KingHeritage
Junior Member
Just to echo what everyone else has been saying...glad you're still here,get well soon and good luck!
Bad Crash and H.O.G. Roadside Assistance
- Thread starter Vibratinharley
- Start date
Vibratinharley
Junior Member
Wow, 212 days since posted. I finally got my ride back and it has been a nightmare. I just knew it wouldn't be right even though I was told by dealership " we have done lots of jobs like this and your bike will be like new".
So, I go to pick bike up from dealership after receiving notice that bike was all done and ready for a good ride. I get to dealership and see that there is a bill for $900 more than what the newly added on chrome front end cost. I had to go over the bill and had them remove cost of stock front end that they were still charging me for and stock muffler ( I dropped off set of pythons) as no sense in paying 300+ dollars for a stock pipe that most dealerships throw away . Bill is fixed now and I start going over bike. I go to start bike and it starts right up but all guages are dead and no neutral light and oil pressure at 0 . The only gauge working is temp guage that i installed. They found fuse blown. they replaced fuse and it popped immediately. I was annoyed as I was assured bike was ready to go. I ended up waiting 4 hours while they took bike apart to find shorted wire. They never found the short but they fixed it when they pulled on wires for auxilliary switch housing. It stopped blowing fuses . I was sure that the fix was temporary asd that bike would have same condition some day when I was out riding but I was 127 miles from home at this dealership and I did not want to leave bike and come back again as it was a long ride sio I decided to take the bike and I would just go over it when I got home. I found lots of loose untorqued hardware. Left floorboard bolts were on by one thread , right side rear fender strut bolts were loose and rear one was stripped out ( I can't believe they just left it that way) front motor mount hand tight. ( can't say how I feel on here as I can't do it without cursing) This has made me go over everything they did including checking all the critical fasteners. I removed front fairing and checked out wiring and found a bare B+ wire that was probably the cause of the short. It was wire tied very tightly to frame and was rubbed through. I am so glad I pulled it apart to check. Also, I found both fairing mounted mirrors ( I didn't like stem mirrors and installed them right after I bought bike)were only hand tight and not only that but they were drilled wrong and were too close to inside hump and would never seat as surface is not level. I ended up elongating the holes to get mirrors to seat properly and tightened accordingly. Also I found The lizard lights don't work with remote control. I check out controller and find a non remote controller in place of remote one that was on bike originally. ( where did that go? as it worked after accident)
Now you see this is why I didn't want bike back and i wish they would have totaled it. I am stuck with this bike now as there is no way with the way things are in my life now to be able to take a loss and trade this for another payment as that could have catastrophic consequences and cause me financial ruin as I can barely make ends meet now and this is only thing I actually own clear title to.
I am almost done ( I have lots of catching up to do, sorry!)
I spent a week with bike on lift cleaning, checking torque and basically going over entire bike with service manual to make sure all is ok so I could feel comfortable taking bike for ride. I realized bike had no inspection sticker as it was repaired in Maryland and i reside in PA. , so I went to my favorite Cycle Stop of Norristown and picked up a chrome inspection sticker plate to install on bike as there was no way sticker was going on new chrome forks. that was ok when they were original but what I spent on them, had to have new place for sticker. This was hard to place and I ended up making a bracket to come off of where left side front floor board mounts and installed plate to bracket. It looks good. ( I will post some pics later)
I took off from work on Friday to take bike for its first ride since accident. I made appointment and took bike for it's first ride to Cycle STop of Norristown to get my favorite mechanics to inspect bike. It passed inspection fine as it only has 9000 miles on it ( they were put on first 9 months) would have been lots more if not for accident. ANyway, bike passed but I didn't. This trip was only 1/2 hour and about 12 miles of taking my time and all back roads but it hurts my back and tailbone unmercifully. I don't know what to do to fix that and was thinking of trying out the new HD road Hammock but 500 is a lot to pay for something that you have no idea if it wil work or not. 3 spinal injections in last few months, lots of pain medicine. Now using a duralgesic patch that seems to help for daily living but doesn't do anything for pain from shock from buimps in road. SO, will have to see what to do as not gonna enjoy riding bike if it hurts like this and might have to find another hobby.
OK, I am done for now( please excuse any typos and sig will be updated soon). Just wanted to share my thoughts with the people who have helped me out so much since I joined. . I hope everybody has a great Easter.
So, I go to pick bike up from dealership after receiving notice that bike was all done and ready for a good ride. I get to dealership and see that there is a bill for $900 more than what the newly added on chrome front end cost. I had to go over the bill and had them remove cost of stock front end that they were still charging me for and stock muffler ( I dropped off set of pythons) as no sense in paying 300+ dollars for a stock pipe that most dealerships throw away . Bill is fixed now and I start going over bike. I go to start bike and it starts right up but all guages are dead and no neutral light and oil pressure at 0 . The only gauge working is temp guage that i installed. They found fuse blown. they replaced fuse and it popped immediately. I was annoyed as I was assured bike was ready to go. I ended up waiting 4 hours while they took bike apart to find shorted wire. They never found the short but they fixed it when they pulled on wires for auxilliary switch housing. It stopped blowing fuses . I was sure that the fix was temporary asd that bike would have same condition some day when I was out riding but I was 127 miles from home at this dealership and I did not want to leave bike and come back again as it was a long ride sio I decided to take the bike and I would just go over it when I got home. I found lots of loose untorqued hardware. Left floorboard bolts were on by one thread , right side rear fender strut bolts were loose and rear one was stripped out ( I can't believe they just left it that way) front motor mount hand tight. ( can't say how I feel on here as I can't do it without cursing) This has made me go over everything they did including checking all the critical fasteners. I removed front fairing and checked out wiring and found a bare B+ wire that was probably the cause of the short. It was wire tied very tightly to frame and was rubbed through. I am so glad I pulled it apart to check. Also, I found both fairing mounted mirrors ( I didn't like stem mirrors and installed them right after I bought bike)were only hand tight and not only that but they were drilled wrong and were too close to inside hump and would never seat as surface is not level. I ended up elongating the holes to get mirrors to seat properly and tightened accordingly. Also I found The lizard lights don't work with remote control. I check out controller and find a non remote controller in place of remote one that was on bike originally. ( where did that go? as it worked after accident)
Now you see this is why I didn't want bike back and i wish they would have totaled it. I am stuck with this bike now as there is no way with the way things are in my life now to be able to take a loss and trade this for another payment as that could have catastrophic consequences and cause me financial ruin as I can barely make ends meet now and this is only thing I actually own clear title to.
I am almost done ( I have lots of catching up to do, sorry!)
I spent a week with bike on lift cleaning, checking torque and basically going over entire bike with service manual to make sure all is ok so I could feel comfortable taking bike for ride. I realized bike had no inspection sticker as it was repaired in Maryland and i reside in PA. , so I went to my favorite Cycle Stop of Norristown and picked up a chrome inspection sticker plate to install on bike as there was no way sticker was going on new chrome forks. that was ok when they were original but what I spent on them, had to have new place for sticker. This was hard to place and I ended up making a bracket to come off of where left side front floor board mounts and installed plate to bracket. It looks good. ( I will post some pics later)
I took off from work on Friday to take bike for its first ride since accident. I made appointment and took bike for it's first ride to Cycle STop of Norristown to get my favorite mechanics to inspect bike. It passed inspection fine as it only has 9000 miles on it ( they were put on first 9 months) would have been lots more if not for accident. ANyway, bike passed but I didn't. This trip was only 1/2 hour and about 12 miles of taking my time and all back roads but it hurts my back and tailbone unmercifully. I don't know what to do to fix that and was thinking of trying out the new HD road Hammock but 500 is a lot to pay for something that you have no idea if it wil work or not. 3 spinal injections in last few months, lots of pain medicine. Now using a duralgesic patch that seems to help for daily living but doesn't do anything for pain from shock from buimps in road. SO, will have to see what to do as not gonna enjoy riding bike if it hurts like this and might have to find another hobby.
OK, I am done for now( please excuse any typos and sig will be updated soon). Just wanted to share my thoughts with the people who have helped me out so much since I joined. . I hope everybody has a great Easter.
I don't know how to reply properly,I was hoping that when you got the bike back,it would be proper,and that you would be healed a little better,sorry things aren't working out for you.I really hope things start to go your way soon.
Happy Easter anyway!
Happy Easter anyway!
Davidw2415
Senior Member
I'm very sorry to hear of the problems you've had getting your bike fixed and also for the back problems. As far as a seat; when I bought my Sundowner Seat it was covered by the dealers 30 day satisfaction guaranty. If I hadn't been satisfied with it I could have returned for full refund as long as it was still in good condition. But it wasn't an issue; I'm very satisfied with the seat. Maybe if you want to try a different you dealer has the same return policy. I don't think I'd let them install it though' sounds like the don't know how to use a wrench.
gs34
Junior Member
I'm glad to see you back and posting to the forum again. Sorry to read about the shoddy workmanship and even worse, the problems you're having with your back.
Hopefully, you will be able to get that all straightned out and to a level that you can live with.
Unfortunately, as we all get older, we don't heal like we once did, and the process takes much longer. Give it your best shot, and do everything necessary to get as much strength and movement back as you can.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Hopefully, you will be able to get that all straightned out and to a level that you can live with.
Unfortunately, as we all get older, we don't heal like we once did, and the process takes much longer. Give it your best shot, and do everything necessary to get as much strength and movement back as you can.
Good luck, and keep us posted.
Sorry to hear about all your problems with the bike. It only goes to reinforce my feelings about most dealers and that they are in it just for the money and the job goes out the door barely finished.
I can't emphasize enough that when the dealer does a job on your bike......PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE check it over when you get it back very carefully before putting any serious miles on it, even the oil levels and condition of the oil and filter especially if it was in for a service.
This situation really doesn't surprise me with the shoddy workmanship by the dealer. I believe most times that the dealer principle doesn't even know the condition of a bike after a mechanic repairs something and this is where the problems come in. I would also make it a point to make a detailed list of the problems you found after they told you the bike was ready to pick up and have a sit down with the owner of the dealership to alert him to the kins of workmanship that the mechanics are doing. It sometimes is the only way they will find out and if some heads have to roll, so be it.
I did this at the local dealer here and the owner (who I know fairly well and he knows me and how I am) took me to the back and confronted the mechanic with the problem that they had fixed under warranty and soon after that mechanic no longer worked there. It's sad but shoddy workmanship has no place in the dealerships IMO.
I can't emphasize enough that when the dealer does a job on your bike......PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE check it over when you get it back very carefully before putting any serious miles on it, even the oil levels and condition of the oil and filter especially if it was in for a service.
This situation really doesn't surprise me with the shoddy workmanship by the dealer. I believe most times that the dealer principle doesn't even know the condition of a bike after a mechanic repairs something and this is where the problems come in. I would also make it a point to make a detailed list of the problems you found after they told you the bike was ready to pick up and have a sit down with the owner of the dealership to alert him to the kins of workmanship that the mechanics are doing. It sometimes is the only way they will find out and if some heads have to roll, so be it.
I did this at the local dealer here and the owner (who I know fairly well and he knows me and how I am) took me to the back and confronted the mechanic with the problem that they had fixed under warranty and soon after that mechanic no longer worked there. It's sad but shoddy workmanship has no place in the dealerships IMO.
threesteps
Junior Member
Not a happy story. Really hope you are able to get ole body in better shape. As frustrating as the bike's condition is, IMO getting you in top notch condition is the most important issue you face. Best of luck in that endeavor.
I think Glider gives good advice (What else is new?). It may seem we (forum members) go off too quickly (and too often?) on some Harley dealer's lack of quality service. However, the complaints are often justified. Dealer's usually charge a premium for their goods and services. IMO that alone more than justifies high expectations regarding performance. I really get hacked at having to haggle over repairs not being done, overcharges, or whatever. Enough of my ranting, hope everyone is having a good Easter.
I think Glider gives good advice (What else is new?). It may seem we (forum members) go off too quickly (and too often?) on some Harley dealer's lack of quality service. However, the complaints are often justified. Dealer's usually charge a premium for their goods and services. IMO that alone more than justifies high expectations regarding performance. I really get hacked at having to haggle over repairs not being done, overcharges, or whatever. Enough of my ranting, hope everyone is having a good Easter.
TXMikey
Junior Member
Vib,
Sorry to hear about the problems you've been having. If the repairs from the accident were not done properly, you should contact your adjuster. Your company is usually pretty good about helping people get repairs completed to their satisfaction. If the adjuster doesn't seem to be of help, ask for the supervisor, and you can ask for an estimator to meet with you on any problems.
With your back, that is a definite barrier to enjoying the ride. I had significant problems a couple of years ago, and went through the injections like you. Since having surgery, I've found strengthing the abs and back muscles go a long way to reducing/eliminating the pain.
Best of luck to you. I hope you regain the joys of riding soon.
Sorry to hear about the problems you've been having. If the repairs from the accident were not done properly, you should contact your adjuster. Your company is usually pretty good about helping people get repairs completed to their satisfaction. If the adjuster doesn't seem to be of help, ask for the supervisor, and you can ask for an estimator to meet with you on any problems.
With your back, that is a definite barrier to enjoying the ride. I had significant problems a couple of years ago, and went through the injections like you. Since having surgery, I've found strengthing the abs and back muscles go a long way to reducing/eliminating the pain.
Best of luck to you. I hope you regain the joys of riding soon.