For item #1...I had good luck so my experience was obviously not the same as yours.
For item #2...if you mean Triumph ones, see #1 for me, other than that my dealer pretty much ordered me anything I wanted (and at a discount...this was before I worked there) and if they couldn't get it (for whatever reason) I went online and bought it my own self.
For item #3...while that is recommended, as long as you have receipts for the correct fluids and can reasonably swing a wrench you could have done it yourself. Any motorcycle shop will tell you to let them do the maintenance...they are trying to stay in business and meet their overhead to stay in business to meet your "future" needs...but you don't have to let them. Besides after the initial 500 mile service on the Rocket you get to go up to 10,000 miles before the next oil change/service interval.
As for getting an HD Electra Glide Ultra Limited, I gave those ideas up when I got my first Gold Wing...there is no, and I mean no comparison. As I have mentioned before on this board if Harley ever decides to make that bike or any of their other "tourer" models with a water cooled engine...I just might get interested, but air cooled as they are, you get hot enough on the Rocket and it is water cooled, the Harley....fuggadidaboudit...no torque, no listed HP...just the image and "tradition"....I'll take Triumph any day over that....but it is your money...you are going to be the one riding it. And if you can enjoy it....more power to you...you'll just be riding slower than the rest of us...but speed isn't everything...you have to be happy so do what you gotta do.
Dennis
08 dtg KAF
12 dtg Dubai
13 dtg Home
34 dtg Ray's