It just doesn't pay....
 

...to pay people to do the work for you.


I'm not as agile as I used to be so I thought I'd have to start having a shop do some of the work that in the past I would have done myself. Forget it. What started out as a simple new shock install on my Softail by a local shop that I thought really had a good rep has turned into a three month, $500 jerk-a-thon that I guess still hasn't ended. After eight weeks of screwing around with three different pair of shocks I finally ended up with Progressive 422's. But the last couple of weeks I've noticed a slight banging noise when going over bumps.


So I throw the bike up on my lift to look and see for myself what could possibly be loose and what do I find? One of the rubber bushings in my left shock has split and fallen out allowing the shock to slide side to side. Seems like somebody didn't lube the rubber bushing before shoving the bolt through and knocked it out of place. Then tightened down the bolt and squashed the bushing.


Looks like I'll be going back to doing my own work once again. I feel bad for you guys that can't. You're at the mercy of some of that unskilled labor out there.

I completely agree. How can I trust some pencil neck "tech" with my scoots? If I do it, even if it takes me longer, I know it's done right. Besides that, why would I want to pay someone to do my hobby? I think I enjoy working on the bikes almost as much as riding them. Other than them being installed wrong how do you like the 422's, I am thinking of upgrading the softail's suspension.

Sorry to hear that. It is always flustrating and happens a lot.

The guy that did it probably had never done it before but is the best engine builder in the area.

Well, I used to do most of my mechanical work on all my vehicles myself. But with working night shifts and a lot of OT I don't have the luxury of time. I bought my bike to ride, not wrench. I will agree its difficult to find a good mechanic these days. After two dealerships and an Indy, I found a dealership with a good service dept.

Sounds to me this good reputation your Indy had was wrong.

I'd shop around.

If this guy can't change a pair of shocks and do it right I would seriously doubt his ability as an engine builder.

Well, is seems that they installed the 442-4002C model shock which from what I read is mainly for two-up riding which I rarely do. So needless to say, even on the softest setting they're a bit stiff. If there was anymore preload on them it would be a hard tail! But after a few hundred miles they seem to be getting smoother. Hopefully that isn't because only one shock is working properly. After I replace the bushing I'll see what the ride is like and then decide whether or not to change to a standard set of springs. It never friggin' ends.

Graduated top of the class from Chuck's Deluxe! I heard the final test was assembling a potty chair from Ikea. Scored a whopping 43 out of 100, and the seat was on backwards, but none of the bolts were stripped.

The bushing fail -

Attachment 519293

I hear you loud and clear, but I am speaking from experience. We have an Indy shop not far from me. They have a young guy in the service department that I really like. However his back ground is on sport bikes. This shop works on anything and everything on two wheels. So this guy is really learning as he goes when working on a brand or with a part he is not familiar with.

It is a risk you take and I am certainly not defending the shop that did the OP's work.

That is a bummer and sorry you had the experience but does not mean there are not great Indy shops out there. I know of 2 locally and at least one in central Florida. Any of these first of all would not have allowed this to happen but if it did would have made things right.