?? Batwing Adjustment ??

[Chappy]

Chappy, I feel exactly like Screwball said. For what we spend for our machines, the dealers should take us to heart when we have an issue and do what is right - fix it.

Since no one else seems to be commenting about their batwing adjustment, we must be the only two with the issue out of the hundreds which have been manufactured.

I'll have mine into the dealer in a couple weeks, I will let you know what I find out or what they were able to do.

Retcsm07

Hi Retcsm07,

Thanks!! You do need to know, it's not just the two of us, not on this site and not on another site that I have been a member for over eight years. On that site I started a thread in the Triglide category as well as the touring section since both bikes have the same batwing. To my surprise, I found many more with the same problem. Most are on 2012 units and several more are scattered through out the last 8 or 10 years. On google, yahoo and a few more search engines you can fine more but not many. It is a real problem that probably starts in quality control at mother Harley.
Good luck at the dealer appointment you have coming up.
Sam

Now, That being said, please hear this about one of the experiences I had with a dealer. When I bought my '97 Heritage Springer new, I had to look high and low just to find one. When I did find one I had to travel to Burlington, VT. That place is now gone and all but one shop within a hundred miles has been sold and resold or is gone. With each sale of the dealerships it seems the sales teams are just selling a product and to many it's just a widget not the Harley Davidson, my dream bike. And back to when I bought the Heritage Springer I had a very high level of excitement, I was like a little boy the night before Christmas kind of excitement. So finally My new dream bike was ready for me to pick up. During the walk around I noticed that the left rear direction signal support post had a very poor level of chrome. It didn't seem to mater to the sales team or the dealership owner at all. There was no offer to fix it either. When I pushed the issue the owner simply said with a straight face looking into my eyes, " It rains on everyones parade.". He knew I wanted the bike and he was right, I took it anyway and bought the part with the proper chromeing latter elsewhere.My little boy excitement was cut down and I still buy brand new Harleys. Now I could have walked out the door, and if I had, I probably would be on a different forum right now and not a trike forum in the Harley section and on the harley triglide catagory or even a Harley forum at all. But I've had a Harley dream since I was 8 years old after my first ride on a Harley. I knew then that I would be a Harley guy, but, Man things have changed since then with the ups and downs that mother Harley has gone through and as a result took it's loyal customers through as well. I'm a customer of Harley and I know that in the sceam of things neither the dealership or mother Harley really gives a rip about the level of loyalty a customer has, it's just the bucks and it seems that they are out to please the new market of younger people. It's just the way it is. Although I will say there are some dealerships that really will take care of a problem without a hassle, sadly they are becoming few and far in between.

Back to my '97 HS; If you don't remember or maybe you're unaware of the fact. Harley was in the midst of a sales heyday, selling more units than they could make. The dealers knew this fact and stepped right up for #1 and changed over the MSRP sticker with a Huge profit. On my Heritage Springer, because 1, I wanted it and two 2, I'm a loyal Harely customer. The thanks I got for that loyalty was a 5,000.00 over MSRP when I bought it. At that time, if I hadn't bought it someone was right behind that would buy it. Well, shame on the dealers that did that practice and shame on me and other customers that took it rather than walk away. But, Truth is, I believe there certainly was an abundance of new buyers then and since the mid 80's as well. Especially with HOG and all the boutique remodeling that went on at the shops that no longer even smell like the old shops that you could count on anymore. Well, many shops sold out. The new wave of ownership learned in seminars, How to turn a profit, a big profit as though there was no end to the amount of units with all the trinkets they could sell. That mindset really hasn't gone away, in fact I think it's worse. I really don't want to hear a ship bell rung just because I have decided I buy another new Harley. The Harley sales team these days remind me more of a TimeShare scam than a team that helps someone buy a machine that has been the dream of a lifetime.
That being said, you must see that I think I will probably have to fix my fairing problem myself, no thanks to a recall or warranty or even the extra service plan that I have. That's one reason why on all my bikes and both that I own right now you will find more aftermarket parts and pieces than you will find the made with lower standards of chroming in a third world nation off the shelves in a harley boutique.

If I live long enough I'll no doubt buy another harley. My average Harley turn around is seven years, that's when I sell my older of the two bikes I own and add a new Harley to join the newest of the old harleys that I keep. So, now I have sold my '97 Heritage Springer in January, and still have my '03 Ultra and my new 2012 TriGlide. My first Harley was a'72 Sportster XLCH and I did ride other street bikes and rode dirt bikes before that. So to those that wonder, it was riding dirt bikes that first taught me to not only see, but to feel when my front end is tweaked, whether it be a front wheel, the fork tube, the triple tree, the risers, tweaked gauges, bent handlebars, level ground, where I sit on the seat, what the road surface is and all with out the use of a tape measure. I will let you all know how my Harley problem turns out.

Best of luck for those that have the same problem
For those that don't have the problem, I hope you never do
That about sums it up!
Thanks for your help.

Sam. Aka chappy

 

[Retcsm07]

Well, we had our TG serviced this past week and one topic of conversation was the adjustment of the batwing fairing.

To make a long story short, the service manager took our TG out for a spin and when he returned, agreed that the fairing was not straight, somewhat cocked to the right some, and if he turned the bars to the left to make it look straight that the trike started turning left. All my comments also.

He said that this can be fixed, that it is adjustable, that there is enough slack in the brackets and such that he felt that he could get it straightened out. The outer fairing has to be removed and the inner fairing all loosened up then they can move/tilt it the proper way to make it look straight. Probably a couple hours to get it done.

He also said it is more of an appearance thing as compared to something that would affect the ride. I asked him what he would do and his response was "If it was my bike, I'd have it straightened out."

So since it was not done during the service (I didn't actually have them look at it before hand with me so I could explain it to them and the tech who serviced the bike said he looked at it and it appeared to be Ok to him) and I had no more time to hang around, we are going to do it during the 5K service and I'll probably have them install the 2 inch pull back bars at that time since it will be half way apart anyway.

So I guess if someone has this issue, as always it may depend on your dealer as to how proactive they are to helping you resolve it. Some folks just seem to want to go that extra mile to help fix any problem you may have.

I got in almost 600 miles while I was gone to get the service (I know, low by some standards) and am starting to feel more comfortable every mile. Riding is the best cure to get used to it and the steering, so I need to do lots more.

Happy Father's Day weekend to all the Dad's out there.

Bingse, aka Retcsm07

 

[Skeet7373]

Well, we had our TG serviced this past week and one topic of conversation was the adjustment of the batwing fairing.

To make a long story short, the service manager took our TG out for a spin and when he returned, agreed that the fairing was not straight, somewhat cocked to the right some, and if he turned the bars to the left to make it look straight that the trike started turning left. All my comments also.

He said that this can be fixed, that it is adjustable, that there is enough slack in the brackets and such that he felt that he could get it straightened out. The outer fairing has to be removed and the inner fairing all loosened up then they can move/tilt it the proper way to make it look straight. Probably a couple hours to get it done.

He also said it is more of an appearance thing as compared to something that would affect the ride. I asked him what he would do and his response was "If it was my bike, I'd have it straightened out."

So since it was not done during the service (I didn't actually have them look at it before hand with me so I could explain it to them and the tech who serviced the bike said he looked at it and it appeared to be Ok to him) and I had no more time to hang around, we are going to do it during the 5K service and I'll probably have them install the 2 inch pull back bars at that time since it will be half way apart anyway.

So I guess if someone has this issue, as always it may depend on your dealer as to how proactive they are to helping you resolve it. Some folks just seem to want to go that extra mile to help fix any problem you may have.

I got in almost 600 miles while I was gone to get the service (I know, low by some standards) and am starting to feel more comfortable every mile. Riding is the best cure to get used to it and the steering, so I need to do lots more.

Happy Father's Day weekend to all the Dad's out there.

Bingse, aka Retcsm07

The dealer that sold me my TG tried to straighten it once. They did measure everything to see if the TG tracked straight. Now after a yelling match with them, they say they can't duplicate the issue. The SM told me to get a second opinion. The slight difference makes my TG look like a crap on the roadway, plus it makes my handlebars higher on the left side.

Karen

 

[Chappy]

Well, here it is a week and a half and nearly a thousand miles later since I took the advice given to me by the SM where I had my 1000 mile service. His advice was to bring my trike to the dealer where I bought it to get the fairing and handlebars adjusted which would remove the tweaked fairing and handlebars. He said that he clearly sees what I am talking about and agreed it was a warrenty issue, but he had done his best and all he could and it's still out of adjustment. When I picked it up, I felt that the problem had improved slightly but, as the SM said, it was still out of adjustment.
Two Saturdays back I was out for a putt wife my wife, we rode on some of our favorite roads here in NH and one of those roads brought us by the dealer where we bought the trike, (Laconia H-D). The whole area for miles around was very busy, because Laconia Bike Week started the next day. I stopped at the Service Desk and asked to make an appointment so my fairing and handlebars could be adjusted. The first person never made eye contact and just said, "never heard of that before". That's when I decided to stop talking to that young lady and direct my conversation to the next person at the desk. He was a young man that never took his folded elbows off the counter top, I started to tell him and before I was finished, he interrupted me and simply said, Me neither!. Got to tell ya, I was starting to boil. I stated loudly, my bike is right outside do you want to see what I'm talking about. That's when I thought I heard Rod Sterling talking with the a twilight zone music in the background, just then The young lady and young man both spoke at the same moment and said, "no, we're to busy". Then finally a third guy, maybe in his thirties, said, "that's a warranty issue, bring it in any morning, first come first serve". I asked if he wanted me to wait until after bike week, his reply was, "don't have to wait, bring it in, that's what we're here for".
That was a Saturday, and the next Tuesday, I was there and got in line, to my surprise as I shut down my motor, I was next. I got signed in with the usual paperwork, what, where, who and why as well as a once over look see of the trike. That entry station attendant said, "it looks like the handle bars to me". I said, nope! He said, "well, looks like handlebars." I gave him my cell number and did my best to walk around all the venders that filled the dealers parking lot as well as the parking lot of the Resturant that was connected with a wooden walk bridge. Finally the call came. The message was, "Your bike is all set for you." that was three hours later. Before I went inside to sign papers, I walked over where my trike was parked. I could see that nothing, I mean NOTHING had been done. My handicap card that I had wedged between the dash and windshield had not been moved, nor had the two bag windshield pouch. My GPS remained unmoved, even my faring wind deflectors were just as they were when I checked my trike in three hours earlier. I noticed all that as I walked to my trike, what really got me steaming is when I stood next to my trike and right on top of the left side of my gas tank next to the fuel tank trim panel is a deep chip 5/16" wide and digs forward nearly 2 1/2". As I look closer I can see that it had been glubbed in paint from what must have been on of the little nail polish touch-up paint that Harley sells. I touched the mess and it was dry but very rough and again, very visible. Let me tell you, I was steaming by that point. I walked back inside to the Service Desk and a guy said to me with a big smile, "Your all set!". I said, "No, I'm not all set, first off, Im my opinion my fairing and windshield were never touched, and more importantly, my tank has a very large and deep scratch and also has a very poor attempt to fill it in with touch-up paint. how and Why?". Then came the typical, " I don't know anything about that". I jump ahead of the back and forth that was more like talking to a third grade boy with his hand in the cookie jar. I finally had the SM listening to me, that's when it took a spin I really didn't expect. He looked me in the eyes and said, He was the only man that touched my bike, he added, he got on my bike (as he pointed to the lot where bikes waited to be worked on) and drove it in the shop". That was his first Lie to me. The fact is, I AM who pulled my trike right up to the shop door and my trike was never in the waiting lot. He told me that my Rilke never left his sight, he added, he rode it in and rode it out and nobody else had touched it. That's his second Lie. The fact is, during my go around with the service crew, a young man was told to bring my trike in and take a close look at it, and hour later, my trike was brought back out and parked by yet another guy. I saw this because I sat on the grass slope right there where my trike was parked. After my trike was parked there I got up and took a look at the damaged area and all that had been done was a terrible job with rubbing compound. I say terrible because, under the circumstances, it's just beyond my understanding why or how they would expect a customer that paid 30K plus be satisfied with a scratch covered touch-up paint than only because of a long and loud complain the damaged area was again worked on and the rubbing compound was used so poorly that it was pushed in between the tank and the rubber seat on the fuel panel. Now back to the SM. He started raising his voice, some would say he was yelling. He kept denying that he did it and kept saying he was the only one that touched my trike. I really don't like being lied to, especially by a punk that then yelled, since he has worked on Harley's for 13 years his work and his word is unquestionable. Well, I'm needless to say, I was boiling by then. That's when every eye was on me, because that's when I screamed in his face, "Do you want to start Yelling, I can yell too!". His reply was "No." it all toned down a little, so That's when I said, come out and look at my trike. He agreed and as we looked at my trike, he said, he didn't do that and again said my trike never left his sight. I asked him about the terrible rubbing compound job and the compound that was left behind. The SM looked me square in the eyes and said, that's how I brought my trike in today and I know that's how I brought my bike in. That was the third lie, I live by the three strikes you're out. So, I was boiling again and by that time it was back to yelling. It was during this time I asked for the the Top Dog and soon the General Manager was in the conversation. It only took a minute and I could see that he was useless. I was getting mentally prepared for a close encounter of the bloody kind with my first three moves all planned. All I was waiting for at this point was for this yelling and screaming fool to give me the trigger eye. That's when, I slowed down and looked around and remembered it was bike week and that there was dealership security and cops everywhere and I was convinced my next move would be the difference between me freely riding home or me getting a ride to jail. Since I wasn't going to collect $200.00 for passing Go and I also didn't have a get out of Jail card. Very strangely as I was quickly pondering these jail time thoughts and what type of charges I would have to deal with, then, All of a sudden, the SM said he'd agree to paint my tank. I told Imelda I wanted it in writing. Can you believe that he expected me to just accept his word on this mater? Finally he gave it to me in writing. The time it took to talk and yell and finally get in writing that the dealer would paint my tank took well over an hour and a half. So much more happened that I haven't written. So, I finally left, rode to the next lot where Mustang Seat trailer was set up and I bought myself a seat for my trike.
Wednesday and yesterday, me and wife and another couple rode to Lake George, NY. We put on maybe 5or6 hundred miles. The trike rode excellent except the left grip is a tad higher than the right grip and my fairing is still in the same tweaked position as it was when I picked it up at one dealer as well as when I left the dealer where brought I bought the trike. I enjoyed the ride for every minute and mile, except for those moments when I looked down and saw the mess-O-scratch that Laconia Harley-Davidson did and tried to cover up. And although I have a written agreement to have Laconia H-D paint my tank, well, I just don't trust them to do it right. Fact is, I won't even by a quart of oil from them again. I know I'm not special, and I never asked for special treatment, but, during bike week that dealer brings in big bucks from riders and dreamers from all over the country and even many other countries. I'm just the local bumpkin that has bought two new bikes from that dealer as well as unknown parts, labor, chrome, clothes and trinkets and I got treated as though I was a passerby thief. It's obvious to me that the dealer doesn't care and has it all figured out on the bottom line and it seems to me as the dealers become more like this model, it reveals that Mother Harley doesn't care either. So now I have to wonder why I've be loyal all these decades. Is it me, is it the Dealer, is it Harley Corp, or is it the normal everyday business that next oldest Americans will get used or not?
That was a sad day for me.
Now, I go to another dealer and get a new voltage regulator that has been recalled. Not like the recall of the past, I never got a letter fro Harley Corp, nope, I had to stumble on the fact while I was reading threads on the few forums that I visit.
Let's hope that works out.
Later
Sam