I might have to go back and actually read the op. I usually skip posts like that cause they are just too much work to read....

 

You changed the fluids, brakes, a front tire, and left on a trip.... but haven't had one of two mufflers on your bike for two months? WOW.....

1) The dealer doesn't owe you anything... you brought in a messed up bike that was low on oil and didn't run. They put oil in it, it ran, they didn't see anything on a cursory inspection and let you take it.... that doesn't put them on the hook for anything that is/goes wrong with your bike..... and yes running without one of two mufflers can cause some serious damage.... you were riding it without a muffler, them letting you take it without a muffler doesn't make them responsible for any resulting damage... damage that probably happened before it stalled out on you.

2) There could be so many things causing your bike to run hot, burn oil, and stall.... given it's obvious level of neglect, I wouldn't know where to start...

3) If they took the bike back into their shop and said they would fix it and/or check it out, there is no excuse for them not to keep you in the loop. They should be talking with you about what you want done, and how much you want them to dig into it. The silent treatment is rude, unprofessional, and uncalled for... it appears they want nothing to do with bike, not because they are afraid of any liability, they have none, just sounds like it's one of those cases they don't want any part of.... but ignoring you IS NOT the way to handle it....

I'm just a garage mechanic with maintenance/repair experience on several Harleys, not a trained tech. Not to be rude, but if a friend of mine wanted to bring me a bike, with a story like yours, to see if I would check it out... I'd refuse to touch the bike.....

Good luck with your bike and the repair....

 

No way to solve such an issue on a forum. Take it to an indie tech but be ready for a few raised eyebrows. Certainly raising some here, hopefully it gets solved to your satisfaction

 

It wouldn't surprise me if the motor burned up.. One of the pistons seized due to the motor being out of tune wit the missing muffler..It's the reason for the oil smell.. Piston crap got into the pressure relief valve and suck it. No oil pressure..

 

Troll alert

 

The thing that bothers me the most is they susposedly said you could ride it then on its return they said they told you not to ride it.
And then you leave it with them to work on. WTF?
There's clearly some lying and crappy decision making going on here somewhere...

 

lol That's cool. I've got thick skin you don't need to be worried about being rude. I hear what you're saying. The consensus on here is that I'm the idiot with the crappy bike and so on. I get it. The exact reason I bought a used older bike was that I hadn't ridden in 15 years as a promise to my dad. When he passed away I got a bike to ride again. Having never owned a Harley I got one, but not a new one until I got my feel back. To an extent you verified my thoughts though really. Saying you wouldn't touch it is your right, but IF you did...IF you did help your buddy out. You opened a work order and diagnosed the problem Would you top off the oil say he should get a muffler on it to meet emissions and send him down the road on a 2 1/2 hour trip back home? From what you said it sounds like the answer is no. It sounds to me like your the type of tech that would say you NEED a muffler and you may have some other issues from it or whatever. It's missing a muffler so it's a hunk and you shouldn't even be riding it. lol Which is exactly my point. Why wouldn't dealer say something? I have no idea a missing muffler can cause engine damage. All my cars go to the garage to get fixed. I'm not trying to get a new bike out of this or anything, I just want to ride. lol We can debate it for years, but seriously, I called a Harley dealer not some stu's cycles that I have no idea about. Low oil pressure is usual a serious issue and I wanted someone that knows Harleys. I called a Harley dealer. I turned wrenches a long long time ago in a galaxy farer away lol and I gotta tell you I don't care if it were a turd or 2 months old you verify the customer concern, whether it meant talking or driving with the customer, diagnose it, and repair it. That was pounded on us at the dealership. If you thought the car had other issues related or not you write it up and let the customer know and let them decide. We were expected to be the experts on the product. There's always a different point of view from each side of the desk. No question. Thanks for your input.

 

Op,

my best advice, take the 2.5 hour drive down to the dealer and find out in person whats going on with your bike

at this point. nothing ventured, nothing gained.

my advice

 

I was stuck. It was last Friday afternoon. The tech said I could ride it home no problem. Then when they came to pick it up the second time everyone was gone. It was 7 pm. I got a hotel room. Like I said the guys stuck around. I appreciated it. I flipped them a $50 for doing it. An the adviser gave me a ride to the hotel even though I said I would walk. They were great there for that. The next day when I talked to the sales manager and he went back to look at the bike for a trade and said it starts and runs, then he said that I was told not to drive it the day before. That's what really made me angry. Noone told me that. I would have left it. I told him from the first time they got it I would be getting a hotel room. Anyway I sure wasn't going to try to ride it after having no oil pressure until it got diagnosed what the problem is.

 

OP, there's this concept called 'common sense' which a dealer or we out here on the World Wide Web cannot help you to attain! Seriously, do you really need someone else to tell you that running without a muffler can cause a problem.? Without even going there, it just looks and sounds stupid! And the bracket is damn near free! If you didn't want to go into the dealer, you can order it on-line!

I find myself wondering that in the what, 30,000 miles, you say you rode the bike, did you ever change the oil? Did you ever CHECK the oil? I, along with others, I'm certain, find myself wondering just how much truth we're being told.

​​​​​​​Or. Maybe you're just messin' with us.