Riders Edge riding school

[CMIKE]

The local Harley dealer puts on rider schools once a month. They call it the Riders Edge. The use the MSF books so it can't be half bad.

Since my kid (17) is working on trying to get his motorcycle endorsement, we thought it would be a good idea for him to get some training to help make him a safer rider. I figure it could not hurt me so I signed up to go with him.

Yesterday was the first class. Thrusday and Friday 5 PM to 8:30...Saturday 8 AM to 6:30 Sunday 8AM till 4 PM. Maximim 6 to a class. We have 3 ladies and 3 guys including my son and me. The Ladies - 2 has never sat on a bike. One has a bike but does not know how to ride it yet. The other guy is military and required to take this course to ride on base.

They told us Harley will pay us $50 to go to the class..."Any of you own a Harley?"..none of us had a Harley..."oh thats too bad" they said with enfaces.

First class. (my impression) Sales pitch. We get there at 5 PM...have introductions and then a dealership tour. They show us the Motor Clothes each line of everthing they have. Boots, helmet, t shirts, jackets pants, rain gear huggies, Coffee cups and ceiling fans. We have to look at 10 different jackets pointing out the features of each. Pading here, zippers here, this type of collar and this type of collar. You get the idea. Then we move to parts...they show us all the different chrome they have and the lines of chrome you can use, performance parts and OE parts. Sales...show us all the families and models of the bikes Harley offers if they did not have them all the showed us pictures of them...talk about financing, warranties, and adding accessories during the sale and financing it all. Went around to the Service department. Talked about scheduling appointments and how long it takes to get your bike serviced...that all they do...how they handle warranty work. "Normal guy cannot do the maintenace on these bikes" All the time the prices was over the guys head what it cost to do 1000 and 5000 mile service...400 and how much? (My God ) with small print...oil and supplies extra.

 

Then we got into the class...the real reason we were there. It went pretty good...we covered some good stuff.

 

2nd night tonight and they told us we were gonna get to try on all the motor clothes tonight.

I just hope I can keep my composure...I do not want any of that stuff with HD on it that cost $100 more just because it has HD on it. Some of that stuff...I would not wear to a halloween party...even if it has skulls on it.

Come on...we are paying $300 a head for this school...they do provide the bikes for training (buel) All for them to try to get a sale out of the deal and working very hard I might add.

It is not like I hate Harleys or nothing...just do not see paying more money for a name on an item... Most of that same stuff is at the Yamaha dealer $100 less without the HD on it. Harley is a good bike as far as I know. They have some beautiful bikes but I learned the you are not finished paying for it when you purchase it. Maintenace seems very costly after taking that tour.

To me you look kind funny riding a RSV with a jacket on that has Harley across the back and front in 4 inch letters.

It is just me or WHAT?

[Scooter Bob]

HD stands for "hundred dollars" don't you know.

 

Seriously, hope you get to learn something useful from the class. I'd like to know how well the actual training part works out.

 

Thanks, Scooter Bob

[ediddy]

You would be surprised at the harley riders that feel the way you do. I go on a harley web site twice a week to see what is going on. I signed up for the harley site because I was thinking about getting an ultra classic. The guys on this site are tough on harley. Someone brought up the discussion that he felt like he was going to a botique instead of a motorcycle dealer and wow, there were some tough replies agreeing with the guy. A guy that is a regular poster on the site said that was why he wore plain t shirts. He said anyone that would pay $30.00 for a $10.00 t shirt because it had harley on it was a fool. One guy complained that he went in to get a part for his bike and the dealer didn't have it in stock but they had a dog collar with harley on it. My repect for some of the harley riders went up after reading that post. The moco, this is what harley people call the harley davidson company, must laugh all the way to the bank and think what a bunch of suckers everytime someone buys an item with harley on it. I bought a pair of gloves at the local honda dealer for $29.95. I was at a harley dealer and the same gloves were $59.95 because they had a small harely ensignia on them. I don't understand it. Most of the people that even have harley on their underwear are people that have never ridden a motorcycle in their life and now are in their 50's and think they are being bad. I had a guy in my office last year that had just purchased an 08 screamin eagle ultra classic. A $35,000 bike. He complimented me on my yamaha. He, like me, started riding when he was 15. He said he owned many yamahas when he was younger and they always were reliable bikes. He also said you don't ride a harley because they are comfortable or reliable, you ride a harley because you just want to have a harley and you like their sound. He even invited me to go on a ride with his harley group. Oh, by the way, he got rid of the screamin eagle ultra classic. I asked him why, and he said it stayed in the shop more that he rode it.

[Guest seuadr]

. He also said you don't ride a harley because they are comfortable or reliable, you ride a harley because you just want to have a harley and you like their sound.

 

this is the problem, it's no longer a band of bikes, they have sold it as a brand of american. People have been brainwashed into believing they aren't american if they don't own a hog.

 

i got my bike as a wrkeced, dusty carcas and brought it back to life with my own sweat equity. Imho, it doesn't get more american than that.

 

I don't see what paying tripple digits for a bike that cost probably more than your car makes you a better american than i.

 

i know not all hd owners are like that, infact, some of my friends ride hogs and are some of the nicest people you could ever meet.

 

there are, unfortunatly, quite a few that think that simply slapping an overpriced namebrand on your ass makes you patraotic, though.

 

i have to admit, thought, it's genius on hd's part!

[Dave77459]

I took the Rider's Edge class from a Harley dealership. Outside work was awesome. Inside could have been done in a night, but stretched out for the sales pitches.

 

However, I did find the "trying on the motor clothes" part useful. It guided me into thinking about features of the clothing. Did I want fingered gloves or fingerless? Why? What features of boots did I like, and why? Since then, I've gone on and bought those features elsewhere. But the salespeople were very good at showing what functions were embedded in the clothing.

 

So, keep an open mind, and act like you are casing the joint.

 

Oh, I forgot the other reason the in-store session was good: the sales staff was extremely easy on the eyes. 'Nuf said?

[merrride]

My husband suggested that I reply to your post as I just took a riding class this past weekend at the local dealership that sells every brand of bike except Harley (Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki). I just got myself a bike ('99 V-Star 650 Classic-hunter green and cream-I'm so proud!)

Anyway, the class I took was an MFS course costing $75 for 15 hours of classroom and range riding. The bikes (250's) were supplied. Upon successful completion, you "graduate" and you are not required to take the tests for your motocrycle endorsement on your driver's license. We had a 5 minute tour of the showroom and introduction by a sales rep. and that was it! We were told the same course put on at the Harley Shop 2 blocks away was $212!!

I'm glad I took the course. I learned a lot. I graduated and...I can even talk "biker talk" with the guys!

Good luck and I hope your son gets as much out of the class as I did.

[CMIKE]

Ok...just completed the 2nd night of the class...I went along as well as I could trying on the motor clothes.

News flash I wear a XXL helmet???? What? I have 4 helments and they are all MED. :think:This is what the expert staff tells me is my helment size. I also wear a medium riding jacket...I could not breath but that is what they say I wear. Never mind that the riding jackets I own are larges.

Also I learned that the stuff in the Harley dealership is a better quality that you can buy any where else ( internet or other brand dealerships included) thus it cost more. Do they really think we are that stupid? Oh yeah...Feild Sheer makes that rain suit they were so up on selling the whole group. Also those boots are made in China.

I really hope the range tommorrow is worth at least a little of my time.

So far totally discusted. I just hope my boy gets something out of this training and it makes him a safe street rider. I have kept my mouth shut in front of him about the agrevation.

I got to lay down...I got a head ache for sure.