Yes, it would bother me, especially paying all that money for substandard work. However, they did offer to make it right and you turned them down. So now, you are still out of the money, did the work yourself and still under warranty. Might want to rething giving them a chance next time, especially if your choices are limited for warranty work, which you will need...Also, buy a manual and do the work yourself, much more satisfying.

 

I've learned the value of a picture is absolutely worth 1k words.
It happens at work all the time. I have a customer question something on a job site and we're able to back up our work with the click of a pic.

It would have pissed me off two and it has. Your paying top price you want top quality, that the bottom line.

I find the attitude and knowledge level at most dealers sucks. That said these guys did try and help and an $88 labor rate isn't that bad for a dealer. I try and avoid the dealers at all costs.

Thread sealers, like leak lock, pro dope, teflon, etc.. are pretty common. I tend to go on the side of caution. It cant hurt. On some applications I've used an o-ring or gasket then teflon tape and leak loc on top of that as a last line of defence. What's it going to hurt? It takes all of an extra second and a half.

Like a lot of guys I do a lot of my own work but some times its just to much, time wont allow it or I'm just to damn lazy. Lets face it, not everyone who owns a Harley is a mechanic. I have friends that couldn't show you were the battery is.

So I found a great independent bike shop with a guy I trust.
He's HD certified and less expensive then the dealer.
In fact he worked for the local stealership for 10 yrs before he went on his own.
There are a lot of small shops out there just like his and I'd encourage every one to find and use one.

We should have a sticky here were we could post good local shops like these.

Id be one of the first to post Northeast Custom Cycles in Woburn, MA

 

Next time you have to do a service, take all 3 plugs, take off o rings and get copper or brass washers that go on fairly hard untill it reaches the non threaded part of the plug,and some pipe sealant .did all mine, no leaks no o ring to worry about.

 

Started out as a pipefitter, then on to Millwright before becoming an Mechanical Eng. I can tell you...Pipe dope and Teflon Tape does not seal anything, It's a lubricant to keep the threads from gaulding and ruining them. Tapered threads seal as they are pulled together. Standard is 13 threads per inch. The dope or Teflon tape lubricates! Straight threads like your oil plugs use some type of gasket. I like O-rings better. I put a little grease or never sieze on the O-ring and threads. Never had a leak and I reuse a O-ring more than once. Just saying!!

 

A few years back I was riding my RK a few days after a service. I was with a couple of mates and we were on country lanes. Going slightly downhill into a right hand turn, pull on the front brake lever....graunching sound, lever back to bars...no brake ...down shift frantically...make it round the corner. Turns out the bolts on the nearside caliper mounting were loose and one had fallen out allowing the caliper to rotate way from the rotor. Took half an hour but we eventually found the bolt back up the road. Needless to say I had a few words with the guy who wielded the wrench!!

It bent the fender edge and scored the tyre as well...geez..

 

Yah... that would bother me too but you should man up and let them fix their mistake. Then maybe go to another dealership for service.



Grandma Pyle used to say:


"To err is human to forgive is divine"

 

Actually it can hurt (and does).
On any plug that seals with an o-ring: using additional sealers is contrary to the design and use of the plug. The o-ring is the part of the plug that does the actual sealing - the threads are only there to get the o-ring into the proper position and keep it there. When you put thread dope of any type (tape,etc.) on those threads you add to the diameter of the plug which causes stress on the threads which in turn promotes galling and failure. In addition the thread dope pushes the o-ring away from the case making the o-ring totally ineffective. So clean all that crap off of those plugs, chase the threads of the drain holes and install a new o-rings. Re-install without over tightening and you'll always be good to go.
And always remember: thread dope and tape is for pipe threads only. Schools out, class dismissed. 10-4 over and out.

 

+1. The OP should print this out and give to the dealership for future reference! Lousy workmanship is lousy workmanship no matter how many times one apologizes or tries to make it right.

I think BP is proving this point to all of us right now.

That said, I still would have let the dealership pick up the bike, make it right, but also explain to them how an O-ring works!

I'm lucky in that I trust and like the guys in my dealership's service department, and attend the same church as the sales manager who sold me my bike, but I still do all but the trickiest work myself.

Unless one is handicapped or truly incapable, I think working on your own bike just comes with the territory when you are relying on two wheels instead of four.

 

It would bother me as well, but I think for differrent reasons. Would be upset because that would be my luck.

Do we know anything about the technician? He could be an $8 hour kid, or he could be a well trained and seasoned vetern. Of course, you would expect a seasoned vetern to recheck his work...but

There was only one perfect man ever to live on earth... everybody makes a mistake.

What else did you expect them to do? Come by and vacuum the house and fold your laundry?

 

correct..

belt and brace sealing (or an attempt at it) causes more problems than it fixes