Does anyone know if it voids the warranty if I have my bike's 1000-mile service performed by anyone besides the Harley dealership?

 

Nope, if he follows all the steps in the shop service manual for the model and year, and can produce documentation that he's done so....you could do it yourself if you're mechanically inclined, and can produce receipts for required 1000 mile maintenance actions (oil, filters, gaskets). Most people photocopy the 1000 mile required service sheet in the shop manual, and check off the items as they go. You might even end up with a better maintained bike, depending on how faithfully your indy or dealership actually performs the required actions. All sorts of horror stories out there on this subject.

 

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated. I have a friend who is a superb mechanic, and he'll do it for a fraction of the price the dealership charges -- and I know he'll do it right.

 

Unfortunatly we have no idea other than there word that these things have gotten checked out. I know enough not to trust them having worked in the industry in the past. That goes for cars as well as motorcycles.

 

nope...even if you do the service...if you keep the receipts for the gear that you buy the dealership will normally take that. I would talk to the dealership closest to you though because the service manager of each store normally makes the call and even though you would think it would be an open and shut decision it normally has a lot to do with how they fell about the servicing process.

good luck and keep the shiny side up.

 

Since I picked up my bike, the only time the dealership see's it is when I'm parked outside. Otherwise, only my indy and I touch my ride. Same goes for four-wheeled vehicles, just make sure you document everything. Keep copies, and be organized.

 

I'm having my friend who is factory certified do the work on my next inspection.

That way I trust the work and my money goes to more than just dealership overhead with a few bucks to the "technician".

 

That's the only dealbreaker on your warranty that they could hit you with....as long as he is Harley certified and you have your documents signed you'll never have problems with warranty issues. I had all my stuff done and put in the owners manual and signed by my Indy every time with his certificate info.

 

Several years ago, a guy I knew took his new 'Vette in because it was acting up. The Service Writer at the Dealership told him it was because he had installed a K&N Filter that had destroyed the Mass Air Flow Sensor and the warranty wouldn't cover it. He said something about the cotton in the filter coming loose and ruining the MAF wire -- Whatever.

So the guy fires off a letter to K&N. K&N writes back and asks for the Service Writer's name and the name of the Service Manager. K&N calls the dealership and basically gets an "F-off" from them. So K&N sent a tech to look at the car and determines that there was no way it was the fault of their air filter.

Within about two weeks, K&N filed a Federal Lawsuit against the Dealer and named General Motors as a co-defendent.

You never saw much fur fly in your life. Within a couple days, GM itself (the Big Boys) had a tech at the Dealership and asked the guy to bring his new 'Vette in. The GM tech determined that it was simply a bad MAF Sensor and ordered the Dealership to replace it and to make it really easy on the customer. They sent a guy to pick it up when the part came in, gave him a nice loaner car, detailed it while it was in the shop. Treated him good.

By the end of that week, the Service Writer and the Service Manager were terminated and within a year the Dealership had been sold. I suspect the owner was 'encouraged' to do so. Besides, that particular instance wasn't the only time that Dealership had run afoul of ethical business standards. They got busted for false advertising as well. Something about a free cruise with the purchase of a new car. The Locals got 'em for that.

Dealerships that deny warranty work are brain dead, IMO. They need to seriously have firm ground to stand on before they start denying warranty work. They are NOT the Factory, they are simply agents for the Factory. They merely represent the Factory. That's all.

If you do your own work and keep receipts of what you bought, the dealership should have no interest in denying warranty work. None. Why should they? If they do, they're sending money down the road. Not real bright, IMO.

 

I did mine myself and it took ALOT less time and a hell of alot less money. it is very simple. just keep your receipts and use the approved fluids. the fluids will void the warrenty. the guys at the dealership told me this. even if you go with the Harley brand oils, you still save a little over 300 bucks.