[theexperthand]

Originally Posted by Shubz

Though I am not a great fan of Tusker, but it doesn't warrant blaming the dealer when the info was available all over.

What Snehal said is that he was not informed by tusker that he need to pay 3k (or any amount), for the patch. Unless you can prove me wrong, I do not find any reason to doubt Snehal.

Quoting the relevent part from his post:

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

The staff at the counter then informed me that I had to pay Rs.3,000.00 as a HOG member to attend Friday’s event and for the patch and if I was attending the event on 2 days, the cost was Rs.7,000.00. If you’re not a HOG member, the price was Rs.3,500.00 for one day and Rs.7,500.00 to attend the event on both days. There was no way that the patch would come for free and since I rode all this way just for the patch, I had no choice but to pay for it. I was upset that I was not informed about this by Tusker when I called them to enquire about the SHR . It would have made sense if this was informed before hand, so at least I could have made an informed decision on whether to attend the rally or not and if it was worth to pay this kind of money all for a “patch”. Travelling all the way there and being informed at the last minute is not what I was expecting. I’m not a Harley owner with a deep pocket and these kind of experiences leaves a bad taste in the mouth. I understand that HD has to make money to arrange these events, but informing the same much before hand would suit budget owners like myself.

Peace out.

--Anoop

[IronH4WK]

good ride there Snehal! gotta give it to you - you got guts doing a solo on the Baron. that's an achievement in itself. forget out them patches, they don't mean a thing. if i had a patch for every ride i've done, i'd have room full of jackets. it's the experience that counts. patches IMO are for (for the lack of a better word) posers.

looking forward to riding with you again. until then, ride safe.

Originally Posted by Shubz

HD & Free? Whattan Oxymoron! Given a chance they'd even charge for breathing air when on HD bikes! Even I wish everything was free, I bought the Harley - so give me fuel, give me shelter, give me food, give me patches -- for FREE! LoL!

And its practical n fair right -- don't pay & participate -- Not entitled for the patch?

Shubz, dude. what's with the condescending tones? right about now you sound like the PR department for HD. why are you taking it personally? chill. Snehal is just sharing his experience, nothing wrong with that. agree to disagree and leave it at that.

[Sojogator]

@Snehal Sekhar Great ride done. To clock a grand in that little amount of time in itself is worth the ride, patch or no patch. In years to come, you will remember the coffee you had at one of those places and not the hassles that you were subjected to.

Also, the discussion that has happened here, since your post, must have re validated your decision to ride on your own, thus avoiding the LARGE ONES around !

[sammyboy]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Thanks Shubz! About the SHR, I'll repeat what I said earlier. Tusker or no one from the HD world called and informed me of the price tag attached to the event and if they had, I'm sure I wouldn't have updated the same on this forum.

I called Tusker a week prior to the event and asked them about the event and all I was informed was that it was being held at Le Meridian and if I needed to ride with the Tusker group, there was a charge of Rs.1,500.00. The person I spoke to said that a mail would be sent with the details but I never received any.

Again, I have no issues with shelling out that kind of money for a patch or the event but all I ask is let me know before hand and don't give me surprises at the last minute. I definitely would like to make an informed decision. I don't expect anything to come for free, not from HD or anyone else, but neither do I expect them to be a surprise. If this is whining, so be it but I wanted to get my point of view across and I guess I did that.

A good post Snehal and hats off to you for doing such a solo ride.
I am completely with you on the surprise part, none of us really would have a problem paying, but there has to be clarity and transparency, which, for whatever reason, wasnt there in this case and you have every right to be disappointed.

But hey, You had fun and you earned that badge of respect from all us riders, for free . Cheers bro, respect.

And dont bother about who says what, ride on, have fun. You dont have to pay to belong, you just need to be you.

[barcalad]

Originally Posted by Shubz

Barcalad -- It is interesting that you find that "Upgrade" offer as a bribe? Care to explain more? Is it just sour grapes? What wrong do you see if there is an incentive (however big or small) to encourage an upgrade? Grow up sir!

Sure. Let me enlighten you.

1. A S750 owner goes to a HD event and is tempted with the offer of buying a 'bigger bike' before the end of this month in order to get lots of incentives and freebies.

2. He gets home, twists and turns through his nights, fights the family, breaks bank deposits and takes loans, all because he wants an 'upgrade'. It's too tempting, you see? The decision has to be quick! Time's running out!

3. Gets the upgrade. Becomes very happy. But then, he can't ride the 'upgrade' to office anymore. He's probably never ridden a 'bigger' bike before so he dents it once or twice. Nor can he go to MG Road for coffee because the 'upgrade' is impractical and is hardly helping him in his daily chores. The S750 used to do all these things effortlessly! Instead, he covers it all week and only takes the cover off on Sunday mornings!

4. So, with the bank guys hounding him and finances messed up, the only use of his 'upgrade' is to pose for Sunday dawn photographs and perhaps adorn the weekend ride albums.

Now, let me sum it up.

You see, out of all of your Harley ride albums I've seen, the S750 is the majority. Goes without saying. People who buy the S750 want to experience the Harley Davidson feeling and trust me mate, they would think 10 times before installing Screaming Eagles or even upgrading to a Superlow. I'm sure you flag bearers must've seen it too.

My point being, Harley Davidson needs to respect it's customers and their boundaries. Not everyone can afford a Street Glide or a Breakout, you see. Don't force them into buying bikes just because you assume that they're fanboys and would readily splash the cash. Nor does everyone have the capacity, energy, patience and money to use the 'bigger' bikes on a daily basis.

Harley Davidson is a well acclaimed international brand, from what I know. They just need to forego these cheap tactics.

Sure. Put incentives and hidden harassments, no issues. Just don't put a time limit because you want a better photo-op in your next rally.

Coming to your next point, Shubz.

I, for one :

1. Don't tell people that they should not make smart jibes in 'my thread'.
2. Don't proclaim that the Fat Boy is better/comparable to a Diavel.
3. Don't say 'Nothing personal, Sir' every time I run out of words.
4. Don't invite people to fight me on Private Messages.

I would rather listen to Miley Cyrus on repeat for the rest of my life than to have 'sour' sentiments against something like Harley Davidson.

And you tell me to 'grow up'.
Wish you a good day, Sir!

Originally Posted by dustom_99

Barcalad- if this is bribing , dominos BoGo , exchange offer on mobile phones , Maruti true values etc is all a bribe. And so is subsidised gas cylinders and mid day meal.

While I am not surprised that the only persons having concerns about my post are Harley owners, I'm actually quite amused to read your analysis.

Harley Davidson, the colossal American brand with countless motorcycles all over the world that is now a symbol of 'class' is now being compared to Dominos, Maruti, LPG Cylinders and Mobile Phones.

[dkaile]

Originally Posted by Snehal Sekhar

Major lesson learnt on this ride is, I am not going to ride for patches or fame or glory or awards or bragging rights. Not because I don’t like to, but because all of these thing cost money and instead of spending money on these things, I’d rather use that just to ride. Ride for passion.

That's a nice ride you did there Snehal and being a fellow HOG owner, I, in fact, quite agree with your observations. But you got the crux right - "Ride for passion". These HD events are nothing more than marketing events and I have come out disappointed more than once. The Harley 'Tax' as they call is bound to get on the nerves of most serious bikers who ride more for passion than just for the brand. I rather enjoy more going to IBW because we get to meet a plethora of other bike brands besides Harley.

So keep the 'passion' ON and just ride. Forget these glitches for they are just small pricks in the otherwise beautiful flower.

Cheers...

PS - I agree with people's observation on this thread that these BIG Harley's are not everyday practical bikes. I for one am seriously thinking of getting 'another' bike like a Bullet Classic 500 or a Duke 390 as a everyday runaround bike to replace my ageing Karizma. But would I ever leave my Heritage Softail for any other? Not a chance in this world. A Diavel or 1200GS is also planned down the road, soon...

[Shanenanigans]

Great post Snehal. 'Twas a good read. It is great to see that you took out the Baron solo (not that it has reliability similar to our Chennai-manufactured thumpers) for such a long ride. Really reminds us why we have such bikes in the first place.

About the patch, well, that's an experience to be learned from. I doubt anyone would have an issue paying. In some ways it's like a trophy, but I feel that your ride on your own, with just the basics in case of a breakdown in the middle of nowhere is an achievement in itself, and the experience is something that you won't forget anytime soon.

[dustom_99]

Originally Posted by barcalad

While I am not surprised that the only persons having concerns about my post are Harley owners, I'm actually quite amused to read your analysis.

Harley Davidson, the colossal American brand with countless motorcycles all over the world that is now a symbol of 'class' is now being compared to Dominos, Maruti, LPG Cylinders and Mobile Phones.

Did you forget to mention mid day meal?? Or knowingly left it out??

Anyway if everybody had the same head on their shoulders, all the world would either be Buddha or Saddam!
If that's your interpretation of my post then you are most welcome sir to keep it that way. I have no issues!

Note from Support - Please avoid quoting an entire lengthy post as it inconveniences our mobile users.

[djpeesh]

Wow. There's so much rage in those who've paid the Harley tax against those not drinking the Kool-Aid. Well, Snehal, I don't want to get into a Harley versus everyone else war, but ride because you love riding. The only badge that matters is the one you give yourself, after pushing yourself to finish a ride and savour every moment of it.

By virtue of their associations with the manufacturers, HOG, RATs, DOC (Ducati Owners Club) and every other three letter abbreviation are brand promotions for the companies. We as members, unwittingly sometimes, promote the brand.

If you've bought a motorcycle to experience your love for motorcycling, ride for yourself. We have a small group here and we've become BFFs who ride very little but hang a lot.

Chill out, have fun and don't let the big boys bother you.

[MavericK46]

Sounds like the time you and The Baroness spent alone were just what you needed Snehal

The ride you did is pretty much what most people would term a 'hit-and-run'; a ride that is solely focused on time spent on the saddle and nothing else.
And from one hit-and-run enthusiast to another - Good ride man !

Riding to a destination and riding without one in mind both have their own charm... In your case, you were left with no choice, but lets not stand on ceremony here

To add to the general discussion going on here, the KTM Orange day trackdays and rides always clearly mention what is included in the package and what isn't. An oversight on this part is definitely in bad taste.

Cheers !

Sundar

[Dust_Harl]

Good solo ride Snehal and you covered your ride well. Not surprised that T folks did not inform you about the cost or gave you a complete picture of the rides. Knowing their support quality do not doubt that at all.

On the cost break-up for the event, suggestion is to get onto to the HOG groups on FB or register for their mailers. I was bombarded with msgs from HOG on the event and I went back and noticed that the price break-up for the event and the entry and there were few posts clarifying the same.

While you may not attend any events in the near future, may help in case you change your mind in the long run.

Well done once again on your ride buddy. Keep riding and that's what it matters.

[Cyborg]

Guys,

The last two pages were extremely entertaining to say the least

I find it very strange that people in this day and age think they will get anything for free! If HD is organizing the ride, arranging the backup vehicles, giving out badges etc, it stands to reason there will be a fee or price attached for services rendered - its straight forward business.

What's difficult to comprehend about this? In fact anyone who thinks they would get anything "free" in the current times needs their head examined.

One step further - even if no one informs you of any charges attached to a event anywhere/about anything, would it not be prudent to inquire regarding fees/charges if any? Assuming anything is free is a major fault on the individual rather than the company.

Regarding the upgrade offer - the other side of the coin:
For every person who buys the 750 or any other model and may/may not have deep pockets, there may be people out there who would be waiting for exactly this sort of an offer to upgrade. It's simply good business sense from the company side to push sales and would be considered as the right time for a person sitting on the fence for an upgrade.

Take care and ride safe everybody.

Cheers

[loki]

I think Snehal's main crib was that the Tusker harley guys skipped mentioning about that entrance fees part which kind of ticked him off. Perfectly normal. The classic 'communication gap' at play here

Agree with most of the folks here. Its wise to know that nothing comes for free. But, maybe here is where companies can delight customers with some unexpected freebies/ memorabilia.

Anyone been to other HOG events outside India? How are they different?

[Sting]

My 2 learning from these last 2 pages:

1. Continue to ride solo\as a couple since my tolerance to pseudo machoism and anyone's condescending attitude towards me is zero.
2. HOG doesn't have a notorious reputation for no wrong reasons, but seemingly because of a select few. There are still sane people there.

..err let me add a 3rd:

3. The sensibility and etiquette around communicating politely has changed and in todays world it is completely okay to call someone names, challenge his common sense and disapprove his contempt for a company that has been unreasonable to him; just because he has noted his observation and experience openly.

Cheers,
Sting

[sammyboy]

Yes Snehal, please get your head examined. You were wrong to expect any kind of transparency from the dealer and organiser, please stop having unrealistic expectations and keep your disappointments to yourself. You got fooled, its business. Take a deep breath and prepare to save money for the next badge. You owe it to Harley, hey you bought their bike.