Get ready for a rant!

Tuesday April 5, 2011

Today is our 43rd wedding anniversary and we decided to celebrate by doing the same thing we did for our honeymoon.  We took a drive and then we stopped and I bought Eric a hamburger!  On our honeymoon  we drove to Blaine, Washington and today we drove to Scottsdale, Arizona to get parts for Blue and look at more Harleys.  We again jumped on freeways and travelled 36miles from Apache Junction to Scottsdale.   The Phoenix area is about 50 miles from west to east and it really eats up the fuel. 

So here is the rant!  Yesterday we found out that the Harley dealers will not sell to a Canadian unless you can provide them with an Arizona address so they can show they aren’t stealing a sale from a Canadian dealer.  Now it gets even better.  For the privilege of being allowed to buy a bike here you are charged 8.8% sales tax!  This is not something that Arizona requires, it is something that Harley requires so that they don’t violate their dealer agreement with Harley Davidson.  What a load of bull!!  All you have to do to not pay the sales tax is fill out form 5012 and show that you are not a resident of the US and are removing the bike to another country and will only use the bike here passing through and that it will be delivered out of state and you don’t have to pay the sales tax.  Sounds simple except the Harley dealers won’t do it!  RV and car dealers will but not Harley dealers.  So in the end even though we found a bike that Eric would have paid cash for today we won’t because of the 8.8% tax.  Who wants to pay tax once, never mind twice as we also have to pay tax when the bike arrives in Canada.    What a joke. 

This is not due to the free trade agreement it is strictly protectionism by Harley Davidson Canada.  Apparently BMW and Honda motorcycle dealers are the same.

See Croft, you are not the only one who can do a rant!  

 

This is a 2010 Road King Police Special with the solo air ride seat.  I’m sure we find a seat for me too! 

 

Eric will talk to the dealer in Idaho and see if they follow the same rules. 

Too bad a really nice bike.

So, a quick shop at Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and then home for happy hour.  Still really hot although it is cooling down over night.

P.S.   This morning Eric took Blue’s battery over to the Harley dealer behind us for a special load test that he couldn’t do to see if it was the problem with the starting issue.  Unfortunately it isn’t the battery but the starter system so that means another another tear down when we get home.  Boohoo!