House of Thunder Harley-Davidson

Best dealership in the Bay Area, every department is extremely helpful! Wouldn’t go anywhere else!

The condensed version: bought a used bike on 3÷13÷15. Registration expired in ⁴⁄₂₀₁₅ and I never received the notice for renewal because of a «discrepancy with the mileage». Stuck making payments on a motorcycle I cannot ride.
I purchased a used 2014 Street Glide Special from this dealership. The registration was due to expire in April 2015 and I was told at the time I bought it that I would be responsible for paying the registration out of pocket and I was fine with that. April comes and goes without a notice from DMV to renew the registration. So I call the dealership and was told that they hired a new DMV person and to wait and I would get the notice. In May my mother had a medical issue and that lasted into late June. In late June Harley Davidson Credit Corp sends me a notice asking if the DMV had mistakenly sent me the title. I called them and told them I hadn’t and I also hadn’t received the registration renewal. The called me a week later stating that there was «a discrepancy with the mileage and DMV won’t release the title». I went by the dealership again and told them I was worried about being pulled over for out of date registration and having the motorcycle impounded. The sales person tells me to hold on and returns with a paper dealership plate and tells me to put that over my California DMV issued license plate so I don’t get pulled over. This takes me into about August when I went to DMV and asked about the registration. The DMV worker told me that according to their records the motorcycle is still registered to the dealership and to contact the Investigations department of DMV. I went back in to the dealership in early November and was told that they were working on it and would get back to me the following week. With still no word and a claim filed with DMV I went in again on December 5^th and was told that I would be contacted. At this point I am stuck paying for a motorcycle I cannot legally ride for the past 9 months at $ 369.37 a month ($ 3,324.33 all together). At this point I am looking at getting a lawyer.
If you want to take your chances feel free, but this is the nightmare I am stuck with and their hasn’t been any sort of customer service to speak of.

I live less than a block away from San Jose Harley. Heard good things about this dealership from a coue of the patriot guard riders, so I decided to try another Harley shop to see if the experience was different. My fist encounter was great and got help getting the right seat for my 2008 street bob. I had it over nighters because I was leaving and wanting to have my wife ride with me, this being my first bike. Started riding on July 4^th with the patriot guard for the San Jose Parade. When my wife called the next business day that it was supposed to be in. She was told it was not their and to try and was reassured they would call when it came in and out over night fee would be returned. Waited all day the next day to finally received a call around 5pm and was informed that the seat had gotten their on time and had been waiting for over a day. After sitting in traffic for over an hr to travel from San Jose to Morgan hill at that time of day. I got my seat. I asked if someone could help me or tell my how to install it. Especially after all the inconvenience. No one even took the time to walk out and tell me all that was needed was to remove a cotter pin and I could switch the seat nut to the correct whole. Their was also a huge event going on that night and they were fully staffed. Felt unwelcome and embarrassed because I’m a new rider. This should not happen. I am a U.S. Marine that is 100% disabled do to PTSD and I started riding to help with that and take part in patriot guard missions to give back to my fellow veterans. My experiences at the 2 closest Harley dealerships to me. San Jose and Morgan Hill, it has been nothing but sad and made me regret getting a Harley for the fact I will still have to deal with these people. And be looked down on by almost everyone. I tried to bring this to your attention on your Facebook page and received no response. At least San Jose Harley Davidson was able to respond to my concerns and even took corrective action. Why would I buy a bike from a place that couldn’t even help me get a seat? And treated me like I was worthless because I wasn’t their to buy a bike that night. Harley has become only about pushing bikes and not taking care for the people that are already committed to the brand.
SemperFi
Cpl. Kitty Kat

New owners have not helped this dealership. I bought a 2015 Roadglide Custom in January, their first sale as new owners, and a Dyna Lowrider 3 months ago. The Dyna was a gift. That’s where the problems began. We were promised more than was delivered. Much more. The bike arrived scratched in 2 places, never did get buffed out. Was promised a «full detail from their best guy». Never happened. The ABS does not work, period. The rear wheel locks up and skids, no resolution there either. We will have this problem handled when we take it to San Jose Harley for the first service. They mapped the bike for a stage one download yet it backfires so bad it’s embarrassing to ride. Same pipe, same air cleaner as my Roadglide which never backfires. We were told now we have to take it elsewhere to have it tuned. I took it elsewhere and found out they used the wrong download. This brings me to their «best mechanic» who did all the work on the bike. Well, when I saw who it was there was no surprise why we had problems. Certified Harley mechanic he is not. We know him. We spoke with nearly everyone there always being redirected to another person who had no power to help until finally we get to the senior partner/​owner who refuses to resolve the issues. We don’t want anything more than was promised at the time of purchase; a bike that runs properly/​safely with the accessories purchased directly through the dealer. We did not get that by a long shot. I buy a new bike every 2 years on average. Actually I’ve purchased 7 new bikes since 2007. I will not be using this dealer in the future and am disappointed that is the case here. I was excited with the new ownership and had hopes of supporting and being supported by my local dealer. I dealt with them in good faith and I am not a difficult person to work with. It took quite a bit to end up in this position. I will say that Shawn Wells did his best to resolve the problems we have but he did not have the authority to get it done. I do believe he did his best. Pnut is always helpful but was not involved with the Dyna. We think highly and have had good relations with him in the past as well. All in all, I would recommend driving the extra distance to San Jose Harley. Sean in sales and Ralph in service will take care of you. Both left House of Thunder years ago. In retrospect I should have gone there in the first place. I was really hoping for success with the dealer closet to where I live. Sad to say that is not the case.

Well… once again the guys & gals at H. O. T. (House of Thunder) have done it!
I just bought a brand new 2015 Road Glide and love it. The experience was fantastic. Jason and Phil (Service) helped me dial in some customer additions and Rich/​Brett (co-​owners) helped me with great financing. I was very pleased with the whole experience and highly recommend this Harley dealer as one of the best in the country. They also have great BBQ’s with live music on most weekends so stop by and say hello. Your going to love some of the custom bikes they have… beautiful!
Great job H.O.T team!

I wanted a bike my whole life. House Of Thunder Harley Davidson made it possible for me to make that happen. I bought a Harley Davidson Street 750. It is my first bike.
Honestly I don’t think I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with a dealership that has more honesty and integrity than House of Thunder. Nobody tried to oversell me on a more expensive bike that was outside of my class. And in terms of financing they bent over backwards and figured out every which way possible to make owning a Harley possible for me.
From sales, to parts, to service, to accessories, when you buy a motorcycle from House of Thunder you don’t just get a motorcycle. You get adopted into a family who will take care of you especially when you need them the most.
I will miss them all when I return to New York.

My husband bought his Harley here and get all of the scheduled maintenance here too.
We like the service here and how helpful everyone is. We appreciated the «No pressure» sales people. The work they do on the bikes is top quality as well.
Fun place to browse clothes — lol.

I was completing my Advance Riders Course in Gilroy and the front tire of my motorcycle got a nail in it. Within minutes I lost all of the air and knew I wouldn’t be able to reinflate it to ride it to a shop within a close distance. One of the instructors let me load it into her truck and we drove to this dealership because it was the only shop that was open at the time and they possibly had a tire for my sportster. Upon arrival I was told that they would have to order the tire and it would arrive the next day, being that I rode from San Jose to complete the course and my motorcycle was my only form of transportation back, leaving my bike there or going back the next day was not an option. I got a ride from the instructor to Oreilly’s to purchase a plug kit. After I bought the kit I returned to the dealership to ask for assistance in unloading my bike (we had no ramps). Kevin from the service department was very helpful and generous to let us use the ramps they had there. Not only did they let us use them but he also helped unload the bike from the truck along with a few of the guys working in the shop that night. After I plugged the tire on my bike I was about to inflate the tire with canned air from oreilly’s but one of the shop workers quickly offered to air it up using their air hose. Although I was not a paying customer, the professionals at this dealership treated me as if I was a paying customer. Based on past experiences at other dealerships I expected to get the cold shoulder from everyone there but it was the exact opposite. Because of their generosity and professionalism I will be returning to this dealership once I upgrade from my sportster to a bigger bike in the near future. Even though its out of my way and there is another HD dealership in my city I will make the trip to this one. All I can say is thanks and I hope this review is taken into consideration by all who inquire about this dealership.

The House of Thunder in Morgan Hill California treats us like family. Maybe that’s because my husband purchased a CVO which cost well over $ 40,000. Either way, whenever we visit this store it’s like visiting family! They roll out the red carpet. put on a pot of coffee, turn on the television and make you feel right at home! The clothes and shoes are cute too.

This review is for the RENTAL dept. First know I’ve been a fan of House of Thunder for almost two years. I bought my Road King there and have given them a substantial chunk of my paycheck ever since. They seem like good guys.
But, know that if you cause ANY damage to a rental you will be charged FULL RETAIL for the REPLACEMENT of said part. Tiny scuff on the saddlebag? Replace it for full retail cost! Think about that for a second. It’s insane. Imagine renting a car, you scuff the bumper ever so slightly and then get charged $ 600 + labor to replace the bumper. Wouldn’t rent the car, would you?
Here’s the story: My wife dropped a 2015 Road Glide Special in our driveway. No big deal, happens to everyone now and then, right? It really shook her up but I assured her it was ok. Just caused a couple minor scratches on the fairing and a couple more on one of the saddlebags. We knew we were on the hook for the repair — fair is fair. But we figured it’d be a touch-​up job. A couple hundred bucks, right? Not. Even. Close. Our one-​day rental ended up costing over $ 2500!
If you’re wondering why we didn’t take out insurance on it, it’s because they don’t offer any insurance on the bike itself. That’s right; if it gets stolen, you owe full replacement cost. The whole setup there in the rental dept is just dumb.
The whole experience bummed my wife out so much she went from wanting to buy a new Road Glide to quitting riding altogether. It left me with a bitter taste in my mouth towards House of Thunder. Have been going to San Jose Harley ever since. For rentals, I’ve sent friends to California Motorcycle Adventures in Mountain View, where you can get full coverage insurance.

The way this place operates shocks me sometimes! The sales people are great but the owners are something else. The way they treat their employees shocks me. This place is a ghost town and can have potential if they treated their costumers and staff right. Poor representation of Harley if you ask me.
UPDATE*** under new ownership as of 2015. Seems promising and changes are promising, but like all else, we shall see.

I have popped into this dealership a few times over the years. and although it is a really nice facility, my experience has always been a disaster. As with every visit (unless some big event is going on) the place is a ghost town. Now you would think that the staff would be all over a customer walking in … with a «Holy Crap !! guys a customer !!! make sure he is helped and shown some love. «but as with each visit I have wandered around the showroom as if invisible. if you hang out on the floor in the vast wasteland be prepared to stand around unassisted … making your way to the motorclothes you will be told hello when the counter person either comes back from a break? restroom? or unpacking something in the back. The lack of energy in this place is sad. I have noticed the same people in management here over the last few years. Making your way over the parts counter be prepared to watch the parts and service manager ignore you while it appears they are either training staff members to ignore the customer or brush up on their ignoring skills… when I finally get acknowledged I can sense what seems to be irritation. Not really caring to know the name of the crew cut white guy (i believe is the parts mgr) the little exchange of words with this jerk has me wonder why this guy has been cross each time I have popped in… and then I get it. I look around this huge facility and realize I am the only customer … AHHHHH… my bad… it all makes sense. management can make or break a business and its customer base… and WAY TO GO management !!! woohoo. youre doing a fantastic job of losing customers… especially those that come in to buy something… and as I have said regarding other businesses here on Unilocal … uh, Never Again !
dont forget to read the hidden reviews …

Stopped in on Saturday while their parking lot event was going on. A few of the locals outside listening to the live band. However, unlike other HD dealerships, this place contracts a food truck/​tent company charging exuberant prices for their food and in small quantities. Most HD joints I have been to give away a hotdog and/​or soda free. When HD stopped giving military discounts, I quit giving them my service.
There are other shops to repair HDs, and other places to buy HD apparel. Good thing I only stopped in to use the facilities. Their selections of apparel has diminished over time.
Please consider HD buys its clothing wholesale outside the US for pennies on the dollar and mark up 400%+ at least. Is there really any HD shirt worth 85.00???

We’ve bought two bikes here in the last week. Trust me, we talked with almost every Harley Dealer within a 200 mile radius and by far House of Thunder was the best. Luckily, it was closest to our home town also. Mark Schnieder is the manager we worked with and he was fabulous. Honest, genuine, and a no-​games kind of guy. This place really does care about their customers. They are not looking to sell a bike, they are looking to have a friend and life-​long customer, there’s no doubt in my mind. Give this place a try, really. My husband and I and my son, were nothing shy of being impressed. Thank you Mark and to all of your wonderful staff for making this such a positive experience in our life. Kudo’s to House of Thunder!!!

Over priced with bad mechanics. Only reason I put 2 stars is because they have managed to keep one good dude in the parts department. Can’t remember his name but he’s been there for years.

I’m writing about a small matter that really made a difference. I took my Ultra Classic to this dealership today and while I was there asked the service personnel if they had time to check the air in my tires. They said sure and I really appreciate the way they made time for me and took care of this as a customer courtesy. For those who don’t know it, House of Thunder (the Harley Davidson dealership in Morgan Hill) is an excellent establishment with great selection of bikes and a friendly/​knowledgeable staff. If you’re ever in Morgan Hill and have an interest in Harley-Davidson’s, this is a great place to stop. Many thanks to Pnut for his assistance today. Kudos!

I bought my 2011 vrscdx in May 2012 and have been having it serviced here ever since.
The service department here is THE BEST I’ve ever been to. The service department managers, Phil and Andrew are great and always fair and reasonable.
Recently I had a service done here and when I dropped it off I mentioned that the last couple of times I was out riding my bike was losing a little bit of power.
Well I had the service, took it home and a few days later my bike died on the way home from work. I got home, gave them a call and they assured me they wanted to make it right. They sent a guy with a truck the next day to my home to pick up my bike and in a couple of days it was ready! The problem? Just needed a new battery: P
But they were so kind and accommodating!
Love the showroom floor, and the clothing department too!
This place is a true gem, that values excellent service

If it ain’t Harley it ain’t of God.
Top notch customer service, excellent sales clientele. Oh! And awesome Harleys.

This is a very nice Harley shop. Very modern, newer facility. Sales staff is very helpful. They have a very large selection of apparel. Great place to stop when ur on the road!

House of Thunder is awesome! Just bought a brand new 2012 Streetglide and we are in love! Quack, Lesley and the entire team are very helpful and knowledgeable. I buy all my gear and everything HD related here. We also get all our HD related repairs done here. Here is a list of things House of Thunder carries for men and women:
–jackets (leather & fabricated)
–chaps & pants
–sweaters
–gloves (leather & fabricated)
–t shirts, tank tops, long sleeves
–boots
–ALL HD bike related accessories
–ape bars/​handle bars
–foot pegs
–mirrors
–bag accessories
–back rests
–rims
–some bikes they carry: (new or used) a few that I saw:
–streetglide
–roadking
–shovelhead
–wideglide
–fatboy
I’ve been riding a couple years now and I must say HD has the WIDEST women’s selection as far as accessories and clothing. TRUST ME. :) I also like that they cater to all sizes and shapes, whether your a thick curvy mama or a petite pudding like me. What you need, they got it! Tell Lesley I sent you! She is a doll and a delight to work with.
Hours of operation:
Monday: Gone Riding! :)
Tuesday: 10:00 — 7:00
Wednesday: 10:00 — 7:00
Thursday: 10:00 — 7:00
Friday: 10:00 — 7:00
Saturday: 10:00 — 5:00
Sunday: 10:00 — 5:00