Vickie's New Harley

July 1, 2008
Fort Collins, CO

Colorado Springs, Colorado, Pikes Peak Harley Davidson --

Thunder Mountain HD did well selling Tim a new Harley straight off the showroom floor and we still say it was an awesome experience for him. He loves his Heritage. However, they didn't do so well trying to locate the elusive 883 Low in Vivid Black which is the motorcyle I wanted. I was specific about that from the get-go. They didn't look very hard for it and could not score a trade for it even though I know it was out there. Worse, I found out they likely knew it was out there, couldn't seal the deal for it and didn't bother telling me it was out there. I'm all for competition among dealers but there is Customer Satisfaction to consider as well.

It took Dad and a salesman, Jim at Red River Harley Davidson in Wichita Falls, Texas (some 750 miles away) to get me going in the right direction. Actually, RRHD had the bike in a crate Saturday morning and it sold just a matter of minutes before I laid a claim to it. This bike also proved elusive at several dealerships in Colorado. Finally, after a tip from Jim at RRHD, I called Pikes Peak Harley Davidson in Colorado Springs. They did not have the 883 Low but they did have an 883 XL (standard) sitting on the show room floor.

I told my salesman, Mark to consider it SOLD and Now, what do we have to do to lower it? Dad had already covered those bases with RRHD so I knew basically what I'd need to have done. We talked about it, I put a deposit down on the bike and told them we'd see them in the morning.

That was all yesterday...

It was a beautiful morning. Bright and clear. You could still see snow glistening on Pike's Peak. We arrived at PPHD just as they were opening the doors. My salesman, Mark knew me on sight (I guess I was the only squatty body in the place at the time - ha!). He introduced himself and we got busy. First, he showed me the motorcycle while Finance got busy with the documents. I sat on the bike, and, as we suspected, it was not low enough. So, I sat on a lowered 1200 Sportster which was still a little tall. We determined the best way to figure out the height issue was for me to put on a pair of motorcycle boots and see if that helped. It did. Just barely.

Next, I got to pick out my accessories. Lacie, was the young lady's name who helped with that. In addition to the lowering kit for the shocks, I ordered a small luggage rack and a windshield.

While, we were waiting on Nick in Finance to get the documents in order, I decided to buy the boots I had tried on. Then I tried out the helmets. I found a nice HD helmet but it was a little pricey so I decided to wait on that.

Once the Financing was complete, I got to ring the bell to signify the purchase of a motorcycle. Nick took our picture. As I was ringing the bell, this thought came into my head: Every time a bell rings, a rider gets a Harley.

Mark knew I wanted pictures to show Mom and Dad so he was kind enough to wheel the bike outside. He took a picture of me and Tim, then Tim took a few pics and I took a few. Mark gave me a general overview of the bike and instructed me on the starting procedure. Finally, he said, "Let's start her up!" I did. I can't tell you what a thrill that was for me but I think the grin I have on my face at the end of the slide show pretty much says it all.

In case it's escaped your attention -- The crew at Pike's Peak Harley Davidson are a class act.

Here are a few pics...

As soon as we got to the car, I called Mom and Dad and told them all about it. The only thing that could have made the day better is if they were here to share it with me. It was about 11:30 am. Tim and I had skipped breakfast and were famished. Colorado Springs has every kind of restaurant you could think of, but we decided on an old favorite... The Mason Jar near Old Colorado City. The chicken fried steak is as good as it ever was.

After a great lunch, we made the trip back to Fort Collins as storms began to build over the mountains.

I uploaded the pictures to a slide show immediately and shared them via email with the folks. Both Dad and Mom love my bike. But, Dad pointed out a couple of issues. First, when I told him about the lowering kit, he said the front forks needed to be lowered as well so the bike would be level. None of us thought of that. Next, he pointed out that my arms were over-extended just to reach the ends of the handlebars... which will make steering properly a problem. I'll be calling the dealership in the morning to cover those issues.

Footnote: July 2, 2008 - I ordered the extra parts for my motorcycle (the lowering kit for the front forks and a new handlebar). The handlebars are just like the ones on the low 1200 Sportster I sat on yesterday when we were trying to determine my seat height. I commented at that time that they had the right feel... They are not chrome. They are polished aluminum but that really doesn't make much of a difference to me. The bike has minimal chrome and I like it that way.

Mark, the salesman said it was a good thing I had someone like Dad looking after me because he and Tim missed it (or dismissed it) when I said the handlebars were still a reach for me. I told him, That's my Dad...and I know I'm lucky in that department.

Stay tuned... Delivery will be next week sometime. I can hardly wait!

Did I say... WOO-HOOOOOOOOOOO!