Motorcycle Adventure, Day 28, -1
I think it will take me a couple of days to get out of the routine of making my evening post. I have been home a little over 24 hours, but I feel compelled to make a few comments regarding this adventure. First, but most importantly, I cannot adequately express my appreciation and gratitude to everyone that made a comment to this thread. I read the entire thing once again this morning and it made my eyes sweat. Very few of you know me from the man in the moon, but I can’t tell you how grateful I was to read your words of encouragement while this trip was underway. As you know, this was a “lone wolf” trip and I have some regrets that I did not share it with someone that would appreciate the bounty of this country with me. For those HDT members I was able to meet along the way: Retired Jake, Jim B and Chopper, although our time together was limited, I feel as though you are as close as any family member. I have to thank my lovely bride for not squealing about how long I was gone or who is supposed to cut the grass etc. Needless to say, Dave Pettigrew, my computer wizard brother in law, made a masterpiece website documenting this adventure based on my daily posts.
If anyone on HDT is affiliated with the MoCo, let me say this: I visited numerous dealerships and they ranged from exceptional to pitiful. Carson City Harley Davidson, Carson City Nevada and D&S Harley Davidson, Medford, Oregon stand out as exceptional. I have figured out the lowest common denominator! Both owners were on the premises and took a personal interest in what was going on. I visited many dealerships housed in multi-million dollar facilities with multi-million dollars in inventory on multi million dollar pieces of prime property. I was invariably ignored. I must concede, I looked like a bum on a filthy bike loaded down with what appeared to be camping gear. As they say, don’t judge a book by its cover. I ain’t a bum and my credit card limit was unknown to them. I wanted to buy the missus a souvenir t-shirt from out west, but I declined to part with my money at the places that looked down their nose at me, doom on them!
I didn’t mention this while the trip was ongoing, because it was insignificant at the time. It is now going to be an issue and it will be interesting to see how it pans out. While going through Arkansas, I stopped at a rest area to clean the bugs off the windshield and get a drink of water. I unlocked the left saddlebag to get my water, took a drink and wetted down the micro fiber cloth I used to clean the windshield. When I went to close the lid, it wouldn’t close. After fooling with it for a while I realized the lock had malfunctioned and I couldn’t get the key in it as the slot for the protrusion on the key was half way between the two indentations in the lock. I took the locking tab off the lock in order to close the lid, but I was unable to lock the lid for the rest of the trip. Today I took the lock to my local dealer and asked for a new one. No problem, $54. I can’t get a replacement lock for just the left saddlebag, they come in pairs. I said fine, the bike is under extended warranty, order me a pair of locks. They said fine, but there is a $50 deductible and we have to install it. I said you ain’t installing it, it is a five minute job and I’m not bringing the bike in or taking the bag off and leaving it here while you do it. I paid the $54, got some S-100 cleaner, formula plus and went on my way. The lock should be here in a week. I intend to contact the Harley Davidson warranty department or marketing department. There is no reason a saddlebag lock, that has seldom been used prior to this trip, should catastrophically malfunction. There is also no reason I should have to buy two locks when only one is broken. I didn’t have to buy two tires when only one was worn out. 54 bucks, after the multiple thousands that this trip cost, is not the issue, it is the principle of the matter. If the “powers that be” at MoCo are astute, they will make note of this adventure as well as others, noting the power of free and “first hand” experience advertising. Harley Davidson prides itself on appealing to those who yearn for the open road…why not capitalize on the adventures of those who have taken a chance and fulfilled a dream. While this experience upon my return was somewhat disappointing, it does not diminish the pride in my accomplishment and the connections made along the way. Hopefully MoCo will live up to their reputation and step up and do the right thing for one of their customers.
