check engine and battery lights on again on way home from work
took photos this time, turned it off to open my garage and when
i started it back up lights were out but it did set a check engine
code once again.

took it in last week and they could find nothing wrong with it without bike for 3 days.

now the question, ride it until it dies or call them up YET AGAIN?

 

Call them.

 

dont even call them. take it over there and make them fix it before something else happens even worse

 

transponder ?

 

just got off the phone with them, i asked if they could throw a voltage regulator on it
jsut to see as i cant have the bullshit as i bought this bike not only for pleasure but for commuting in the warm months.

he said well we cant do that because if it tests good then we have to eat the cost
and i said well i cant have the BS because you guys are 18 miles one way and i cant keep bringing it down there.
he said to keep riding it!!!!???? i said until it breaks down? he said yeah. so you can tow it then? yeah no problem.

i told him thats fine but the problem is im supposed to take it to VA and i dont feel like ruining my trip with a break down and then have to eat the cost of the weekends
hotel room.

he said he was going to call harley and get back to me.
unfortunately i cant ride it for the next 2 days because im getting a shot in my neck

i hate to say it but im beginning to think i should have stuck with the japanese bikes
i was so used to, i mean i put 40k, 45k and 38k trouble free miles on my last 3
just change the oil and basic maintenance

 

Ask 'em to tow it from your house while you're out with the neck thing. Couldn't hurt to try.

 

Every manufacturer has some issues one time or another. Id say take it to another dealer if you can. Maybe a fresh set of eyes may be able to fix it.

 

When are you going to VA? Is it a 1200? Open up the derby does it stink real bad? If so, go buy a new stator and some trans oil. Meet me in Fredricksburg at a party (big bike party should be fun) and I'll help you swap the stator. It doesnt take long with someone who knows how to do it its just a pain in the rear and requires a big-****-socket and a special tool that you can make, buy, or borrow from me.

Don't jump the bike whatever you do, unless you jump it with another bike. If you have to jump from a car, disconnect the battery from the bike and connect it to the car so it'll charge. The bikes voltage regulator is a shunt-type and will die if it has to sink too much current... which it will if connected to a car because they have a crap-ton of current delivery capacity.

PM me if you want to hook up this saturday.

 

hey a tip for you guys.. if you pull the fuse for the lights you'll usually be able to ride on. my stator burned up pretty bad but was still making enough current to keep the fuel injectors/ignition going. a lot of fuel injection systems monitor system voltage and account for it in the injector pulse... delivering proper fuel despite the problem.

just remember to leave the turn signal fuse in place. no need to remove it the current draw is minimal compared to running lights and the headlamp.

 

thanks for the offer but the trip is supposed to be 4th of july weekend and on top of that the bike only has 2k miles and is under warranty so i dont really want to start playing with it.

as for towing it over the next 2 days, i wanted to drop it off last night and they said we are all backed up and there is no place to put it also
i havent heard back from them yet so once i am coherant enough after the shot later this morning i am going to call back and see what
MA HARLEY had to say to them.

all i know is im getting pretty bummed out about now and thinking maybe i shouldnt have paid cash for the bike, at least if it was financed i could stop making the payments on it and let the dealer and the finance company argue about it until it is fixed properly, i had to do that with the new fiero i bought back in 84 when it took them 5 tries to fix an oil leak.