Customer bike, "American cruiser"

Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
3,357
Age
52
Location
Rindge, NH
Bike
2006 ST1300
I got my first Harley Davidson into the shop for a service. Just the basics- engine & trans fluid changed, and clean the K&N air filter. No problem. He requested synthetic fluid, and chrome oil filter (?) I had to remind myself this wasn't an ST...LOL. No problem. I fired it up and took it for a spin to warm up the fluids and quickly found there was a problem- a severe clunk from the front over every bump. I knew it right away...steering head bearings. Got back to the shop and drained the motor oil & trans fluid. While in the neighborhood I checked the primary fluid...BLACK. A quick search of the Interweb told me what was required, and I changed that as well. I pulled the air filter and found a mouse had hung out for a while, leaving behind his leftover lunch and bodily fluids. Easy enough to clean up.

I got everything back together and jacked up the bike, and sure enough the steering stem bearings were loose. A quick adjustment and they felt like new. The bike isn't old and doesn't have many miles, so replacement or regreasing shouldn't be needed yet (owner's manual verified it was early for steering bearing service). Another web search confirmed that this adjustment is needed frequently on those machines.

I added up the parts/fluids and my time and kind of felt bad for the size of the bill, for a fairly simple service. I grabbed my cell phone and called the nearest Harley dealer with a service dept and playing dumb asked how much a service would be for my '06 Heritage Softail. I about fell over when I was quoted $360 to replace those 3 fluids and clean a K&N! And that wasn't using synthetic fluids! I no longer felt bad charging him $199 for the whole job including the steering adjustment and new O-rings on the drain plugs (previous mechanic used thread sealer because the O-rings were in bad shape).

I learned two things- 1. I appreciate my ST more after test riding that bike; and 2. I'll never have work done at a Harley dealer unless I just won the lottery!
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
53
Age
36
Location
Mass
Bike
ST1300
That's to funny.
Where in NH is your shop? I may need some things done at one point I have no time for or not comfortable doing.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
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nhdiesel
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
3,357
Age
52
Location
Rindge, NH
Bike
2006 ST1300
My shop is in Berlin...WAY up unless you are headed to Mt. Washington or looking for some nice rural roads to play on.
 
Joined
Jan 8, 2011
Messages
7,062
Location
Arizona
Bike
2007 Honda ST1300A
The owner didn't use the white tape on the threads, the motor company did! The castings are so rough that they use both o-ring and tape. All the new Harley's have tape on them from the get go. So did the huge CLUNK scare ya when you hit the starter button? I'm going through the 07 heritage I just picked up, and its got less than 500 miles on it, but has been sitting since 07. Lots of minor surface rust, and the oil was as black as a coal miners :butt1:
I'll be putting my normal HDEO or Diesel oil in it to clean things up, and your right, it does make you appreciate the ST more huh?
their are all good though.
Glad your enjoying your new shop, wish I could pay you a visit...
Larry
 
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nhdiesel
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
3,357
Age
52
Location
Rindge, NH
Bike
2006 ST1300
Yup. I had fun riding my Intruder. Not what I'd take cross country, but it was fun around here. Heck, I even had fun test-riding the 49cc scooter I worked on last week!
 

Tmac79

Tim
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
154
Location
ST Louis, Missouri
Bike
06 ST1300
Maybe next Harley service charge $260-$300...prices should be based on market... And it sounds like you're too low.
 

Bones

Your Humble Scribe
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
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4,907
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60
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western Mass
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2014 BMW R1200RT
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5575
Maybe next Harley service charge $260-$300...prices should be based on market... And it sounds like you're too low.
Charge a fair price and you'll build a loyal customer base and gain referrals.
 

Tmac79

Tim
Joined
Mar 25, 2013
Messages
154
Location
ST Louis, Missouri
Bike
06 ST1300
Fair is what the market will support and is acceptable by both buyer and seller. Premium and reliable service builds more long term customers than cheap price. Think Apple. :)

Under-pricing is a lose/lose situation.


Based on what I've heard from NH if he charged the same price as his competitors, he'd still be adding way more value.
 
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
4,954
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62
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New Jersey
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st1300 '04
STOC #
7163
Charge a fair price and you'll build a loyal customer base and gain referrals.
+1
Exceed expectation and you have a repeat customer that spreads the word.
Meet expectation customers have no reason not to shop around.
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
53
Age
36
Location
Mass
Bike
ST1300
My shop is in Berlin...WAY up unless you are headed to Mt. Washington or looking for some nice rural roads to play on.
Its only 5 hrs.

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 4 Beta
 
Joined
Jan 13, 2005
Messages
2,564
Location
Muskoka, Canada
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FJR & Super Tenere
STOC #
4759
Fair is what the market will support and is acceptable by both buyer and seller. Premium and reliable service builds more long term customers than cheap price. Think Apple. :)

Under-pricing is a lose/lose situation.


Based on what I've heard from NH if he charged the same price as his competitors, he'd still be adding way more value.
Well said ...

Low prices that don't include all costs including a contribution for overhead & capital costs won't be around long enough for customers to become loyal.

69.3% of businesses that go bankrupt, or some number like that ;-), do so when they're very busy because they're selling their product &/or service below true cost ... usually unaware that's what they're doing.
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2012
Messages
548
Location
Washington
Bike
2005 ST1300
Keeping the overhead lower than your competitors will allow you to be have lower than market pricing while enjoying higher profit margins as long as you don't pass through all the overhead savings to the customer. Pass through some and keep some, a win/win for both you and your customer.

Keep in mind your competition probably has more to offer. Maybe a showroom to visit, more parts inventory, factory authorized, towing service, a long and known history and bigger physical presence, etc. Many consumers find comfort or a sense of security in these things as well as a loyalty to support these things. So pricing lower than them is not necessarily below market as they can offer more "hidden/intangible" services.

It is kind of odd, I like having a local dealer to swing by to look at bikes and accessories so I try to support them by buying all my helmets, clothing, tires, etc. As long as I can get them within 10-15% of online competitors on most purchases I will buy local.

The one exception is the dealers service department. They have poorly trained and inexperienced kids do most things (tire and oil changes come to mind) and the kids don't look/find things like you mentioned. The kids probably don't know what they are looking for and wouldn't know what to do if they found it. So I have no qualms about going to an experienced mechanic like yourself, which is exactly what I do here.

Good luck in your new business.
 
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nhdiesel
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
3,357
Age
52
Location
Rindge, NH
Bike
2006 ST1300
Keep in mind our market up here is kind of unique. Its a severely depressed area, and people are extremely cheap. Most shop by price alone, with very few calculating quality of service. Add in the extremely high overhead of one of the highest electric rates in the country combined with extremely high heating costs (aprox. $100/day in the winter for heat alone). My overhead has been kept to the absolute minimum- only those things that are required for the basic business (utilities) and my monthly Mitchell bill (auto repair software, pretty much required for working on modern vehicles).

I couldn't do a realistic price comparison because the closest Harley dealer who does service was nearly 2 hours south of me, in a much higher class area. I only used them to get a ballpark idea of what a dealer would charge for the same work.
 

Jammaman

R.I.P. - 2022/02/02
Rest In Peace
Joined
Apr 10, 2011
Messages
338
Location
Flintstone GA
I may be able to ride to your location, obtain service, ride back home and still come out ahead, plus I'D know the work would be done properly...I'D love to have someone like yourself in my area to count on...Keep up the fine work and mak sure your adressing all your cost and desired profits and charge accordingly. No sense going broke keeping busy.

Doug
 
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
53
Age
36
Location
Mass
Bike
ST1300
I would make a weekend of it there is such nice riding up there.
Do you have a loaner bike? lol Scooter perhaps hahaha
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2012
Messages
787
Location
Lexington, KY
Bike
1998 ST1100
STOC #
8643
I truly believe the term "stealer" was coined at a Harley shop. I have a Springer Softail which requires the front end to be disassembled and gone through every 10,000 miles. Not wanting to get into it at the time, I brought it to my local dealer. I wanted a 10k service, new tires, and rear brakes. They quoted me over $900 and when I went to pick it up it ended up costing me over $1100! Never again! They didn't even replace the gaskets or torque them right resulting in an oil leak from the drain plug. As shocking as some may believe... Harley's aren't supposed to leak! Short story long, you don't have to worry about charging too much with a Harley. When I service it myself with all new gaskets, o-rings, chrome filter (looks bad with a black filter sticking out of a chrome engine) and three types of Amsoil, I'm at about $100. I'd say your prices are great!
 
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nhdiesel
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
Messages
3,357
Age
52
Location
Rindge, NH
Bike
2006 ST1300
I would make a weekend of it there is such nice riding up there.
Do you have a loaner bike? lol Scooter perhaps hahaha
My ST is always here, I'll even throw in a fire extinguisher... :ds1: LOL
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2012
Messages
109
Location
Sonoma County Cal
Bike
2003 GL1800A
Hello nhdiesel,
What great problems to have !! .. Coming up with a price for a job well done.
I hope you don't loose sight of the fact that you are .. in business .. a business that you love .. working on behalf of those who share your love for motorcycles.
I am confident that the care you take in your work will translate through to your customers while dealing with them in person. This will build that customer base you seek.
Throughout this thread there are nuggets of business advice gold .. offered by those who are sincere in wanting to help.
I am happy for you and wish you well.
My best,
Randy

ps. now get on it !!
 
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