Posted on 05/29/2014 1:29:39 AM PDT by kingattax
As a former politician, Dave Zien has built a reputation for defending motorcyclists' rights – as well as cruising the country with patriotic flags hanging off the back of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle for millions of miles.
So it came as something of a shock when Harley rejected a warranty repair Zien sought for a broken clutch on a new Harley trike — citing his flags as the real cause. Zien, who bought the bike new in March, has voiced his displeasure throughout the biker community, telling Fox News that Harley-Davidson informed him he was "blocked" because of his flag displays, and can "never get any warranty work" for seven years.
Harley-Davidson responded to the Journal Sentinel of Milwaukee, stating that Zien's warranty is still valid, but that it denied this claim due to the the "terrific drag (the flags create) on the engine and transmission." The company also says that the flag mounts used were not Harley products, which played a part in the claim's denial, despite Zien arguing that a registered Harley dealer installed the mounts.
Zien, aged 64, served as a U.S. marine in Vietnam in the late '60s, prior to joining the Wisconsin State Senate between 1993 and 2006. His stint in the senate brought him some local recognition, but it was his full-size flags – including a 3-foot-by-5-foot American flag – waving proudly from behind his Harley that ensured an avid following of bikers.
(Excerpt) Read more at autos.yahoo.com ...
Seems like that would have been the logical fix in this case too.
HD has a history of making life difficult for it's dealers and other vendors.
Like when they insisted dealerships build exclusive, expensive HD stores instead of just selling them out of their regular bike shops?
:)
The Company lost much more in pr than they saved in $ denying the service.
That’s quite a lot of drag there....vs two lightweight flags. HD will lose far more in bike sales than repairing a clutch...sad.
Or not letting dealerships print their names on the backs of HD T shirts.
It’s a Harley conversion.
“Bikes generally have wet clutches,...”
That’s true, but I think a Harley has a dry clutch. The transmission is separate from the engine, kind of like a car (a front wheel drive car, but with the engine crankshaft 90 degrees off from the wheel axles).
I think Harley is going to end up eating this.
A argument can be made the this trike, if it were towing a Harley approved camper trailer, and was fully loaded with two on the bike, would be suffering a lot more drag then two flippin flags...
Modern HD is about as good as they have gotten. Part of the charm was the roughness and cantankerousness, which now has to be simulated by the electronic controls.
But you’re paying a steep premium for style. Now that there is Victory and Indian, V-twin bikers have more choice.
Sportsters have wet clutches. I do not know about others.
It’s possible we have only heard part of the story anyhow... maybe the dealer offered to put in a better clutch at cost and we aren’t hearing it, or something.
Bikers CAN be a-holes.
When did that happen? Dealership T shirts are an old tradition. I’ve had several.
Do you folks do trikes with the new Indian, or Victory?
I would like to read the particular warranty regards years/miles and see if it applies. if it does, then the stealership is going to cough up the service.
If only parts, or labor, they will still be on the hook. If the warranty is done, then the rider is looking for a free clutch.
Like I said up thread, a new Rivera (or many other quality replacement plates) is a much better than a stock clutch, which is okay for stock performance, but starts to slip when torque is added with mods.
I wonder if Indian is this stupid.
He just finished a another Victory.
And the first one
Back in the 90s when Harley came back real strong, HD corp got very protective over co-branding. Indy bike shops, tattoo and leather shops were buying HD t-shirts and having their info printed on the back. Authorized dealers had been doing it for years, but even they weren’t allowed to do it anymore.
When I bought a Sporty in late 1999 the dealership had local T shirts, and never stopped carrying them. Maybe the MoCo required their blessing on the designs?
Indian-eering too?
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