Okay, So I took my bike in to a dealership Thursday before this weekend's ride to get a 10K service and to get a new front tire put on. They tell me that they can do the tire, but are unsure if they have an opening for a 10K. I tell them that I can pickup the bike, late Friday, do what you can, my ride is Sat morn.
They call Friday, tell me that the 10K is done and the tire is on, $500. Okay, seems high, but it is a 10K, and they got me for seperate labor for the tire. Fine, I want to ride this weekend and it's already after closing time, I pay and go.
I get out on the ride, about 100 miles out of town and while I'm around 4k rpm, something doesn't sound right, Like a very tight rattle or something, I have a feeling that this wasn't right, so... I ride highway 25, and have a generally good time, speed, corners, some "yut-ughs", and no tickets.
After we come back out of 25, and I decide to be lame and go home. Well I am about 250 miles on the trip meter and all of a sudden my bike sounds like a lawnmower. I stop and look.
The flange that holds the header into the head, has shimmied down the pipe, scuffed it all up, and is resting where the two pipes come together. The header nuts were gone. WTF?! I called the stealership right away, and said WTF, I was just in there and 250 miles later my exhaust is falling off!!!
The service manager was really apologetic and said they would take care of it, and asked where I was at. Well I was 63 miles from the dealer and it was an hour to closing. He offered that If I could limp it to the closest HD dealer, they'd pay for their service to get the flange secured so I could get the bike up north to the offending dealer. I said alright, whatever, and hung up.
I looked on my phone, and the closest dealer was 20 miles away. ****. I decided that all the other dealer was going to do was put a nut on and send me on my way, so I got an idea. I searched for a hardware store. 2 miles. I rode my lawnmower real light up to the HW store, and got some grade8 5/16 by 24 nuts and washers. Also, not having tools, I got a 1/2" socket (for the nuts) and a adapter for the driver thing in my buell kit. I figured that if the dealer was going to pay for the quick fix, I could just take them the receipt from the HW store.
I got the nuts and washers on there and started to tighten the nuts until I noticed the plastic handle was starting to spin against the shaft of the buell kit driver, piece of ****. Fine, whatever, as long as I have something holding the exhaust on I'm happy for now. I get back on the freeway, and everything sounds cool again, but that weird vibration i had from earlier was still there. Then the fuel light comes on.
25 miles into the fuel light and I stop for some gasohol. 94 octane, 4.03 gallons. I check to see if the nuts i put on are still there, and yes, and one was loose. I get the driver back out and tighten it as much as the handle would let me before it spun free again. Back on the freeway.
A few more miles into the journey, and now I have a nice rattle that sounds like it did when the flange came off, but this time, the exhaust sounds fine. It's 5 more miles to my house and I need to ****, **** it. I get home, start listening to the motor. At first I thought the back flange was ****** too, but thats not where the rattle was coming from. I look at the front exhaust, still on there. I rev some more, finally get really low, and my front exhaust hanger is almost falling off!!!!!
WHAT THE ****?
I call the service manager again, tell mil I am 40 miles closer to the dealership, but now my front exhaust hanger is way loose and looks like it wants to fall off, and tell him I am not riding another mile.
Again, real apologetic, and asks where I am now. I tell him I made it home, about 20 miles from the dealer. He says to hold on to see if they can get the 'tow truck' my way. He comes back to confirm that I'm not stranded, and then offers to get my bike on Monday, as the dealer is a few minutes from closing.
So this is where I stand. My exhaust system is threating and trying to fall off of my bike. 250 miles after a $400 10K service. I am not going to pay a dime out of pocket for this. The 13 dollars of tools/parts should be reimbursed, and the exhaust should be fixed. Whether the dealer wants to bill warranty or take the hit, I don't intend on paying them for not checking on the tightness of the nuts.
The other issue, is the header. The flange left some nice scrape marks on the pipe, and a little rubbing action on one of the cooling fins. I am going to push for a new header.
Any thoughts?
They call Friday, tell me that the 10K is done and the tire is on, $500. Okay, seems high, but it is a 10K, and they got me for seperate labor for the tire. Fine, I want to ride this weekend and it's already after closing time, I pay and go.
I get out on the ride, about 100 miles out of town and while I'm around 4k rpm, something doesn't sound right, Like a very tight rattle or something, I have a feeling that this wasn't right, so... I ride highway 25, and have a generally good time, speed, corners, some "yut-ughs", and no tickets.
After we come back out of 25, and I decide to be lame and go home. Well I am about 250 miles on the trip meter and all of a sudden my bike sounds like a lawnmower. I stop and look.
The flange that holds the header into the head, has shimmied down the pipe, scuffed it all up, and is resting where the two pipes come together. The header nuts were gone. WTF?! I called the stealership right away, and said WTF, I was just in there and 250 miles later my exhaust is falling off!!!
The service manager was really apologetic and said they would take care of it, and asked where I was at. Well I was 63 miles from the dealer and it was an hour to closing. He offered that If I could limp it to the closest HD dealer, they'd pay for their service to get the flange secured so I could get the bike up north to the offending dealer. I said alright, whatever, and hung up.
I looked on my phone, and the closest dealer was 20 miles away. ****. I decided that all the other dealer was going to do was put a nut on and send me on my way, so I got an idea. I searched for a hardware store. 2 miles. I rode my lawnmower real light up to the HW store, and got some grade8 5/16 by 24 nuts and washers. Also, not having tools, I got a 1/2" socket (for the nuts) and a adapter for the driver thing in my buell kit. I figured that if the dealer was going to pay for the quick fix, I could just take them the receipt from the HW store.
I got the nuts and washers on there and started to tighten the nuts until I noticed the plastic handle was starting to spin against the shaft of the buell kit driver, piece of ****. Fine, whatever, as long as I have something holding the exhaust on I'm happy for now. I get back on the freeway, and everything sounds cool again, but that weird vibration i had from earlier was still there. Then the fuel light comes on.
25 miles into the fuel light and I stop for some gasohol. 94 octane, 4.03 gallons. I check to see if the nuts i put on are still there, and yes, and one was loose. I get the driver back out and tighten it as much as the handle would let me before it spun free again. Back on the freeway.
A few more miles into the journey, and now I have a nice rattle that sounds like it did when the flange came off, but this time, the exhaust sounds fine. It's 5 more miles to my house and I need to ****, **** it. I get home, start listening to the motor. At first I thought the back flange was ****** too, but thats not where the rattle was coming from. I look at the front exhaust, still on there. I rev some more, finally get really low, and my front exhaust hanger is almost falling off!!!!!
WHAT THE ****?
I call the service manager again, tell mil I am 40 miles closer to the dealership, but now my front exhaust hanger is way loose and looks like it wants to fall off, and tell him I am not riding another mile.
Again, real apologetic, and asks where I am now. I tell him I made it home, about 20 miles from the dealer. He says to hold on to see if they can get the 'tow truck' my way. He comes back to confirm that I'm not stranded, and then offers to get my bike on Monday, as the dealer is a few minutes from closing.
So this is where I stand. My exhaust system is threating and trying to fall off of my bike. 250 miles after a $400 10K service. I am not going to pay a dime out of pocket for this. The 13 dollars of tools/parts should be reimbursed, and the exhaust should be fixed. Whether the dealer wants to bill warranty or take the hit, I don't intend on paying them for not checking on the tightness of the nuts.
The other issue, is the header. The flange left some nice scrape marks on the pipe, and a little rubbing action on one of the cooling fins. I am going to push for a new header.
Any thoughts?
