.3 miles, already issues. Check engine
Novice
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 16
Likes: 12
From: North Texas in the winter, the Colorado high country in the summer
I am having a difficult time understanding all of the bashing about adjusting the hand controls to fit each individual rider. I grew up on bikes and I can't remember even one that I didn't adjust the controls a little to suit my likes. Heck, on my dirt/enduro bikes, it was common for me to take a pipe cutter and cut off 1 1/4" off each end on a brand new bike so I could get through the trees a little faster without clanging the bars on a large Oak tree at speed.
If Harley (or any other manufacturer) didn't want the controls adjusted, wouldn't it make sense that they would design the bars and hand controls so they couldn't be adjusted? I didn't have a hundred miles on my new '16 Low Rider before I gently lowered the clutch/brake levers a little. This stemmed back to my dirt bike days where we would stand up a lot and most off road riders like their controls like this. It is only natural for me to like it this way.
But I remember having to loosen three screws/bolts to loosen each side of the controls. Is it possible the OP tried to force something that wasn't ready to move?
Finally, although this is my first Harley, I grew up thinking that Harley riders and Harley Davidson's were tough as nails. I can't believe that moving the hand controls a small amount would damage a bike's electrical system. If the OP did do something he should not have done, I firmly believe the dealer should just fix the bike. In my 61 years, I have learned that in the business world, a little customer good will usually goes a long way!
If Harley (or any other manufacturer) didn't want the controls adjusted, wouldn't it make sense that they would design the bars and hand controls so they couldn't be adjusted? I didn't have a hundred miles on my new '16 Low Rider before I gently lowered the clutch/brake levers a little. This stemmed back to my dirt bike days where we would stand up a lot and most off road riders like their controls like this. It is only natural for me to like it this way.
But I remember having to loosen three screws/bolts to loosen each side of the controls. Is it possible the OP tried to force something that wasn't ready to move?
Finally, although this is my first Harley, I grew up thinking that Harley riders and Harley Davidson's were tough as nails. I can't believe that moving the hand controls a small amount would damage a bike's electrical system. If the OP did do something he should not have done, I firmly believe the dealer should just fix the bike. In my 61 years, I have learned that in the business world, a little customer good will usually goes a long way!
Last edited by The Gray Wolf; Feb 28, 2016 at 11:25 AM.
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
I'm still waiting to hear back from the OP... Last he posted the dealer asked him to bring the battery in. Wondering if all the hoopla is only a dead battery or something more.
Hopefully he'll report in.
Hopefully he'll report in.
Road Captain
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 539
Likes: 5
From: Harleyland, USA
There's a big difference between "adjusting the controls" and shorting out wires when adjusting controls, which is what this sounds like. Wouldn't be the first poster who did this.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 231
Likes: 23
From: Rochester NY
UPDATE
Got a call from the tech last night, he found a wire that had broken the solder to board inside the controls, right where they solder to the left switch, AND the battery was bad.
It was a leftover model.
I WAS upfront about rotating the controls, and after my initial post, I had also pulled the switches off to check for "pinched" wires where the wires pass through the bars, and didn't see anything.
From the readings here, I had assumed that I possibly pinched or cut a wire, but never pulled the retainer plate over where the wires go into the switch itself. Just checked where the pass through bars.
The tech stated that it was possible the twist pulled it from the switch. (there is about 2 inches of excess wire) I can assure you I did not rotate 2 inches, but actually removing the switch may have caused that AFTER the fact.
It was his opinion that the battery was the initial issue, and that the solder break "may" (he was being nice to me) have occurred as I was trying to troubleshoot.
In the end,
There will be no Harley or dealer bashing, lesson learned, they treated me with nothing but professionalism. Not only that, I learned how to pull the bars and switches out, along with now being aware of a common problem, and the Dealer didn't beat me up in the least.
Bike pick up and drop off, new battery, and problem solved for $155.
I'm sure had I kept my mouth shut, I could have argued cost, but after pulling the switches completely off (couldn't help but look to see if I cut a wire) I just wanted it fixed properly, and rather quickly, we are supposed to be 65-70 degrees next week.
As always,
I thank everyone for the input, and for sharing thoughts and suggestions with me.
Feel free to pull my mancard for jacking up a 2 hour old bike
Regards
Rollcage.
Got a call from the tech last night, he found a wire that had broken the solder to board inside the controls, right where they solder to the left switch, AND the battery was bad.
It was a leftover model.
I WAS upfront about rotating the controls, and after my initial post, I had also pulled the switches off to check for "pinched" wires where the wires pass through the bars, and didn't see anything.
From the readings here, I had assumed that I possibly pinched or cut a wire, but never pulled the retainer plate over where the wires go into the switch itself. Just checked where the pass through bars.
The tech stated that it was possible the twist pulled it from the switch. (there is about 2 inches of excess wire) I can assure you I did not rotate 2 inches, but actually removing the switch may have caused that AFTER the fact.
It was his opinion that the battery was the initial issue, and that the solder break "may" (he was being nice to me) have occurred as I was trying to troubleshoot.
In the end,
There will be no Harley or dealer bashing, lesson learned, they treated me with nothing but professionalism. Not only that, I learned how to pull the bars and switches out, along with now being aware of a common problem, and the Dealer didn't beat me up in the least.
Bike pick up and drop off, new battery, and problem solved for $155.
I'm sure had I kept my mouth shut, I could have argued cost, but after pulling the switches completely off (couldn't help but look to see if I cut a wire) I just wanted it fixed properly, and rather quickly, we are supposed to be 65-70 degrees next week.
As always,
I thank everyone for the input, and for sharing thoughts and suggestions with me.
Feel free to pull my mancard for jacking up a 2 hour old bike
Regards
Rollcage.
UPDATE
Got a call from the tech last night, he found a wire that had broken the solder to board inside the controls, right where they solder to the left switch, AND the battery was bad.
It was a leftover model.
I WAS upfront about rotating the controls, and after my initial post, I had also pulled the switches off to check for "pinched" wires where the wires pass through the bars, and didn't see anything.
From the readings here, I had assumed that I possibly pinched or cut a wire, but never pulled the retainer plate over where the wires go into the switch itself. Just checked where the pass through bars.
The tech stated that it was possible the twist pulled it from the switch. (there is about 2 inches of excess wire) I can assure you I did not rotate 2 inches, but actually removing the switch may have caused that AFTER the fact.
It was his opinion that the battery was the initial issue, and that the solder break "may" (he was being nice to me) have occurred as I was trying to troubleshoot.
In the end,
There will be no Harley or dealer bashing, lesson learned, they treated me with nothing but professionalism. Not only that, I learned how to pull the bars and switches out, along with now being aware of a common problem, and the Dealer didn't beat me up in the least.
Bike pick up and drop off, new battery, and problem solved for $155.
I'm sure had I kept my mouth shut, I could have argued cost, but after pulling the switches completely off (couldn't help but look to see if I cut a wire) I just wanted it fixed properly, and rather quickly, we are supposed to be 65-70 degrees next week.
As always,
I thank everyone for the input, and for sharing thoughts and suggestions with me.
Feel free to pull my mancard for jacking up a 2 hour old bike
Regards
Rollcage.
Got a call from the tech last night, he found a wire that had broken the solder to board inside the controls, right where they solder to the left switch, AND the battery was bad.
It was a leftover model.
I WAS upfront about rotating the controls, and after my initial post, I had also pulled the switches off to check for "pinched" wires where the wires pass through the bars, and didn't see anything.
From the readings here, I had assumed that I possibly pinched or cut a wire, but never pulled the retainer plate over where the wires go into the switch itself. Just checked where the pass through bars.
The tech stated that it was possible the twist pulled it from the switch. (there is about 2 inches of excess wire) I can assure you I did not rotate 2 inches, but actually removing the switch may have caused that AFTER the fact.
It was his opinion that the battery was the initial issue, and that the solder break "may" (he was being nice to me) have occurred as I was trying to troubleshoot.
In the end,
There will be no Harley or dealer bashing, lesson learned, they treated me with nothing but professionalism. Not only that, I learned how to pull the bars and switches out, along with now being aware of a common problem, and the Dealer didn't beat me up in the least.
Bike pick up and drop off, new battery, and problem solved for $155.
I'm sure had I kept my mouth shut, I could have argued cost, but after pulling the switches completely off (couldn't help but look to see if I cut a wire) I just wanted it fixed properly, and rather quickly, we are supposed to be 65-70 degrees next week.
As always,
I thank everyone for the input, and for sharing thoughts and suggestions with me.
Feel free to pull my mancard for jacking up a 2 hour old bike
Regards
Rollcage.
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Joe Kucinski
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 10,734
Likes: 3,755
From: SWFL
Awesome. Glad they sorted it out for you. Question, was the $155 for the battery, or the labor on troubleshooting, or for the replacement switch? If it was the battery, I'd have a big problem with that. Anything else, not so much.
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 231
Likes: 23
From: Rochester NY
The $ is more or less them billing me for the pick up, drop off, and troubleshoot. Come to think of it, I don't know if they replaced the switch, or fixed the solder on the connection to the switch. He simply refereed to it as "broken where it soldered to board on switch".
I'll ask
Regards
Rollcage