The Interesting World of Harley Davidson Culture

As my winter project has progressed, I find myself more frequently in HD dealerships ordering parts and browsing. I'm never sure what to think of these places. The people who staff them run the gamut from overbearing to apathetic. Really, I just need to sit down and figure this whole culture of Harley Davidson out.

When it came to the so-called "Harley Davidson Biker Culture" my father did not fit the mold. He didn't own any HD t-shirts, had no tattoos and was never obsessed with the newest or loudest bikes. He didn't ride around as an outlaw or a biker. Indeed, he did ride with people who would be considered "outlaws" or "bikers" but he hardly fit that mold. His wardrobe consisted of button down shirts and plain t-shirts. He was always well groomed and stayed away from drugs. Dad was interesting. He didn't buy into the culture he was supposed to, he simply enjoyed the mechanics of the bike. Tearing down, building, fixing, improving and helping others. It is a shame I will never know that side of him.

Dad could have it disassembled and reassembled before dinner. 

It is because of the way he acted and what he valued that I believe I do not buy into the culture either. One of the points of this project has been to discover what made the tinkering aspect so important. What made it take precedence over the wild outlaw parties and having fun? I think I'm beginning to understand but often it is a frustrating experience.

I realized that I didn't have a whole lot of respect for the typical Harley "biker" that I would see everywhere. My personal criteria for someone to be a real "biker" was set high. I suppose it was because I don't care for people who want to purchase in image. Just because you buy and wear all black leather covered in the HD logo doesn't mean you know how to change your own oil. If you were a biker, you had to be able to work on your own.

Sadly, I can see that many who own HD bikes are simply in it for the image. It seems that these people want to appear to have this "wild and crazy, outlaw lifestyle" while living in the suburbs. In my opinion, one should not be concerned with their image but rather what they enjoy. There is no need to buy into an image. If you enjoy the style of the bike and enjoy riding on the open road, that should be all the reason you need for a purchase.

I really don't want to be this guy. So generic he is a Google stock image. 

In a way my high standard hindered me from even considering purchasing a Harley. If I didn't know how to service my own bike, what kind of person would I be? In other words, I didn't want to buy a Harley for an image, I wanted to earn the right to own and work on it. That's what Dad would do. I've come to find out that the most hardcore group of Harley fans are the ones who own none of the merchandise.

I'm still trying to find where I fit in within the culture. Every time I work on the bike or make a change, my experience and confidence go up. Constantly being around other men who are experienced and have a passion for mechanical work is very inspirational. Perhaps one day I will be able to own my bike and live up to the standards I set for myself. At least that's the plan.

But enough about "biker" culture. I fully intended to use this post to complain about dealerships and that is what I will do, smooth transitions be damned.

I've been to HD dealerships more times in the past month than I had ever been in these 30 years of my existence. On two occasions Dad took me to an old shop he used to hang out at (I only recently discovered the owners were some of the most crooked people out there), but that was about it.

I suppose I had no reason to really. They are the most expensive bike out there and I didn't own one or have the means to purchase one.

I have no images for these locations so here is Wikipedia's generic image for a dealership. 

There are two dealerships that are within driving distance. I'll refer to them by location. The first is on the east side and the other on the west side. Both have similarities and some differences but are horrible in their own right.

The east side shop is an interesting experience for me. My Dad grew up with the owner's son and bought one of his bikes there in 1961. They were very good friends until they lost contact with each other. The dealership is still there but instead of catering to all years and models of Harley and the customers that have ensured it remained open all these years, they push the new stuff. It could be said they care more about selling t-shirts than helping their loyal customers.

This east side shop couldn't care less about anything older than the current model year. Their service department acts as though you're bothering them when looking something up. Even discussing what you want to do or asking questions is severely frowned upon. The clerks are dismissive and flat out rude.

I had to stop at the east side shop after work yesterday to purchase some lenses. I also decided to get a gasket for the timing cover as I may have to remove it. The clerk was bewildered when I said
"timing cover" and looked at me as though I was stupid. I'm not an expert but I know the right side of the crank case contains the cam shafts that dictate the engine timing. He informed me it's called a cam cover gasket since they don't put points in them anymore. "No shit" I informed him dismissively, "They haven't put points on a bike since 1965, but it's still the timing side", I hastily added. The worst aspect? The parts manual clearly states "timing cover gasket". Incredible. If there's one thing I enjoy it's being condescended in front of a crowded parts counter.

The only nice experience of going here is that I am never hounded by salespeople. I've only been there twice but have only ever been greeted by a lady at the entrance and not bombarded by hungry sales people.

The west side shop is a different type of horrible. During my first foray into this newly renovated dealership I was bombarded with sales people wanting to attend to my every need. Most of the sales staff laid off when I told them I was headed to parts but one insisted on following me trying to tell me his life story. Needless to say he made my first impression of the dealership a negative one.

Once I got to the parts counter I was greeted by a young neckbearded man who was oh so eager to sell me accessories. I was there to buy some but really didn't want him breathing down my neck. Since then, I've come to accept that this is simply how it works at a dealership. These guys are cutthroat and work on commission. During this time of season in this weather it's no surprise they won't leave a customer alone.

After grabbing a set of highway pegs, grips, shifter pegs and floorboard inserts, I went to the counter with my new dealership BFF to make my purchase and order a few things. At this point I still hadn't decided on a headlight, so when he asked if I was interested in LED lights (there was a sale) I said I was leaning towards Kuryakyn. That was a mistake. I was then treated to a condescending soliloquy on the virtues and benefits of offcial HD lighting options. I was then told how every purchase I made that was not official HD would be regrettable and a mistake. Awesome. I now realize to work at a dealership you must know two things. One, the customer is always wrong and two, make the customer feel as stupid as possible. What a fun time!

I needed a few cosmetic pieces and two clips which would hold the rear fender bracket in place. My new bestie said that those were already on order and would not need to be ordered as the store was receiving a bunch to replenish their stock. I agreed and then parted with a large sum of money.

Later in the week I returned to pick up my order. When I asked about the clips I was told they were never ordered and that ordering them would take another week. I almost flipped out on this poor guy who was genuinely helpful. He apologized and ordered them for me but I was still perturbed.

Dealerships are a weird place. You will be bombarded with salespeople as soon as you walk in. Harley is notorious for offering everyone financing no matter what the credit history of the buyer is, so the sales floor is hungry. The addition of working on commission ensures that you will not go more than 45 seconds in between people asking if you need help. The parts departments seem to be run by some of the rudest and most condescending people I have ever been exposed to in customer service. Once in awhile you will find someone who is genuinely helpful but for the most part expect to be disappointed and annoyed.