kuryakyn

[pcmikey]

Is it just me, or does everyone find kuryakyn=krap. I just removed a set of kuryakyn armrests for a 2010 harley tri glide ultra, and threw them in the trash. The chrome flaked and the bars rusted after about a year. The undersides of the arm rests were bubbled and about to flake. I have foot pegs and grips with similar problems. I have bought my last kuryakyn product. What are your thoughts, and recommendations for quality accessories?

 

[Peter A.]

I've tried several of their products and found them first class - also dealt with their customer reps and was very satisfied with their responses - have you approached them with your issues?
:Shrug:

 

[tfdeputydawg]

If you had voiced your concern to Kury, you could have received replacements!

 

[Shriner Jim]

Kury

I have used many of their products; arm rests, adjustable passenger foot pegs, drink holders, etc. No problems with fit or finish. I feel sure if you contacted Kuryakyn they would help you with your problem.

 

[MB1953]

I have had good experiences with Kury... the iso grips and drink holders are top-notch, and although the hoods for the TG taillights are plated plastic that I bought from their huge display at Daytona Bike Week (thought they were metal until I got them home and opened the packages), they look great and appear to be high quality. Also, when I opened one package, it was missing the mounting hardware... called the Kury customer service number, gave them the sales receipt #, and they had me email them a copy of it. Two days later I had the hardware. A little thing, but good customer service goes a long way. It wouldn't hurt to check with them before you write them off.

 

[bikerbillone]

I've never had much luck with Kury, but maybe it's just some of their products. Had a friend that exchanged his GW slip on three times before he gave up. Even though Kury gave him the exchange, shipping costs were killing him.

 

[roadking2]

I've had both good and bad from them. Their Iso foot pegs and their Silver Bullet LED lights were first class but other items not so much.

- - - Updated - - -

I've had both good and bad from them. Their Iso foot pegs and their Silver Bullet LED lights were first class but other items not so much.

 

[rhino 2]

Is it just me, or does everyone find kuryakyn=krap. I just removed a set of kuryakyn armrests for a 2010 harley tri glide ultra, and threw them in the trash. The chrome flaked and the bars rusted after about a year. The undersides of the arm rests were bubbled and about to flake. I have foot pegs and grips with similar problems. I have bought my last kuryakyn product. What are your thoughts, and recommendations for quality accessories?

All I know is Harley knows Chrome... [And they charge for it] I'm not into Chrome, And so I rarely clean the Chrome on the Harley I have' So maybe I'll do it every two months or so, The other day I towed my T/G In the rain and snow salt and sand 80 miles one way, 160 mikes total.
When I got back home I broke down and cleaned the chrome with spray wax and the chrome shined like new... Remember the Harley Credo;;

Run It Might.... Shine It Must........ ThumbUp

 

[DK Custom Products]

I've run the ISO grips and Pegs for years on various bikes and never had any issues.

I'm running the chrome vent trim in my '14 TG, but that has only been a few months.

The adjustable passenger footpegs are now on their third different bike, about 100,000 miles of use. There are a couple of places where Mary's boots have worn the chrome off a bit and some of the copper color is showing, but to me, for the use they have seen, that does not seem bad.

HOWEVER, earlier this month I saw some floorboard covers that the chrome was bubbling on, and they were less than a month old.

On another note...THREE different chromers that we have used over the years have closed down in the last year. The regulations for chroming are very tough here in the USA. The most recent one that closed was just last month. We currently have a bunch of parts at a chromer, so we will see how they turn out, but it is getting more and more difficult (& expensive) to get good chrome done here.

Kevin

 

[hogcowboy]

Yep, that's the problem. The EPA has all but closed down chroming here. So it's all or mostly import junk now. Brand name won't make a difference at some point. It will all be junk or stuff that just lasts a few years and need replaced. I really wonder if the chromers were really doing that much harm or if this is just more government over reach.

 

[Sloufoot]

Whitworth still comes in handy !

 

[GARYD]

Yep, that's the problem. The EPA has all but closed down chroming here. So it's all or mostly import junk now. Brand name won't make a difference at some point. It will all be junk or stuff that just lasts a few years and need replaced. I really wonder if the chromers were really doing that much harm or if this is just more government over reach.

Your last sentence said it all!! Which is the norm. Have you seen all the new laws congress has signed into law each and every year?? Millions of pages. It's a wonder we are still a free people. :AGGHH:

 

[hogcowboy]

It's a wonder we are still a free people. :AGGHH:

I thought we lost that status. I know voting is for sure a thing of the past. I mean it must be. Just who in their right mind would vote for Communism? I sure haven't been!

 

[AZTriGlide]

Kury

I've had great customer service from them on their flag and cup holder. Replaced and sent me an all new flag set up after I didn't use Loc Tite and the flag and staff flew off. Also replaced their cup holder when I had an issue. No cost to me on both!

 

[Illini_Triker]

Place close to us in Terre Haute, In used to chrome crankshafts for racing engines they had to shut that part down because of EPA

 

[470004]

We were at Daytona Bike Week last year and my friend had the Kuryakyn's Fuel/Battery gauge installed on his RK. During the installation, the Kuryakyn's tech notice the chrome peeling off on one of his ISO foot pegs and the tech replaced both pegs for free. My friend never mention the pegs to the tech. This is real customer service!

 

[bikerbillone]

That is good customer service, gotta give them that.

 

[KindaOldTriker]

I always thought Kuryakyn made a lot of the chrome stuff for Harley? It is identical in many cases?

The problem with new chrome is that it's just chrome sprayed over the steel or aluminum. No more copper coating etc for prep.
I had some Ness stuff for my Victory and chrome just peeled off like an orange peel.

 

[rhino 2]

That is good customer service, gotta give them that.

Customer Service might be good, But if so much stuff has to be returned, Customer service can go just so far!! Myself I hate having to take stuff off the bike then make phone calls package the stuff up and send it back and wait for a new one to arrive.. '''

 

[bikerbillone]

Rhino, "we" are certainly on the same page with that. Such a hassle returning stuff that doesn't work. That's why much of the time we don't return defects, the hassle involved, or maybe the part you get in return may not be any better, just easier to move on, eat the cost and the labor involved.

 

[DK Custom Products]

As a manufacturer, we have a zero tolerance for defects/mis-packaging. Does that mean we are perfect? No, unfortunately we do make mistakes, but every time we learn of one we use it as a training tool to improve our QC. We do not factor anything in for defects that are not returned.

We are also one of the few companies in the Moto industry that give a Lifetime Warranty on all products we manufacture.

To your question of incentive...

Even absent a moral compass (which should be incentive enough) what about reputation?

Our incentive for zero defect is to treat others as we want to be treated. This is also good business, because that is a good reputation that grows, something that can't be bought.

Look at how people in this thread are talking about their poor experiences with Kury parts...guaranteed there are people reading about those poor experiences that might have bought a Kury part, that now, will not....End Result=less sales.

Kevin

 

[DK Custom Products]

I agree with you 100%...and thanks for the kind words about DK.

And, yes, the bigger a company gets the more likely they are to do what many companies do.... calculate how much they can save by cutting corners to make the quarterly #'s look good. I was not meaning to say that they do not do that. There is no doubt that they do.

However, they shouldn't do it...not only for moral reasons, but it is not good for their business...it may seem like it on the surface. As you said they will not get returns of all the defective product, so they will cut corners, knowing that only a % of those that receive inferior product will actually return it. It may take years for their reputation to tarnish and for sales to start dropping because of it, but it will eventually happen.

Whereas, if they would work at delivering great products with great service, yes, their cost will be higher, but they will not be sowing the seeds of a bad reputation, that inevitably leads to lost sales.

But, of course, the decision makers have so much pressure on them (especially publicly held companies) to deliver good quarterly & annual reports, that they work to fulfill those short term needs at the expense of long term health of the company.

Our own favorite MC company does a version of this. HD knows that most riders do not ride more than 5000 miles a year, and that most of the MC's they build will never see enough miles during the warranty period to cause the MC to fail due to their every increasing loose tolerances, and cost saving designs.

So, since they are in business to make $, and they only have a 2 year exposure window, they have chosen to cut corners in a variety of areas. Areas that are not good for the high mileage riders, because some of them are going to see failures due to the cheaper components & designs. BUT, that is worth it to HD Corp., because the vast majority will not experience those failures within the 2 year warranty period (or probably ever). They save $ on every unit made, and only have to do warranty work on a very small %.

However, even with HD's stronger than normal brand loyalty, these cost saving decisions have caused some to migrate to other brands. Because of HD's unique level of brand loyalty, it does not hurt them nearly as much as it does most companies.

Long winded post...but interesting stuff.

Kevin

 

[pcombe]

I agree with you 100%...and thanks for the kind words about DK.

And, yes, the bigger a company gets the more likely they are to do what many companies do.... calculate how much they can save by cutting corners to make the quarterly #'s look good. I was not meaning to say that they do not do that. There is no doubt that they do.

However, they shouldn't do it...not only for moral reasons, but it is not good for their business...it may seem like it on the surface. As you said they will not get returns of all the defective product, so they will cut corners, knowing that only a % of those that receive inferior product will actually return it. It may take years for their reputation to tarnish and for sales to start dropping because of it, but it will eventually happen.

Whereas, if they would work at delivering great products with great service, yes, their cost will be higher, but they will not be sowing the seeds of a bad reputation, that inevitably leads to lost sales.

But, of course, the decision makers have so much pressure on them (especially publicly held companies) to deliver good quarterly & annual reports, that they work to fulfill those short term needs at the expense of long term health of the company.

Our own favorite MC company does a version of this. HD knows that most riders do not ride more than 5000 miles a year, and that most of the MC's they build will never see enough miles during the warranty period to cause the MC to fail due to their every increasing loose tolerances, and cost saving designs.

So, since they are in business to make $, and they only have a 2 year exposure window, they have chosen to cut corners in a variety of areas. Areas that are not good for the high mileage riders, because some of them are going to see failures due to the cheaper components & designs. BUT, that is worth it to HD Corp., because the vast majority will not experience those failures within the 2 year warranty period (or probably ever). They save $ on every unit made, and only have to do warranty work on a very small %.

However, even with HD's stronger than normal brand loyalty, these cost saving decisions have caused some to migrate to other brands. Because of HD's unique level of brand loyalty, it does not hurt them nearly as much as it does most companies.

Long winded post...but interesting stuff.

Kevin

Wich is why I like the old 80" evo and my 89 model tour glide ultra, Harley was promoting a motorcycle with endurance for the long run.