Bayside Harley-Davidson

Thanks to the positive reviews, I've gone and bought my bike from Bayside. They were welcoming, friendly, and fun to hang around with! more

First of all, I am one of ""those"" that has NEVER had a good experience with ANY Harley Dealerships. I am from Hawaii and was told that I can't sit on a bike in the showroom and the sales staff always seemed disinterested when I asked the ""What is this"" or ""What does that mean"" noobie questions. My friend had some experiences there and said that I would be okay. Apprehensive as I was, I went. The first thing that I noticed was that I felt that I had just walked into a museum rather than a dealership! There was bikes on the walls, pictures of Elvis in his Army uniform, and even a vintage WWII combat bike with a Tommy Gun! The first persons to welcome me to the store was the girls at the checkout stand, which is in front of the store. Second, was a sales guy; ""Big Dave"" Hunter. He's not really that big, so don't let his name fool you. Thinking that I was about to get the same treatment as always (when I tell the that I have never ridden before) I just told Dave that I was just looking. He said take your time and let me know if you have any questions. Well, indeed, I had MANY questions (still do, actually). That was when I noticed the difference. Dave and I started chatting about the different models, different feel, different set ups, etc. Then, he blew me away with, ""Go ahead and swing a leg over and see what you think"" As simple and easy as that may sound, Dave said something that at least a half dozen other delears NEVER said. Dave even held the bike up for me so I could get my feet up to see what it really felt like to be on a Harley. He realized that I was a noob and asked if I had heard of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Rider Course. HUH?? He grabbed a brochure and explained it all to me. There was a class going on at the time of my visit so he took me out and showed me what they were doing; that was in February. Between then and April, I had visited BS-HD at least a dozen times. Each time, Big Dave was there for me. He NEVER made me feel stupid, or belittled my friend for being on his metric bike. He was very friendly and I enjoyed conversation with him. I signed up for the MSF Class in April and after my first class, laid my deposit down on my very first motorcycle: A 2003 Suzuki! From a Harley Dealer! Guess what? At no time did ANYONE ever make me feel less important, inferior, or anything derogatory about buying a metric bike. Kelly, the sales manager, actually gave me a whopper of a deal (still have the bike because the deal was just to good). After the MSF class, I paid for the bike and rode it home...that day. BTW-- I HIGHLY recommend the MSF Course AT BAYSIDE! The accommodations alone are worth it! I rode that bike all summer long and put over 2k miles on the clock. Each of my visits to BS-HD after buying the bike made me feel like Norm from Cheers. Everyone knew my name and they felt like friends to me. I decided it was time for the real deal American bike... so I went back to Bayside and hooked up with Big Dave again. Seriously...after test riding probably a dozen bikes over the span of a week, I settled on a 2006 Fire Engine Red Street Bob! I love my bike! Even MORE SO, I feel like friends to everyone there. I get hugs when I visit and everyone is just so helpful! On my last visit, the same buddy that took me to Bayside the very first time bought his new Harley too! While he was getting the paperwork all set up, I chatted with Don, the Service Tech. Don printed out all the services done on my new bike (because it was always serviced there)! Seriously, I hear a lot of stuff but my story speaks for itself. If not for Big Dave, Kelly, Joe, Rob, Don, The Ambers, Dolly, and the list goes on... there would not be a Harley in my garage right now! Thanks to these folks, they are the epitome of the quintessential Harley Experience! more

I've always enjoyed the friendly atmosphere there. The simple rote stuff like being greeted when you enter always happen. After that though, things get better. It has never mattered whether I'm sitting on every bike in the row or going through the racks of accessories and clothes. I've always been checked on, questions answered, and never looked down on even when I ride my imported cycle in. Recently I referred a friend there who had zero experience on two-wheels (other than a bicycle). He took the rider class there and then bought and rode off on his first cycle there. AND ... that bike was a Suzuki. He loves that place now too and now he's on a used Harley. Yeah, this is a great place. more

I haven't had any issues with any of the Harley dealerships in the Hampton Roads area (which all 3 have the same owner), they've all been nice and treated me well and have done a good job at taking care of my bike. To counter everyone elses gripes and complaints, yes buying and owning a Harley is expensive and your bike is guarenteed to see the shop a couple times a year if you ride as much as I do, but that is part of owning a Harley, its something called prestige and class that other motorcycle companies/riders just don't have. That's why when my friends and I ride somewhere nobody checks out their honda's or yamaha's while I'm getting people to ask if they can have their picture taken on my bike. more

Everyone at Bayside is very friendly. I was looking at bikes...even though I didn't take the riding course yet. They showed me what motorcycles might work for the kind of riding I want to do and explained how I could make the bike fit me. I was not ready to buy, but they were still very patient with all my questions. I will definitely buy my bike from Bayside! Pros: everything Cons: nothing more

SUCKED! Pros: NOTHING Cons: EVERYTHING more

Bayside Harley is the worst experience as a consumer I have ever had. They offer absolutely no deals, sales or discounts. AND!!!! I personally had to walk them around the bike i bought to point out dirt scratches and dings all around it. They literally wheeled it out of the garage and on to the floor without even doing any maintenance. At sale time I pointed out an oil leak and the handle bars were bend. I was told it was dirt and the bars were an optical illusion. WOW!!! Kelly the ""manager"" has the attitude of anyone in there. I bought a bike from SOUTHSIDE VA BEACH and what a difference I was treated like a GOD in there!!! SCREW BAYSIDE HARD!!! Pros: They sell motorcycles is the best I can do Cons: Where do I start, more

When you first walk into Bayside Harley Davidson, you might be impressed by all the glitz and bling, but don't be. I say that because the owner of Bayside has to pay for all that overhead as well as the two additional stores he owns in the area. And that overhead cost is passed on to you. Don't expect any deals or discussion on price at Bayside, it rarely happens. They call themselves an ?MSRP dealership.? They think that is the ?politically correct? way to say, I?m going to stick it to you and your wallet. They definitely put the ""high dollar"" in HD. The sales staff is courteous and professional, but they have no authority at all in the price of the bike other than to write up a quote or a purchase order based on what the sales manager or owner says. They just tell you about a bike and tell you how much it stickers for along with all the added on cost of buying any high dollar item these days. I bought a Sportster nearly two years ago and happened to get a deal because a friend of mine knows the owner. But even with that going for me, I had to do battle with the sales staff. I just recently went back to Bayside to purchase a bigger bike. I had cash in hand. I did not ask my friend to ask the owner for a favor this time. I thought that would be bad form. I honestly thought to myself that since I had bought a bike there before; spent literally thousands at Bayside on products and services, that they'd work with me on a fair price, right? WRONG!!! They were all about getting every dime they could squeeze out of me on both the new bike and my trade. So what did I do? I went to Hampton Roads Harley Davidson in Yorktown, Virginia and got a great deal on the bike that I wanted. I worked with professional staff and did not get yanked around. I found that there you deal with everyday people who look like everyday people. They don't wear uniforms like the Bayside folks do and they want to sell you a bike for a decent price. The hourly labor charge for service is excellent too. So do yourself a favor before you decide to but a bike from Bayside or one of their sister stores, go see Hampton Roads HD in Yorktown. Pros: Pretty store Cons: MSRP dealership -- high cost more