Hello forum,
I've got a pretty new Lowrider S and after it's first service on Tuesday 4th of October I took it for a ride down south and the bike died on me at 4PM just as I was exiting the southern end of Seven Mile Beach National Park or whatever it's called.
A total power outage. The speedo needles were frozen. Did not even have a chance to fall back to zero.
I called Harley Assist to arrange a technician to come take a look - which took two fucking hours - and the fucker couldn't help anyway. Some Shoalhaven technician. Lesson learned. Next time I'll request a tow truck straight away but I just couldn't believe there could be any major towable issue with my near new bike that had - no B.S. - just been serviced that morning. So after wasting 2 1/2 hours, I called Harley Assist again to request a tow, which had me waiting another hour or so. The tow truck guy - Dean - was brilliant! Several people stopped to offer assistance which is encouraging. People aren't so bad afterall. It must have been around 10PM when we got to the Fairy Meadow Holden depot where the bike would be locked up overnight. At this point I asked Harley Assist to book a cab for me and Harley Assist contributed $150 towrards the $400 taxi ride home to Sydney. I'd be out all day since 7AM and did not feel like taking public transport home, so I shelled out the dosh for the ride. I also had to get home and cook dinner for my Dad who has Alzheimers can can't cook anymore - so Dad and I had a midnight dinner by the time I finally arrived home.
Wednesday morning the workshop called to advise the main fuse had blown and they need to determine what caused it.
Thursday afternoon the workshop called to advise they replaced the main fuse, took the bike for a spin and after about twenty minutes the fuse blew again adding they later discovered a powerline casing was rubbing against the swingarm and over time had worn through, which blew the main fuse and caused a total power loss. Lucky I was on the open road with a level area to coast to a stop when the bike went totally dead.
One of my first questions was is this an issue with all the 2016 Lowrider S because if all the electrical cable routing is done in the same fashion the bikes will have to be recalled to correct it... or it might just be a one-off stuff-up at some point where the main power cable bundle (or whatever it's called) was routed incorrectly.
I started looking for someone to blame and asked if the bikes are assembled in Australia and was advised this is not the case. The bikes are crated and shipped in one piece, complete and pretty-much ready to go. Maybe the mirrors need to be screwed into position or something, but there is definitely no routing of power cables over the swingarm.
The workshop said they'd look into my queries and adivsed a product recal would be necessary if this is how all the Lowrider S main lines are routed. They added my bike could take weeks to get back on the road and they'd try hard to get it ready before Harley Days at the end of the month. They need to get the power cables from the US. Hope they don't fuck up my bike in other ways in the process of repairing it. I'm paranoid because I remember one workshop damaged one component of my previous bike - a Vrod Muscle - when repairing another component because they were in a hurry trying to squeeze as many bikes through the service line as possible.
My new 2012 Street Glide died and had to be towed from Airlie Beach to Mackay. Long story short also electrical fault, selling dealer lent me a bike when/if i wanted a ride and a loom was sent from USA and installed quickly. Be patient these things happen sadly
Could be weeks to get the replacement part from the US apparently.
They seem pretty genuine and offered my pick of the loaners for Harley Days if it comes to that and my bike is still not on the road at that point.
