I have a ’05 Road King Classic. 19,700 miles on it. I had it in the dealer for the 15,000 mile service only about 6 months ago. With the winter season I didn’t ride much, and when I noticed lately the bike was a bit wobbly coming to a stop, I brought it in for it's scheduled 20,000 mile service early (19,600). Anyway, they are telling me that my rear wheel spokes are loose and unable to be ‘trued’. I’ll need a new wheel. The dealer said they called the MoCo about warranty on the wheel, but the rep said that “due to the excessive mileage”, the wheel isn’t covered. I called the MoCo myself and asked them, but they said that once they’ve given their decision it’s final. My only option is to have dealer file paperwork for a ‘review board’ and hope they do something.
My question(s) is/are – do I bother? It’s going to be $400 for the wheel, plus install. That’s a lot of money on top of the cost of the servicing. Do you think that the wheel should be covered? Are spoked wheels only supposed to last 20,000 miles? I don't really think I was riding on 'bad spokes' too long. Aren’t the techs supposed to check them each servicing? Can the spokes go that bad that fast? I honestly don’t know the answers and don’t want to raise a fuss before asking around. Any help or opinions would be appreciated – Thanks!
Ps. both the dealer and the MoCo themselves have been very professional and polite through this so far - just not agreeing with me [>:]

 

I have a hard time seeing the professionalism in a moco rep saying 20,000 miles
is excessivefor a wheel.[sm=WTFsgign.gif]


Sorry if I am no help.

 

who has been doing the tire changes during this time? They should have checked the wheel assy each and every tire change. Advised and trued the wheel during the balance. You also should have been inspecting the bike each and every time you detailed the bike. plunk the laces and listen to the sound. By the way, it's BS that they can't repair the wheel. What they mean to say; we don't have anyone that knows how to do it. Find another dealer.

 

That sounds like a crock to me.If your warranty is still in effect they should fix it.These crooks **** me off[:@]

 

IMO,I thinkthe techs should check the spokes at each service.Now do they do this ,I dont know.Did you ask the dealer if they did?
Sounds like the spokes were not checked and they loosened up over time.Since you brought your bike in for regular sched. services Ithink the dealer should be doing something about it.

Is checking the spokes one of the items to be checked according to the maintinance shcedule?

Spoke wheels can last a lot longer than 20K if maintained.

 

Spokes should be checked every time you had it in for service. The only think that will cause spokes to loosen at once is if you hit something and bent the rim. Why can't it be trued? Nipples rusted on spokes or bent wheel are the only things I can think of that make a rim untrue able.
I was a metric mechanic for over 30 years and have laced hundred's of wheels. George[sm=groupwave.gif]

 

At the service intervals the tech SHOULD check the spokes, running a screwdriver handle over them to "listen" for a dud only takes a few seconds.

Actually using a spoke torque wrench takes much more time.

Either way a tech should look at the spokes at service time.
YOU pay for that service and IF it fails it's their fault not yours.

Now for the wheel.
Not seeing it I cannot make a determination as to its condition.
BUT loose spokes, to the point where you could physically move a gang of spokes WILL wallow out the hub holes, spoke bends and rim seating holeswhich would not make it possible to get an accurate torque reading, not to mention weakening the hub holes.

Here's MY 411 on whay went wrong:
I drag race with spoke wheels, so I think I abuse my wheels far more than you do riding on the street. I have never needed to re torque the rim in many many many miles since new.
IF the spokes were maintained from the start then they should not mysteriously loosen.

I race dirt bikes and the abuse the wheels see, from jumping and powering through woops puts an extreme stress on the rim spokes and hub. Sure they loosen but once properly seated, torqued and broken in rarely need further adjustment.


You have a beef with your dealer on the wheel.....hopefully he/she steps up and handles it better than the techs did your spokes.

Good luck

 

spoked wheels will last a looong time . I'd go to a differnet dealer

 

I have spoked my own wheels (1948 panhead) and rode it 17 years after that. They are full of sh*&.

 

Thanks for the replies so far. I thought it all sounded kinda fishy. I am taking the day off work to go to the dealer today and see 'what's what'. I'll keep you posted on what's going on.