OK,
I had this same conversation with the store manager of San Diego H-D's downtown Little Italy location. Here's what I said to him
" Michael, you're talking about a part that was designed by Harley-Davidson to fit a Harley-Davidson motorcycle being installed by a factory trained mechanic. If it won't fit and stay on the vehicle as designed, you should not be selling it to the public. Furthermore you have an obligation to your supplier (Harley-Davidson Inc) to inform them of a defective product. I cannot buy into your argument that your mechanic did the right thing. And finally, you failed in your obligation to me as the customer to inform me of this product's defect. "
B B
Well said; you are absolutely right, the axle caps could be better designed and made; that said the components that make up these machines today are what they are.
I look at quality a little like horsepower; quality is the combined result of product and service; horsepower is the expression of torque and velocity. If you have a product that is a little light on quality, Customer Service (velocity) can sometimes make up the difference. I’m not going to mention any names here but R******t comes to mind; they deliver a great deal of
necessary velocity, which they deserve credit for IMHO.
The Dealer should run interference for the Customer, doing what they can to ensure that expectations are met. A Dealer that would pitch a set of Detonator Wheels would have to deliver incredible velocity in order to balance that product.
I give the kid from San Diego credit for his workaround; he demonstrated a sense of velocity. At the end of the day our satisfaction is at least somewhat dependant on our ability to deal with an occasional workaround. I understand and respect that you and I don’t look at this the same way; you are a big guy and require a lot of torque to get the job done.
djkak