Extra warranty or NOT

Trampas

1000+ Posts
Aug 27, 2016
1,075
587
Des Moines, IA
Name
James
How many have the extra warranty past the 2 years that harley gives you for the new bike, I bought extra warranty on my 1997 softail and never used it, did the same on my 2002 road king and never used it, guess they built better bikes back then, now a days slap them together and get out the door, this is union workers putting these bikes together, just sickens me about this, I'm a strong union worker and have been for over 40 years and I took pride in the product that I made, times are a changing and not for the good.

With transmission fluid going into the primay on some models, trunk latchs breaking, cheap plastic there, coolant pumps going out, harley should have never did this, JMHO, and a few other things going on with trikes and 2 wheelers, it a shame, no wonder people buy the extended warranty to cover this.

If I buy this trike it will have forever warranty on the drivetrain for the life of me as long as I get it serviced at the recommended miles for the service at the harley dealer or if traveling another harley dealer and you have to keep the paper work to show it has been done for whatever happened. This is on new bikes as well as some used bikes after they check them out. Sounds good but not sure about this myself, sounds like alot of hoops.

All for now Trampas
 
It's like you just don't know what will happen. I had a one year on a new Trike and I wheeled and dealed for an additional 2 year. It was Fourteen Hundred, the good thing about this was, if I didn't use it I get a full refund. Time is up now so I filed the paperwork for the refund. Checked to see if they received it, You got to be careful with this stuff. Anyway they received it and all's good. With new bikes today and all the High Tech stuff on them, it don't take much to have something go wrong with a big price tag. It's a good feeling to know your covered if needed.

Good luck with what you decide.
 
I didnt buy the extended warranty at the time of purchase because it runs concurrent with the factory warranty.Now that the factory warranty has run out i will buy a one year ESP just encase i get a new trike next year.Since i am having so many issue with my 17 it seems like the sensible thing to do.
 
James, you can do the services yourself, just keep good records and ALL reciepts

IMO, with the problems that can rear its ugly head with the new Harley's I don't leave the dealer with out extended warranty
 
Jack, the sales manager told me it has to be serviced at a harley dealer, I will check with him for sure, I have always did my own oil change, primary change and transmission change and a few things that I am comfortable with. Read somewhere and not sure where but they offer this free forever warranty but they get it back when you do the service, charge more than normal, wish I could find that article I read about this warranty.

I seen when looking at harley ESP I happen to see a web site entitled Discount ESP, very good prices, if paid in full way more savings.

Sully, not sure how you dealt with your warranty but if you get your money back that is a good deal if you didn't use it, guess I should have checked on that with the other 2 bikes since I never used the warranty at all, can't remember but I think I had a 5 year plan, not sure.

All for now Trampas
 
Also with the forever warranty on the drive train, I guess if the bike has the trannie fluid going into the primary that would be covered, just dealing with the hassle is all, will also have to check to see if the coolant pump is included in this, highly doubt it but it runs thru the motor sort of, will have to check if the reverse motor is included, never did use reverse except 2 times, the rest of the time I just pushed it backwards, pushes easier than I thought when I did it the first time, with my neck I can't turn my head very good so it was easier to push instead using reverse, at least I could see where I going backwards

All for now Trampas
 
ESP

How many have the extra warranty past the 2 years that harley gives you for the new bike, I bought extra warranty on my 1997 softail and never used it, did the same on my 2002 road king and never used it, guess they built better bikes back then, now a days slap them together and get out the door, this is union workers putting these bikes together, just sickens me about this, I'm a strong union worker and have been for over 40 years and I took pride in the product that I made, times are a changing and not for the good.

With transmission fluid going into the primay on some models, trunk latchs breaking, cheap plastic there, coolant pumps going out, harley should have never did this, JMHO, and a few other things going on with trikes and 2 wheelers, it a shame, no wonder people buy the extended warranty to cover this.

If I buy this trike it will have forever warranty on the drivetrain for the life of me as long as I get it serviced at the recommended miles for the service at the harley dealer or if traveling another harley dealer and you have to keep the paper work to show it has been done for whatever happened. This is on new bikes as well as some used bikes after they check them out. Sounds good but not sure about this myself, sounds like alot of hoops.

All for now Trampas

I use to feel the SAME way, never buying the ESP, on numerous bikes over the years.

But for whatever reason I bought it on my 2010 HD trike - BOY did I make a smart move

back then - now at 100,000 miles I have had a complete engine rebuild, replaced transmission sub assembly, new clutch basket/cable, 2 compensators, pan hard rod,

starter motor (cracked teeth), and several smaller issues.

Now this is over the coarse of 9 years, but still Harley does NOT seem to be built for LONGIVITY any longer! Also of note is the FACT that you CANNOT re-new your ESP once you hit 75,000 miles (further proof of lack of longevity).

I bought my first NEW Harley in 1970..........LOVE MY 2010 Trike and my 1988 FLHS EVO,

will I buy another-I DOUBT IT!

Did the ESP pay for itself YES (but thanks also to a GOOD DEALER)

End of rant!

:Dorag:
 
I never, ever buy the ESPs for anything . . . but for all the Harleys I've owned I have and they have paid for themselves many times over. Now ESPs are Extended Service Plans. They are NOT warranties and even if buying the 'Harley' brand they are sold and promoted by Harley but they are administered by CNA Insurance. So Harley corporate is not at all in the picture after their factory warranty expires. It is between the dealer to advise CNA of the problem and then CNA to authorize the repair - sometimes requiring an onsite inspection of the problem. The same is also true of the non-Harley branded ESPs such as those offered by Discount ESP and others.

And yes, the Harley branded ESP cannot be renewed if your bike has over 75k on it or is over some number of years old (maybe 10, not sure about that). Those offered by Discount ESP can be extended beyond that. In fact if you have a Harley branded ESP about to run out that cannot be renewed well Discount ESP can sell you one. But you must do it before the Harley branded ESP expires.

Some of the things ESP has replaced / repaired on my various Harleys include - a complete new motor from the factory, a complete rebuild on a motor by the dealer, starter, compensator, stator, audio wiring harness, iPod harness (this on a CVO), handlebar switch, ignition lock (again on a CVO with central locking system), and probably many things I've forgotten.

Maybe I've been 'lucky' to get such value from my ESPs but I do normally keep my bikes for a while - 75k plus - and as previously stated these things just are not built for longevity unfortunately. And I know of a couple guys with Rushmore bikes who've had complete infotainment centers needing to be replaced - big $$ for sure here.

I do not currently have an ESP on my 2018 TG as it just turned one year old and still has a year of factory warranty. But I will most definitely be buying one before the factory warranty runs out.

Just my personal experience and others may differ. Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
 
I have the ESP.Yup administered by CNA.Never had it before but the M8 was an unknown quantity.Hell the MoCo has never perfected any motor theyve ever built.Well maybe the Evo Sportster-but Im still mad that they deleted the trap door in the tranny.As far as blaming Union workers-even non union production has issues.Labor cannot cure design problems.Im a Union driver but run like an independent.Hell Ill drive clear across the country and never talk to the company.Not all labor does the job haphazard. If I screw up things get broken and people get killed.No slack.
 
Agreed getting the ESP

I use to feel the SAME way, never buying the ESP, on numerous bikes over the years.

But for whatever reason I bought it on my 2010 HD trike - BOY did I make a smart move

back then - now at 100,000 miles I have had a complete engine rebuild, replaced transmission sub assembly, new clutch basket/cable, 2 compensators, pan hard rod,

starter motor (cracked teeth), and several smaller issues.

Now this is over the coarse of 9 years, but still Harley does NOT seem to be built for LONGIVITY any longer! Also of note is the FACT that you CANNOT re-new your ESP once you hit 75,000 miles (further proof of lack of longevity).

I bought my first NEW Harley in 1970..........LOVE MY 2010 Trike and my 1988 FLHS EVO,

will I buy another-I DOUBT IT!

Did the ESP pay for itself YES (but thanks also to a GOOD DEALER)

End of rant!

:Dorag:
I agree. I bought a new 2010 Electra Glide Classic and bought the warranty for about 1900.00 and got 2700.00 worth of repairs done. The bike now has 50,000 miles. New clutch assy, fly by wire throttle and other items. I also bought the ESP on the used 2016 Tri Glide I have. Peace of mind....
 
Also with the forever warranty on the drive train, I guess if the bike has the trannie fluid going into the primary that would be covered, just dealing with the hassle is all, will also have to check to see if the coolant pump is included in this, highly doubt it but it runs thru the motor sort of, will have to check if the reverse motor is included, never did use reverse except 2 times, the rest of the time I just pushed it backwards, pushes easier than I thought when I did it the first time, with my neck I can't turn my head very good so it was easier to push instead using reverse, at least I could see where I going backwards

All for now Trampas

The reverse motor is covered, Some dealers are rebuilding them now on site

The Coolant pump is also covered ( There is an updated part number for it );)
 
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How many have the extra warranty past the 2 years that harley gives you for the new bike, I bought extra warranty on my 1997 softail and never used it, did the same on my 2002 road king and never used it, guess they built better bikes back then, now a days slap them together and get out the door, this is union workers putting these bikes together, just sickens me about this, I'm a strong union worker and have been for over 40 years and I took pride in the product that I made, times are a changing and not for the good.

With transmission fluid going into the primay on some models, trunk latchs breaking, cheap plastic there, coolant pumps going out, harley should have never did this, JMHO, and a few other things going on with trikes and 2 wheelers, it a shame, no wonder people buy the extended warranty to cover this.

If I buy this trike it will have forever warranty on the drivetrain for the life of me as long as I get it serviced at the recommended miles for the service at the harley dealer or if traveling another harley dealer and you have to keep the paper work to show it has been done for whatever happened. This is on new bikes as well as some used bikes after they check them out. Sounds good but not sure about this myself, sounds like alot of hoops.

All for now Trampas

Don't blame the union worker....they didn't design it, engineer it, or source the parts. All they do is bolt the parts together , or run the robots under the watchful eye of management.
 
Wouldn’t ride without one

I have also spent money on warranty and didn’t need. I also paid for a motor that was a couple of months out of warranty. Decided to go ESP warranty for my 2015 trike. Last trip, the cooling pump died. The $535 they paid toward repair was almost half of cost of warranty . These guys are right about price of electronics on motorcycles today. I will not own a Harley without a warranty.
 
Got mine back in one swarp when they replaced the reverse motor last year. Then this year, I had some electrical problems that sweetened the pot. I've spent $100 plus the cost of the warranty, and got $2500 worth of repairs down. And I'm sure in the next 2 years there will be more work that has to be done.
 
Don't blame the union worker....they didn't design it, engineer it, or source the parts. All they do is bolt the parts together , or run the robots under the watchful eye of management.

Maybe I shouldn't be so hard blaming union workers, you are right, they just put stuff together or watch the robots, but they do screw up sometimes, have heard of it with new bikes that parts wasn't tighten just right and some of the blame should go to the dealer for his workers not catching this when selling the bike, all in all we are human and can make a mistake, I know I put a good product out but I can't say for sure if my co-workers did the same, I wasn't watching them.

All for now Trampas
 
Maybe I shouldn't be so hard blaming union workers, you are right, they just put stuff together or watch the robots, but they do screw up sometimes, have heard of it with new bikes that parts wasn't tighten just right and some of the blame should go to the dealer for his workers not catching this when selling the bike, all in all we are human and can make a mistake, I know I put a good product out but I can't say for sure if my co-workers did the same, I wasn't watching them.

All for now Trampas

When ever the Union and Management are in heavy wage negotiations i would be hard pressed buying anything made in that factory...
 
I've had the 7 year (5 additional) ESP on both my TG's and they both have paid for themselves many time over. I ride approx. 10 to 15K miles a year. I don't think you need it if you only ride a couple thousand miles a year...... or if you're mechanically inclined, have the tools and a place to do the work. Which about 90% of riders don't have.

I also buy the dealers prepaid service package which saves me hundreds of $$$$$ I have a 4 year unlimited mileage package for $2150. That's a saving of over $1000, plus I get a free wash, free loaner and my choice of fluids (Amsoil) - which is great because I'm an hours ride away from the dealer and have no way of getting back home.
 
I wish I still had the warranty on my ‘10 TG. 7 years unlimited miles paid for itself 4-5 times over. Engine rebuilt instead of replaced at 86k. Rebuild only lasted another 50k. They were too cheap to replace it. Used casings that sucked. Just getting new engine put in this week at 136k miles at my expense. Maybe this one will last awhile. Needless to say, HD is not doing the work.
 
Extended warranty or service plan , whatever you want to call it was a blessing for me to have when I purchased my 2014 Tri Glide ! Replaced trunk latch , replaced reverse motor , repaired parking brake pawl , replace water pump twice and replaced thermostat . Had 62,000 miles on it when traded for my 2018 ! Yes I bought the extended on the 2018 also ! Did all the maintenance services myself , and didn't get ask or have to prove any of it. Ebert
 
Ok I checked into the extra warranty, seems a little on the steep side but here goes:

1 year 1599

2 year 1799

3 year 1999

4 year 2299

5 year 2599

This is the warranty thru the harley dealer, so with 5 year I have 7 years, you get the drift, they told I could wait until ready to expire or whatever, but the rates go up every year, so right now would be the cheapest I could get, I told them about Discount ESP and they don't know anything about it, they told me to check it out very good, but the one they sell is good all over the United States at every harley dealer, she said they might have a few that are recongnize for warranty that is not a harley dealer, she didn't know.

Ok, for the ones that have bought this warranty from the dealer, are these prices high or is just me, I had a 5 year plans on my other 2 bikes but I'm sure I didn't pay that much, granted one was 1997 and the other was 2002, I know prices go up, but 5 years for 2599 sounds high, but if the radio shucks out I guess it would pay for itself, or maybe the transmission goes out because of trannie migration, LOL

All for now Trampas
 
Ok I checked into the extra warranty, seems a little on the steep side but here goes:

1 year 1599

2 year 1799

3 year 1999

4 year 2299

5 year 2599

This is the warranty thru the harley dealer, so with 5 year I have 7 years, you get the drift, they told I could wait until ready to expire or whatever, but the rates go up every year, so right now would be the cheapest I could get, I told them about Discount ESP and they don't know anything about it, they told me to check it out very good, but the one they sell is good all over the United States at every harley dealer, she said they might have a Ok, for the ones that have bought this warranty from the dealer, are these prices high or is just me, I had a 5 year plans on my other 2 bikes but I'm sure I didn't pay that much, granted one was 1997 and the other was 2002, I know prices go up, but 5 years for 2599 sounds high, but if the radio shucks out I guess it would pay for itself, or maybe the transmission goes out because of trannie migration, LOL

All for now Trampas

Yeah that seems high but it is what it is.

Back in the day you could find Harley dealers who would discount the Harley branded ESP . . . but no more. Harley clamped down on that and them selling outside their assigned territory. That's why Jim Palmer at Boardtracker Harley started selling the third party ESPs and started an new online website for them - discountesp.com

I'm pretty well disgusted with H-D and their various tactics to extract even more $$ from my wallet so I plan to buy the Discount ESP plan next year before my factory warranty runs out.

BTW you don't have to take your bike to a Harley dealer for ESP work. Many indys can and will work with the Harley branded ESP as well as the other third party ESP.
 
With this factory warranty from what they told me I could change my own oil and filter, primary, and transmission, but this dealer gives you a forever warranty on the drive train, which means I can't do all this stuff on my own, I have to have them do it or maybe a indy, told the guy I have been doing this for over 25 years and he said you are not a business, sounds like if I was a business I could do it. But got to thinking, it around $93 for oil and filter and to have them do it around $150, keeps me off the ground for these old bones, told the guy it is easy to get down but hard to get up, LOL and with my back the way it is, let them do it I guess. Always wish a had a drive on lift, but no room.

The reason I inquired about the forevery warranty to find out if the coolant pump is covered under this, nope he said, I ask about the reverse motor and nope he said, all this is bolted some how to motor, but it is just the warranty for the motor, unlimited miles, which I don't put much on any more.

So it looks like if I want the coolant pump, reverse motor, trunk latch, ignition switch and every thing else covered I will have to buy the extended warranty or just pay out of pocket which in the long run could be expensive and maybe not if the bike holds up well, knock on wood.

All for now Trampas
 
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After you have paid $400-$500 for service every 5,000 miles, you will have paid them enough to buy a motor.

I want to get a ESP, but it will be the discount 1 from Boardtracker. I am no where near a advanced mechanic, but I bought a service manual online & I do my own preventive maintenance & I like it that way, knowing it's done correctly.

It's not that hard.
 
Trampas, I have a 16 Triglide that ran out of the factory warranty in August. The local dealer gave me the same line of $#$ that he had to do the warranty service ect. and the contract said nothing of the sort. It was about $3500 for a three year Extended Plan for the drivetrain only. But the salesman told me that any mods done in their shop would be covered (bike was a year old with 4500 miles).

Then about eight months later I decided to install the Screaming Eagle Street Cannons. And went by the dealer for a service question. Tech said the Factory would not cover the warranty since I had installed the Cannons AFTER buying the warranty. Went home Removed the Cannons and called the warranty company and cancelled with a prorated refund.

Contacted Jim at DiscountESP before the Factory warranty expired and bought the 7 year plan with wheel/tire for $1698. This extends the FACTORY WARRANTY FIVE YEARS and can be repaired at ANY DEALER NATIONWIDE,,,,,, EVEN INDEPENDANT SHOPS!!!!

Warranty is the factory text VERBATUM, I can do my own service an keep the receits. I also can install ANY MANUFACTURE APPROVED PARTS WITHOUT VOIDING THE CONTRACT. This means I can install the Screaming Eagle Stage 1 or 2 parts without going to a specific dealer and the mods are covered NATIONWIDE.

Only one stipulation that is different....you must get approval for work BEFORE IT IS STARTED...EVEN DIAGNOSTICS. But there is a 24HR hotline for communication anyplace, anyday!
 

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