Just a little rant and some observations. I have been riding motorcycles since I was a teen in 1982. My first motorized bike was a Moto Guzzi moped that my father bought for me from his cousin. I LOVED that Guzzi and boy, it treated me well. The only thing breaking on it was a speedometer cable in the 3 years I owned it. Yes, it was a pain mixing the gas and oil in a jug, but it never stranded me. Next was a Honda highway legal scooter I bought from a well known bike shop on the west side of Manhattan. I paid FULL asking price and couldn't get a helmet thrown in (or discounted) on the deal when I went to pick it up and ride back to the Bronx. I was so angry when the salesman told me I needed to wear a helmet with this scooter and he wouldn't throw in the helmet that I just rode off. I almost made it into the Bronx when I was stopped by two cops who saw I was riding without a helmet. At first they thought I was a thief or something and checked all my paperwork top to bottom. When they asked about the helmet and I told them my story, they actually felt bad for me and let me go. Of course it took forever to get home because I took all side streets to avoid the highways. I have always tried to support my local dealers even way back then. I bought that so much needed helmet from a bike shop on Blondell Avenue in the Bronx the next day for a lot less money than in Manhattan. Fast forward over thirty years later. I was emailing with a Guzzi "guru" today who got angry with me when I asked him why I would need to leave my Cali Touring for a day or more for a job that should take no more than an hour or so, to have some fairly easy farkles installed? He actually told me I should do the job myself if its only going to take an hour to do! I'm supposed to ride to him almost two hours, drop my bike off, find my way to the railroad station, travel back to my home state OVER two hours (pay a ton of money) then wait for a call a day or two later. Travel back to his shop over two hours, find my way back to said shop to be charged who knows what, to pick up my bike with the $130 item installed! That's right, everyone who owns a Guzzi, or a BMW or BOTH (like me) is a rich old dude. Well news flash, I'm not rich. I work hard for my toys and I shop very carefully. I own my own house, have a kid heading to college in a few months and in negotiations to buy my retirement home in NC. I have no problem paying for things, do I like a deal? Sure who doesn't? Would I ever ask a dealer to give me something for free? That depends. Did I ask Mr Guru to do this job for free? Absolutely not! I just want to be treated fairly with dignity and RESPECT. Mr. Guru worked at another dealer that went out of business a few years ago, you would think he would want his business to succeed no? Go ahead, keep trying to bleed customers, let's see how long you stay in business. Because of Gurus like this, I have learned to do the light stuff, oil changes, brake pads, fluid changes, even tire changes in my friends house because Guru's aren't happy with being fair, they want to over charge for everything. Thanks Mr. Guru, you lost a potential customer because you were looking to bleed me dry. I hope you stay in business a long time, I'm sure the REAL rich Guzzi guys will keep you in caviar and bon bons.
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