Well it was bound to happen sooner or later, the sportster took a dive on me Thursday August 2 on the way to work. This bike is my primary means of transportation and I rely on it to make it back and forth to work.
So I called HD and put the extended warranty into full effect. They came and picked me and proceeded to break my kick stand while loading it on the trailer. No big deal, they'll fix it. I'm sure this is the first time they have ever pushed a Harley on to their trailer. So I let it slide.
We make it to the shop and they run the bike into the side of the trailer while squeezing it between the trailer and the building. I'm now starting to get worried.
While I'm waiting on the diagnosis, one of the other service guys comes out and is talking to the manager concerning some spotlights that were to be installed on a customer's bike. He kept talking about how the customer wanted them to install them and that it was incorrect and would void the warranty on the bike. So I'm thinking, how can a set of spot lights someone bought from the dealer, be installed and void the warranty? Why wouldn't the dealer install them the correct way to avoid this hassle? He then made the comment that he was "Just going to run them directly to the battery" and was only "worried about it not catching on fire until it made it out of the parking lot."
Do what? What kind of service is that?
Well they replaced the battery and found out it was the stator and had to get the parts from the other side of town. I ask what time it will be ready and they said by 4:00.
I go to work and call at 4:00 and they tell me it's ready. I catch a ride around 5:00 and get there to find the bike COVERED in grease. I'm not talking a couple of fingerprints, it looked like someone had taken handfuls of vasoline and rubbed it up one side and down the other. I guess this was in preparation for the butt hurt that they typically give to their customers.
I pay the man, for the new battery they installed since the stator was bad. Jump on and get ready to set sail. I reach down to grab the choke, and it isn't there. Well it's there, but it isn't attached anymore. So I put it in the bracket and tighten it up with my fingers. I fire the bike up and it sounds like crap. HUGE exhaust leak. At this point I realize there is no way in Hell these people are ever touching my bike again, so I just take off. So here I am $135 lighter in the pocket to get my bike fixed under warranty and things just aren't right.
Saturday I had to clean the KY off the side of it and try to find out why it sounded so bad. Turns out they left a nut off the pipe where it attaches to the back cylinder. Wonder what else they left off?
After worrying if the things I couldn't see had been addressed, I checked things on Monday night and discovered one of the bolts on the stator had not been torqued. Everything should be back together now. This prompted a visit to Knoxville Harley - Davidson on Lovell Rd to discuss my issues with the service manager.
The service manager, John, from Knoxville Harley - Davidson on Lovell Rd said they shouldn't have done anything on the right side of the bike or touched the exhaust. I explained that the bike didn't have any missing nuts on the head pipe when it came into Knoxville Harley - Davidson on Lovell Rd and the right side wasn't covered with grease, so something had to be done on that side. The service manager, John, from Knoxville Harley - Davidson on Lovell Rd, told me the guy who worked on it, just happened to be right in front of the camera while working on my bike and he is going to review the tape.
The service manager, John, from Knoxville Harley - Davidson on Lovell Rd, said he will get back in touch with me this Friday and let me know what he sees on the tape.
Friday? Come on man. You've got a long time customer that has serious complaint about your department and you're going to treat me like a liar and then make me wait until Friday? So I called and spoke to David Brown and he basically told me that is the way their service department works.
Whatever Dude. I know what I seen and I also know EXACTLY what I heard while waiting on your highly trained technicians to fix MY motorcycle.
Paul
Knoxville, Tennessee
U.S.A.
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