On a cold and windy Saturday afternoon, February 19th to be exact, I asked my wife if we could stop…read moreby District Harley Davidson in Gaithersburg Maryland. I had my eye on the 2022 Road King Special that I wanted to see in person and get a feel for. Just to be clear, my wife and I are moving to North Carolina in a few weeks and my plan was to get a bike but not until after the move. We also agreed to stop by the dealership just to "look".
We opened the front door (with our 8 month old son named Oliver too) and we're greeted by Dino within 5 seconds. He was very polite, not pushy, and showed me the Black Road King Special on the showroom floor. I have to say upon first sight, the bike is a beautiful machine. Photos don't do it justice! From front to back the bike is mostly blacked out and has a very clean streamlined appearance for a bagger. No big fairing, no windshield, just simple and clean looking. Dino went over all the specs like some of the safety features regarding the breaks and cruise control. He answered any questions I had, and I love how the Special has the Milwaukee Eight 114cu!
After throwing a leg over the saddle I knew right then and there this was the bike, comfortable, powerful and looking awesome! We continued chatting and explained that we we're just looking today but shockingly my wife turned and said "just run the numbers" Lol I wasn't expecting that!! but I didn't argue with her and Dino went right to work with setting up an application. I wanted to finance the bike with Harley (I've had a great experience with Eagle Mark Bank and this will be my 4th Harley with them).
Meanwhile, Matt, the general sales Manager, came over and introduced himself to the whole family, he was also pleasant and made sure we were taken care of. On a side note, the dealership had a nice layout, very open and clean. Their inventory was well stocked; bikes, accessories, parts, and clothing. Also well employed, I know several businesses that have suffered due to the pandemic being short staffed but District Harley had employees ready to help in every department.
Our 8 month old son was behaving so well which was a plus and he attracted a lot of attention of-course. Matt worked on numbers and presented us with a total out the door. To be honest it was over the monthly payment we had planned for our budget so we respectfully declined and said we have to be closer to this number or we can't get the bike. He said he'd work on it and find a number that worked for us, and he did! The negotiation went smoothly and we never felt pressured.
Aaron "Mug" (the business manager) helped us go over and sign paperwork, he was very patient and courteous. He got one of the best interest rates that I've ever had on a bike loan, 5.99%. He let me sign his office door with a permanent marker and I wrote "District Harley, Selling Freedom" below my name :)
Buying the Road King Special was still surreal at this point and it hadn't hit me yet. However, Dino took a family photo with the new bike and made a very loud announcement to the whole dealership right before I got to ring a massive iron bell on the showroom floor. The bell was so loud my son started crying which made me feel bad haha but also exhilarating because all the staff clapped and it finally hit me that I was getting a 2022 all blacked out badass machine!
I also wanted to mention Julian and Larry, the parts specialists, who went over some great options for the bike, I ended up coming back and buying s-100 cleaners and a nice Harley cover too. All the staff we dealt with were respectful, friendly and just congratulated us on the new bike, it made a big difference to us and we just wanted to say thank you!!
The dealership delivered my bike for free right to my home which I appreciate very much. I've only put 20 miles on the bike since and can't wait to put more on. If your in Maryland and want an excellent experience when purchasing a new or used motorcycle, go to District Harley, you won't be disappointed!
Ride Safe,
Alex, Catherine, and Oliver
