Please hang in here, it is a long thread but I want to be clear as possible about what occurred....

Hope some of you whom have dealt with dealerships and warranty issues can give me your opinion of an exchange I had today....

I have a 2017 Limited Low that I placed just over 8000 miles on the first 10 weeks of ownership. It was delivered to me the last week of May 2017. I noticed a death wobble on the front end at low speed about 200 miles ago.

I also have Street Cannon Slip-ons and the left one started rattling when hot at around 5000 miles, I purchased them from Boardtracker HD Mail-order.

When I went to the local dealership near me I discussed replacing the rattling muffler and they said I needed to place it in the shop so they could verify it prior to replacement, I understood and had no issues with that.

So, 3 weeks ago I decided to drop her off on my way to a cruise hoping to get her back ready to go when I returned home 2 weeks later.

I asked that they check for a steering head issue causing the front end wobble, verify and fix the rattling baffle and then also check it when riding it for a vibration in long left hand sweepers you can feel through the seat, floorboards and bars thinking I may have a bearing issue.

So the bike has 8000 miles and is only 3 months old when dropped off.

I go to pick it up and they want $76 for adjusting the muffler brackets and adjusting the headset. The buzz they say is due to cupping on the rear tire. Their parts guy didn't like that I mail ordered the mufflers and thought they were on clearance with no warranty, so they would not replace them.

The guy I payed to get my bike was nobody that could help me so I decided to address it this weekend when the Service advisor I had spoken to would be there.

So this morning I call to discuss this with the Service advisor and he had no issue with me bringing in the muffler and swapping it with one he had new in the box. So far so good, no offer of returning the $17 they charged me for adjusting brackets that had nothing to do with the rattle.

I then asked why a charge for a headset adjustment and he said it is a normal maintenance and item and is checked on the 1k and 5k services.

After hanging up I grabbed the shop manual to be sure and the ONLY check/adjustment scheduled is at 50k.

When I show up at the shop and get the new pipe I then open the manual and try to get him to agree that the damn thing should not need the neck adjusted with only 8k miles and at my cost, As far as I am concerned it left the factory wrong. He said he had another 17 model that had to be adjusted for another customer as well. Blamed it on maybe grease and not being adjusted well at the factory.

I left but I am not happy, I feel that the neck should have been warrantied and I should not have to pay for them to adjust brackets that did not need adjusted.

Am I wrong here? He claims he cannot warranty a maintenance adjustment.


Anyone here have a similar experience? Anyone work in a bike shop that can tell me I am right or wrong?

This isn't about the money, and I am not going to go to the dealership to fight the issue, just more concerned about the fact they want to charge for items that should have been right leaving the factory.


Thanks.....

 

Really? I wasted 2 minutes to read this for your $76!!??

 

It isn't about the money.... it is the Principle of the maintenance practices....

 

Then you spent one more minute typing out a snarky response that helped no one. Good on you "Pal".

OP, I wouldn't be happy with the charge but just go with it unless you feel like talking to the owner. Sucks but it's chump change considering.

Some service departments will work hard to earn future work and not charge you for something that clearly should have been covered under warranty, and some service departments want 76 bucks. I wouldn't grace their doors again...

 

Lol..... it's $76. If the bike is good, then all good.

 

Do you bring food into a restaurant and ask them to cook if for you for free?

You're always going to get better service if you buy your bike and parts from your servicing dealer. If you go somewhere else for a better deal, you're dealer isn't going to cut you any slack.

 

It wasn't snarky...it was the truth. How I would help others...don't sweat the small stuff. Today 100s of thousands of people have lost everything they own in hurricanes and wildfires. And the OP got his panties twistied over $76!!

Get a life!!

 

Dealers aren't going to be as flexible with you if your buying and installing HD parts from another dealer. $76 isn't even an hour labor charge here , I'm guessing book time on a head adjustment is more than an hour on a Bat Wing bike, plus checking out the muffler you bought else where and installed your self , I'd say they cut you a break as it is.

 

Quite a few years ago I bought a brand new Toyota pickup from a dealer in a different town. Lower price.

Then I took it in to the local dealership for a routine service. I went to pick it up at 5:00 and the service guy said: "Sorry. We didn't have time to get to it. Why don't you take it back where you bought it."

Alrighty then. Learned a lesson.

 

Bingo!