Personally I don't think this was a quality control issue as many have suggested. The weld probably looked good and then was painted and failed later(appears to be metal above the weld which is bad penetration). Really sorry it happened to you but this kinda s&*t happens all the time to things other than Harley's. My work background at auto dealership's tell me to never buy a first year product for one. And as for the cost of what we pay for these bikes and to be screwed up: I have worked on 80 thousand dollar trucks that leave the sales lot and ten miles later they are in for something being f'd up. This is not a perfect world, once again sorry it happened to you, and could have happened to anyone. I also understand the issue of trusting someone to work on your bike becaues they may generally not really "care". Maybe you could meet the guy and talk with him about your worries or figure out how to make him "care" to your satisfaction. I will not let someone touch my bike but then again I also have no warranty. When you bought the motorcycle you also aggreed to the warranty conditions and I would venture to guess they do not allow you to "choose" as to how your bike is fixed.

Not everyone out there is bad at repairs. I have seen a lot though and may request a re-check when I have put a few miles on the repair. Also mother harley I'm sure deals strictly with the warranty contract you agreed too, now the dealer is the one that may want to step up and help you out. The auto company I work for has backed off on giving in to the mad customer in this economy and suspect you are setting yourself up for disappointment if you think they will give you a new bike.

I know I would feel the same as you if it happened to me but I think the bottom line is in the paperwork. I think you should be thrilled if they even offer you a loaner. It all depends on how much they value word of mouth and repeat business. If you don't service it there they also will have a tendancy to lean away from you because they really don't consider you their customer. I recently had a warranty issue on my car which is not the brand I worked for and had a hard time with the service department and I work on cars for a living.

Hope your bike is fixed to your satisfaction and am watching for updates.

 

If they give you a new frame what do you tell your insurance company, that they fixed my totaled bike?

Now how does the insurance company list it in their records? Salvaged? But with a clear title?

If it was me, its a new bike or the damn thing gets traded so you don't have some car-fax crappy report hanging over you because you notified your insurance company.

Even though they did give you stupid advise to stop making a payment on the bike they sure didn't say stop making insurance payments! Bout the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Find out exactly how the insurance company is going to list it and have that in writing so you don't have a chunk of coin wrapped up and lost over verb-age when you want to trade it.

IMHO, the dealer can have it as a trade now, make it a Collateral Exchange. They give you a like year, make and model bike with equivalent mileage and swap the title and you keep making payments. And you get a bike with out the same problem and insurance company can write off the last bikes VIN as totaled and the dealer then eats it when they try and sell it when its fixed. Not you.

Here is your ammo shoot it any way you like, I'd have a new bike out of it. Regardless what the rest of all the internet commandos are saying.

I have nothing to prove, I know my argument works for me, the local Dodge dealership dropped my 2005 (new back then) Dodge 2500 CTD Quad Cab Long Bed 4x4 pick up truck off the service garage lift and it totaled the truck. I got a new one even though they said that it could be fixed. Took the dealer a month to find the new truck and almost cost my marriage in the mess of it all. This truck was brand new in for the very first oil change with only 3127 miles on it. TOTALED. A $42,000.00 truck.

Sorry about the frame damage and all, but think of the bright side no one got hurt.

 

[QUOTE=Ram;5240271] I have nothing to prove, I know my argument works for me, the local Dodge dealership dropped my 2005 (new back then) Dodge 2500 CTD Quad Cab Long Bed 4x4 pick up truck off the service garage lift and it totaled the truck. I got a new one even though they said that it could be fixed. Took the dealer a month to find the new truck and almost cost my marriage in the mess of it all.[QUOTE]

Dealership's choice, not Dodge motor compony. Might have been the lubey at my shop. Watched him drop 2.

 

Still, someone else would have the bike, H-D dealership or MOCO, it would be traded in as soon as they hand me back the keys.

 

yeah, i wouldn't have kept it either. bad mojo. the funny/unfortunate thing is for the mechanics who have to work on the "repaired" vehicles later on down the line. That much damage on the dodge would usually leave a paper trail that is easy to follow unlike warranty repair's on the bike that may be hard to track being a new owner.

 

Why would Car Fax enter into the equation? the repair will be known to no one outside of the dealership and HD. The insurance company has no say in the affair as they are no paying off on a claim. The bike isn't a salvage but simply a repair.

 

OP reported the broken frame to his insurance company. The insurance company document "EVERYTHING" you tell them when it comes to your vehicle being damaged. THEY don't want that liability when it rests upon the MOCO, or if its a dealer action. (MOCO in this case)

If someone told me that I'm keeping the bike knowing full well I'd told the insurance company of whats happening to have them on my side and I "DID" decide to keep it.

I'd be back on the phone with the insurance company underwriters wanting to know exactly how the have the vehicle repairs documented.

Would you want to be burned on resale of the bike because of something like this which is a MOCO issue?

 

I just wanna know how that gets by quality control.....I mean cmon now.....that aint no hairline crack.....when they were puttin that bike together that would stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Fix the man's bike, its for the children for goodness sake!

lp

 

My impression is that he had a discussion with his agent (who gave some suspect information.). I didn't see an actual claim being filed which would leave a a paper trail. My experience with Car Fax seems to be that get most of their information from DMV files and police accident reports.

As far as the effect on the resale, I have no idea what it would be.