Is there something in Canadian laws/regulations that allows this to happen? Seems absurd to me.

 

Dealer that gave you no direct answer is a con. Walk away never darken their door again.

 

Yes, I know that. And since we are in year 2020, in NOVEMBER, I wanted him to reply because he HAD left out the year. The omission is an important part of what the answer would be to him. And since this thread was about dealers telling folks they would void their warranty if you DIY, maybe he was just trying to stir the pot.
Who knows? I wanted to know "The Rest of the Story " . That was why I ;posted a response to him.

 

How exactly is the dealership actually preventing you?

Anyhow, there is a very real difference between servicing and modifying.

Replacing your oil filter will an on-spec filter will not void your warranty. Replace it with a wrong one that fits, a sub-standard filter, or the likes of an aftermarket bypass system, and the manufacturer has a basis for voiding your warranty.

All by itself, a modification is not a basis for voiding a warranty. But a modification that can adversely impact portions of the machine, that portion of the warranty can indeed be voided.

 

Sorry, I forgot to mention it was a New 2019 Carry Over. Must have been one of the earlier production bikes because later builds in 2019 apparently have the vent.
I don't want to wait to see if my bike has the transmission/primary oil transfer problem, I want to do the fix while I have the primary cover off to replace it. If all the 2020
Touring Models come with the vent, why wouldn't I want the vent on mine? if they want me to wait and see if I have the transfer problem why didn't the build the 2020
Touring Bikes without the vent and have them wait and see if they have the problem?

I guess I should not have brought it up on this thread because the thread is about service , not modifications.

 

No, you will not void your warranty.

A good tip and mentioned by another poster, take pictures while doing your service. Oil draining, adding oil, a shot of the bike with filter removed and a new one installed. Pics of mileage will show it was performed on or before schedule, Smart phones time and date stamp the events. I’ve done this on my bike and the last three new cars we purchased.

This will start a new debate but a long time service writer at my dealership suggested using HD brand oil. He said if they do an oil analysis they want to see their oil in the crankcase, primary, etc. Take that for what you want but I took his advice.

I have never had to use the pics to cover a warranty claim but the more you can document the better your case will be.

 

No debate really.... that is what the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 was all about..

The MoCo CAN require a certain specification (like API certification) of oil, but they CANNOT require a certain brand of oil... If they require a certain brand, too keep the warranty in tact, then they must supply that brand, free of charge, for the life of the warranty...

Many dealers like to walk that fine line... they strongly SUGGEST that you use Harley brand maintenance products, but that is just to pad their pockets... it can't be required.. It's a scare tactic to sell Harley products... they even put "suggestions" in the owner's manuals to try and dupe customers into thinking it's required...

The debate and confusion, in regards to the MM Act, is over the fact that it only protects the consumer who uses replacement parts that match the OEM specifications of the part being replaced. If you use a part that exactly matches OEM or published specifications, then the MoCo must prove that the part you used caused the failure in order to void any warranty claims

As soon as you start talking about performance parts, or parts that change the performance of the vehicle... the MM Act no longer applies..

SEMA and other aftermarket associations have jumped on the, "must prove that the part you used caused the failure" portion trying to claim it is also applicable to performance parts... obviously it's a self-serving crusade for them... they want to sell performance parts..

But if you think about it... it's not fair to require a manufacturer to warranty a product that has been changed to perform outside it's designed parameters... unless they have some control (like with SE performance parts) on how the part affects the vehicle...

In the past, the MoCo turned a blind eye to performance parts added to warranty bikes, unless it was obvious the part caused the failure. That was because the "culture" of Harley customers was to buy and customize.... The MoCo wanted to sell bikes..

Their conflict with EPA over their non-compliant tuners, and the subsequent consent decree (8/2016), changed their thinking. It demonstrated to them that a hard line enforcement of the written factory warranty towards all performance parts, could boost their aftermarket parts sales...

The world has changed... but they still can't require a certain brand of oil...

 

Yes. It ABSOLUTELY can be used against you in the event of a warranty claim. Just because you tell your dealer you do your own maintenance doesnt mean $hit to them. It doesnt matter what you write down or what receipts you provide. If you miss a scheduled maintenance and the dealer suspects you have done anything wrong, they can AND WILL deny your claim. As a HD service writer, I saw several examples of guys with new bikes who incorrectly did their own maintenance. (Guy blew a clutch at 5k miles, TOLD US he adjusted...we found it WAY out of spec and the lock nut looked like he had used vice grips, claim was denied) (another girl had a brand new Sporty and snapped her drive belt at 2500 miles. Claimed her boyfriend tightened the belt when he serviced the bike, -but he had no previous motorcycle experience, but 'he knew what he was doing'-. Denied claim). Its been my experience that any failures in the drive train (clutch, primary or secondary belts) are met with extreme skepticism if you are doing your own work. Stuff like electrical and body wont usually be denied, but anything that you are actively adjusting that failes under warranty WILL be questioned.

The dealer cant just assume that every guy who SAYS he knows what hes doing, actually KNOWS what they are doing.

 

The MM Act is deliberately well seasoned with the word reasonable.

 

Obviously someone who doesn't know what they are doing (yes, there are a lot of them) shouldn't be working on their bikes... Additionally, if you accidentally, or through stupidity, screw something up while working on your bike, it's wrong (dishonest) to try and get your mess-up fixed under warranty... (yes, there are many of those people too)...

But they can't, legally, deny a claim just because you do your own maintenance... They can be as skeptical as they want, but the warranty denial better say/list/document how some improper service caused the problem... Thier reason cannot be, "because the customer does his own service"...

At end of your post you say, "The dealer cant just assume that every guy who SAYS he knows what hes doing, actually KNOWS what they are doing"... while true, that is a double edge sword.. because not everybody who works at a dealership knows what they are doing either... I've experienced that first hand..