aaugh elitest !@#$%

so i went into a general parts shop downtown today to see if they had some parts that i wanted to get for my bike since i wanted them now and waiting on orders from the net would mean a few days LMAO.
after wandering around for a little while and seeing a couple of items i wanted i went to the front counter to get some help. i saw the grips i wanted by the counter so i asked if they had them in my size. long and short of it they asked what i was riding and then when i told them they pretty much blew me off to talk to a harley rider that had just came in.
i'm still steamed about this but i guesse it was better for them since he bought a tool pouch $65, and i was only looking at a new helmet, highway pegs and bracket, grips and sissy bar yup worked out on the positive end for them lol.
just needed to rant i love riding my 650 but i hate elitist morons.

 

It just goes to show, the toes you step on today could be connected to the butt you have to kiss tomorrow!

 

Hey it happens amongst Yamaha riders too I found out.

Last weekend was looking at a Yamaha shop in Portland, hoping they MAY have a part I need (which I have since found Chacal has.... ).

When they found out that I was looking for parts for an '80 XJ650, they immediately cooled down and started talking amongst themselves. Didnt mind the rebuke.....but when at a 1/2 hour before closing all the lights went out I kind of got the idea.

Didnt want to spend $400 on the jacket I was looking at anyway, better spent on the bike.

 

I guess I got lucky. I took my bike to the local Yamaha dealer yesterday. It's a little shop run by an older couple. He admired the bike and had no problem taking it in to go over it for me. I figured since it's new to me, and I know nothing about working on bikes, I wanted a pro to go over it even though I couldn't find anything wrong with it.

So there are folks out there who appreciate these old machines.

mikeg

 

This may be a little off subject, but a couple of years ago I took a wheel and loose tire in to my local Yamaha dealer to have it mounted and balanced. I stood around for about twenty minutes and couldn't raise anyone from the service department. I had them paged but no one showed, so I left in a sour mood.

The next day I was busy with work so my wife took the tire and wheel back in for me. She said when they saw her get out of the car with the wheel, it looked like the Three Stooges trying to get through the door all at the same time to come out and help her (she's a tall thin blonde).

After that, I bought a manual tire changer off eBay and learned to balance cycle tires myself. It's paid for itself several times over and I rarely have to visit my local dealer. Now I'm much happier with the service and the quality of work.

 

I was fortunate when I went to the local Honda dealer to have the front wheel balanced, the Service manager came over and shaking his head and said that front wheel is off of a 1980 XJ650 isn't it? I said yes it is, He said bring it back we'll do it right now, I used to be the service manager for the local Yamaha dealer for 15 years. These things bring back memories.

 

Yeah, I usually get blown off at the dealer too. The combination of a 25 year old bike and a 25 year old me, they don't think its worth it. They need to learn what car dealers have learned. Give me good service with my old bike, I will come to you if I am ever crazy enough to buy a brand new one.

Their loss. I buy all my parts online now and mount and balance my own tires. I would really rather pay some for the tires as I hate doing it, but **** them.

Stephen.

Edit: A good thing to remember is that if you need a part quickly, Advance Auto Parts carries some basic stuff in stock. I buy my oil filters, sparks, and bulbs there. I don't know how much they sell, but I always depend on them in a pinch. Oh, and they are almost always helpful.

 

man you guys live in some s****y places

'round these parts, bikes are bikes, and the only elitest aholes are the rich snobs who buy a 40k harley to take out on the weekend. but they are still nice.


I got into our harley shop all the time, people love seeing my turbo bike.. and every harley guy i pass waves.. it's some of the punk kids on sports bikes that don't wave. I just figure they are jealous of my turbo.

***Edited by Robert, mind the language please!***

 

I've owned other makes and models and had the same problem... I don't think it's the bik model as much as it is the people that work at the service counters... If it's the shop owner then there may be a problem as he is blowing off his income... but it's usually someone paid an hourly wage that would rather be at home playing GTA4 on his xbox... or it's like my local NAPA shop where the place is riddled with grumpy old guys that don't want to get off the damn stool and actually help someone..

 

most of the guys i know around here that ride harleys or anything else newer and bigger are all of the same mentality, "it does not matter what you ride just that you ride". but then you get the occasional @#$% that decides that an 82 yamaha is not a real bike because it is not new oh well. at least i know my bike will keep running long after theirs have given up the ghost haha.

thanks for all the input i'm glad to know that i am not the only one who gets this i went into a general bike shop because i thought i would not get that kind of treatment but oh well i like doing buisness via the internet anyway and the mechanic who looks at my bike (for the more difficult stuff) loves the older models so it all works out

 

Alot of good posts on this one. I agree that IT IS the biker not the bike.

I ran out of gas a couple weeks ago and had a old guy on his wifes really sweet Honda Shadow stop and ask if I needed any help. Told him my father in law was on his was with gas and would be only five minutes. After 10 min. my father in law showed up and he needed to get something else to get me going from my house. He left to get it. Not the other biker, his name is Mike. Mike stayed for a total of 45 min. with me just talking about stuff, bikes mostly and invited me on a ride. I told him I was intimidated by " the big, nice, new bikes", its kinda like saying " gee, i only have an '81 xj650. " This dude, Mike went on to tell me that find him at the ride and he got my back. If any of then give you ( me ) any sh*t, let me know. Most of them can only drive a bike and put gas in it. He went on to talk about the XS's and XJ's. Found out he has owned a couple of each. To him they were THE bike of their day. And about owning an older bike, you got to know something mechanical, want to ride a bike with sweat equity, not just buy the extended warrenty from your HD dealership. Or call AAA.

I have become very confident after talking to Mr. Mike. Found out he lives about a mile and a half away from me. I have rode with him when I see him in town and get a large cigarette-filled-no-teeth-old-man grin when we pass eachother.

Now, when I see other bikes I take the same attitude. You're a biker, you ride cause you love it or you are just wanting to look cool because in reality you are not cool. Either way you are ok by me if you don't give me any sh*t cause what goes around comes around.

Hey, I am a 35yr. old computer geek. I have a backpack, rainbow bungie cords on my back of my seat, and getting a trunk to hold computer crap in. I repair computers and networks for a school district all day.
But I ride, 50mi to the gallon and lovin' it. And I and I alone will fix any problem I have with MY bike, because when I bought it I knew I had no warranty. Growing up these were the bikes everyone wanted, and now I have one!!!

Screw the posers and the service people who know less than you do.
***** IMHO *****

 

Yep!

The Japanese dealers and "parts boys" within have all been jerks since day one.

There is no appreciation of anything "old" or well cared for!

I have had the comments of: "Boy that's an old bike".

Well excuse me! "Parts Boy" if I was not buying parts for this OLD Bike you may not have job would you! :twisted:

The one good thing about the "Harley Guys" is they do appreciate the older machines! And, you can get parts for them!
I even had a lot of "good" comments from their shops in the past on my old 1954 T-110 Triumph.

If I ever do by another "New" Machine it will-not be "Made in Japan"!
They don't even appreciate anything they sell or have sold.

Am I ranting? :wink:

P.S. I just saw the NEW 2008 Triumph "America" Twin 865cc and spoke to the dealer about my old T-110 and the XJ. No attitude just appreciation for riding!

 

Good for you!

I'd say "that's the only message that they understand" but honesty, I don't think they even understand that, either.

How to go out of business without really trying.

And I seem to notice that the places that act as you describe seem to whine and bitch the loudest about how "the economy is bad", etc.

I think they should all go live in cardboard boxes under a freeway overpass for a while, and then see if they can learn to "appreciate" other human beings ("customers"), willing to spend money with them to pay THEIR bills, and buy THEIR food, and pay for THEIR homes, etc.----just a wee bit more.

The example where they would help twerth's wife, but not him----wow, I hope your wife realizes that they weren't "a great bunch of people" but rather the worst kinda of low-life pandering scum-buckets around.

 

I've run into a little of this with my old bikes, but only at the mega dealerships.

The Harley place was actually pretty good, though they didn't have any tires that would fit the bike, they tried to direct me to all the other local places that I might have luck.

The independent Kawasaki dealer (Kelly's Kawasaki) was great, they like those old bikes. In fact, they have a couple of old Kawi triples sitting in the showroom on display. It was pretty funny, the parts guys started trying to guess what the bike was by looking at the wheel. They got Yamaha, but not the model.

 

A few arrogant Yuppies notwithstanding, there's still a good spirit among motorcycle riders. Maybe a common bond from eating flying bugs?

 

If you're ever in Columbia, MO, visit Columbia Power Sports. They'll treat you right at the parts counter and don't care much what you ride. You may not get it done quickly, but it's only because they are *actually* busy, not just pretending to be. I have had several things done to my Honda and my XJ650 there, and that's where I *bought* the 750, even though there is an authorized Honda and Yamaha place right up the street. (No one ever went to THAT place because they were crooks, and now they're out of business.)

That said, if you're in Columbia, watch your six! And nine! And three! This is a college town and full of idjits. The two-lane blacktop in the surrounding counties is fun. Riding in town is a dangerous proposition.

 

college town. haha i know that feeling. i almost got ran over twice the other day. sorostitute on her cell phone and a guy driving a lexus i'd bet his dad bought him

 

12 or 13 years ago my wife and I were driving along the Indian Rocks to St Petersburg road in Florida, saw a Harley dealers and pulled in to have a look at the bikes.

I got talking to a bloke there salesman I presumed , no spring chicken long blonde hair and at 5'8" I was staring into his armpits. Soon as I said I rode a Yamaha back in England he just turned his back and started talking to one of the other blokes.

Very rude, and I was talking slowly and in my best English so he could understand me.

Any one know a bloke called Todorsky lives in Jacksonville Fl, lost touch when we moved to Spain.

Faighaigh.

 

I haven't been on the road here in Australia for a while, but I'm rebuilding my XJ900 and getting there. I thought I'd get a little help and dropped the crank case in to be split as I couldn't get the tools I needed.

The owner of the store is one of those guys that just loves his job. The only adjective he knows is four letters and starts with F, but he's friendly, attentive and appreciates every bike that comes into his store.

There out there, they're just getting harder to find!

oby

 

Well our local dealer simply turns up there noses when i'm in looking for parts for my XJ. Holymoly don't even get them started on the service side with it they claim that they will not work on bikes that old but i looked around the corner and saw a 79 CB750 and an old ass CT70. Next new Yam/Hon/Kaw/Suz bike i get will have to be at the dealer north of me 50miles

Thank the gods for Chacal other wise i would have been SOL on most of the parts for my XJ. On the positive side my XJ is happy and healthy took her on a 200Mile trip today and did not miss a beat!