Okay.
Rant off, here’s the rest regarding your dealership woes:
You know, I'm not discounting your folks bad experiences and all that, but I've owned my Buell since 2001, up until South Valley got their feet under them Salt Lake was handling all the Buell service.
Salt Lake no longer has a Buell sign, so they are not advertising themselves as a Buell dealership. That's kind of important. While they don't proclaim to be a Buell dealer I still take my bike there if it needs service I can't do. The service manager (Parker) is good people and the guy working on Buells (Scott) races them, he's also good people. Several of the parts guys are quite familiar with Buell, just ask them if they can help, maybe they'll have you talk to Kelly who is also good people, but not the only dude who is comfortable looking up Buell stuff.
While I may have had trouble with my bike, I've never had trouble with the dealership's service that couldn’t be attributed to a simple communication lapse.
So on this one I'm going to have to side with the dealer, and also say it's nice to see their presence here on the board, even if the profile is generic.
Communication is a two way street, attitude is paramount. The Harley's came first, hence the name. If you don’t want to worry about being shunned for riding a Buell figure out what retrofits and tell the guys you want a Harley part. Buellistic is probably a great source on that info, course he might be hard to reach ‘cause he’s always riding. Immerse yourself in the KV for a while, dig back a ways for the really good stuff on tubers.
Buy a parts book and a service manual, not only will you feel and be vastly empowered, the books are super nice to have – even just as “Buell stuff" because they are done so well. I wish I could get hold of a shop manual for my car that is as good!
Anyway it was nice to go to the Ford dealership and buy parts for my Lincoln, but I've had more problems with them than I ever had at the bike shop. But you don't go to the Honda shop for Acura parts, or Toyota for Lexus parts, you know? |
Preybird1
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 02:29 am: |
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Nice i like that there might be hope at this local dealer, See i would not know this if you had not said anything. The parts guy was just not even remotely pleasant, I dont know if he was trying to get out of there closing or.... I did have an icon hooligan sport bike helmet and riding jacket on so i may have been discounted from the get go!! but this will defenatly get my interests up in talking to the dealer about this but i still felt like i was a hassle to the sales guy. |
Woodnbow
| | Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2008 - 09:19 pm: |
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" I dont know if he was trying to get out of there closing or..."
That might have been it Bird, I know my own stellar and gracious customer service skills degrade significantly the closer to five o'clock you walk in the door... :-) |
Preybird1
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 03:41 am: |
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Ha ha i work 11 hours a day and i feel you you on that!
I always say where were you when west jordan city woke up!
I think it is funny when they are in a rush! I almost want to say do you want fries with that!!
Its a hurry up and wait scenario! |
Jstfrfun
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 01:32 pm: |
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My point Court was, even after being told that (for example) belt tension or oil level was not accurate as our manual states, the tech and the service management insisted the setting MUST be adhered to regardless of hazard to the machine or it's rider. It's a liability thing,everybody is worried about being sued, but our safety and machine damage is not there problem if they go by the book. |
Djkaplan
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 01:49 pm: |
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Here's a good one that happened to me just this week. I only go the local Harley ( and ex-Buell) dealer for filters and Formula+. I've been using the long Dyna filter for 7 years on my M2, but when I asked for one at the counter, the guy stated flatly that it wasn't made for a Buell and it wouldn't fit... he brought me a short filter instead.
I thought I was going to have to drag him out to see the Dyna filter on my bike in the parking lot before he'd get one for me. He must have thought I had an XB or something... I don't think the guy had ever seen a tuber before. |
F_skinner
| | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2008 - 02:12 pm: |
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I want to caveat this by saying most dealerships have their strong and weak points. It is rare to find a dealer that excels at Service, Sales and Parts. They are usually ok or not ok at one or all of these. They are out there. I have an excellent dealer just 300 miles South of me.
I went to our local non-Buell HD dealer (used to be a Buell dealer) to check on a part I ordered on 28 Aug. All the other parts came in with the exception of the S2 timing cover. They said it was an obsolete item but they were able to find one at another dealership. They had forgot about it and apologized for forgetting about it. No big deal.
I saw a Uly on their web site and asked one of the sales guys about it and he found it in the back (not in the showroom) he said they had it for a while. It had been down on both sides but not hard. The bags were scratched up and it did not look like it was loved or even cleaned up ever in its life. They wanted 9K for it (2006 with 15K miles). I said I thought that was a little steep and they asked me what I would give for it and I said 7K, not really knowing a good price for it. If they call me I will tell them 5K and work up from there.
The fact that they had it for awhile (months) and never bothered to clean it up or show it tells me a lot about their devotion. Of course they ARE NOT a Buell Dealer but...... They had two 1125r's (2008) on a trailer as a combined package of 28K. Probably 32K out the door.... This, in my mind, cheapens the brand.
Never will I do business with them again. |
Naustin
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2008 - 06:51 pm: |
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Court Says: "Huge difference between complaining on the internet and doing something about a problem. I've always been kind of a do-er"
You know what i did?
I bought Honda... Problem solved. 
I should call those a-holes in N. Conway N.H. at Merideth HD/Buell and thank them for pushing me over the edge. |
Court
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2008 - 07:01 pm: |
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>>>I bought Honda...
You'll love it. Honda makes an excellent product.
I had two at one time and bought all the nephews little XR's last year . . . an absolute hoot. |
Jstfrfun
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2008 - 07:12 pm: |
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I've complained on the internet and I've called HD-Buell dealerships from california to Iowa for info, parts and refferalls,only to get what I call "shunned" by staff and management!
I've called Thunder Press to ask why Buell events were'nt advertized in it's pages, only to hear from THUNDER PRESS that "Buells are'nt really Harley Davidsons"!
That from the editor!
More needs to be done. |
Jramsey
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2008 - 07:38 pm: |
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Nick
I hope your enjoying the Honda one tenth as much as I'm enjoying "your" old S3T.
It just turned 21,000 so I've put 1,400+ miles on it in the two months I've owned it.
That doesn't sound like very many miles but I have nine tagged vehicles, five bikes three P/U trucks and a car.
One for each day of the week plus a spare not including dirt bikes and ATVs. |
Hauntedmyst
| | Posted on Friday, October 03, 2008 - 07:38 pm: |
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It seems like motorcycle dealers are their own worst enemy.
The motorcycle industry is a lot like the bicycle industry. Many, if not most dealers seem stuck in the old mentality of "we have what you need, we don't need to earn your business" Very few seem to understand its 2008 and their consumers are more savvy than they've ever been before and as a result expect more for their dollar. Harley at least gets the concept of branding and promotes the whole motorcycle experience. At least around here with the 4 stores I've visited, everything about their stores is supposed to feed into the Harley image and mindshare. It’s like Disney and Harley got together and executed a concept store. Unfortunately you just have to enjoy the "accountant on the weekdays, quasi bad ass outlaw dirt bag on the weekends" image to be Harley. From what I can tell, most Buellers aren't into that image. In the 4 Harley shops around here, Buells seem like the red head step child they wish they didn't have to deal with.
You walk into any other type of dealer and for the most part, they haven't a clue about branding or experience. Their shops look like shit and have the same paint that was on the walls that was there when they opened 25 years ago. Except now dirt outlines parts that hung on the wall too long. It’s like they have no clue their stores are a retail environment and should welcome customers instead of repelling them by feeling like a dirty warehouse for old parts.
Then you get to the staff and they haven't a clue about customer service or sales. You have one guy who actually knows what he is doing and the majority of the rest I can only guess are high school drop outs and work there for the discount so they can hop up their own bikes. You asking them to find a part for your bike is an interruption in their day of looking up mods for their own. There is almost never a sense of urgency or customer service mentality.
Then there are the hours. I called a place today. They close at 6. Friday night and they close at six. WTF is that? Other retail stores understand they need to be open in the evenings so their customers can actually shop there, why don't cycle shops get it? Even more so, a Motorcycle dealer has what, maybe 6 months for their best sales. Wouldn't you think these chuzzlewicks would figure out they need to be open to sell more stuff or that their customers may need something for their Saturday rides on Friday?
In an age of $4 a gallon you'd think motorcycle shops would be doing everything they can to drive business to their stores and keep it. But they aren’t. Like I said, I think they are their own worst enemy.
(Message edited by HauntedMyst on October 03, 2008)
(Message edited by HauntedMyst on October 03, 2008) |
Naustin
| | Posted on Saturday, October 04, 2008 - 04:38 pm: |
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Nick
I hope your enjoying the Honda one tenth as much as I'm enjoying "your" old S3T.
It just turned 21,000 so I've put 1,400+ miles on it in the two months I've owned it.
Hey man, I'm glad to hear it! I'm glad it went to a good home where it will be taken good care of and appreciated. I wish I could have kept it. 
I've got about 1,400 miles on the ST as well. |
Jake_blues
| | Posted on Sunday, October 05, 2008 - 08:31 pm: |
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Hahaha hauntedmyst, have you been going in the jackson, ms dealer by any chance? they basically tripled their shop a few years back and didnt even bother cleaning up all of the parts that have been there as long as i've been going in there, since age 9(20 now), ha they have a rack of kuryaken parts where all of the packages are brown from dust and you have to clean em to find out whats in em. ha and they have a pitiful wall of buell accesories, its probably about 3 feet long total...and the shirts are so old, i'm assuming they used to be white? now they're all just kinda moth eaten...i understand its just not a hot item in the area, but come on! mark some stuff down or sell it on ebay! |
Dreadnaught1
| | Posted on Sunday, October 05, 2008 - 11:15 pm: |
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I gotta say I was expecting the worst when I first when into my local Harley dealer for the first time in 2-08 looking for parts for my first Buell 2000 M2. The first 10 minutes they were put-offish until I just kept TELLING them what I wanted. I printed out pictures of bikes with things from BWB and BWB-KV. I brought them part numbers. After weekly visits for parts and knowing them, they are friendly and we joke about each others Harley vs Buell. (I usually pull them Trump of, "At least my bike does not look like the other million harleys" or when it comes to HP of any of thier other bikes the conversation trails off on their end." They have turned out to be a great help, Luckily for me. I had done my research on my bike and other HD models and would not back down on my needs. One Guy behind the counter, I forget his name is a Harley/Buell vault who knows what will fit and what does not and cross references in his head, and he loves Buells.
Did you know that you can do the XB rocker cover conversion from Harley for about $139.00 in parts. I did. Dyna filters no problem. In case you are in the area.
The dealer that has helped me is:
Montgomery County Harley Davidson/Buell
1217 S. Trooper Rd
Valley Forge, Pa. 19403
(Message edited by dreadnaught1 on October 06, 2008) |
Bluzm2
| | Posted on Monday, October 06, 2008 - 12:09 am: |
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First hand experience, Nick and Ann look GREAT on the new Honda!
I'll dig up the epicture and prove it!
Brad |
Bikertrash05
| | Posted on Monday, October 06, 2008 - 12:53 pm: |
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Hauntedmyst, if you are ever go to Milwaukee, head up and check out this "other dealership" who was denied the opportunity to sell Buells. VERY nice place, with friendly people.
http://www.corsesuperbikes.com/default.asp |
Hauntedmyst
| | Posted on Monday, October 06, 2008 - 03:21 pm: |
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Thanks BT, the inlaws are up there and I will check them out! |
Preybird1
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 07, 2008 - 02:25 am: |
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You know i find it very refreshing that all of these bikers sorry!!!! I mean buellers that we have got a better system than the dealers to figure out problems. AND GOD BLESS THOSE WHO WROTE THE ECM PROGRAM!!!
It was the correct and right thing to do.
Amen
sorry just messin! |
Fullauto
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 07, 2008 - 07:19 am: |
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True words nonetheless. This would be the best website of any kind I've ever been on. The people here are polite, knowledgeable and the knowledge base here is better than extensive. I live in a small place on the west coast of Australia with no other tubers for hundreds of miles. I have no problem delving into the depths of my X1 using this accumulated knowledge. I buy very little in Australia and I get great service from Al and other sponsors. More power to BadWeb. |
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