New River Harley Davidson Service Issues
Tuesday, October 19, 2010Dangerous Sprocket issue on Harley Davidson Motorcycles!
Just over a year & a half ago I purchased a sportster from New River Harley Davidson. It had approx. 880 mi on it. It had a mechanical issue of just arbitrarily shutting off while riding. Well, I took the bike into New River Harley Davidson 6 times and each time I got it back the same issue was still present. One of their service techs actually told me that the bike was "good enough" . Well the last straw with this bike was that my husband and I were out riding our motorcycle and went to make a turn off of Onslow pines road onto highway 53 when the sportster shut off and I nearly got hit by oncoming traffic, this was the first time NRHD Service Dept. endangered my life. I took the bike back to New River Harley Davidson and told the salesman that I wanted to trade it in but that I wanted it not to be sold under the lemon law. He agreed, but later told me that it fell 2 services short of the lemon law and the later sold the bike to a young marine. I purchased/traded in the sportster on a 2006 dyna low-rider at New River Harley Davidson. I took the dyna into the service department at New River Harley Davidson for the 10, 000 mile service. For the next approximate 2 months my dyna felt as if it had NO front brakes, but since it had just had the 10, 000 mile service I didn't think anything could be wrong. But it kept seeming as though I had no front brakes, so I took it to combat cycle and they told me it had no Brake Fluid and no brake fluid leak, which means New River Harley Davidson Service Department did not put any in it. Since Combat Cycle serviced the brakes ie:fluid there have been no further issues with brake fluid or braking power. But for 2 months I rode around on my Dyna with no front brakes and was falsely reassured because I had taken it to the dealer to be serviced that It must be ok. I am not mechanically inclined which is the main reason I take my motorcycles to the dealership so that it is done right and my bike is safe...or so I thought. This is the Second time NRHD Service Dept. endangered my life. The third time New River Harley Davidson endangered my life, happed just a week ago, again with my same 2006 Dyna low-rider. I was out riding with my husband and my friend and we had just come over the high rise bridge from Beaufort to Morehead City and was sitting at a traffic light. When the light turned green and I went to go, the rear tire would not move and a very odd/loud noise came from the rear of the bike to which my husband said to me to shut the bike off. My bike had sheered all five of the bolts off that hold the rear sprocket onto the back tire and they locked the tire in a fixed position. I hate to think what would have happened if it had done this on the bridge or the day prior when we were traveling to Raleigh on a 70 mph road. Well my husband contacted the Harley Davidson Warranty company who stated that the rear sprocket and anything it had damaged was specifically not covered and that if we wanted to know why we would have to contact Harley Davidson, also they stated that those five bolts should have been retorqued as part of the 10000 mi service as they are considered critical fasteners. Well my husband contacted New River Harley Davidson who stated that they could not tell him whether or not those bolts had been checked at all because they were not listed as critical fasteners in the Harley Davidson service manual i.e.: Harley bible to quote a NRHD employee
My husband was then told to contact Harley Davidson Customer Care that told him that those bolts should have been checked as part of the 10000 mi service and re-torque. And for him to take the bike to NRHD for an evaluation inspection. He did this and within the day, the service manager at NRHD called and told us none of it was going to be covered, but couldn't tell us why. We again called Harley Davidson Customer Care stated again that yes those bolts were supposed to be checked at the 10000 mi service and no they weren't helping us at all because the warranty company specifically excludes those bolts and sprocket. And that if the NRHD service dept. had not checked those "critical fasteners" i.e.: bolts at the service, then the dealership was responsible and to get up with them. Well, my husband did and was told that "no they are not specifically listed to be checked and so its not there problem and they aren't doing anything to help us." Here in lies my dilemma...one, they have really personally angered me as I think anyone would be when someone endangers their life not once but three times by their incompetency. But, two the bigger issue is that WHY is this sprocket and bolts specifically not covered? And who put that exclusion into the warranty? (the warranty company says Harley did, Harley says the warranty company is full of poo.) And during this time my husband and I have learned that at least 3 other people serviced at NRHD have had these bolts sheer and 2 at Combat Cycles and one in upper Michigan. Seems like more than a fluke thing, but Harley Davidson Customer care says there is no service bulletin on this issue and that it can't be an issue because if it were an issue they wouldn't be assembling the 2011 bikes in the exact same fashion. Is this really the case? Is it a service error?(but there is one in Michigan) Is it a manufacturing defect that has yet to be caught? And how many lives exactly are we going to lose while the statistics come in enough to throw up a flag??? Because if my bike had been moving at 70 mph when the back tire locked up...I don't think I would be here right now to type this or anything else for that matter.
Thank you for your time and hopefully you can help me get this knowledge out to the community, before people start getting injured or worse and at the very least incuring expensive repairs. I am going to have the bike repaired and pay the cost myself (thankful that I am still alive to do so) But I really want to put the alert out there for all those riders out there especially new/inexperienced riders. Because I don't believe that the motorcycle course my husband and I took at Coastal Carolina Comm. College told us to check those bolts. Even so, not everyone takes that course and people need to know to watch for this.
Tell everyone you know...this needs to be known!!!
update 10/18/2010 HDCC says will help.
update 10/19/2010 HDCC says can't help because would have to choose between dealer and us.
update: email I received from NRHD :Sent from
[email protected], 5 hours ago
Re: New River Harley Davidson Service Costing Lives
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Patricia,
Let me start by saying that i am sympathetic with your situation and thankful no one was injured or a life was lost, as falsely stated in your online rant posted 10/18/2010 on Lejeune Yard Sales. I did notice that at no time was it mentioned that your rear tire had been removed by another motorcycle service department since it was last in our service department, seemingly only choosing to include what you want the public to know. Your title of New River Harley Davidson Service Costing Lives is a false statement with only what if scenarios. Also you have miss quoted me saying Harley Bible, as i have never used those words. Most likely you miss quoted due to you not in any way having communicated with me on this matter. I am asking you kindly to stop slandering me or i will have to take personal legal action. Your dispute is with Harley Davidson Extended Warranty not covering your sprocket, as it clearly states in their handout that the, final drive chain or belt and rear sprocket are listed as non covered parts. To mention my name with false accusations is clearly slander, and again i kindly ask you to cease or action will be taken by my lawyer. Thank you.
my reply:
Well I hope that is better. Did not realize that trying to get the information out there to the other riders was an issue. Sorry if I miss quoted anyone...took the names out and even though my husband and I are a "we" I changed it to him. Hope this addressed your issues. Also added in the part about the back tire via your email...however MY HUSBAND was told at NRHD that the sprocket and bolts are not required for changing a tire and combat said they do not remove it/them either. Anyway, even changed the title to service issues. I or my husband will be forwarding your emailed concerns to HD Customer Care via our Case number so that you are aware.
Have a Nice Day.
