| Author | Message | ||
     Spacecapsule1 |
I have a rant: For the last week and a half, my Buell has been sitting at the dealer with front and rear rocker box leaks and the right turn signals not functioning correctly. I went in Sunday to pick it up and they told me they replaced the rocker gaskets, the PCV grommets on the rocker cover (which I specifically asked them to do) and they said they "fixed" the wiring harness where the turn signals spliced into it.. When I pulled the bike out into the parking lot to gear up, I discovered the frame looked washed out, like the finish was oxidized or something. It looked horrible! So I went right back in and asked the guy to come look. He agreed and he didn't know what was wrong. He tried to clean it, but no luck. I'm thinking the finish has been ruined by them spraying degreaser or something all over it. Is that possible? He did mention that they used brake cleaner, but didn't know why they would have sprayed it all over the frame. I could also say that it looked like when you wax something porous and it leaves that white residue all over that won't come off. What do you think about the frame? It looked like this in it's entirety. Something was sprayed on it for sure because rubbing it by hand wouldn't get into every nook like it was. What should I do? After further inspection I noticed the wiring harness was all wrapped up nice and hideously with electrical tape right where the harness comes down the frame on the left side of the steering knuckle. I suppose this is where they fixed it. The throttle cables that were routed with it were not placed back into the race that everything is routed through and its all scratched up now, like they pried the throttle cables out of the race with a screw driver or something. So..... Anyone have any suggestions? I'm at a loss now. I've only owned my bike 3 months and now the finish seems to be ruined, the wiring harness is a patch job and there's scratches on the frame. If I wanted all that, I would've bought a used bike. I really just cant accept it like it now. I left the bike at the dealer so they couldn't blame me for anything because I took it off the lot. I don't know what will happen now. The guy mentioned trying to polish the frame or buff it..... I don't want that because it will only reduce the thickness of the powdercoat and make it less durable, kind of like a old car with thin or peeling paint. I don't want a patched up wiring harness, I won't a new harness. There's no excuse for that on a bike that's only been in service for 3 months. You know what I mean? | ||
| Prowler |
Both of the XB's I've got have had discoloring (white-ish hazing?) on the frames which comes and goes. I've found that wiping the frame down with WD-40 (sprayed on a rag) seems to do a nice job of getting rid of the discoloration. No idea where the discoloration comes from or why. Does anyone know why/how this happens? | ||
| Mnbueller |
I take it you bought this bike new from this dealer?...If so, still under warranty, then go in there, point out the harness hack job, and demand a new harness, demand that they fix the scratches. Tell them it was showroom condition when you dropped it off and you won't accept anything less when you come to pick it up. | ||
| Spacecapsule1 |
I bought it new, but not from this dealer(local) as they didn't have what I wanted. | ||
| Etennuly |
The powder coat on the bikes cannot tolerate brake cleaner. Powder coat is a plastic coating, it is also porous at the surface, ergo not shiny. Brake cleaner will melt the surface of the powder coat and it cannot be buffed back to life. Pretty much ruined is ruined. IMHO they will have to replace the frame to fix the problem. Powder coat can be redone, but would require complete disassembly and the stripping processes with re-doing it would likely cost as much as a new frame/tank. Sounds like your dealer techs suck beyond crap. I would seek help from Buell customer service to confirm the lack of repair-ability and make the dealer make it right. I would even talk to the GM or owner of the dealership about replacing the bike with a new replacement at no additional cost. Good luck with that. | ||
| Swordsman |
Did they clean the bike for you? My service center does a complimentary wash for every service. Could be a cleaning/waxing agent. I know I waxed my frame without checking prior, and it leaves an ugly whitish haze that all but refuses to come off. ~SM | ||
| Xl1200r |
Did they clean the bike for you? My service center does a complimentary wash for every service. Could be a cleaning/waxing agent. I know I waxed my frame without checking prior, and it leaves an ugly whitish haze that all but refuses to come off. This is my first guess. My dealership does the same thing. They just have some kids that detail the bikes as they come out of the shop. They cleaned my bike once and left all kinds of wax residue on the frame and exhaust. I request now that they don't do anything but fix it. If it is wax or some other polish, it will come off with regular washing and usage. | ||
| Spacecapsule1 |
Yeah they cleaned it. I suspected it might be something like that, but just not sure. it won't come off though. The part about brake cleaner has me really concerned. I'll have to wait and see. What ever it was, it was a liquid for sure. How did you get the residue off? | ||
| Jhanz |
Sounds like a real half-assed dealer, because if they did clean it, why didn't they say that to begin with, and that it might be the cause of the hazing. I have had 2 Buells and have been to 3 different dealers (even one that was supposed to be Buell-centric) and 9 out of 10 times something was screwed up, or I was given a bologna story about why things were mucked up. The biggest frustration, which fuels the problems with getting Buells serviced at the dealer, is that the dealers and I suppose Harley in general are in denial that there is a disconnect when it comes to the Buell brand. I have an XB9SX w 3000 miles on it, with a clear problem in the primary, and the latest dealer doesn't seem to want to acknowledge the problem (loose clutch sprocket),which is causing major noise and difficulty shifting. I am sick of this and even though I love the bike (when working properly), I regret buying it because of the numerous difficulties dealing w dealers. The one time i got a dealer to do anything right, it took 4 months and the threat of legal action before they gave relief; then they acted like they did me the biggest favor in the world. Now i have a bike that doesn't want to upshift and has scary noises coming from the primary, regardless of primary chain and clutch adjustment. Hopefully at some point Harley will realize that there is a legitimate problem relating to service on the Buell brand. |
