HK Powersports

[hazelnut]

I just thought I should share my experiences with the forum.

I have to take this time to commend the service department at HK. Brian does an amazing job over there. Two weeks ago on a Saturday I had an issue with my Polaris sled, the torque arm snapped. On the way down I was on the phone with Brian and he was already trying to figure out if he could get me running that afternoon. Upon arrival Brian looked at it and realized that it was a serious problem and needed to order a part. We looked the sled over and realized that the track had sustained some damage as well.

My goal then shifted to getting the sled up and running for the next weekend. Understand that HK is slammed right now as this has been a great year for snowmobiling and they have a ton of backed up work to do. Over the course of the week Brian and I spoke numerous times. He never made me any promises but he agreed to work as hard as he could to get me running for the weekend. Unfortunately the parts weren't shipping fast enough for my liking. Finally on Friday the parts came in. One problem, the track didn't ship. I was so bummed out, that meant missing another precious weekend of snowmobiling. Even worse it was derby weekend! Brian knew I was bummed and he agreed told me that he would put the sled back together with the old track, the old track was ok enough to ride on for the weekend. He ended up staying open late on Friday and I was able to grab my sled for the weekend and then I dropped it of Sunday as the Track was to be there on Monday.

The bottom line is Brian was accessible, knowledgeable, courteous, helpful and he understood that I wanted my sled as fast as possible. He never made promises about when I would get it back, just that he was going to do everything in his power to get it to me. I have had nothing but extremely positive experiences with the HK Powersports service department. Don't be fooled by the corporate look of this establishment. This is a family run business that values their customers.

Thanks
H-Nut

[ishoot308]

Hazlenut;

Pretty sure you are talking about the one in Laconia correct? I can say the same good things about their branch in Hooksett as well!!

Just this past weekend my Polaris Ranger was in need of some quick servicing. Dropped it off Monday afternoon and told Kurt at the service counter I really needed it back for the upcoming weekend and authorized overnight air charges for any parts required. Long story short, I picked it up today at lunch fully serviced, ready to go and then some. They also fixed an exhaust leak I was unaware of as well as other minor things while they had it. I have been having service done there for years now on my snowmobiles and Rangers without a single complaint. They are fair and go out of their way to ensure you are happy!

Kudos to HK Powersports Service Department!!

Dan

[Rattlesnake Guy]

We bought our PWC at HK and have always had great experience with them. They make the winterizing process smooth enough that Celia does the entire process without anything from me. They take the trailer off the truck for her and put it on later after her shopping outing. I never get the call that they want to do anything extra. Great place. We have mostly used the Hookset location.

[pcmc]

This type of info is great, and much appreciated.

Could you give the address of both locations. As of now I'm just a dreamer hopeing to some day enjoy snowmobiling and boating in N.H. with my family. We were able to buy a home in Suissevale a few years back, but the economy hasn't been so nice, (and plus recently a back injury) so the big boy toys are on hold for now.
With such a beautiful area and all that the regeion has to offer we feel we aren't missing a thing. Its me with the itch and wanting to share the experiences with the family...some day.

[Rattlesnake Guy]

HK Powersports Hooksett
1354 Hooksett Rd. EXIT 9N OFF 93 Hooksett NH 03106
Phone: 603-668-4343 Fax: 603-668-7785

http://www.hkphooksett.com/

HK Powersports Laconia
1197 Union Avenue Laconia NH 03246
Phone: (603) 524-0100 Fax: (603) 528-5659

http://www.hkplaconia.com/

[RLW]

HK Powersports Tilton
35 Tilton Road, Tilton, NH 03276
603-286-8800 and Fax 603-286-2016

www.hkptilton.com

[chipj29]

I am a frequent customer at HK in Hooksett, and I can tell you that I have had nothing but great experiences with them.

In fact, 2 falls ago I bought a new Ski Doo from them. I received a survery from BRP in the mail. Questions asked about the sale, salesman, etc. I answered all of the questions with the best grade possible. Or so I thought. One of the last questions was "would you buy from them again". For some reason unbeknownst to me, my response was NO. A few weeks later I got a call from the General Manager. He asked me how my experience was, etc. I told him everything was great. Then he asked "so why did you state on the survery that I would not buy from them again"? Big time OOOPS on my part. I must have mis-read the question, or something.

I was glad that they followed up with me to clarify my responses.

[hilltopper]

Is their labor rate still $80/hour? I had no complaints with the service I received when I needed help with the ATV but that labor rate really puts a hurting on the wallet.

[sunsationdave]

I'm hearing HK is closing the tilton store. And moving everything to laconia.
They will be selling ski doos there. That is great news. I will be ordering my new sled from them as I have a place in paugus bay .

[WINNOCTURN]

Brian sounds like a great guy when it comes to service.

Many years ago I had "Laconia Kawasaki", "LK" back then, rebuild a Primary Clutch on my Polaris 500. It came back worse than it went in. That started me wondering how difficult is it to do the Clutches yourself? It really is not that hard with the right tools or if you can "invent" the right tool.

But now on a positive note does anyone know where "Andy" is these days. Miss the Friday night gabfests. If you know what I mean here you are showing your age.

WINNOCTURN

[GTO]

Originally Posted by sunsationdave

I'm hearing HK is closing the tilton store. And moving everything to laconia.
They will be selling ski doos there. That is great news. I will be ordering my new sled from them as I have a place in paugus bay .

Is this rumor or fact? If true, do you know when they are closing?

[RLW]

Originally Posted by WINNOCTURN

Brian sounds like a great guy when it comes to service.

Many years ago I had "Laconia Kawasaki", "LK" back then, rebuild a Primary Clutch on my Polaris 500. It came back worse than it went in. That started me wondering how difficult is it to do the Clutches yourself? It really is not that hard with the right tools or if you can "invent" the right tool.

But now on a positive note does anyone know where "Andy" is these days. Miss the Friday night gabfests. If you know what I mean here you are showing your age.

WINNOCTURN

Who was the service manager many years ago? Was it Chris as I'm sure Brian wasn't there as he took over when Chris went to Tilton didn't he???

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by hilltopper

Is their labor rate still $80/hour? I had no complaints with the service I received when I needed help with the ATV but that labor rate really puts a hurting on the wallet.

Yes the labor rates are high, but... The reality is that in this day and age with all that overhead, salaries, I really doubt they could survive on less. All that good service comes at a price. These guys were there on Friday until after 9pm last week. Brian and his family seem as hard working as it gets. They even stayed open late the day I was considering buying a new sled. I held them up until 3:30 on a saturday when they were supposed to close at 3:00pm. Now I know what you are going to say, "The should have cuz you were a potential sale." The reality was I told the girl that it was a long shot and I doubted I'd be buying the sled. In the end I walked away. There was ZERO pressure from them to buy...

Which brings me to the day I bought my current sled two years ago. They were awesome to deal with. Back then it happened to be a Saturday and they stayed open for over and hour and a half longer than they had to. My brother and law and I bought a pair of sleds and drove them off the lot. They stayed late to register, check them over, add the oil, pull off the price tags, walk us through the buttons and such and waved as we drove off. It must have been after 5pm on a Saturday and they close at like 3pm.

So I've had great luck and thought it was due that I share it with the forum.

[pcmc]

Thanks Everyone,
Wow you have all answered every question before I even had a chance to ask.

[TiltonBB]

About 10 years ago I took an Yamaha LS 2000 jet boat in to HK on a Saturday because one engine wouldn't start. I had bought the boat in Long Island because HK had sold what they had available and couldn't get any more of that model. Where I bought it didn't make a difference to them!

The service manager was head first in the engine compartment working on it within 15 minutes of my arrival. When closing time came he didn't even blink. An hour after he was supposed to go home he had it running and the bill was very reasonable.

Since that time I have bought several jet skis and snomobiles through them. I have also had them sell snomobiles on consignment. Every transaction has been a pleasure and they have been fantastic to do business with. They are a family owned and run business that is very involved in local events and charities.

The bottom line is: They are good, honest people who know how to treat a customer and they are great to deal with.

[hazelnut]

Went over this morning to HK to pick up my sled from service. I brought my 7 year old boy with me. He wanted to sit on every single machine in the showroom and he told me that HK Powersports is the best playground he's ever gone to.

Anyway, I was thanked numerous times for my posts here on the forum. They were very appreciative of the nice comments from all of the follow up posts. Bottom line is that this is a family that takes pride in their business. They know that it is impossible to please everyone but for them it is nice to hear that they have happy customers.

For a company that essentially has a monopoly on the Powersports business in the lakes region, they sure don't act that way. Their customer service is excellent.

FYI - the past two times Brian quoted me an estimate he has come in way below that estimate. I'm not saying that will happen to you but it was much appreciated.

[RLW]

hazelnut, was Bentley there to get patted????

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by RLW

hazelnut, was Bentley there to get patted????

No Bummer

[Reilly]

Andy is at MB Tractor Tilton

[Winnisquamguy]

Originally Posted by Reilly

Andy is at MB Tractor Tilton

Delete.....

[jr616]

HK was so great to me when I was in the purchasing process of a new bike. Even advised to on how to get the best deal for the bike I was done with. Lisa called to tell me over the winter when they got in a trade or that she only had a few leftovers left . . . we really became friends during the process. In the end I bought a Yamaha 1300 touring and love it.
Lisa and the sales and parts crew are the best! They always have great suggestions and ideas. And parts arrive when promised.
I even called her to ask about a bike my husband was buying off craigslist (we weren't sure if it was a good deal or not - it was) - they are so knowledgeable!
Service has stayed late for us too in the summer - as we don't usually get up to the lake until late on a Friday. Inspections, oil changes, accessories, troubleshooting - - - exceptional!
We are hoping to acquire a 4-wheeler in the spring and will go straight to HK!
Highly recommend!

[Smith Point]

Last weekend we were out on the sleds and when we filled up with gas I noticed that there was little to no 2 stroke oil in the reservoir, made it back to the camps no problem, but it was 3:01 on Saturday and HK (in Laconia) closes at 3:00 and they are closed no Sunday and Monday, that means no snowmobiling for the rest of the weekend and we were heading back home on Tuesday, thank god they picked up, took my credit card info and left the oil in the secret spot out back. Stopped by on Tuesday to thank them and they had a sale on helmets, picked up 2 HJC helmets with graphics worth $229 each and paid 84.99 each. Grate service, Grate deals! HK saved the weekend and the kid’s actually have helmets that fit. Two thumbs up.

[Belmont Resident]

It is good to hear HK is trying to change their image. We however have not had good experiences with them.
We own 3 snowmobiles, 3 ATV’s and a KLR 650 motorcycle, none of these have been purchased from HK or will ever see their dealerships. They tend to treat those with money differently than us average Joes. We cannot afford to pay the 90 and hour labor rate with a service department that has gone down hill since the early 2000’s.
Their customer service we feel is terrible (unless you have money) with the owner and his son in law being the worst. Maybe that’s why they shipped him to the Tilton store.
Around Laconia you still see the occasional truck sporting HK sells lemons and I still here the reports of service gone bad.
If they are trying to change their image great, but they have a long way to go before they gain the trust of those of us who live in this area. There are a lot of people who used to swear by them back in the day when Dennis and Rick used to be a part of their team.
Also HK does not own a monopoly in this area, there are many other dealerships within a 50 mile radius, not to mention the local repair shops which are usually 25 or more cheaper on labor rates.
Laconia Motorbike is an absolute pleasure to deal with, charges a reasonable rate and although he might not have the same turn around because he is a one man show, I deal with him full knowing this ahead of time.
Funny I didn't notice any local residents giving praise.
Good luck in your dealings with them.

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

It is good to hear HK is trying to change their image. We however have not had good experiences with them.
We own 3 snowmobiles, 3 ATV’s and a KLR 650 motorcycle, none of these have been purchased from HK or will ever see their dealerships. They tend to treat those with money differently than us average Joes. We cannot afford to pay the 90 and hour labor rate with a service department that has gone down hill since the early 2000’s.
Their customer service we feel is terrible (unless you have money) with the owner and his son in law being the worst. Maybe that’s why they shipped him to the Tilton store.
Around Laconia you still see the occasional truck sporting HK sells lemons and I still here the reports of service gone bad.
If they are trying to change their image great, but they have a long way to go before they gain the trust of those of us who live in this area. There are a lot of people who used to swear by them back in the day when Dennis and Rick used to be a part of their team.
Also HK does not own a monopoly in this area, there are many other dealerships within a 50 mile radius, not to mention the local repair shops which are usually 25 or more cheaper on labor rates.
Laconia Motorbike is an absolute pleasure to deal with, charges a reasonable rate and although he might not have the same turn around because he is a one man show, I deal with him full knowing this ahead of time.
Funny I didn't notice any local residents giving praise.
Good luck in your dealings with them.

I can assure you that I do not have money. That one stuck me pretty good. I wish I owned 3 snowmobiles an ATV and a motorcycle. I am fortunate to have the one I own. I have never indicated to them that I have $. I did buy my sled from them 2 years ago. At the time it was a year and a half old leftover. It is an 07 and I bought it in January 09.

Anyway. I am sorry that your dealings were not up to par with them. I really have no stake in this. I had a VERY positive experience and I wanted to share it. I can't speak of the Tilton or Hooksett stores as I have never been there. All I can say is that Brian and the service department were excellent to deal with. This is my direct experience.

Maybe it's time you give them a shot again?

[GTO]

Originally Posted by hazelnut

I can assure you that I do not have money. That one stuck me pretty good. I wish I owned 3 snowmobiles an ATV and a motorcycle. I am fortunate to have the one I own. I have never indicated to them that I have $. I did buy my sled from them 2 years ago. At the time it was a year and a half old leftover. It is an 07 and I bought it in January 09.

Anyway. I am sorry that your dealings were not up to par with them. I really have no stake in this. I had a VERY positive experience and I wanted to share it. I can't speak of the Tilton or Hooksett stores as I have never been there. All I can say is that Brian and the service department were excellent to deal with. This is my direct experience.

Maybe it's time you give them a shot again?

We bought our Seadoo GTX there a couple of years ago. I forget the name of the salesman but he was great. We checked all the dealerships around including one in Billerica, Irwins (never again), Dasilvas. HK in Tilton gave us the best deal on machine and accessories. No pressure from the salesman at all and always returned our calls promptly. The 1st week we had the machine we had trouble with the programmable key causing the machine to stall. We called service to explain and Chris was there the next day at our house with his laptop programming a new key for us. Keep in mind, we live in Meredith. With service like that, I'll pay a little extra.

[chipj29]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

It is good to hear HK is trying to change their image. We however have not had good experiences with them.
We own 3 snowmobiles, 3 ATV’s and a KLR 650 motorcycle, none of these have been purchased from HK or will ever see their dealerships. They tend to treat those with money differently than us average Joes. We cannot afford to pay the 90 and hour labor rate with a service department that has gone down hill since the early 2000’s.
Their customer service we feel is terrible (unless you have money) with the owner and his son in law being the worst. Maybe that’s why they shipped him to the Tilton store.
Around Laconia you still see the occasional truck sporting HK sells lemons and I still here the reports of service gone bad.
If they are trying to change their image great, but they have a long way to go before they gain the trust of those of us who live in this area. There are a lot of people who used to swear by them back in the day when Dennis and Rick used to be a part of their team.
Also HK does not own a monopoly in this area, there are many other dealerships within a 50 mile radius, not to mention the local repair shops which are usually 25 or more cheaper on labor rates.
Laconia Motorbike is an absolute pleasure to deal with, charges a reasonable rate and although he might not have the same turn around because he is a one man show, I deal with him full knowing this ahead of time.
Funny I didn't notice any local residents giving praise.
Good luck in your dealings with them.

I only own 2 snowmobiles, a PWC and an old motorcycle, so I must have less money than you. By your logic, I should be getting worse customer service than you. However, it seems the opposite is true.

[The Big Kahuna]

Originally Posted by Belmont Resident

It is good to hear HK is trying to change their image. We however have not had good experiences with them.
We own 3 snowmobiles, 3 ATV’s and a KLR 650 motorcycle, none of these have been purchased from HK or will ever see their dealerships. They tend to treat those with money differently than us average Joes. We cannot afford to pay the 90 and hour labor rate with a service department that has gone down hill since the early 2000’s.
Their customer service we feel is terrible (unless you have money) with the owner and his son in law being the worst. Maybe that’s why they shipped him to the Tilton store.
Around Laconia you still see the occasional truck sporting HK sells lemons and I still here the reports of service gone bad.
If they are trying to change their image great, but they have a long way to go before they gain the trust of those of us who live in this area. There are a lot of people who used to swear by them back in the day when Dennis and Rick used to be a part of their team.
Also HK does not own a monopoly in this area, there are many other dealerships within a 50 mile radius, not to mention the local repair shops which are usually 25 or more cheaper on labor rates.
Laconia Motorbike is an absolute pleasure to deal with, charges a reasonable rate and although he might not have the same turn around because he is a one man show, I deal with him full knowing this ahead of time.
Funny I didn't notice any local residents giving praise.
Good luck in your dealings with them.

I bet you you only shop at Walmart for everything else!

[hazelnut]

Originally Posted by chipj29

I only own 2 snowmobiles, a PWC and an old motorcycle, so I must have less money than you. By your logic, I should be getting worse customer service than you. However, it seems the opposite is true.

No offense to Belmont Resident intended here just having some fun but... I wanna be an "Average Joe" if it means I can have all those toys!!

[Shreddy]

There's a lot of support and negative posts about HK hovering around the internet. I think the point is, don't be scared to speak up for yourself and let them tell you what you need to do. Seems like they can take advantage of people who have money and might not know as much about the sport.

[SIKSUKR]

Originally Posted by Shreddy

. Seems like they can take advantage of people who have money and might not know as much about the sport.

That might explain post 23.

[Winnisquamguy]

Another local repair place that fixes snowmobiles, and pwc is

Mark's Adrenaline Motor Sports
1015 Laconia Rd
Tilton, NH 03276-5335
603-682-3550

His prices are a lot better than HK and he has a lot of parts in stock.

He is on the south side of Mosquito Bridge.

[MAXUM]

Originally Posted by Shreddy

There's a lot of support and negative posts about HK hovering around the internet. I think the point is, don't be scared to speak up for yourself and let them tell you what you need to do. Seems like they can take advantage of people who have money and might not know as much about the sport.

This is true, but there are also alot of people out there that find the dumbest things to complain about or figure that no matter where they go they are entitled to some sort of deal. If people are that ignorant about what they are doing to suggest they are being taken advantage of, what makes them the expert they are being taken for a ride?

HK guys are pretty good, have helped me out several times, on occasion I'll get a price break on parts most of the time I don't, but that's OK they need to be able to keep the doors open too. The ironic thing is I'm friends with several of the guys there so it goes to show they treat everyone the same.

To Belmont Resident: That 90 dollar and hour shop rate, do you realize how much of that goes to keep the shop open? The enormous and dare I say ridiculous state and federal regulations, fees and permits necessary to have an operation like that is the reason why they have to charge so much. Plus their techs have to be trained by the factory on a regular basis, that's not free and paid for by the dealers. Yeah there are other places that may be able to to the work for less money but cheaper doesn't necessarily mean better. If you really want stuff done right learn how to do it yourself, it's much cheaper and fun too.

[TiltonBB]

You can shop for the cheapest labor rate out there but you never know what you are getting.

If something expensive goes wrong with their repair do they have insurance?

If something is seriously wrong with your machine are the people working on it backed and trained by the factory?

If there are any problems or recalls for your snomobile or watercraft does the little guy know it?

There are times when the cheapest deal is not always the best deal. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

I have been, and will be, an HK fan for many years. They treat their customers like friends and family and go the distance to help people. I have bought and sold many things through them and I have always been comfortable with every transaction at HK.

First class sometimes costs a little more but there is a sense of security when you go first class. HK is first class!

[ronc4424]

I also have nothing but good things to say about HK Powersports. I have purchased two Yamaha jet boats in the past and used their service dept. for all repairs and winterizing.
I have their Tilton service dept. do all the repairs on my wifes trike and my bike ( both Hondas ). There not the cheapest in the area but I like having a honda certified mechanic repairing and using OEM PARTS ( and being from Ma I also enjoy not paying any taxes ).
That being said, I believe that you usally get what you pay for. I learned a long time ago that if you don't have anything nice to say about someone or something don't say anything,