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[PHAZE]

Maybe my problem is the reason this looks the way it does:

Is that a Harley resale value graph?

[novazeus]

No. The time period is way too long. If we were talking about driving it around the block.... of course in my case I didn't get that far.

[FXR2evo99]

Don't feel too bad....it's probably something very very simple....

I chased a "ghost" on my 2002RKC for 6 weeks before I did the ole...stick test...you know where you take something like a "paint stiring stick" poke it around while your bike is at idle and see if you can imitate the problem that you are chasing and then once you create the problem with the stick poke around a little more until you stop the problem you created....quite ingenious actually....and within 5 minutes I knew what my problem was....the problem was it only took some advice from a forum much like this to give me such an ingenious idea and literally cost me 6 weeks of chasing....my symptoms at the time were that the bike was hesitating and sometimes stumbling.....my first attempts at coming to a solution were new spark plugs, new spark plug wires, two new hoses in the gas tank, a new fuel filter, (since my bike has 20k mileage and the manual calls for it to be replaced at 25K I felt at a minimum I was simply doing forward thinking maintenance anyway) a new vapor lock valve, none of which were the problem....but at least I have some new parts...the problem was a hidden broken front injector wire below the clip area that attaches to the plug of the front injector which was ultimately causing the bike to run on one cylinder on a couple of different occasions......which of course had mocked the idea of a bad coil.....went to my local GM dealer who then sold me a DELCO/AC front injector clip/plug which they presented me for $25.00 with two wires coming out of the clip to the tune of 15".  I proceeded to cut the wires down to 7" and then removed the original front injector clip from my wiring harness the same approximate length....did some soldering and put everything neatly back together and the bike has now run over 1,300 miles perfectly.

You might be asking...ok....so what's the point....the point is....I own a 2002 Touring service manual, I own a 2002 Touring parts book and I own a 2002 Touring Electronic Diagnostics book that covers the EFI system in detail.

They are the "bibles" to my machine....and they are invaluable....so before you own any "bling" I would invest in the appropriate manuals for your 2008 SERK.  Then once you get them....I would read and read and reread until you understand your EFI system and so forth and so on....If I have learned anything over the past 5 years of my experience with HD....I am the responsible party for knowing my bike as intimately as possible....no one else will care as much (except for my son-in-law and a couple of other buddies) than I will myself.  So when they say it's this or that that your bike isn't working....you will be able to concur or offer further insight which ultimately will save you future dollars....THAT's what this site along with a couple of others are all about....is helping to keep each of us on the road....This site as well as 2 or 3 others are a valuable resource....

On my 2002 RKC I have approximately 8 sensors....I have been learning about them intimately and what it means if they aren't working.....The total cost for all of the "sensors" are like around $300.00 so my point here is don't get too scared about them.....and it's not statistically probable that they would all go out at once....and of course I know you are under warranty....I realize I am a bit over the top in my zealousness but perhaps you will capture the depth of what I am attempting to say....

I guess my point here is that I have learned to know my bike....5 years ago I didn't know what a piston was really....but with the help of a few boards like this....and my son-in-law I have actually taken two engines apart and put them back together....and they even run...lol....and it's been a fabulous learning situation.....

Oh and by the way I own an FXR2 so while I am not a SERK owner I am a CVO owner...lol

So in conclusion.....I know you must be really bummed....I feel bad for you...the "maiden voyage" but I know in the days ahead you will be with big grins and smiles ear to ear.......you should also read Hoist's (shall I call it a "Trilogy" lol) with regards to his serk experience but even he is grinning now.....I realize the experience of my 2002 RKC has nothing now or in the future much to do with your experience as we are riding entirely different bikes...but the "theory" is the same....and the "theory" I am attempting to convey....is get the manuals soon and learn your bike....because when it comes down to it__________________________well you know the rest of the sentence.....I am sure.

Regards,

"Classic"

[d o g o l s]

novazeus Congrats 

[Hoist!]

Excellent advice here Classic! Getting to know all aspects and idiosyncrasies of your bike is probably one of the most important things you can do for yourself. Knowing how and what to talk to Service people about, troubleshooting on your own, roadside diagnostics and repair, etc. Anything you can do to insure your bike is always running well, is serviced properly and there's less chance of getting ripped off too. Breaking down on the side of the road sucks. But there's nothing more gratifying than to determine the cause and fix it, right there on the side of the road. You'll also be able to participate actively in any discussions regarding modifications you'll want to do. All this helps you get more intimately involved in the maintenance, repair, and modification of your bike. And it makes all these processes so much more fun. After all, if you're into something, it's fun then!

Great advice on Manuals too. Get them all. They're invaluable. And get familiar with them. Read thru the exploded views of the parts manual. It gives the best layout and understanding of all the components that make up your bike. Forums like this, especially this one, are also invaluable. You're here, so you already know that! And yes, all the sensors on the bike run around $300. And there's a good chance when one goes, they won't have it in stock. Or it goes in the middle of nowhere. I carry all these sensors with me all the time. Maybe I'll never need them, but if I do, I'm not hung up waiting to get it. Could save you a couple of overnight stays on the road sometime. And I carry a spare, preprogrammed PC III in case it fails as well, since the bike can't run on a stock ECM program.

Some very wise recommendations made by FXR2 here. And I'd recommend this to everyone, new and seasoned riders alike. Involvement and planning can save your butt with these bikes. GET TO KNOW YOUR BIKE. You'll never regret it and makes the whole experience so much more fun!

Hoist!

[BalDeagle]

Great looking scoot Nova - sorry to hear of your "off the starting block" troubles though. Hope they are resolved quickly.

Sound advice from Classic too - you can never know too much about what makes our tractors tick ( and I don't count myself as one who knows too much!)

Nige

[THEOZZ]

Great looking bike. Hopefully the dealer will have you fixed up and on your way so you can enjoy your new bike.

[novazeus]

I just called the dealer and they think they have it fixed. Since they don't have a book on the '08 FLHRSE4 and the factory doesn't either, they said they were walked through diagnostic with a tech at the factory.
They said they unplugged and plugged  back in connectors and now they think the bike is fixed.

This was relayed to me by my salesperson. The mechanic and service mgr. are at lunch, but it sounds as if they still don't know what caused the light to come on or what exactly fixed it.

[VAZHOG]

It's mine just need a ride to the dealer so I can drive it home.

Nice Looking Ride. As a Side note the current Issue of American MotorCyclist (page 32) Gives it a Nice review and 115 ft lbs of torque @ 3,000 Rpm out of the box -  Without it being "hoisted"

[novazeus]

I called today at a little before noon to find out the status of my bike. The salesperson said that the problem had been corrected and the mechanic and the service manager had both gone for test rides and the engine light was staying off. He said to give them time to re-detail it and come pick it up. So I tried to get in touch with the service manager but had to wait until he got back from lunch so he could arrange for either me getting a ride over or delivering the bike. After reaching the service mgr. he told me he could not accommodate my transportation requests today, he was all booked up. I inquired about what exactly did he find wrong, and I do appreciate his honesty, he said nothing. No parts put on, they just unplugged and plugged the connectors back in and re-calibrated the throttle sensors that were in spec before, and that seemed to cure the problem but he couldn't guarantee the problem was fixed.
I told my salesperson I wasn't comfortable with the service mgr. answer, although I greatly appreciated his honesty.
In Florida there isn't a "lemon law" or "3 day rule" for motorcycles.
My salesperson empathized with my concerns and said he thought the dealership would refund my money.
I called Fletcher's HD in Clearwater, FL. They have one and I told them I wanted it.
I called my salesperson back and he said that they would definitely refund my money after talking to the GM.
I said I would be in later to bring back all the extra stuff they give you with the bike and pick up my check.
On the way to Gulf Coast HD New Port Richey, FL I stopped by Fletcher's looked at the new bike I'm getting and gave them a deposit. I called my salesperson back to tell him I was on the way and inquired about the bike I was about to give back to them and he said they had ridden it again since I had called earlier and the engine light was still coming on.
So kudos to Gulf Coast HD for being honest and refunding my money. It wasn't their fault. They didn't build the bike and they weren't getting adequate support from the manufacturer to solve it, at least not yet. I hope they figure it out because my new one from Fletcher's might do the same thing.
If anyone gets one of these FLHRSE4's please relate to this post how your engine light operates.

[Travelinshoes]

What is with these last few years' CVOs?  Did AMF secretly buy back MOCO!?

T

[FXR2evo99]

novazeus.....

First of all what can you say about a dealership that will give your money back so quickly and fairly.  That's really awesome, that a business wishes to respond in a manner reflective of your desires.  I really don't believe our local dealership here would do such a thing so quickly or nicely.......and it's unfortunate that I feel that way.  It also sounds like you are an effective communicator as well.....congrats.

Actually that leaves me pretty speechless. 

I hope the bike you will be getting at the dealership in Clearwater is a wonderful bike for you. 

That would certainly cause me to pause before leaving the parking lot, thinking about what just transpired and perhaps motivated me to turn around walk back in to the dealership ask to speak to either the GM or the Owner....and sit down to see if something further on the bike could be worked out....things on these bikes just don't scare me, and if anyone should have been scared Hoist should have been....after what he has been through....but you know this is very easy for me to say since it's not my "approximate" $30,000.00 being spent on the bike in the first place.....

I just know that I believe my local dealership is too greedy to have been so customer oriented....

So have you picked up your "new" "new" bike yet?

Regards,

FXR2evo99

[novazeus]

I am a Building Contractor doing land development now on my own land. I started in the building business 34 years ago. Which means I have bought millions of dollars of stuff and labor spending other people's money wisely without getting ripped off. That is what I do.
I think I am very fair and logical in my business dealings and I do think I am a good communicator.
I am giving Gulf Coast HD credit for taking back a brand new CVO motorcycle that they haven't been able to fix yet, with all of the MOCO's help, that I paid for on Tuesday. I don't think they deserve a gold star for doing what is right but if the other HD dealerships are so lousy, maybe they do deserve a gold star from HD.
Some of their people behaved so badly in their service dept. that it makes me not want to buy a motorcycle from them again (not the mechanic he was very nice).
Here's an example of what I am talking about. After driving back to the dealership with the engine light on (which I really wanted them to come get it in case I might be damaging the motorcycle by driving it) the service writer would not escort me to the back so I could verify that the motorcycle had lubricant in it. Now, maybe they think that would be silly, but it isn't their $32k they just spent, so two minutes so I could feel better about the situation shouldn't be a big deal. It was like they were trying to hide something. I would have been more patient with their efforts to fix the bike if I had been treated respectfully.
Our purchases of these leisure vehicles should be all about fun. I am not going to put up with people that think because they are a clerk at a HD dealership they don't have to be polite and accommodating.
Most of these HD dealerships I have seen are not run as professionally as they should be.
My advice for the HD dealerships would be "treat your customers and potential customers the way they (the people that work there) would like to be treated when they are out investigating a major purchase".
My prediction is that all these dealerships will see very hard times for the next couple of years (they won't be the only businesses either) and they will start being a whole lot nicer.

[novazeus]

As far as "getting to know your bike" etc. posts.
I have a '06 KTM 525 EXC that was shipped to me new in the crate that has never been to a dealer or off my property for that matter, that has 2300 trouble free offroad miles on it.
I am the only one that wrenches on it. (and the only part of that I like is when I am finished).
Ditto for my '07 Polaris Ranger.
Another guy wrenches on my '06 Fatboy 95 cubic incher and I am glad he does.
I enjoy riding Harleys not working on them. My desire is to be the best, safest, surviving the streets motorcycle rider ever to have two wheels on pavement. If I am able to sell some property in a couple of years and I am not too old and feeble I hope to buy a helicopter and a plane and start flying. There is only so much time in the day.
Hopefully I'll have another HD later today and while one Harley is being worked on, I'll be riding the other one (or the dirt bike, or the Ranger).

P.S. I want one of these too!

[nidan]

Enjoy!