While in Rapid City SD in '09 a few of our members met with Representatives from HD. Among the many things confirmed during that meeting was the fact that this site is regularly visited but not posted by these Reps.
uhmmmm... are they literate or just looking at the pictures?
Just askin' because it does not seem like MoCo has a grasp on the pulse of their customers, especially those that have spent a lot on their high-end models. I read about some exceptional dealers that take care of their customers even if the MoCo will not, but warranty coverage should be coming down from the top, not hiding behind dealers & regional reps.
500 miles engine on my bike started showing corrosion thru powder coat, they called it cosmetic, exposure to some form of contamination, not their fault, not covered by warranty. Same for some of the chrome bolt covers.
5,000 miles Dunlop D407's showed excessive wear, not down to wear bars but dealer "service" advised me to replace them on my dime, 2,000 miles later front tire showed cupping and rear tire almost down to wear bars and this time dealer "service" replaced front tire thru warranty after I showed field bulletins they never heard about but would not cover the rear. I ended up replacing both later with Avon Cobra's at another motorcycle shop and the bike rides a lot better, we'll see how well the mileage will be.
I have concerns about the compensator and noticed rust spots under paint like other 09 SE springers. Not looking forward to the "customer service experience" again.
I can overlook the price we pay for the H-D brand, especiallly a CVO. I'm enjoying the H-D experience on one of the finest factory customs made, and can't picture myself having the same experience with another brand. What bothers me most is how the attitude by MoCo, their regional reps, & dealers about customer service, warranty, and product quality is ruining an otherwise great experience.
I spent a lot of time talking with the MoCo and dealer "service" about the powder-coat issue with no resolution, use the H-D surveys in the open comment sections to let them know how I feel about my experience & concerns which I know they only use for marketing research, and plan to write a letter but have read here no one else has got the MoCo to resolve their issues.
I doubt anything said here will result in a miracle at MoCo, but it feels good to vent every now & then. I've decided to move on and not let them ruin my experience, but I don't see how they'll convince the next generation even after putting out more entry level models and spending millions of dollars on advertising hype instead of improving quality & service.