U Fu(ked up my bike....
Supporter
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 4,419
Likes: 90
From: Vermont
Anytime U take U bike in for service, U need to go over Ur bike and note any flaw's in her and have the shop write them down.....
On my new bike at the 1k service I got her back and didn't even look till later that I now had a 1/2'' scratch in the front fender and rear fender where the wrench install the engine guards and put new bulbs in the rear tail lights....
Of course the wrench denied any wrong doing......
Of course I ate it.........
Cause now I have them to note anything and REALLY look her over when I get her back....
Any others have the same experience.????
On my new bike at the 1k service I got her back and didn't even look till later that I now had a 1/2'' scratch in the front fender and rear fender where the wrench install the engine guards and put new bulbs in the rear tail lights....
Of course the wrench denied any wrong doing......
Of course I ate it.........
Cause now I have them to note anything and REALLY look her over when I get her back....
Any others have the same experience.????
Anyone who has ever entered a dealer more than once usually has a similar horror story. Myself included. And I do almost 100% of my own work except obviously warranty work. They did a nice job on my gas tank and I didn't notice it until later beacuse it was on the lower front edge. Right where they had said they tightened a loose bolt. They also decided that part of good service was to wash my bike with a filthy dirty brush of all things, despite my request that they DO NOT WASH! I ended up buffing paint and replacing chrome on a brand new bike..What are ya going to do??
Tourer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 294
Likes: 0
Also look to see if the mechanic or his wife who works at shop wear rings, I have a nice arc scratch above my ignition switch like where a women would wear a diamond ring!
Thanks for advice I too will be having manager look over bike before it goes into shop.
Thanks for advice I too will be having manager look over bike before it goes into shop.
Cruiser
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
From: New Orleans, LA
I had the dealer do my first oil change only because it was part of the sale. While it was there I had them throw on the pipes and Stage 1 air cleaner also. Due to my excitement of getting the new exhaust, I didn't notice the nuts and bolts holding the pipes to the bracket were only hand-tightened. On the ride home, the nuts vibrated off, and the pipes came loose...shaking and swinging all over the place, let me tell you, a new pair of underwear was needed after that! Also, when they removed the passenger peg to take the old pipes off, and install the new ones, they neglected to replace the snap ring holding the peg in place...so that flew off and was lost as well. After a half hour of telling off the service manager, the manager, and the crackpot mechanic that worked on the bike, I ended up with an all new exhaust, refunded my money for parts, and was given a ton of gift cards...first thing I bought was a service manual and the bike has never been back since.
Account Retired
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,448
Likes: 8
From: On Parole - Grays Creek, North Carolina
Anytime U take U bike in for service, U need to go over Ur bike and note any flaw's in her and have the shop write them down.....
On my new bike at the 1k service I got her back and didn't even look till later that I now had a 1/2'' scratch in the front fender and rear fender where the wrench install the engine guards and put new bulbs in the rear tail lights....
Of course the wrench denied any wrong doing......
Of course I ate it.........
Cause now I have them to note anything and REALLY look her over when I get her back....
Any others have the same experience.????
On my new bike at the 1k service I got her back and didn't even look till later that I now had a 1/2'' scratch in the front fender and rear fender where the wrench install the engine guards and put new bulbs in the rear tail lights....
Of course the wrench denied any wrong doing......
Of course I ate it.........
Cause now I have them to note anything and REALLY look her over when I get her back....
Any others have the same experience.????
Club Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 5,323
Likes: 37
From: NJ
Yes. Wash and wax her first and know every hair line scratch, ding, or whatever. Then make it a point to say....hey service writer, come look at my bike. The only scratch on this bike is right here and point to it.
Say "just so were on the same page" when I pick it up. So sorry that happened to you. I'd call hd and really freak on them. That's just unacceptable IMO. Good luck.
Say "just so were on the same page" when I pick it up. So sorry that happened to you. I'd call hd and really freak on them. That's just unacceptable IMO. Good luck.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
From: Yacolt,WA
The HD SM where I go goes over the bike with you when you take it in and I have not had any problems there. BUT, I had a metric previously and the tech dropped the bike while pushing it through the shop, they replaced the foot board, mirror, brake lever, grips, turn signal, windshield, saddle bag....they lost big time on that one.
Banned
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,229
Likes: 2
From: Dirty Jersey
The easiest way is to simply take 6-8 digi photos of the bike when dropping it off. When you do this in front of the service manager, and he asks what up...tell him your keeping everyone honest, get his email [should be on his business card] and send him the pictures. End of problem.
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5th Gear
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 9
Likes: 0
So far nothing has happened to my bike.I take it back to where I bough it.They are 2hrs from me but it's a nice ride on a saturday morning .I am very satisfied.When you find a good dealer with good mechanics stick with them.
Thread Starter
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Club Member
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 145,895
Likes: 821
From: 40 miles Northeast of Indy..
Engine guard and tail light bulbs? Geez Louiz gimme a break. You dont even need a manual to do those things. Unless your just super busy at work/home I think you have learned why most of us do the things ourselves. Not only do I get satisfaction from working on my bikes, I also know that the work was not rushed and was completed with due diligence. I would guess that most shops do not put their best mechanics on stuff like that, so you may get the sweep up/bike wash guy(or gal)
U don't need a break... I did,,, din't ask in here if I could do those mods myself,( I could have).. I just stated I had the dealer to do them...
1.. I got 20% off parts and labor when I had them do them at he 1k service and yes I was working 84hrs a week back then.....THATS 6 days at 14 per day. So I wasn't super busy at home, just at work and I din't care if they charged me for 1 hr labor for those two things. After the discount that was $45 per hr labor, I only had to work 1 1/2 hr to pay that... so I figured it was a really good deal...
And rest assured I do almost all my own work now that I am retired cause as a machine repairman all my life I ain't afraid to wrench on her.
Also I didn't just have those two things done at the 1k service, also had them do the pipes, SE /AC and SERT, then dyno tuned.
And it wasn't just the new Wrench, it was a seasoned wrench I requested.
I just was trying to make the point by this thread by pointing out even a seasoned wrench can mark up Ur new bike.
Last edited by oct1949; Apr 1, 2011 at 09:44 PM.