Curious if anyone has gotten their warped rotors replaced under warranty - ?

My fronts are warped (not that bad, but you can definitely feel it), bought the bike in Nov 2012. Almost 11K on it now.

I spoke with a customer service rep in the Harley spot at Sturgis (there's a customer service tent there).

After some squirming he said it should be covered, and if I have any problems to call Harley customer service and gave me a card with his name written on it.

At first he was trying to say that they would only replace them if they could find something that caused it (faulty calipers, I guess), but then I asked him if warped rotors were caused by anything *I* did wrong, and he said no, pretty emphatically, and then pretty much said it should be covered, thats when he gave me the card.

Any stories here good or bad?

 

warped rotors can be caused by the rider over heating them...such as long downhill stretches with brakes partly applied ( this is the time to downshift, let the motor do the braking...this keep sthe brakes available should a deer wander out in front or other hazard).

another cause is keeping hot pads applied to the rotors after the bike is stopped. ( if on a slope, let the brakes loose and the bike roll a bit, then reapply...etc)

a pad which does not easily shed heat, will make this worse, such as an organic.

if trying a warranty claim, I'd expect they'd look for signs of rider induced overheating on the rotor, pads, axle grease, bearings and the fluid. and if all that is good then maybe they'd honor the claim


I was working on my truck yesterday...12 years old, 156,000 miles and the factory ceramic brake pads still have plenty of meat...unbelievable.

Mike

 

They replace them if only out of spec. I believe the acceptable amount is .008 if they are less then I doubt they'll replace them. My friend's rotors are .005 out
and he feels the warpage but Harley won't replace them.

 

I never saw any such guidance in the owners manual. I also dont know how they'd prove that, but I wasnt born yesterday, they'd probably claim thats the case regardless, and it would be up to me to disprove it.

I think they can make rotors that last a couple years for Pete's sake, its not too much to ask.

 

They are junk steel. Getting ready for my 2nd pair. I have never had a problem with my other bikes until this 2010 ultra. I will not be replacing with harley parts.

 

Harley could fix the problem of front rotors warping in a minute -- by changing the design to "full-floating". Don't hold your breath on that one...

 

well they have, at least in the past..the rotors on my 88 and 95 were fine with well over 80K on them...and the 88 was a CHP bike the first 40K and they hammered it.

the 09 brakes have been fine so far, but I am conscious of how I use my brakes...and I sure hope the rotors are up to the standard of teh earlier bikes- the brembos sure are nice.



i have smelled the brakes of many a rider coming out of the mountain towns where they ride the brakes for 6 or 8 miles...in 5th gear.
my answer is very general and not me saying you don't know how to operate your bike


mike

 

I had one front rotor replaced under warranty on my 2011 Limited. It was right at the limit of .008 out.

Do you have any way you could check yours for runout before taking it in?

I can tell you right now, if they are less than .008 out, your chances of getting them replaced is somewhere between pretty slim and not a chance. If they are out .008 or more, warranty should cover replacement.

 

The above is my experience too. Took mine in around 7,000 miles, service says it is "in tolerance", but they agreed it is pulsing. They recorded the complaint, told me if it got worse they would look again.

That being said, it may take two visits for you to get them to replace the rotors.

Mine is worse at light application just before rolling to a stop. More irritating than anything else.

 

Like ATR said They won't replace unless they are over .008 out. Had mine checked and they were one .006 and one .007 and they wouldn't replaced them. I even called customer service and they backed up the dealer. I will be replacing them with non harley rotors and I am probably on my last Harley.