Proud of My Dealership
by Dana Fish
8.14.06

I visit a Ladies Harley forum from time to time.  The ladies are quite often bashing their local dealerships. I was always puzzled because I have been thrilled with the service staff at D&S.

As it happened a while back I was driving through Medford and saw a beautiful black and white Softail Deluxe loaded down with travel gear.  When I looked closer I recognized the personalized license plate as being one of my chat buddies.  She was traveling by herself and was here from the east coast. (What are the odds of us running into each other???)

She was having trouble with her bike. The front suspension lost stability at highway speeds. She had stopped at several dealerships from here to Arizona and they couldn't pinpoint the problem. I asked her to follow me to D&S to have their techs take a look.... Sure enough they worked her in that same day and had her back on the road.

She emailed me a couple of days later.  SHE WAS SO THRILLED WITH D&S!!!!  I was really proud when she posted on the forum about how our local dealer was able to do what no other could. Thanks guys!

The True Enthusiast!
by J. Paulson
8.9.06

I decided to buy another motorcycle after many, many years of wishing and riding as a passenger whenever possible. (I rode a 350 Honda back in the dim days of my youth.) Every spring when the weather turned nice and the motorcycles emerged from their winter sleep, the old longing returned.

I was watching the Tribune, Craigs List, lurking at the dealerships, whatever, looking for a good used motorcycle when I spotted an ad in the Nickel for an '02 Sportster 883 at a great price.  I leaped for the phone, saw it that afternoon and gave the seller a down payment on the spot. It was a bit dirty but in great condition and now I am happily getting my "bike-legs" back.

But that's not the story I want to tell. The man from whom I purchased the Sporty started riding in his youth (late teens, early twenties) and has owned Harleys most of his life. He even wooed his wife from a Harley.  But now he's 82 years old and doesn't feel he can ride safely anymore. (He jokes that his wife insisted he stop riding.)  While he kept up a cheerful face during the initial inspection, bringing my Harley-riding brother over for the SSA (Sibling Stamp of Approval) and the paperwork transactions, he couldn't hide the fact that an important part of his life was ending.

When the time came to ride the Sportster away, the old gentleman had tears in his eyes and even admitted that he was on the verge of giving back the money and not selling his beloved Harley even though he couldn't ride it any more. (His wife said she'd get a couple of strong drinks into him that evening). My brother and I were nearly crying too and I almost couldn't bring myself to take his bike away from him. I gave him a hug and promised to take good care of the Sporty and ride as much as possible.

I can only hope that I will be as dedicated to motorcycling as M.R.  I hope that when I reach my 80s I'll still have a Harley in the driveway and only give it up when I really have to. I hope I know when that time comes.Thank you, M.R. for letting me give your beloved motorcycle a new home and helping me fulfill a long-time wish.

Missing his Harley
by Fred Fredell
8.2.06

I'm an old time rider with a crippled right leg from an encounter with a farm truck many years ago. However, I still miss those wonderful years on my Electra Glide. I take great pleasure in reading the great stories on your website and if I could I'd be on an HD touring machine now. At age 75 I still miss it.