Poll: How far would you travel for a SlingShot dealer?

There are lots of Teslas around here and the closest service is in Tulsa, OK, 120 miles away. People are willing to travel considerable distances for service to get the vehicle they want. I do most of my own work on our Slings (and others too) partially so I don’t have to pay dealer rates. Of course I also do the work (except for warranty or recalls) on my other vehicles so I don’t get gouged by dealers.

I drove 11ish hours to buy my boat from Montana. Dealer was only one in US I could find who would sell it to me with the v8 motor. Wouldn't of done that if he was only one who could service/support though so there's a limit.

Since I do all my own maintenance, it really doesn't matter. I would just plan a nice getaway for recalls.

its not all that far to my dealer options. the dealer where I bought my Slingshot is is about 55 miles away and there is another dealer even closer that I may try for service if needed in the future that is about 27 miles away and there is even a third option if needed that is about 43 miles away in Temecula - - having said this I have always avoided going to dealers for service as much as possible - the prices they charge for things I can do myself are way too much in my opinion

so anyway to answer your question I guess under 100 miles would be my answer and that is because that's how far my AAA motorcycle endorsement will tow my slingshot for free if it does need to go to the dealer - - - if my slingshot is running and can reliably go 100 miles then it probably doesn't need to see the dealer I will instead come on this site and with the help of my friends here figure out how to fix it myself

I traveled from Elkins to Tulsa, 135 miles each way.

Kind of a nice drive as long as the weather is warm!

My dealer is only 17 miles away in either direction (2 dealers). I only go there for state inspection and recalls. Anyone should be able to change oil and grease the ujoint.

My dealer of choice is 120 miles (around the city of Chicago) one way. All service and oil changes. Nielsen Ent, Lake Villa, IL one of the TOP dealers in the USA in sales and service. There are several closer but for me it's worth the trip. 4 or 5 times a year. Go up to some of the open houses and give people a ride in my Slingshot.

CELs? I'm pretty handy so have no qualms trying to do brake pads and caliper maintenance. Not much else would need attention. Now when it gets to electronics. I would go to the dealer.

Fortunate to have an excellent dealer and service about 35 miles away. However if they ever gave up it would 150 miles to another dealer and some of their customers drive over here for service. So that tells me what kind of dealer they are.

Quote from wjfyfe

OK, the servicing side of seeing a dealer is getting covered pretty well from those that are mechanically inclined, that is great and keep giving the opinions. For those folks that are not so inclined, who would depend on the dealer, or other shop, what are your thoughts? And what about if you just wanted to check out a SlingShot to purchase, how close would the dealer have to be then?

Bill

A selling dealer I will drive and have 200 miles to get a good deal. Saving $3000 was worth it. That said service is very important. First off if the service is competent and professional then what you need done will determine where and how far you go. For warranty work you have no options, the dealer is it. For routine maintenance like an oil change that can be done at a GM dealership or other TRUSTED lub place for 19's and older. You can also check with motorcycle shops to see what they can offer some may be willing to mess with it. Thank goodness we don't have a shortage of dealers here, it's just some are better than others depending on what you need done. I would recommend that if you are going to have to take that SS out of town then call the dealers service dept and talk with them. See if you can check references and referrals before you travel.

Jamesgn

One thing I will say that I like about my 2016 is the fact that it has the old school GM Ecotec motor - - - yes, it may not be as new and fancy or high revving as the new Polaris motor, but finding parts and people who know how to work on it is something that is fairly easy and makes dealer visits more of an optional choice.

As a side note- - can someone tell me if the manual transmission used with the new Polaris motor is still a GM product or is that now made by Polaris as well?

When shopping, for me I shop service and than price. Every motorcycle I bought I bought thru the service department. If the service department isn't going to take care of you why should the dealership get the monies up front? For me that has and is working very well. For the Slingshot I travel 120 miles for the oil change.

I'm lucky to have a good dealer just 30 miles to my south but I'd probably travel 100 if I liked the dealership.