So I went to my closest dealer tonight(I know it was going to be painful)...

I have a clunk, in my front end... not sure if its the clunk, but i did look at the washer and its a thin one, with 1 side bent up around the stem nut.

So according to my research that means that this Bulletin has not been applied right?

I ask the lady at the service desk, and of course she needs the vin, i give it to her, and she cant find any thing except a ecm recalibration... (good to know) so I try and explain about this bulletin, I even show her a print out about it, and I get no place, so needless to say she says bring it in and have the service manager look at it, its under warrenty...

So I am, but its not the point, its not exactly easy for me to get to a dealer, and i know they dont have the washer in stock so I went to the parts guy and ordered part 45740-07 for 6.90 or something, but how can I get it into these peoples heads about this bulletin, and why it doesnt show for my vin.. If they could only think outside the box.

I know I shouldnt even take it back there, but it shouldnt be this hard to get a known issue fixed(should it)???


any advise?

Thanks, Eric

 

I don't believe bulletins if this nature show up using the VIN check procedure dealers use, because it's not a required service/recall/upgrade.

I may be mistaken, but my understanding is this type of bulletin is sent to dealerships as an FYI in case a customer comes in complaining about whatever issue it may address (a front end clunk in this case).

It's possible the particular folks you dealt with weren't aware of the bulletin. Or maybe the dealership in general just doesn't have their sh*t together and has no procedure in place to reference bulletins when dealing with customer issues.

Try working with the service manager. Fax him your paperwork and maybe he'll get things lined up for you with out any further hassle. If that doesn't work, I'd go to the owner. That usually takes care of BS at my local dealer.

 

My local dealer gave me the same BS but I talked to the service manager and they agreed to replace the washer under warranty. When I got my bike back clunk was still there. Took it to a dealer thirty miles away and they said the fall away needed adjusting. They fixed the problem and now I go 30 miles and give them all of my business.

 

I was changing the triple trees on my 06 and replaced the washer when I did this work. It cured "the clunk".

A friend has the same bike as me and was experiencing "the clunk". I provided him a copy of the service bulletin which he took to the dealer. They agreed to perform the work on his bike. He got it back and still experienced the clunk, but worse. He was fiddling and put his hand on the chrome stem nut cover and discovered he could remove it by hand. Once he did this, he continued fiddling and discovered he could also remove the stem nut by hand. This is the large 1 1/2" nut which holds the front end together and was just torqued to 70-80 ft/lbs by a trained and certified Harley technician.

Buy the service kit and a service manual and do it yourself.

 

Yea, I have a better dealer a bit further away, i'll have to either go there, or do it myself.

I know the lady saw I was fuming, it shouldn't be this hard to get something fixed, especially when a customer brings in a real service bulletin.

I will probably ride up friday, get whatever this ecm calibration done, perhaps the stage 1 download, and see what they do.

I plan on putting on my forwards this weekend anyway, I can replace a washer, its the fall away id have to read up on.

Makes me realize one again, where i should be taking my bike if i want factory service done and it isnt this dealer...

Good thing is im almost at my 1k service, I can put it in and take it to a better dealer and make sure they do the fallaway, and torque it correctly..

end of rant, thanks all.

 

I'm fitting some fatbob trees to my 07 streetbob, I'll change to the new washer at the same time. The old washer was bent to lock the stem nut, how does the thicker washer lock the stem nut to stop it working loose? and what's the new torque setting ?
I have already got the washer. I know now, that I should have got the service part No that comes with the new instructions.

 

The new washer doesn't bend lioke the old one. The additional torque on the hardened washer is suppose to keep everything at specs. Adjust the fallaway, then torque the stem nut to 70 - 80 ft/lbs and you should be good to go.

 

The service bulletin you refer to is M-1215B applicable to 06-07 Dynas and 08 and below WG models using kit # 45740-07 and installed using INST. -J04469 at .4 hours for the job under warranty. Indicators are loose steering head and the clunk you spoke of. There is no applicable VIN listing, only the year affected. I don't see the problem here as they said they would check it out. Did you make an appointment before you went in or just expected them to take it right then and there?

 

I stopeed in in my truck, in the rain trying to make an appointment, which they would not.

Just stop in was what they said, and when I checked with parts they did not have it in stock. Yes, I had to check parts, aparently it was too hard for the service people to do.

What I expected was for them to acknoledge the bulliten, check parts and confirm stock, then to make an appointment, when they had the parts and time to address the issue.

I was not expecting a immediate fix, but a simple yes we can take care of that, let me order the parts and we will call you to set up an appointment when we have it.


not to say stop in, we will look at it, then, either torque the original washer, or make me come back after they ordered the part.

perhaps that is expecting too much, but to simply tell me because its not on my vin it isnt applicable to my bike even after I showed them the bulliten just seems unacceptable to me,

perhaps I expect too much?

 

When I took mine in two months ago the dealer was not aware of the tech service bulletin either. When I mentioned it the service manager looked at me like I had a third eye and said that I should just bring the bike in and let them take a look. They took a look and found that the service bulletin applied, but they needed to order the part. I was a little pissed because if they would have just listened in the first place they could have order the part ahead of time and I would not have wasted two trips to the dealer. I try to not hold it against them because I can only imagine all the crazy **** people come up with when talking to them.