Hit a bump and my handlebars...
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 37
Likes: 0
From: Missouri
I had bars fold down on me once. I've been riding 26 years and it took all my experience to get the bike stopped safely. This is no joke. You need to go back to the dealer and get this rectified to YOUR satisfaction. I'd make them pop for new risers and bars. When those bars got loose and rotated down they certainly damaged the knurling on both the bars and risers. I'd also make sure my next several scheduled services were free. If the service manager doesn't see it this way I'd talk to the owner; if they don't want to play I'd make sure to let everyone in the dealership know what happened to you and that you could have been seriously injured or worse due to the incompitance of the service department, then I'd call HD corporate. Don't let this pass; it's not fair to you, and the next guy who's bars were installed by that "tech" might not be lucky enough to be telling us about it.
Road Master
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 954
Likes: 4
From: CA
I had bars fold down on me once. I've been riding 26 years and it took all my experience to get the bike stopped safely. This is no joke. You need to go back to the dealer and get this rectified to YOUR satisfaction. I'd make them pop for new risers and bars. When those bars got loose and rotated down they certainly damaged the knurling on both the bars and risers. I'd also make sure my next several scheduled services were free. If the service manager doesn't see it this way I'd talk to the owner; if they don't want to play I'd make sure to let everyone in the dealership know what happened to you and that you could have been seriously injured or worse due to the incompitance of the service department, then I'd call HD corporate. Don't let this pass; it's not fair to you, and the next guy who's bars were installed by that "tech" might not be lucky enough to be telling us about it.
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 512
Likes: 4
From: NW Arkansas
service manager
Yeah.....Like maybe a slap up side his knappie head. I do believe I'd be making a scene at the dealers. They'd either escort me off the property or be callin' me MR and SIR and givin' me a free boot polish EVERY time I showed up. And I have buddies that can't seem to understand why I do ALL my own wrenching. I just don't like putting my hands in other folks hands. And I get along marvelously with my service manager. He even offers to loan me specialized tools from time to time. I graciously decline of course. And purchase the afore mentioned items. I may need them again at a later date. For myself or some other underprivileged soul.
Last edited by dc4stroke; Jun 23, 2009 at 11:40 PM. Reason: Because I wanna.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 6,344
Likes: 6
From: my house
I had bars fold down on me once. I've been riding 26 years and it took all my experience to get the bike stopped safely. This is no joke. You need to go back to the dealer and get this rectified to YOUR satisfaction. I'd make them pop for new risers and bars. When those bars got loose and rotated down they certainly damaged the knurling on both the bars and risers. I'd also make sure my next several scheduled services were free. If the service manager doesn't see it this way I'd talk to the owner; if they don't want to play I'd make sure to let everyone in the dealership know what happened to you and that you could have been seriously injured or worse due to the incompitance of the service department, then I'd call HD corporate. Don't let this pass; it's not fair to you, and the next guy who's bars were installed by that "tech" might not be lucky enough to be telling us about it.
+2
Yeah.....Like maybe a slap up side his knappie head. I do believe I'd be making a scene at the dealers. They'd either escort me off the property or be callin' me MR and SIR and givin' me a free boot polish EVERY time I showed up. And I have buddies that can't seem to understand why I do ALL my own wrenching. I just don't like putting my hands in other folks hands. And I get along marvelously with my service manager. He even offers to loan me specialized tools from time to time. I graciously decline of course. And purchase the afore mentioned items. I may need them again at a later date. For myself or some other underprivileged soul.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,509
Likes: 437
From: South Florida
It can happen with higher bars, like the ones on the bones. Happened to me in Leesburg. But I had taken a side trip when it did. Like, off the shoulder.
Normally, it is better to push the bars than pull on them. You should be able to put the grips in the heel of your palm. Then steer by leaning into the bars in the direction you want to turn. Don't advise you practice that in traffic, but once you get the feel for it, you will understand why. When the bars are adjusted correctly, this should be about as easy as power steering in a cage, as opposed to manual. If the bars aren't where you want them when they respond like that, then maybe you should think about changing them out.
Sometimes though, through no fault of your own, you have to grip the bars in order to stay up. In a case like that, you need to make certain they are tight. If they are adjusted per above. they probably won't budge unless you are totally coming off even if they are loose.
Ride safe.
Normally, it is better to push the bars than pull on them. You should be able to put the grips in the heel of your palm. Then steer by leaning into the bars in the direction you want to turn. Don't advise you practice that in traffic, but once you get the feel for it, you will understand why. When the bars are adjusted correctly, this should be about as easy as power steering in a cage, as opposed to manual. If the bars aren't where you want them when they respond like that, then maybe you should think about changing them out.
Sometimes though, through no fault of your own, you have to grip the bars in order to stay up. In a case like that, you need to make certain they are tight. If they are adjusted per above. they probably won't budge unless you are totally coming off even if they are loose.
Ride safe.
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