Age: 53
Hometown: Medina, Ohio
Occupation: Owner of Rebath Franchise in 13 counties in Ohio
What type of motorcycle did you buy?
I bought a 2011 Harley-Davidson Road Glide Ultra
Is this your first bike?
No. I’ve owned Harleys since 1979.
How many bikes have you had?
I’d say I’ve probably owned 20 to 25 new bikes over the years going back to ’79. They’ve all been Harleys, except for one Honda Goldwing.
Where did you buy your bike?
I bought it from Carlton Harley-Davidson in Mantua, Ohio.
How did you end up choosing this dealership?
I purchased a custom Street Glide from another dealership, and I had been looking to get some work done to that bike. I had heard through the grapevine before that
Carlton Harley had a small ownership-type feel – more hands on. I gave them a call and talked to the service manager Mark Delaney, and he ended up coming over on a Sunday to pick up my Street Glide. We began communicating back and forth. We started doing some other things to the bike. I had them do some custom paint work, and then I ended up buying a new Road Glide from them just because of the feel I got from Mark and the service department.
Why did you choose this model?
I chose this Harley because it was the first year for the Ultra Glide. I traded an ’09 Road Glide for a 2011 Street Glide I bought from another dealership. That was the first Road Glide I have owned. The Road Glide is like the ultimate cruising machine, and my wife likes to ride with me on the back. My Street Glide has the new 120R racing motor in it from Harley, and it’s just off-the-wall fast. The Road Glide is safer for my wife to be on the back of. I wanted to get more into a Road Glide, and 2011 was the first year for the Ultra. The earlier models didn’t have all the accessories that the Ultra has, so it was kind of a no-brainer when I saw it. With the two bikes, I’ve got one for me and her, and I’ve got one to go ahead and get a little crazy on.
Have you had any work done on the Road Glide?
We’re doing a painted inner fairing, new wheels, a bunch of custom chrome work – Arlen Ness chrome work. We’re probably doing a couple thousand dollars worth of Arlen Ness chrome work.
Mark’s doing all the chrome work on the front end and the handlebars and all the controls. We’re putting quite a bit into the Road Glide to get it ready for spring.
What do you think about the service department?
When I first met with Carlton’s service manager Mark Delaney, let me tell you something, from a service/customer satisfaction standpoint, he is right up there with the best I’ve ever dealt with for motorcycles or for any other customer service-related industry. He’s top notch. For a guy to take his own time to come over on a Sunday and pick up a bike — that really left a positive impression. He just reaches out and follows up and does a fantastic job.
Would you recommend the dealership to a friend?
Now that I’ve developed that relationship with Mark and the owners, unless there’s something that they can’t get their hands on, that I absolutely have to have, I probably won’t buy anywhere else again. Carlton Harley-Davidson is my new exclusive dealership. I would highly recommend them – five stars.
Are you looking to add any more bikes to your fleet?
I think I’m going to stick with two bikes for now. I’ve had as many as four at once. You can only ride one at a time, right?
